Regarding The Term 'Content Creator'

[jiyeon]

Does anyone else find the term 'Content Creator' a bit broad for what it is?

 

I find the term encompasses too much occupations to the point where if someone says they're a 'content creator', I've entered the lottery. This term along with 'content creation' is so broad that I can't really work out what the person who describes themselves as one does, unless they do, and then so what's the point in saying 'content creator' in the first place.

 

Occupations I've seen being substituted for 'content creator':

• Twitch Streamer
• YouTuber
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Blogger
• News Journalist
• Graphic Designer

 

I just find the term to be an extremely wide umbrella term for anything that falls into an occupation involving the internet.

 

Am I just out of the times with this term?

[PlayStation 2]

It is a broad term, although it’s arguably for a reason. I wouldn’t necessarily consider my YouTube channel as a content creator-driven channel but more as an archival channel. That’s where I feel that the term “content creator” falters.

[r2724r16]

I create content on the LTT forum... so does that make me a Content Creator?

[jiyeon]

46 minutes ago, r2724r16 said:

I create content on the LTT forum... so does that make me a Content Creator?

Yeah see this is my point, I make reviews here and so technically I can say I'm a 'content creator', but if I do, someone might think I'm a YouTuber, Twitch streamer, photographer, blogger, whatever, it's so broad.

[harryk]

3 hours ago, sowon said:

Occupations I've seen being substituted for 'content creator':

• Twitch Streamer
• YouTuber
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Blogger
• News Journalist
• Graphic Designer

I think it is because typically someone doing one of the above is actually doing many of the above. Someone may start as a photographer, but then gets into making videos, and then starts making vlogs. They will likely start doing graphic design and make logos and elements for their videos. Maybe they start doing live streams. Maybe they become very popular and start doing product reviews or covering recent events. 

 

Content creator is open-ended because so are the people. It's a flexible term that encompasses many related things. It also differentiates this modern 'profession' from traditional film and video careers where an individual would have a single role like a camera operator or speaker or writer or whatever.

[Guest]

The problem is that it's not a category, it's a buzzword/phrase.

It started off well meaning, but as @VegetableStu said, it was co-opted by companies as a marketing term so that you feel like you're doing something by getting "content creation" gear. Kind of like how VR ready started out well meaning and can now be seen on mouse mats.

[dalekphalm]

On 9/19/2019 at 11:15 PM, harryk said:

I think it is because typically someone doing one of the above is actually doing many of the above. Someone may start as a photographer, but then gets into making videos, and then starts making vlogs. They will likely start doing graphic design and make logos and elements for their videos. Maybe they start doing live streams. Maybe they become very popular and start doing product reviews or covering recent events. 

 

Content creator is open-ended because so are the people. It's a flexible term that encompasses many related things. It also differentiates this modern 'profession' from traditional film and video careers where an individual would have a single role like a camera operator or speaker or writer or whatever.

I fully agree with this.

 

On 9/19/2019 at 7:56 PM, sowon said:

Occupations I've seen being substituted for 'content creator':

• Twitch Streamer
• YouTuber
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Blogger
• News Journalist
• Graphic Designer

As stated above, that's because most content creators do most or all of those things.

 

If you're a YouTuber, you probably also Stream (and vice versa). By the nature of being a solo creator, you probably also do videography (setting up cameras, etc, for recording), photography (maybe - depends on the nature of your content), some blogging/vlogging, some graphic design (to come up with your logo, themes, design, etc), and some video editing on top of it all.

 

I would personally not include Journalists as content creators though. A Journalist can also be a content creator, but I don't consider Journalism to be an inherent part of what we consider as "content creation" - unless we're talking very niche journalists like video game reviewers (Total Biscuit, Angry Joe, etc).

[bondoao1]

I create content in the restroom, does that make me a content creator?

[Guest]

I totally disagree that being a content creator is a full time occupation. I’m a bit old fashioned, but there’s a huge leap from being an ‘instagrammer’ and having a real job.

 

You might say that well Linus is a YouTuber, he’s not really. He is a CEO, that’s where most of his work goes. I would prefer to use that title than ‘content creator’. 

[dalekphalm]

2 hours ago, floofer said:

I totally disagree that being a content creator is a full time occupation. I’m a bit old fashioned, but there’s a huge leap from being an ‘instagrammer’ and having a real job.

Being a content creator and being full time have no reliance on one another. One can be both, or one or the other, or neither.

2 hours ago, floofer said:

You might say that well Linus is a YouTuber, he’s not really. He is a CEO, that’s where most of his work goes. I would prefer to use that title than ‘content creator’. 

Okay - so what about Riley? He's a content creator by every definition of the word, and he's full time.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

Being a content creator and being full time have no reliance on one another. One can be both, or one or the other, or neither.

this is just plain misunderstanding, why the term has such a broad definition, why I prefer a more formal title, rather than content creator. In a mainstream sense of the word, (i.e. instagrammer, YouTuber, social media guru (?) ). To be frank those jobs just seem fake. 

Quote

Okay - so what about Riley? He's a content creator by every definition of the word, and he's full time.

Riley would be a Writer. I know he doesn't just write, he also hosts / produces, but I imagine that would be his title.

[tsmspace]

NoIm old school, from when youtube was really just for video sharing, and not for "content creators". I have a youtube channel, which I use to host videos i might share, or hope to get attention to for entertainment, but I dont have "shows" or "content",   , its just videos, like. 

 

Anyway, I like the subject because originally thats what youtube was,, it was a better way to have videos handy, or share them without constantly having to worry about having the right video player, or corrupted files from endless emailing,, i dont ever plan to make shows, but also have no plans to quit using youtube. I mean, maybe another service will come out, thats just for regular people, but just like youtube someone will get famous on it, changing everything,, so then, I might as well just use youtube. It has all kinds of upgrades that mean i can share my video regardless of connection quality, which device Im on, whether I recently lost everything, etc. 

[dalekphalm]

11 hours ago, floofer said:

this is just plain misunderstanding, why the term has such a broad definition, why I prefer a more formal title, rather than content creator. In a mainstream sense of the word, (i.e. instagrammer, YouTuber, social media guru (?) ). To be frank those jobs just seem fake. 

Riley would be a Writer. I know he doesn't just write, he also hosts / produces, but I imagine that would be his title.

But writing is just one of many tasks that Riley does. “Writer” might be his official job title at work, but that doesn’t mean “content creator” wouldn’t apply perfectly for him. 

 

Also think about almost any smaller YouTuber who is a one or two man outfit. Almost all of them are by definition content creators because they do all the “jobs” involved with making their videos. 

[Natasha]

Is a dentist a doctor? And a gynecologist is a doctor? both of them ?....
Content creator is one that adds value to a community.
Another thing is that technologies go faster than regulated studies to classify them.
and another topic is the purpose with which that content is created (fake news ....)
For example, I loved this content but I almost don't access it. 
It is something very broad that grows and branches more and more.

[bondoao1]

12 hours ago, bettyhunt said:

Absolutely not.

Awww, There goes my hopes and dreams of being a content creator. 
I guess i'll just keep posting videos on youtube and hope I get more than the 3 likes that my friends give me. LOL