In this video, Deligracy describes her computer build specs and the ways in which better tools have strengthened her content creation abilities.

The System of Materials:

Materials work in a system to afford or deny the Simming Ecology's content creation.

Cooper's original framework can be adapted for 21st century writing sites by including of a system that accounts for material influences. Materials shape Simmers' content creation through the allowances of both physical objects and digital interfaces. On this page, we'll take a look at the work of physical objects like computer builds.

The materials in the Simming Ecology exert shaping change on the process of content creation. Latour identifies the absence of a crucial object as a means to argue for object agency (71), and a similar schematic can be applied to trace the influence of materials in this system. First and most obviously, the absence of an adequate computer can limit or disallow a Simmer's ability to interact with others and create content. When Simmers do not own a computer with the capabilities to run the software needed to play the game, record footage, edit recordings, and stream or upload content, they are unable to create the content and make the connections that they might otherwise. Access to materials negotiates action in other systems as well, like the system of interpersonal interactions. As discussed in the system of interpersonal interactions, social capital is accrued in the Simming ecology through interaction, is often marked by "virality," and results in greater influence and power. Tools that gatekeep the accrual of social capital hold far-reaching influence in the ecology's production. For example, starting June of 2019, The Sims 4 will end support for older computers, and players using "Non-Metal Mac OS machines or PC 32-bit Operating Systems" will be unable to access The Sims 4's gallery or EA's new downloadable content releases (EA_Mai). This change will impede the interaction options for Simmers operating older computers in two ways: They will be unable to use the gallery to upload and download content in-game, and they will be unable to utilize new EA content in the videos, livestreams, and posts depicting their gameplay. The former will forbid them access to a thriving space of collaboration and one of The Sims 4's most central features. The latter will preclude them from capitalizing on the increased engagement that accompanies official pack releases in the same way as their peers can. This will result in less content produced and fewer opportunities to accrue social capital.

Latour argues that failing to examine affordances granted by materials or "mediators" veils causes of social inequality (Latour 85). Therefore, examining computers' material agency and the affordances that they can grant reveals the cause of social or economic inequality and its perpetuation within the Simming ecology. Computers with powerful hardware, like other materials, are a symbol and object of status because they require a large financial investment and technical knowledge to acquire. Additionally, they often gatekeep quality content creation, as they are capable of higher quality, faster production.

In the video on the left, Deligracy describes how owning higher quality computer hardware has positively influenced her Simming content creation. She says "I have been able to record flawlessly, export flawlessly--and much, much quicker than my last computer...The Sims 4 runs like an absolute dream, there's not a fault in it at all when it's maxed out on all settings" ("My Set" 03:40). The perks she mentions here aren't just conveniences--according to a study that surveyed 1.3 million YouTube videos to analyze YouTube's ranking system, high definition videos were significantly more likely to be represented on the first page of search results (Dean). If a Simmer is unable to afford the hardware and software capable of recording and uploading HD content, it's likely that this will negatively impact their view count and the size of the following that they're able to create. Furthermore, the machine provides Deligracy with the ability to run the game's software on the highest graphic settings, which produces a more compelling visual experience. Older or cheaper computers freeze up or overheat when the graphics settings are maxed out. While physical objects like a computer seem less social, they ultimately grant access to social interactions and influence.

Furthermore, access to key materials can be predicated upon social capital. Deligracy's video acknowledges that she received free hardware due to a corporate partnership: "Now these were very generously gifted to me by Samsung ("My Set" 04:13-04:17). Through this partnership, Deligracy uses her large amount of social capital to encourage Simmers to purchase the computer and monitors: "I would totally reccommend them to anyone who is in a position to afford one" ("My Set" 04:56-5:00). Notably, the opportunity to exchange one's social influencing power for materials is only available to content creators with larger amounts of social capital, which ultimately reinforces some entrenched structures of power within the ecology. Content creators with access to quality materials can retain access to quality materials over time, and likewise, due to barriers like the one discussed above, it is harder to accrue the amount of influence necessary to be "gifted" hardware without first owning adequate materials.