Study Says 25 % of Media Will Be User-Generated by 2012

User-generated content is quickly becoming one of the most popular features of the internet. Nokia says that trend will only continue to grow stronger. The company recently released a study that predicts within five years a quarter of all entertainment will be created, edited and shared within peer groups rather than coming out of traditional media groups.

Mark Selby, VP of Multimedia for Nokia says, “The trends we are seeing show us that people will have a genuine desire not only to create and share their own content, but to remix it, mash it up and pass it on within their peer groups - a form of collaborative social media.” The research team identified four driving trends: Immersive Living, Geek Culture, G Tech, and Localism.

Immersive Living is the blurring of reality, between being on and offline, with the end result being that entertainment is no longer segmented. Geek culture says the boundaries between being commercial and creative will blur as it becomes cool to get feedback on user-generated work. G Tech says media is becoming more collaborative, democratic, emotional and customized. And Localism means consumers will take pride in seeking out the local and home-grown.

Tom Savigar, Trends Director at The Future Laboratory says, "Consumers are increasingly demanding their entertainment be truly immersive, engaging and collaborative…. We believe the next episode promises to deliver the democracy politics can only dream of." The full text of the study can be found at http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1172517