As internet-connected video devices become more widely available, there's a growing trend for live-streamed gaming. Platforms like Twitch are creating peer-controlled channels brimming with engaging user-generated content.

The way teens create identity is changing. With more tools to express themselves, access to a world of information and subcultures that bloom and wither in a matter of days, affiliation to traditional tribes has become less important.

The talent show format has fallen out of favour.American Idolviewers fell 66% in three years, and only three seasons ofThe X Factorwere made in the US before it was dropped. Can interactive programmeRising Starbring the talent show back into people’s living rooms?

With over 100 hours of video footage uploaded to YouTube every minute, and over 6 billion hours of video watched and discussed on the site each month, it's a thriving community. Now, Google has brought fan funding to YouTube in the form of a Tip Jar function.

Twitter has partnered with 300 Entertainment to capitalise on its wealth of music data. The start-up will analyse Twitter's data to pinpoint emerging artists, and help musicians, brands and record labels understand it.

More than 60% of women believe social media is influencing today’s definition of beauty, more than magazines, film or music. But with Instagram filters and self-editing becoming the norm, what does this mean for those who are less than picture-perfect? And is actual authenticity a thing of the past?

Authority is slipping away from 'traditional' experts – and into the hands of celebrities. But is 'standing out' from a sea of information, products and ideas as simple as putting a famous face on a brand?

With social media opening up million of little windows into the lives of others, reality TV expanding into new frontiers like space travel, and people growing savvier about what's real and what's not – what does the future of reality culture hold?