I-Rave: digiphrenia's transformation of a culture

Abstract

Over the last five years, electronic dance music culture, originally known as Rave has made dramatic shifts due to the influence of new media. Technology is a key factor. The vast majority of current EDM (electronic dance music) event attendees have smartphones that take pictures and record the event, changing the original Rave concept of "living in the moment" into a photo op for a Facebook update. The use of technology has shifted the experience of Rave culture from a model based on face-to-face interactions on the dance floor to a model based on digital/online communication. The use of technology has redefined participation in Rave culture. I am asking three fundamental questions: Why do people gather at Raves? How have new media cellphone technologies and social networks like Facebook changed the way people interact at Raves? What is the impact of technology on Rave culture? In the era of smartphones and social networking, the use of technology in popular culture demands that we are seen in photos and videos uploaded to social network sites. Therefore, the opportunity to connect with strangers through dance, unity and love is replaced with a two-dimensional image. Simultaneously, corporations easily get hold of key elements of underground electronic dance music, which transforms Rave culture into a product.