Abstract

We no longer are mere individuals, but part of a global collective. The evolution of technology has enacted changes both socially and economically. There is now more freedom both to define our own identity and to enact social change through advocacy. This cultural revolution has a lot to do with the fact that our input online impacts one another and is facilitating a sharing economy. First, this paper addresses how shifts in technology established new patterns of communication in their cultural performance. Second, we analyze how we market ourselves, as well as goods and services, online. Beyond what we put out to the world, what impact does the longevity of online rhetoric have on the individual and the economy? This culture of sharing and access to an evolving form of identity membership created the community of collaborative consumption. Third, our interconnectivity is enabling sharing and producing a localized version of globalization. The current economy is in a state of flux due to false hope, agitation and the social movement that has been coined the sharing economy. This paper seeks to define these ideas through an application of framing analysis, combined with an analysis of rhetoric, particularly exemplified in the new media.

Key Words: Reputation, Sharing Economy, Collaborative Consumption, Social Advocacy, Mythos

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*Sunny Short-Miller is an alumna of Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA  95521, U.S.A. and currently pursuing further studies in Pedagogy. Her research interests are in rhetoric, pedagogy, globalization, and new media.

**Elizabeth Phillips is a social advocate coordinating political events established in the Ted® community and is a published speaker of a Tedx Talk. She is Research Fellow and President of the Debate Team at Humboldt State University 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA  95521, U.S.A. Her research interests are in political rhetoric, economic discourse, and new media.

***Brittany Stuckey is an alumna and a former Research Fellow, leader of the debate team and teaching assistant in the Department of Communication, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA  95521, U.S.A. Her research delves into rhetoric and public discourse, Mythos, visual rhetoric and new media.

****Michael S. Bruner, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA  95521, U.S.A.  His research interests are in contemporary public discourse. 

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 9, No. 1, April  2017, 1 – 12