The productive 'consumer' and the dispersed 'citizen'

This article argues for a more nuanced approach to the relationships between the figures of ‘consumer’ and ‘citizen’, normally assumed to exist in separate spaces. Against the idea that each acquires information and feelings of connection in isolation (the ‘plugged-in monad model’), the article argues for an open research agenda into how the spaces of public connection that frame both practices are sustained and the common issues of trust that affect them. This is linked to the author’s forthcoming research into media consumption and public connection. The conclusion reflects briefly on the policy implications of this research direction.