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Intimacy Post

Intimacy Post (Her)

Current technology has in some unique ways, redefined intimacy. How it can be perceived and new ways that it can be achieved. What was previously considered a relational closeness achieved through organic relationships with face-to-face interaction, has been steadily changing with the emergence of new technologies. The movie Her brings to question several intriguing facets of this previously unimaginable melding of technology and human intimacy. The plot centering on a romantic relationship between a man (Theodore), and an intuitive operating system (Samantha), most people would justifiably think, “How ludicrous!”, but the ideology behind the plot thickens, making this seemingly far-fetched premise eerily feasible as I will outline in the body of this post.

In an article by Pettman, the term “Levinasian ethics” is used to describe the potential for increased intimacy through an absence of face-to-face communication. Drawing from the philosophical stance that the heart of ethics is derived from an unspoken, and nearly spiritual agreement that occurs when face-to-face interactions are transpiring- the absence of such an interaction allows for less restrictions in the form of self-centered fears. Samantha is presented in the film, as a female voice with no tangible body or face. The premise of this absence of f2f communication adds to the credibility of achieving an honest, and potentially intimate relationship with an interactive source. The underpinnings of this idea are expanded upon in a scene where Samantha finds a real woman to act as a surrogate sex partner for Theodore. Successful up until he looks the surrogate in the eyes and is immediately turned off by the arrangement. The scene suggests that physicality and emotional intimacy are two very different human connections that can’t easily be interchangeable. Also making distinctions between what an intuitive operating system might deduce about physicality and intimacy, and an actual human response to face to face interaction.

The possibility for actual physical responses given a romantic relationship with a bodiless voice is further presented in the argument of proximity. Pettman argues that proximity no longer defines physical closeness. Having someone to talk to at the tip of your fingers in the form of a bluetooth head piece, or a cellphone, has arguably changed the way people court each other romantically. This idea is apparent throughout the film Her in the plot’s juxtapositioning of concept’s regarding proximity and Samantha’s physical absence. Theodore is constantly speaking to a ubiquitous voice, yet physically absent from his life while developing a closeness that can be best explained through ideas in an article by Manghani.

When arguing the parallels between Japanese short-form poetry and modern text messaging, Manghani refers to a sociologist named Luhmann, who uses a Systems Theory approach to analyze love. Claiming that love is a culmination of communication/code, Luhmann asserted that if you treat society entirely as a system of communication, love is the product and/or catalyst of effective communication. Using Luhmann’s theory to argue that love is complimented and expanded through the use of communication technology, Manghani’s position presents itself quite obviously in the film. The character named “Mark Lewman”, who’s name so closely resembles “Luhmann” to be coincidental, sends Theodore an email asking if he’d go on a date with a woman he hadn’t yet met. Urged to accept the invitation by Samantha (the disembodied voice of his OS), Luhmann’s theory is manifested on-screen. Jumping from different communication mediums (email, and verbal), from different sources (human and OS), Luhmann’s theory on communication and society, is the backbone of the movie Her. The blind date ends in shambles by the end of the night when his date, from a self-centered fear of being hurt, recoils from him, essentially changing the way she viewed Theodore, saying he looked “creepy.” Addressing some very real restrictions to face-to-face communication, the movie Her incorporates socially relevant points as they pertain to technological advances of our time and intimacy, and the viability of achieving love with an operating system.

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Digital Labor

Creative culture has transformed in the past decade with aspiring media producers, bloggers, and creative entrepreneurs sharing their craft on social media and websites. Technology has flourished to a point where previously discernible gaps separating quality of established media companies’ product, and start-up DIY entrepreneurs have been narrowing, and the industry altogether is vastly different to that of ten years ago. It is now much more feasible for a low-budget individual-based media artist to create high quality productions, and this has caused media culture to shift. In such a shift, debate has begun over digital labor and how lines should be drawn relating to compensation of new types of labor which are the result of an evolving media culture.

According to Duffy, creating widely approved productions are comprised of three interwoven features distinguishing a new type of digital labor from the aforementioned high-budget and well established media production companies. Of the three features, I will focus on “the instrumentality of affective relationships.” Duffy argues that within the new form of digital labor, there exists an emotional labor associated with creating and managing individual social media ventures. That is, to create a digital atmosphere that reaches increasingly large audiences requires building relationships quantified by “likes”, “followers”, “comments” and page visits. Within the shift of media culture, we find that it is increasingly popular to create productions from a relative and relatable stance to that of the audience. Almost as though creating productions that meet its audience from a level playing field, thus increasing believability and adding an element of authenticity. This applies to woke accounts on a very fundamental basis. Generally reaching to communicate issues to underrepresented audiences, minorities, and anyone who’s unaware of the issue being brought to light on a woke account post, authenticity is derived from messages, content, and audience interaction. An example of creating affective relationships, is in 4biddenknowledge’s encouraging of audience members to conduct their own research if something doesn’t sound right. Essentially to fact check the post which adds to authenticity and credibility on an almost personal basis. Never defensive or stooping to negative comments, he engages his audience by creating an atmosphere that involves interaction with the community. 4biddenknowledge also frequently discloses personal race (figure 1), posting a picture of himself at a seminar for entrepreneurs at MIT, deepening the affective relationship with the community by communicating (intentionally or not) his race. This solidifies credibility and relatability to audience members as it directly pertains to much of the content he posts.

Race, self disclosure, and affective relationship building brings to surface a proposition made in Nakamura’s article: that social media companies benefit wholly from independent user moderation of racist comments across all social media platforms. Creating a “safe space” for diverse groups to interact adds to social media companies’ success by including broader audiences. Nakamura is concerned with this type of mediation being a form of digital labor that users should be compensated for. Arguing the obvious benefits social media companies incur from intervention of destructive racist, sexist, and other phobic social inclinations, Nakamura speaks to this altruistic digital product that likely transcends monetary motives, but doesn’t take from the fact that users are largely moderating platforms, and subsequently engaging in unpaid digital labor. This envelops the roots of woke accounts. Putting Nakamura’s argument on steroids by devoting an entire account to this noble cause, is a testament to the type, and quantity, of digital labor that woke accounts provide.  

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Social Movement Post

Social Movement Post

The Conscious Movement on social media is one to educate people by sharing little-known and sometimes controversial information to attempt to lift individual, and ultimately societal awareness about racial injustices, political discrepancies, and both societal and individual responsibilities. Assuming that generations of society are largely unaware of historical and current issues going on in the world, the Conscious Movement submerges its’ audience in information to raise awareness to produce some form of change. Taking into account our current technological arena, with the instantaneous ability to share information, connect with a diverse and immense audience, and the implications of largely misunderstood social media platforms, we can analyze how technology (internet/social media) affects the movement, more comprehensively.

Technological determinism is an ideological stance that basically predicts the outcomes produced by the emergence and growth of technological advancement. Morozov warns of this mentality because the nature of the internet is largely misunderstood. Extremely difficult to foresee implications due to the vast diversity of users and uses. The Conscious Movement is an underrepresented community providing information to its audience, with the ability to persuade and communicate issues to a broad audience. Understanding the movement and its place in the technological age we are living in now, one can say that the internet and social media platforms give the movement a space to broadcast its agenda. To evaluate it from a cyber-optimist perspective, one can say that the internet has made possible an audience otherwise intangible to the movement previously, and in turn will provide the information needed to produce significant societal change. While this is proven in Jackson’s research regarding counterpublics and marginalized demographics leading public debate and awareness in cases like Zimmerman and Ferguson, Morozov’s reiteration of Ithiel de Sola Pool’s contribution describes the interaction between counterpublics’ relationship with social media platforms, and the power to produce change. Ithiel de Sola Pool said “technology shapes the structure of the battle but not every outcome”.

To assert that the internet gives immeasurable power to produce and spread narratives, inspiring lasting political change, has specks of truth in it. The Conscious Movement is certainly in a great position to inspire and alter thoughts on issues, but elite media and the nature of society, and the internet as a whole, contributes unpredictable variables, and it would be wise to remain grounded in the heart of information sharing and distribution. As it concerns outcomes and plausibility to produce change, the Conscious Movement can’t be certain, but by distributing information about race-related injustices, opinions on global issues and facts about the present day, an underrepresented and marginalized community has a platform to call from. Sharing information that isn’t massively produced and backed by larger media companies, allows those who follow the movement the opportunity to be informed and decide to act on those injustices. Whether or not action will be taken and if the outcome will be desirable is still largely a societal issue, and not a technological one.  

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Fans & Amateurs Post

Interactive, Participatory, and Convergent Consumers

The emergence of the internet has caused a change in the way established media companies view their audience, and the role we play as consumers. In an article by Jenkins, the terms “interactivity” and “participation” as they relate to media and new technological innovations, are used to describe the changing roles of audiences and consumers. Interactivity is used to explain an intended manipulation of predetermined facets of media use, like a remote control changing the channel on a television. Whereas participation is intended to describe an inclusive function of largely fan-based material and creative works, contributing to decision-making of large media franchises. Issues arise when describing participatory functions of media, as wholly inclusive and from a collaborative perspective. The fact is that as media companies dominate the industry, participation is hardly convergent in the sense that both parties are being equally compensated, particularly if the “amateur” has contributed a lot of time and energy to the project reflecting an interest in and for large media companies. To analyze the distinctions between interactive, participatory, and convergent consumer roles on social media, I will describe a single post from a woke account.

Taking the concepts of interactivity and participation to a micro level, focusing on woke accounts on social media, we see these concepts at work, with room for discussion. Social media accounts are arguably interactive platforms with functions and limitations predetermined by stakeholders. The role that woke accounts play on the micro-level can be determined by analyzing their apparent motives for posts, content, and audience. As we have seen from 4biddenknowledge’s posts, they seem to be aimed at educating audience members about issues related to race, politics, and unconventional theories. As you can see in figure 1, 4biddenknowledge has used a video created by someone else and redistributed it from his account, to share information. Using the social media platform as it was intended, that is to share information instantaneously, he has engaged in interactive use of social media. In an article by Lessig, it brings to light the issue of copyright, and redistribution of material. The fact that 4biddenknowledge seems to have posted it for educational purposes, it is likely that he is benefiting the company who has created it by introducing it to a larger audience, likely dissuading legal ramifications by including a media tag to credit the source of the video. The symbiotic relationship between redistributing material, and engaging audience members by highlighting valuable information to retain and attract new followers, is a form of participatory convergence. The question of whether or not 4biddenknowledge is being inadvertently exploited by Instagram and the creator of the redistributed material, assuming he’s not being compensated for his distribution of it, brings to light Fuchs’ argument of establishing web-based culture from participatory capitalism, to a participatory democracy.  

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Minority Post

Developing an online presence and identity ascribed through posts on social media can be a daunting sea to navigate. Taking into consideration the issue of blurred contextual lines due to a general lack of background information, and limitations produced by the absence of nonverbal cues, makes establishing an accurate portrayal of the message and messenger, challenging. This contextual collapse, as Cisneros calls it, in combination with an already divisive offline social structure that marginalizes minorities based on race, makes establishing an accurate online racial identity unique across various racial groups.

Cisneros describes “new racism” that still serves white supremacist ideologies by denying the significance of race. While abstaining from the type of outright racism signalled by ideologies and actions exhibited largely uninhibitted pre-Civil Rights Movement days, new racism is a subtler, yet equally damaging form to the cause of promoting multicultural and diverse communities. It is described as “color blindness.” By denying a difference across racial groups, new racism denies actual inequalities occurring in society through institutions, programs, and systems. Carrying racial identities online, combats this form of new racism by drawing distinct racial lines, but can attract forms of old racism. In a post by Instagram user 4biddenknowledge about Haiti’s surplus of Iridium (figure 1), a valuable natural resource, outfitted with a logo from the popular Black Panther cinematic franchise referencing the fictional country called “Wakanda”, the post demonstrates the potential for Haiti (a predominately Black country) to see economic advantages in the future. Evidence of old racism is apparent in “iamkryswee’s” comment to the post: “Really? Thought Haiti had no schools and streets before the white man came there” (figure 2). To which another Caucasian replied “sounds about white”. Whether trolling a post about potential gain for a Black country, or stating a fact out of context, iamkryswee’s comment is what Cisnero describes as “old racism”, used in a contextually collapsed way.

In an article by Sara Florini, she discusses online identity and its intricacies as it pertains to African Americans establishing race on social media. There are several ways to establish an accurate racial identity that includes incorporating Black cultural practices to an online forum. Most of these methods are linguistic and interactive. That is to say that Black online communities have a unique vernacular that identifies them as Black, and incorporates their cultural identity into posts. The instagram account “4biddenknowledge” and the nature of his woke account, conforms to Florini’s concepts describing online racial identities. The woke account is in place to inform all who would follow the account, but also largely to communicate with the Black community. Further drawing constructive racial lines across the social media account, 4biddenknowledge’s comment to Instagram user “victorrival” on the same Haitian Iridium post described earlier, was made in a form of Creole vernacular unique to Haiti. He said, “sak pase” (figure 3), meaning “what’s up?”, to which he received the response “nap boule” translating to “im good”. This use of Creole slang on social media is an example of carrying cultural and racial practices online to establish communal interaction, recognizing race and experience. This type of interaction is a form of cultural diversity that establishes racial lines online, challenging “new racism” and color blindness, to great effect. Essentially keeping 4biddenknowledge’s followers woke a.f. 

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Gender Post

It is undeniable that social media perpetuates potentially adverse stigma around feminism and feminist culture. Stemming from societal cues and standards, social media is a breeding ground for the convoluted issues around feminism. The issues arise when generations of women are bombarded with images of what femininity should look like, gaining momentum unparalleled in eras preceding the internet and social media. Post-femininity has taken form in a neoliberalist shape. Encouraging women to emphasize their sexuality by accenting aesthetics and behavior previously dictated by heterosexual standards of beauty, as a means to possess societal power. From waist sizes, to makeup, to how to use attractiveness as a tool for empowerment. An article by Rosalind Gill critically analyzes the issues regarding post-feminist culture and the messages being relayed to young women all over the world, which are compounding the phenomenon of self-branding on social media. The new post-feminist mentality regarding individuality, bodily property, the shift from women being seen as objects to now subjects desiring sex, and the ingrained idea of transformative makeovers, are exponentially impacted by social media.

The woke account “4biddenknowledge” doesn’t explicitly conform to the plethora of generic posts found online inciting further damage to feminine sensibilities. He neither posts “sexy” women in revealing clothing for the sole effect of inciting male praise, or posts about sexuality as sole sources of female power, nor chastises women in comments sections, but does include enlightening posts about successful African American women, to which the posts resemble much of what Gill describes in her article. A video post (figure 1) about a woman named “Rexy Rolle” and her several accomplishments in life: current vice-president for an extremely successful airline, practicing attorney, a successful musician, and doing so as an African American woman “on this sick planet” (as 4biddenknowledge calls it in a comment on his post depicted in figure 2), is meant to inspire both women, and the African American demographic. Given our current standards of success as dictated by a post-feminist society, 4biddenknowledge’s post carries controversial feminist perspective’s into a positively motivated post to inspire a systematically oppressed demographic.

The images depicted in the video are of a smiling Rexy, wearing fashionable  tight-fitting clothing accenting what is considered “sexy” now, her music playing in the background, and showing her family in the Bahamas. It shows her dancing, shaking her butt, and wearing a large amount of makeup, all of which are criteria befitting Gill’s critical analysis of post feminist culture. Gill talks about the modernization of femininity residing in the notion of women shifting from objects, to subjects desiring sex by choosing to present themselves in an objectified light, and this is consistent with some of the images from the post. 4biddenknowledge rarely posts sexually charged content, and when he does, it seems to have an underpinning effect to a greater purpose than merely to propel, or incite negative feminine agencies. The fact remains that altruistic motive or not, undertones of post-femininity are evident in the post, and speaks to social media’s ability to propagate the feminine neoliberalism that Gill talks about.

The post also illuminates an idea presented in an article by Mary Kearney titled “Mediated Girlhoods”. In an online world, where video blogging has produced the concept of self branding on an unlimited and instantaneous platform, both women and girls create a brand out of their own lives, appearances, opinions, and behavior. Considering the impact that video’s posted online can have on audiences, 4biddenknowledge’s post attempts to encourage self branding that lifts an oppressed people. In my opinion, the implications of derogatory post-feminist sensibilities are dulled by the positive nature of this post. It seems to be a way that 4biddenknowledge is helping to uplift a demographic by providing material for a positive self branding of African American women, though simultaneously rooted in a contradictory post feminist perspective.

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Friendship Post

Since the birth of Facebook, and arguably since the onset of instantaneous communication, experiences with natural human relationships and authentic connection have been changing.

Most people in modern society have come across the intrinsically complex “add friend” button on social media platforms. With the click of a button you can add someone to your “friendship cloud” as William Deresiewicz puts it, or banish them to an alternative ether, inherently void of your punctum selfies, social updates, and thoughtful opinions. In an instant you’ve decided and acted on what used to be a gradual process, built on face-to-face interaction and honest appraisal. A lateral comparison of the “add friend” button, and Homer’s iconic bond captured by Achilles and Patroclus, leaves little room for discussion as to whether or not standards of friendship have been changing over time, but if these changes spurred by technological advances are to blame for relational pitfalls. The determining factor on whether or not social media’s instantaneous networking function, and its contributions to a new perception of the significance of friendships, negatively or positively impact society is to be assumed by the user. Woke accounts, believe it or not, speak of people’s responsibility to be aware of issues similar in nature to online friendship and its superficiality.

User boundaries and cognitive awareness can decidedly punctuate an unconscious stream of web-based simulacra. Identifying that the “add friend” button should generally translate into “add simulated avatar of web-based profile, which may or may not accurately depict one’s character, and whose information is being collected for marketing purposes” button, removes the possibility of falling into the delusion that social media is an appropriate substitute for organic relationships. The fault lies in people, not technology. Awareness of this fact, and how social media should be used, can break the societal inclination to adopt social media as a replacement for organic human connection and relationships. In a paradoxical way, a post (figure 1) from 4biddenknowledge’s account quoting a line from The Matrix, speaks to this type of unconscious phenomenon that seems to reduce the significance of what friendship used to mean, and self awareness is the answer. It doesn’t diminish the implication of social media ensnaring emotion and substituting human connection for online contacts. This is an example of how online rhetoric can be persuasive and woke accounts are tools to be used for individual enrichment, not relational substitution.

True friendship is a two-way street composed of real face-to-face interaction in real-time. It can be commonly misunderstood to be a relationship where you are the only one receiving support, help, love, time, and criticism to better yourself, but true friendship lies in what you are bringing to the relationship. William Deresiewicz defines friendship as “the family we choose”. Imagine a father hugging his daughter, or mother giving her time to play with her son, or an older brother helping his younger brother with his homework. If you think about it, the ones giving in the relationship are in fact gaining the most by strengthening the relationship, forming trust, and supporting the relationship.

The issue of maintaining a healthy detached perspective regarding the true nature of friendship when dealing with social media can be difficult. Illustrated by woke account 4biddenknowledge providing a service to their followers (or friends) in figure 2. They are contributing positive information about the potential benefits of hypnosis to their audience (giving in the online relationship), which can pass for the illusion of real friend behavior, and may even induce a sense of friendliness. The fact remains, this is a social media account which we have followed, not literally a friend to substitute true friendship.

Woke accounts can be a somewhat guiding force in the labyrinth of social media and online networking. A valid point worth mentioning was made by Martin Heidegger when evaluating technological advances in his time, identifying that we have entered “an age of nihilism”. Meaning we have come to find ourselves living in an age lacking a central mediator when determining how to live our lives and build purpose. That we are in a time when people are most concerned with enhancing every aspect of resources (time, money, etc.). The same is true of social media. Everyone is building a superficial rapport based on their own agendas and calling avatars associated with their accounts “friends”. Woke accounts do the same, but arguably for a noble cause. 

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“Woke” Blog- An Introduction

Social media is used as an outlet to promote free thinking and elevated social awareness by publishing facts, controversial opinions, conspiracies, and news highlights. Breeding individual research on both domestic and foreign policy, racial inequality, and historical perspectives as they pertain to morality, education and the social conscience.  

Amidst a sea of information flooding our television screens, smartphones, and social media, it can be difficult to formulate an accurate picture of what’s going on in the world. Major news outlets skew information to the tune of political and corporate agenda’s, and offer red herring stories to distract its audience from major social, economic, and political issues both abroad and domestically. The term “woke” was originally used as part of the #Blacklivesmatter movement to refer to an awareness of the systemic racial injustices committed towards African Americans. Now the term “woke” has evolved into an internet meme that has gone from being a slogan to denote social awareness regarding racial issues in the US, to an adjective to describe an individual who has awakened from a figurative automaton consciousness produced by today’s societal norms and culture- to a far less virtuous adjective used loosely and in disparaging ways on social media. Though the term has been twisted over the years, the concept and deeper use of the word “woke” is still alive on social media today.  

In my blog I will analyze weekly themes regarding an aspect of social media. In those themes I will identify and analyze some pro’s and con’s of certain social media accounts related to the woke community. I’ll be identifying how social media is used as a tool to inform audiences on topics that may have evaded the population of “non-woke” folks (or sleepers). I’ll also be analyzing the methods and purposes for posting certain things, and how they relate to the woke community. Leaders of this movement encourage researching topics that veer away from conformity for the sake of comfort. Taking on the form of social libertarians, the woke community acts as a watchdog, highlighting social injustices and racism occuring today, and sheds light on political agenda’s, opinions from seemingly well-versed sources and thought-provoking conspiracy theories.

I will follow accounts on three social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. The first account I will follow is called “4biddenknowledge”, a non-profit organization on Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook. “4biddenknowledge” is an account and organization owned and operated from Florida by “Coach” Billy Carson. Promoting societal awareness by updating followers on racially charged news stories, introducing little-known facts on the history of mankind to elicit individual research on the topics, and also serves as a watchdog on foreign and domestic affairs. The account and organization also headlines its music within its social media posts, which is a tactic I will be addressing in my analysis of the account. “4biddenknowledge” seems to be the epitome of the woke community. The second account that I will follow on Instagram is “projectknowledge”, also owned and operated by “Coach” Billy Carson, but features different information not directly associated with “4biddenkowledge’s” posts. Posting from a more anonymous and esoteric space, the account will be useful to analyze both for its individual posts and followers in the comments section, and as a base comparison to its’ sister account “4biddenknowledge”.  The last account that I will follow on all three platforms, is called “wearegaia”, a service providing “conscious” films, documentaries, and posts ranging from alien conspiracy theories, and hallucinogenic drugs, to healthy eating habits. Though I have mentioned only three accounts, I may include, if relevant and appropriate, for reference and supplementation, some current comments and Twitter posts relating to #woke threads as they may pertain to weekly theme’s to be discussed.