jaycrr

[jaycrr]

How does the lack of ethnic representation in digital/online spaces contribute to the digital divide

The lack of ethnic representation in these spaces limits access for African American and also Hispanic communities. Although these communities have similar income levels and education, these two groups face significant disadvantages when it comes to access to technology because of racial factors. Lack of representation in content and communities can also discourage those with internet access because of them viewing the web as irrelevant to them, their experiences and even cultural background. A repeating cycle of exclusion that keeps on reinforcing social issues.

2. How does the creation of ethnicity based online communities, like for example AsianAvenue.com, reflect the strengthening potential of virtual homeplaces for marginalized groups?

The creation of ethnicity based online spaces like AsianAvenues.com reflects the empowering potential of virtual homeplaces by giving marginalized group spaces to connect, express identities that are shared, and one most importantly, build relationships through common cultural backgrounds. It allows users to create a sense of belonging and know that they have people to support them. By focusing on race and ethnicity, communities empower members to foster cultural pride.

3. How do ethnic online communities create a sense of identity and support for their members?

Ethnic online communities create a sense of identity and support by allowing users to have a digital space, where members with the same cultural background connect in personal and impact ways. These spaces/platforms allow people to engage in conversation, share memories and participate in events that reflect their cultural background, something that is not true/seen in other platforms. By having this environment that is tailored to them, it helps reinforce identity, ultimately creating a virtual homeplace where members feel valid. By there being a priority in your cultural background interactions, these types of spaces promote a supportive space that allows users to engage more confidently and openly.

4. How did online spaces like those involved with gamergate show both a supportive and conflictive side of virtual spaces?

Online spaces involved in Gamergate showed both support and conflictive sides of digital/virtual spaces. On one hand, these types of communities offered people to feel welcomed, it was where people could discuss gaming culture, and where people had a shared identity. On the other hand, it could be conflictive when there are opposing views in the air. People argued over harassment and gender rules that led to a divided community ultimately showing how online spaces bring people together when critical social issues are in the picture.

Hathaway, Jay. "What is Gamergate, and Why? An Explainer for Non-Geeks".

McLaine, Steven. Ethnic Online Communities

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 10/31

Is the report button against trolling/abusive behavior enough to remove trolls?

When accounts start to troll they fill social media apps with toxicity and it can be difficult to control and protect online users. In the article by Leslie Jones, we see that Twitter tweeted that they are working on improving tools and enforcement systems to prevent abusive behavior. This response suggests they are aware that the platform's current measures are not sufficient for the community. In order to get accounts/trolls taken down it seems like reporting is the only type of action users can take against users. And it's not like one report against an account brings attention, you need multiple people to spread awareness, making it not so effective. It is a positive step, but trolling is still happening showing that the enforcement against these actions is not enough. Twitter states they "rely on people to report this type of behavior" and even admit that "a lot of work remains" showing their inability to prevent abuse consistently

2. Why is the "cyber" label important to abusive behavior"?

Perpetrators are actively engaging in destructive behavior, online or offline including both. It is not just harassment or stalking. The internet has extended the life of destructive/harassment postings. Where as opposed to offline, the memories just fade away. The internet/cyber space makes it impossible to forget about harmful posts. According the article "Hate Crimes in Cyberspace", indexed posts do not have an expiration date, meaning the search engine will produce it, even if they are harmful posts that were created years ago

3. What does the term "troll" mean to us, AKA the digital age? Trolls derived from norse mythology and they were said to be supernatural creatures with less than benevolent intents, but to the digital age is taken on a new meaning. These days, to be labeled a troll on the internet means to have no supernatural powers but you have more of a malicious intent. On the internet to be a troll is to have bad intentions and wanting to harm someone, and you can say that you become a victim when trolled. It is important to note that a troll only wants attention or a reaction to continue on with their trolling, so by responding to them online we are only given them what they want much like how we were talking in class this past Wednesday.

4. What is "trolling" on reddit and what can be some forms of trolling.

A troll can be someone that disrupts discussion in a group, they spread bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in that group. In Reddit communities, trolls disrupt discussions by posting provocative, offensive or misleading comments to get reactions from people. There are multiple forms of trolling even if they are subtle or very hostile posts meant to focus attention elsewhere. It can be posting aggressive opinions to begin arguments. One and many argue the most popular is baiting people to get reactions through extreme statements, common in popular subreddits for politics for example. Another form that can be spreading fake information. Trolls want to see chaos and they do this simply to make them believe false facts/rumors.

Bergstrom, Kelly. "Don't feed the troll". Shutting down debate about community expectations on Reddit.com

K. Citron, Danielle. Hate Crimes in Cyberspace.

Silman, Anna. A Timeline of Leslie Jones's Horrific Online Abuse

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 10/17

This is my Bitmoji from Snapchat and this is my dating/social-site persona/avatar. My snapchat username is "xjor93x" and I created my account in 2015, hence the reason I have an x at the start and end of username because that is what was popular at the time. I know up until recently they allowed username changes, but I've just kept it the same. The "jor" is the start of my name, the 9 and 3 is suppose to represent the g and e in my name (Jorge). The thought behind my outfit was that I usually wear mainly black or white and at the time that I made the avatar, I was into hoodies and it just correlates with my outfit style. No not all, I was not interested in hiding my sex, gender or race when creating my persona/avatar, at the time I just wanted to style my avatar.

This is my gaming avatar/persona for 2k25. My username on PS5 is "pintsandpounds" and where I got the name is part of lyrics to a song. I listen to rap so you can imagine what the name refers to. The clothing choice that went into this character is that I chose a Toronto Raptors jacket to go with the theme of playing a basketball game, and also because they are a team with a strong image because of names like Vince Carter, Kawhi Leonard and Tracy McGrady, so that is why I chose this piece of clothing. Next I just went with all black pants and white shoes to match. For this particular video game, I did change my appearance because mainly no one recreates how they look in real life. There is a feature called face scan to create a player with your face, but I know from past 2K games it is usually a hassle and sometimes does not work, so I just chose a face and rocked with it. There was no specific reason of changing my appearance.

This is my "Memoji" avatar that I use for Apple "messages", which would be my day-to-day persona/avatar. I mainly use messages to converse with family and very few close friends. My name is just under Jorge Cardenas and for my avatar I do not really have much creation or did much edit with it, just tried to match my hairstyle. I matched my brown eye color, but features like ears, brows and nose are just default. The Memoji is just the face and not full body so there was no outfit choices. I was not interested in hiding my sex, gender, or race while making this persona, I just wanted it to resemble me or a close figure of me, without intentionally changing something.

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 10/10

What is racialization through interpellation? What is its impact?

Racialization through interpellation shows that race is not something that is biological but something that is constructed through views of society and through culture. It explains how society teaches us to notice features that are racially marked like one's skin or eye color. Also, it's something we unconsciously identify in people. This varies by culture, is constantly shifting and an example we see in "The Social Media Handbook" is when in the 18th century, the English people would describe Irish people as "black" and "tawny" to describe the Hottentots people of Africa. This goes to show race is a concept that is shaped by social norms and is constantly changing

2. How has the rise of internet access and smartphones impacted race and social media?

African American and Latino communities have received greater access to internet and phone access, which has helped close the digital divide. Referring to closing the gap between communities that have access to modern communication technologies and those that do not. In the early days of cyberspace, non-whites had much less access to the internet. Smartphones played a crucial role in closing the gap because of the fact they are much more affordable than computers and they started to become really mainstream/accessible. In 2010, 70 percent of African Americans and Latinos that speak english were on social media apps. Which is higher percentages than white online users, indicating the internet became more racially diverse.

3. What is the recent shift towards multi-culturalism we have seen?

Explained in Race after Technology, mass marketing has moved toward ethnic niches that have a play on diversity. A good example used are the Netflix movie/show recommendations that come up on the screen, and these certain posters like those that include black cast members, can entice and they are meant to target the black audience to get them to click and check out the movie/show. Platforms like Netflix, it is not like they are asking their users about their race, instead they use algorithms like what you watched previously, what you have searched to indicate who is attracted to certain cast movie posters.

4. What does Daniels say about why you should study white supremacy online?

Jessie Daniels says that in her view, the reason you should study white supremacy online is to challenge it. She argues the reason you should care about white supremacy is because "racial vitriol" is easy to find online. There also has been a huge shift, anyone with internet connection: a sixth grader doing a report, a potentially violent skinhead, can easily stumble upon white supremacy online. It is a complicated problem because ascertaining how young people make sense of white supremacy online/how it affects them and distinguishing between those who produce it white supremacy, those who look for it, or who find it by accident is difficult to determine. The idea of white supremacy online better informs our knowledge of social movements, society, race, the internet and how young people are educated in this digital age.

Benjamin, R. (2019). Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code.

Daniels, J. (2009). Combating Global White Supremacy in the Digital Era.

Hungsinger, J., & Senft, T. (2014). The Social Media Handbook.

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 10/3

What are some ways we see online racism being implemented in video games, and what is the impact it has on gamers?

In the Ted Talk by Dr. Lisa Nakamura, it is mentioned that one form of racism that is circulating is visual profiling and voice profiling. With the rise of people using headsets and mics to communicate, it was a way for people to find out more about each other, especially in video games. Visual profiling is when gamers make judgments based on another player's avatar design. Voice profiling is also making judgments based on another gamer's voice. This is problematic because it creates environments that are toxic by reinforcing stereotypes through online gaming. This affects people's mental health even if we don't realize and can diminish peoples online experience.

What is a real-word example of online discrimination in video games?

There is a clip shown in the Ted talk of a guy playing Halo who decided to change his name and just join a lobby where other users are waiting with mics to talk and it is a space where you see everyone else's user ID. His new user ID is xxxgayboyxxx. It is important to keep in mind Xbox is a commercial space although it is not regulated by any sort of people. In the video of the terrible comments, people were saying things like: you are going to burn in hell, i hope gay marriage never gets past, and f*** you. All these nasty comments simply because of his name change.

When talking about gaming culture, in what ways do stereotypes about Asians shaper how they are portrayed?

Stereotypes about Asians are influenced heavily in gaming culture by creating a double image. That they are hard workers, almost "workaholics" and that they are seriously great gamers. This leads to the perception/stereotype that they are seriously competitive and cannot have fun and simply enjoy themselves. It creates almost a misconception that they always approach any activity with the same seriousness as work rather than relaxing and doing activities for the fun of it.

How does race interact with social identities in the gaming world?

When race crosses with gender, class or sexuality, it affects how players interact with one another and the dynamics of various gaming communities work. Online interactions usually lead to racial discrimination, which is something that seems to be heavy on pretty much any online/social platform. It is said that in the gaming world, white straight men are privileged shaping who is included and who is not represented in the gaming community. This highlight how complex identities can be and the use of power within video game communities.

Fickle. Ludo-Orientalism and the Gamification of Race 

Nakamura, L. [TEDx Talks]. (2011, October 11). 5 Types of Online Racism and Why You Should Care. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-G0FlOo7g

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 9/19

What is intersectionality and what is the result of multiple forms of inequality 

Intersectionality is referred to as a “prism”, it is not a thinking theory and it's a way to understand problems in the world. Forms of inequality create problems such as race and gender, these disadvantages create challenges that most people would not  understand because they are not “conventional ways” of thinking and living. In the video by Dr Kimberly Crenshaw it is mentioned that intersectionality takes part in schools, racial and gender stereotypes against students, even faculty. Independent schools have to allow equal opportunity to all of their students no matter where the community they come from, social class etc. 

What is the importance of a name, does it have any other meaning in society?

Just like we were talking about in class this week, names are social codes and we use names to make racialized, gendered, assumptions about people.Names such as Moses or Malcolm X are integrated with meanings through history and hardship, They were not previous names. Another piece of information is that in an old study, people trying to find jobs with white sounding names received 50% more of a chance to be contacted back then people with black sounding names. Something found by a psychologist was that an algorithm associated these white sounding names with words that are more pleasant than black sounding names will get matched up with 

What does the new Jim code refer to? 

Using new technology to reflect existing immoralities that are perceived as more objective than previous discriminatory systems.  Normal names have the ability to trigger stories that tell what kind of person they are, either talking about their personality, how far they can go and where they come from. The new Jim Code has a range of “discriminatory practices” such as the ignorance of social divisions and another example would be to fix racial bias but usually leads to the doing of the opposite.

What is the CaiGang database and how is it implemented? 

In Los Angeles the youth and communities are filled with gang databases and even injunctions. Tracked and Trapped is a research project that focuses on these impacts, Since it's been 25 years since the LA County Sheriffs established a gang database there has never been any release of data to the public regarding gang policies and suppression. Gang Junctions targets a group of people, works kind of like a restraining order and it allows officers safe zones based on geography around the city that determines the people they can arrest even for non criminal activity. Just as we mentioned in class, In Los Angeles County specifically they have a computerized database for alleged gang members known as gang reporting, evaluation and tracking system and it allows officers to store collect and analyze any information.

Crenshaw, K. (2016). The urgency of intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw | TED. YouTube. https://youtu.be/akOe5-UsQ2o?feature=shared

Crenshaw, K. (2018). Kimberlé Crenshaw: What is Intersectionality?. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ViDtnfQ9FHc?feature=shared

Benjamin, R (2019). Race After Technology

Muniza, Ana & Kim McGill. (2012). Tracked and Trapped: Youth of Color, Gang Database and Gang Injunctions

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 9/12

How has digital technology evolved over time to where we give it decision-making power in everyday life?

According to Eubanks, since the start of the digital technology world, decision making such as politics, health, employment, finance has gone through extreme change over the last 40 years. Before, the ones in charge of deciding who gets offered a mortgage, employment, who gets a credit card or even who qualifies for a government service were actual human beings. Present day, "we have ceded much of that decision-making power to sophisticated machines" (pg. 13). Also, the families in need of resources, which neighborhoods are getting policed, gets determined by automated eligibility, ranking algorithms, and predictive risk models.  

2. What role did technology help play a part in helping and harming lower-income communities?

According to Eubanks, technology played a double role in enabling and oppressing lower-income communities. In her research with the poor and working class women, they used information technology to embrace their stories with others and to be able to connect with one another. It was able to better and strengthen their communities. She found that the women from her hometown were not "technology poor" as would be assumed by policy makers in her city. It showed technology was not absent from their lives.

On the other hand, technology was also harming these lower-income communities. Eubanks found many trends that were troubling such as high-tech economic development and this led to an increase of inequality in the economy. Technology was also being used for surveillance in public housing and programs. Leading to systemic inequality and policy makers were not addressing the problems and needs of the people in the low income communities.

3. How would automated-decision making damage the values of society?

Automated decision-making affects societies values in a bad way by turning social choices into problems. The way these systems think is instead of focusing on fairness, they focus on efficiency and being controlling. Eubanks also states that this approach affects marginalized groups of people that face less accountability in a low rights environment. The systems once they are tested on vulnerable populations, they eventually affect everyone and this method shows a less humane way of decision-making, almost compromising core values of a society. 

4. What could be some negative impacts of digital poverty management tools on lower-income individuals? 

EuBanks describes multiple negative impacts of these property management tools, and how they create barriers to access essential public resources by sort of blocking people from claiming benefits. Complex databases are involved and they collect personal formation. Predictive models and algorithms identify these individuals as problematic and surveillance systems start to notify their actions to the government and what not. ultimately breaching privacy and could even have consequences for those affected.

Eubanks, Automating Inequality: how high-tech tools profile, police, and punish the poor.

[jaycrr]

Blog Post Due 8/30

A time when technology didn't live up to its hype for me was a work experience. It was when I was working a summer job in 2021 at a distribution center. My role was a picker, to keep it short I picked clothing items from rows of shelves with a cart and a scanner. But the problem on that day was that job system on the scanner would go down because of no service or internet. And the scanner is important because that is where you login with your ID at the beginning of the day, it's where it gives you tasks, and where it lets you know what floor, section and row you have be at. Technology had failed us because no one could do any work, The job operating system was down for about 2 hours and everyone was was just waiting it out. Meanwhile a handful of people were picked to clean up around the work areas and I was unfortunately one of them so I didn't do much waiting.