The popular culture of 3D printing: when the digital gets physical

As 3D printing technology achieves mainstream adoption, people are forming new relationships with products as they shift from passive consumers to “prosumers” capable of both producing and consuming objects on demand. This is fueled by expanding online 3D printing communities, with new data within this chapter suggesting that prosumers are challenging existing understandings of popular culture as they bypass traditional mass manufacturing. With 3D digital files rapidly distributed through online platforms, this chapter argues that a new trend for “viral objects” is emerging, alongside the “3D selfie,” as digital bits spread via the internet are given physical form through 3D printing in ever increasing quantities. Analysis of these trends will provide academics, educators, and prosumers with a new perspective of 3D printing's socio-cultural impact, and further research directions are suggested to build a broader discourse around the opportunities and challenges of a cyberphysical future.