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Table of Contents

Time Magazine Names “You” Person of the Year

Category: Society & Economics Key figures: Richard Stengel (Time editor), Lev Grossman (Time technology writer, author of the cover story)

Summary

On December 16, 2006, Time magazine announced that its Person of the Year for 2006 was “You” — the collective of internet users who were creating, sharing, and distributing content at unprecedented scale through platforms such as YouTube, Wikipedia, MySpace, and the broader blogosphere. The selection appeared in the magazine’s December 25, 2006 / January 1, 2007 double issue. In place of a portrait of an individual, the cover featured a Mylar mirror panel on a representation of a personal computer monitor, so that readers would literally see themselves reflected in it. Editor Richard Stengel explained the choice directly: the magazine placed a mirror on the cover “because it literally reflects the idea that you, not us, are transforming the information age.” Time’s technology writer Lev Grossman authored the accompanying essay, declaring that the honoree had seized “the reins of the global media, founding and framing the new digital democracy, and working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game.” The decision drew both widespread praise for its conceptual ambition and criticism — some commentators argued it was a way for the magazine to avoid committing to a specific individual while flattering its readership.

Significance

The selection formally acknowledged, at the level of mainstream media, the structural shift from passive media consumption to active content creation that the Web 2.0 generation of platforms had enabled — a shift that YouTube, Wikipedia, and MySpace each exemplified in 2006. By placing an ordinary user rather than a political leader, scientist, or executive on its cover, Time registered that the most consequential force reshaping public life was participatory digital culture itself, a judgment that subsequent years validated as social media became a dominant feature of global communication.

Sources

  • Google Acquires YouTube — YouTube’s rise as a user-generated video hub was a key reason for Time’s “You” selection.
  • Twitter Launched — Twitter’s July 2006 debut exemplified the user-driven Web 2.0 moment Time recognized.
  • See the full Timeline of 2006 and master Index for concurrent events.