Utilizing the Dark Social and Echo Rooms in the Expense of Truth: The Case of “Clubhouse” (Celebritizenship vs. Citizenship)
Utilizing the Dark Social and Echo Rooms in the Expense of Truth: The Case of “Clubhouse” (Celebritizenship vs. Citizenship)

Summary/Abstract: Political communication is prominent in its role and essential for the political system in any models of public sovereignty. The problem of this paper is to discuss the political potential of dark social networks which can be recognized as closed virtual spaces, where personals are selected by others and then select others. Clubhouse seems to be a perfect subject of dark social however, the platform should be considered with the emerging ones following its example. Any political potential and supporting feature for public sphere can be existed with contradictions from consumer society and life-styles. First, social network platforms and Internet communities based on them are mainly commercial and it is not possible to be sure that platform owners would not make profit from the data obtained from users. Second, commodification prevails not only for platforms themselves but also communication and users are commodified. The situation can be considered as a consequence of the mediatization in late-modern societies. Looking through the current samples and depended on the critics of modernity, this paper concludes that structural logic of dark social networks oppresses any potential for political criticism. In this context, massive admiration for life-styles and popular culture results in celebritization and the rise of celebritizenship against citizenship.

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