The appropriation of transcultural flows among Copenhagen youth – The case of Illuminati

This paper examines how transcultural flows related to the conspiracy theory of Illuminati are encountered and appropriated through YouTube by a group of Copenhagen adolescents. I find that the adolescents engagement with the Illuminati society is not limited to new media practices but on the contrary spread to other everyday practices as well. In examining how the adolescents relate to and use such transcultural flows I look at how they align and dis-align with Illuminati imagery and how they engage with the conspiracy theory in different everyday situations and on Facebook. In this way I discuss how Illuminati imagery is used as a resource in the young people׳s everyday social practices. Such insights clarify the way in which transcultural phenomena that are circulated by the Internet and new media become elements of cultural diversity in so-called “super-diverse” societies.