sanukidigitalcommunities

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WEEK 10: DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP: SOCIAL MEDIA GOVERNANCE AND ONLINE HARASSMENT

Snowflake generation? A disparaging term used by older, right-wing people to mock the younger generation for their perceived intolerance and easily offended nature (Haslop, O’Rourke & Southern, 2021, p.1419). Haslop, O'Rouke, & Southern’s (2021) article covers a case study to investigate the attitude and perception shown by students from a University in England towards different forms of online harassment. The article draws on a feminist theory that forms of harassment and hate produces deep-rooted gendered inequalities in digitized spaces by adversely affecting women’s online participation and digital citizenship which has created gender-related digital divides (Haslop, O’Rourke & Southern, 2021, p.1422). Studies show that online harassment has a detrimental effect on mental health. “Online harassment can have a range of adverse emotional, psychological and physiological effects on those subjected to these practices, including stress, anxiety, fear, panic attacks and, in more extreme cases, suicidal thought” (Haslop, O’Rourke & Southern, 2021, p.1421).

The article concludes with the authors stating that “the label ‘snowflake’ is being used to undermine a new generation of activists who are raising valid and justifiable concerns and challenging persistent and continued social and political inequality”, the term can be a method of silencing and discrediting those who challenge gendered forms of marginalization and inequality (Haslop, O’Rourke & Southern, 2021, p.1432).

Social media is governed by governments, platform owners and regulators. Governments regulate activities online through legislations which is imposed onto both users and platform owners. “Governments are not able to directly block or restrict content so they delegate censorship of information” to service providers and platform owners to filter content in order to operate their platforms. (DeNardis & Hackl, 2015, p.7). Users in different parts of the world do not have the same experience with social media platforms as the legislations and censorship varies among the countries (DeNardis & Hackl, 2015, p.8). Social media platforms play a decisive role in promoting or constraining free speech online (DeNardis & Hackl, 2015, p.6). In Australia, the Online Safety Act 2021 enforces the protection of users from abuse and harassment online (safety Commissioner, 2022)

Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok's terms of service exemplify platform governance as they establish the rules and regulations for user behavior on their platforms. Facebook’s terms state that users must not post content that violates community standards or infringes on someone else's intellectual property (Facebook, 2023). Similarly, Instagram's terms prohibit users from posting violent, discriminatory content, or promoting illegal activities (Instagram, 2023). On the other hand, TikTok's terms outline specific guidelines for creating and sharing content such as prohibiting copyrighted music without permission and removing content promoting harmful behaviors like eating disorders, and suicide, blocking violative content from the platform, and Age-restricting mature content so it is only viewed by adults, 18 years or older (TikTok, 2023). These platforms' terms of service and community guidelines demonstrate how companies govern their platforms to ensure the users' safety and appropriate use of social media platforms in order to create a safer online community.

The Manosphere? An overlapping collection of online men’s support communities that have emerged as a response to feminism, female empowerment, and the alienating forces of neoliberalism (Rich & Bujalka, 2023). The manosphere communities content presents deeply concerning perspectives on women but it appeals to its audience because it provides explanations and solutions to a very real set of issues faced by young men in today’s generation under the factor’s romantic rejection, alienation, economic failure, loneliness, and a dim vision of the future (Rich & Bujalka, 2023).

Mega-influencer Andrew Tate whose public persona revolves around him endorsing misogynistic aggressive viewpoints that are meant to stir controversy and promote his personal brand has made a longstanding reputation for himself as a thought leader and “top g” in the online “manosphere” community and his appeal to ‘Lost Men’ through “Hustler’s University”, a series of exclusive chat rooms promising men a solution to their fears centred on Tate’s personage and teachings which mainly emphasizes on self-empowerment and personal accountability while discarding victimhood (Rich & Bujalka, 2023). He gained more infamous attention after being banned on most major social media platforms like TikTok for promoting a variety of aggressively misogynistic positions (Rich & Bujalka, 2023). Influencers like Tate, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, and "alpha" strongman Elliott Hulse invest an immense amount of time, effort, and money on creating a crisis around these issues and putting themselves in the centre while capitalising off the anxieties unleashed by this ambiguity (Rich & Bujalka, 2023).

When confronting manosphere, as critical as we may be, we need to understand that it provides a sense of community and belonging, a direction, certainty, solutions to deep and systemic issues and, most importantly, hope for young men. We need to avoid stigmatising and the dismissal of people who fall into the manosphere and instead, we need to use empathy, tolerance and patience to support men in ways that lead them away from these unpleasant boroughs of the internet and make them feel connected with a larger part of society (Rich & Bujalka, 2023).

References

‘Countering hate on TikTok’ 2022, TikTok, viewed <https://www.tiktok.com/safety/en/countering-hate/>.

DeNardis, L & Hackl, AM 2015, ‘Internet governance by social media platforms’, Telecommunications Policy, vol. 39, no. 9, pp. 761–770.

Haslop, C, O’Rourke, F & Southern, R 2021, ‘#NoSnowflakes: The toleration of harassment and an emergent gender-related digital divide, in a UK student online culture’, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 1418–1438.

Instagram n.d., ‘Anti-Bullying on Instagram’, about.instagram.com, viewed <https://about.instagram.com/community/anti-bullying>.

Instagram 2018, ‘Community Guidelines | Instagram Help Center’, Instagram.com, viewed <https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119>.

‘Learn about the Online Safety Act | eSafety Commissioner’ 2022, eSafety Commissioner, viewed <https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/whats-on/online-safety-act>.

Rich, B & Bujalka, E 2023, ‘The draw of the “manosphere”: understanding Andrew Tate’s appeal to lost men’, The Conversation, viewed <https://theconversation.com/the-draw-of-the-manosphere-understanding-andrew-tates-appeal-to-lost-men-199179>.

‘TikTok |’ 2023, TikTok, viewed <https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/>.

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WEEK 9: GAMING COMMUNITIES, SOCIAL GAMING, AND LIVE STREAMING

This week’s discussion topic focuses around gaming communities and how online platforms have facilitated its emergence. Gaming has received a prominent eye in the current era of digital communities as it has had continuous exponential growth the past few years, it is known to be one of the largest forms of entertainment. Keogh's article explores the value regimes present in Melbourne's indie game scene. One of the key aspects discussed is gaming communities and their role in shaping the development, distribution, and reception of indie games.

In his article Keogh describes “videogames as a cultural, economic, and technological space. Videogame makers, audiences, and intermediaries do not simply constitute an industry; they constitute a cultural field.” (Keogh, 2021, p.209). He explains the concept of video game development as “No more a homogenous activity as is music production, acting, writing, or any other cultural field, and videogame makers are no more a homogenous group any more than ‘musicians’ or ‘actors’ or ‘writers. Videogame makers, and the scenes they constitute, are complex, contested, and ever- changing” (Keogh, 2021, p.220).

In addition, the gaming industry has given rise to two other phenomena: social gaming and live streaming. While social gaming is frequently played with friends, it can also be played online with unknown players over the internet. It enables users to interact and play not just with their friends but also with gamers all around the world. With a shared interest in videogames, social gaming often paves the way for new friendships to blossom between individuals who would otherwise remain strangers. Social gaming and live streaming are the reason for the emergence of the competitive aspect of video gaming, known as E-Sports. Livestreaming is used by professional e-sports athletes to increase their audience and to monetize through it. Livestreaming has increased the audience that watches e-sports, allowing fans to interact with one another and follow competitions around the world (Taylor, 2018, p.6).

Live streaming is done by a lot of gamers at present to showcase their gameplay and offer commentary on websites like Twitch to an audience in real-time who may engage with them using the chat feature. This gives other gamers the chance to see their favorite players engage in live gameplay. Twitch started as a platform to assist digital gaming [but] has swiftly evolved to accommodate people who wish to produce a spectrum of creative content for others. Participants are developing fresh entertainment throughout the platform that combines gaming, humor, commentary, and in-game communication with audiences and supporters (Taylor, 2018, p.9). In the article ‘Broadcasting Ourselves’ Taylor also mentions that “Twitch is certainly not alone in helping build esports; other platform companies such as YouTube or Facebook, organizations like the Electronic Sports League (ESL), DreamHack, PGL, and Major League Gaming (MLG), and game developers such as Riot, Valve, and Blizzard have all tossed their hat into the live streaming ring by producing and/or distributing broadcast content.” (Taylor, 2018, p.3). Live streaming has created a sense of community around specific games or genres, with streamers often becoming influential figures within their respective communities.

References

Keogh, B 2020, 'The Melbourne indie game scenes Value regimes in localized game development’, in P Ruffino (ed), Independent Videogames: Cultures, Networks, Techniques and Politics, Taylor & Francis Group, eBook Central (ProQuest), pp. 209-222.

Taylor, T L 2018, Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming, Princeton University Press, eBook Central (ProQuest), pp. 1-23.

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WEEK 8: SNAPCHAT LENSES: PROMOTING EUROCENTRIC STANDARDS OF BEAUTY

This week’s reading by Jessica Barker focuses on how Snapchat lenses, which we thought were harmless at the beginning of its inception in 2015 actually turned out to be problematic for users. (Barker 2020, p. 208). These filters apply virtual accessories and modify facial features, enabling users to incorporate augmented reality into their daily sartorial practice and self-presentation (Barker 2020, p. 208). These filters tend to enhance or distort the face and add animal-like features. (Barker 2020, p. 208). When you critically examine these Snapchat filters, you'll see why they're problematic because they make a face more attractive and flawless by thinning out the face, slimming and shortening the nose, enlarging the eyes, plumping the lips and smoothing out the skin, Snapchat seizes a user’s features and morphs them into conform to a preconceived notion of beauty (Barker 2020, p. 209). One controversial feature of Snapchat filters that go unnoticed, mentioned in Barker’s reading is that it whitewashes users' skin color. people of color find their complexions unnaturally and undesirably lightened by Snapchat’s filters (Barker 2020, p. 209). Skin lighting for the purpose of aesthetics and beauty is inherently discriminatory and only goes on to promote that ONLY the Eurocentric beauty standards make you beautiful.

Aline Martins describes her experience as she used filters for the first time when it was introduced and she could see a noticeable transition from the beauty enhancements in the filters.  She says in the reading, “I remember the day the ‘beauty’ filter came out on Snapchat – the one that ever-so-slightly retouches skin, narrows noses and gives doe eyes. The filter just barely changed my appearance but changed it enough for me to notice that I looked ‘better’” (Barker 2020, p. 211). For women who attribute filter use to a desire to appear made-up, delight

Women use the beautifying filters when their appearance looks rather tired or unpolished it is often tempered with complex feelings towards their natural beauty. The ‘pretty’ filter incited a complex process of gaining confidence while igniting insecurities. (Barker 2020, p. 212). This goes to show, although the changes portrayed by these filters may seem minor, they actually have a more profound impact on the user's perception of oneself.

These filters have created negative physiological effects on society. Users have become self-conscious about their facial features as a result of these modifications and may even consider having surgery to alter their appearance so they look more like the filtered version of themselves. (Barker 2020, p. 215). ‘Digital plastic surgery’ has affected some users to such an extent that they seek Snapchat-inspired plastic surgery in the real world. As tech site Engadget framed it, they wish to ‘look like a software-enhanced version of themselves’ (Barker 2020, p. 216). Users wanting to look like the filtered version of themselves has led to ‘Snapchat dysmorphia’ which is related to a body dysmorphic disorder, an obsessive-compulsive fixation on perceived appearance defects (Barker 2020, p. 216).

Coi-Dibley's article “Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the Image” analyses how digital editing and manipulation affect how the female body is portrayed in the media. She contends that the use of digital technologies to produce idealized and hyper-realistic representations of women has led to a new type of dysmorphia she refers to as "digitized dysmorphia." (Coy-Dibley 2016, p.1). Digitized dysmorphia is characterized by a disconnect between the real and the ideal, which creates a sense of insecurity and self-hatred in women who cannot live up to the digitally enhanced images they see in the media (Coy-Dibley 2016, p.2). 

The social pressure to alter one's image highlights the coercion individuals face to strive for a perfect self-image. Apps that are aimed at perfecting the body, airbrushing and erasing the raw image in exchange for an increasingly narrow, standardizing perception of female beauty reinforce unattainable beauty standards that marginalize differences in race, ability, and gender identity, presenting an extension and intensification of our images-saturated culture's homogenized, Westernized beauty standards (Coy-Dibley 2016, p.9). 

Social media filters have increased users' insecurity as they are reminded that meeting Ecocentric beauty standards is the only way to be considered beautiful. Brands, Social Media influencers, and platforms need to introduce more positive ways to counteract the negativity of filters to change the perceptions of beauty they have fostered in society as it could lead to more severe consequences. People should be reminded that they are BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY THEY ARE.

References

Barker, J 2020, ‘Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of Snapchat’, Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 207–221.

Coy-Dibley, I 2016, ‘“Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image’, Palgrave Communications, vol. 2, no. 1.

@_nelly_london 2023, February 20, viewed 30 April 2023, <https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co2y361Ko5d/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=>.

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WEEK 7: BODY MODIFICATION AND SEXUALISED LABOUR ON SOCIAL MEDIA

This week's reading by Duffy and Meisner explores how algorithmic visibility in platform governance impacts social media creators, particularly those on the margins and the steps taken by the content creators to increase their online visibility. The authors claim that platform governance is a process that is influenced by power dynamics, values, and interests rather than being neutral or objective (Duffy & Meisner 2022). The visibility and success of social media creators can be affected by algorithmic visibility or how the content is seen by users.  

Female content creators on social media publicly expose themselves to the male gaze online as a source of income by posting overly sexualized material that adheres to heteronormative ideals of beauty. They can alter their figure using filters and photo editing to improve their physique in an unnatural way. With the increasing engagement on social media, sexualized labor is performed by influencers in the digital era and its risky potential to be monetized by generating attention, which for women is structured by cultural expectations of ‘porn chic’ sexiness (Drenten, Gurreri & Tyler 2020, p.42). ‘Porn chic’ is a style that reflects the mainstreaming of the aesthetics of commercial pornography within Western societies. (Drenten, Gurreri & Tyler 2020, p.42).

Pornification is often monetized through advertisements and the promotion of products. In the reading “Algorithmic Hotness” Carah mentions, the escalating capacity of social media platforms to calibrate flows of attention depends on users’ work in curating flows of “hot” body images. (Carah & Dobson, 2016, p. 1). She also mentions that the images of hot female bodies generate more likes, tags, and views, and, over time, algorithms learn to make them more visible in an effort to translate data generated via humans’ capacity to affect one another into profit (Carah & Dobson, 2016, p. 1).  Hence, hot female bodies are critical for the promotion and reconnaissance of nightlife via social media because they attract attention. (Carah & Dobson, 2016, p. 1).

Boosters are influencers who promote access to self‐marketed products and perform sexualized labor to exploit the attention of social media followers for monetary compensation (Drenten, Gurreri & Tyler 2020, p.56). Social media creators who subject themselves to pornification and to be sexualized are known as “Boosters”. Another instance where boosters monetizing through promotion is as they post a porn chic style photo of either a bikini or fitness related supplements etc., they are paid for it as they have high engagement. As they build their audience around posting sexualized images, they begin to promote their own products as well. Boosters mark a shift toward access‐based influencer labor as they create and promote their own products or services, such as swimwear, clothing, make‐up, sunglasses and fitness guides, among others compensation (Drenten, Gurreri & Tyler 2020, p.56).

In conclusion, Body modification can create unrealistic and unhealthy standards of beauty and make people insecure of themselves which could lead to many disorders. Social media users should always know that what they see online is not real life. Most pictures are edited to either look curvier or skinny, have a clear face by removing scars or acne and making the skin darker or lighter, etc. Hence, we should learn to never compare ourselves to what we see online.

References

Drenten, J, Gurrieri, L & Tyler, M 2019, ‘Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention’, Gender, Work & Organization, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 41–66.

Duffy, BE & Meisner, C 2022, ‘Platform governance at the margins: Social media creators’ experiences with algorithmic (in)visibility’, Media, Culture & Society, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 285–304.

Carah, N & Dobson, A 2016, 'Algorithmic Hotness: Young Women’s “Promotion” and “Reconnaissance” Work via Social Media Body Images’, Social Media + Society, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. p.205630511667288.

Davison, T 2020, ‘Khloe Kardashian’s photoshop fail unveiled after dramatic original snap surfaces’, mirror, viewed <https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/khloe-kardashians-photoshop-fail-unveiled-22524305>.

J. Drenten, Gurrieri, L & Tyler, M 2019, ‘Sexualized labor in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention’, Gender, Work & Organization, viewed 26 April 2023, <https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Sexualized-labour-in-digital-culture%3A-Instagram-and-Drenten-Gurrieri/b3dfb1f64df6558a55f625f002033fec6d52249a>.

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WEEK 6: FAST FASHION AND THE SLOW FASHION MOVEMENT

This week’s reading aims to understand the behavior of the Slow Fashion consumer, their values, attitudes, and motivations, as well as to have an in-depth understanding of the slow fashion movement (Domingos, Teixeira Vale & Faria 2022, p.1).  

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A post shared by Conscious Life & Style // Elizabeth Joy (@consciousstyle)

The necessity for slow fashion was recognized as the fashion industry is known to be one of the most polluting industries (Brewer 2019 p.2). The slow fashion movement encourages sustainable and conscious consumption of clothing and changes in the core values of the industry. It also values quality over quantity with conscious consumers focusing on durability, timelessness, and the ethical resourcing (Ethical Labor and production) of the clothing (Domingos, Teixeira Vale & Faria 2022, p.1).  

Fast fashion, low-cost, low-quality clothing collections based on current, high-cost luxury fashion trends by its very nature a fast-response system with mass- production that encourages disposability and overconsumption (Joy, Sherry, Venkatesh, Wang & Chan 2012, p.275) The fast fashion model tends to mass- produce close copies of exclusive designs which have undermined the value of intellectual property belonging to designers while dramatically expanding the carbon footprint (Brewer 2019, p.3) Unethical labor is quite often used in the production process of garments. Major players in the fast fashion market include Shein, Zara, H&M, Forever 21, and Topshop to name a few.

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“The fashion industry is a $2.4 trillion-dollar industry that employs 300 million people worldwide. On the other side, it is responsible for 2–8% of the world's greenhouse gas emission, 20% of the world's wastewater, 100 billion dollars lost due to underutilization and lack of recycling, and 9% of annual microplastic losses to the ocean”. (Adamkiewicz, Kochańska, Adamkiewicz, Łukasik 2022)

Synthetic fibers like polyester, rayon, or nylon, in contrast to natural fibers like cotton or wool, take up to 200 years or more to decompose. The clothing industry has posed concerns for environmental sustainability since it consumes an enormous quantity of raw materials, produces an alarming rate of pollution, leaves an extensive carbon footprint, and produces a dangerous amount of waste. (Brewer 2019, p.3).

Greenwashing occurs when fast fashion brands falsely promote their environmental efforts whereas they spend more resources to promote the organization as green than actually engaging in environmentally sustainable and ethical practices (Adamkiewicz, Kochańska, Adamkiewicz, Łukasik 2022 p.19) or they implement the bare minimum of actions but portray to be more environmentally aware and responsible than they actually are.

H&M’s green clothing line, “Conscious Collection” is produced using 50% sustainable materials., ASOS introduced new recycled products in its "Responsible Edit”, and BooHoo introduced Kourtney Kardashian as their “Sustainability Ambassador” and a proclaimed sustainable collection to inspire a sustainable future for fashion, are some brands that received backlash for greenwashing.

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A post shared by Conscious Life & Style // Elizabeth Joy (@consciousstyle)

Fashion brands need to adopt more sustainable and ethical production practices to meet consumer demand for slow fashion products as presently consumers are more aware of the harm caused to the environment and unethical issues relating to the fashion industry and appeal more towards sustainable and ethical brands. Online communities use social media platforms to advocate for more sustainable practices in the fashion industry which is a driving force for effective change.

References

Domingos, M, Vale, VT & Faria, S 2022, ‘Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review’, Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 5, p. 2860, viewed <https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2860>.

Brewer, MK 2019, ‘Slow Fashion in a Fast Fashion World: Promoting Sustainability and Responsibility’, Laws, vol. 8, no. 4, p. 24.

Joy, A, Sherry, JF, Venkatesh, A, Wang, J & Chan, R 2012, ‘Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands’, Fashion Theory, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 273–295, viewed <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123>.

Adamkiewicz, J, Kochanska, E, Adamkiewicz, I & Łukasik, RM 2022, ‘Greenwashing and sustainable fashion industry’, Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, vol. 38, no. 100710, p. 100710.

Igini, M 2022, ‘5 Fast-Fashion Brands Called Out for Greenwashing’, Earth.org, viewed <https://earth.org/fast-fashion-brands-greenwashing/>.

Assoune, A 2020, ‘Fast Fashion Brands Accused of Greenwashing’, Panaprium, viewed <https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/fast-fashion-brands-accused-of-greenwashing>.

@citizzen_wolf 2022, October 26, viewed 11 April 2023, <https://www.instagram.com/p/CkKvSyyuCc_/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D>.

@consciousstyle 2022, November 10, viewed 11 April 2023, <https://www.instagram.com/p/CkvxPXquyKz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link>.

@consiousstyle 2022, September 03, viewed 10 April 2023, <https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAwPejudTt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link>.

A Beginner's Guide to Sustainable Fashion 2019, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Fashion’, YouTube, viewed 4 March 2021, <https://youtu.be/kaqv9YwbQek>.

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WEEK 5: DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP: HASHTAG PUBLICS AND ACTIVISM #BLM #ShoutYourAbortion

This week we focus on Digital Citizenship and its correlation with intersectionality towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education. Choi and Cristol explored how the Black Lives Matter movement and the covid-19 pandemic recognized the different experiences of social inequities faced by marginalized and oppressed groups on social media. Hence, making intersectionality the key to understand the current social issues and online activities deeply and critically. (Choi & Cristol 2021 p.361) They address the possibility of responsible and engaged digital citizens to solve these social inequalities to achieve participatory democracy. (Choi & Cristol 2021 p.362). The same rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen of a nation also apply to being a digital citizen, allowing us to actively engage in online communities while using technology in a safe and ethical way.

Using the Internet and social media, people challenged unfair societal norms in order to change society through grassroots movements and activist networks. (Choi & Cristol 2021 p.365). Platformization enables digital citizens to take on political roles and fight for social justice as online activists. Online communities are formed through hashtag activism as users come together to raise awareness and bring social issues to light. (Kim & Lee 2022) The Shout your abortion, Black lives Matter and Me-too Movements serve as powerful examples for hashtag activism that continues to challenge societal problems.

#ShoutYourAbortion is a hashtag movement that began in 2015 as a response to the stigma surrounding abortion. The movement encourages people to share their personal stories and experiences with abortion in order to challenge the negative narrative surrounding it. The hashtag has been used by social media users around the world and has helped to destigmatize and normalize the conversation around abortion. (Kim & Lee 2022). The hashtag continues to act as a support resource for women who have gone through abortion or are planning to.

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#BlackLivesMatter hashtag which is one of the most impactful hashtags that gained widespread global recognition began in 2013 as a response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The movement was founded to advocate for the end of systemic racism and police brutality against Black people. The hashtag has been used to organize protests, educate people on racial injustice, and hold people accountable for their actions. In reaction to the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, the BLM community grew exponentially. There were more than 118 million #BlackLivesMatter tweets in 2020 and 2021. The hashtag helped activists organize protests, educate people on racial injustice, hold people accountable for their actions, and for supporters to express their solidarity with the movement.

Hashtags also serve as a way for people to connect with others who share similar experiences and to build a sense of community around a cause. Social media activists are constantly encouraging other digital citizens to share, post and repost the content and use the hashtag to help raise awareness on social issues. There are also criticisms of hashtag activism as some argue that it is too focused on short-term solutions and lacks the sustained effort necessary to create lasting change.

In conclusion, despite the criticism, Hashtag activism has proven to be a powerful tool for social change while fostering international digital communities of activists. It has allowed people to raise awareness, connect with others, and demand action from those in power.

References

Kim, Y & Lee, S 2022, ‘#ShoutYourAbortion on Instagram: Exploring the Visual Representation of Hashtag Movement and the Public’s Responses’, SAGE Open, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 215824402210933.

Choi, M & Cristol, D 2021, ‘Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education’, Theory Into Practice, vol. 60, no. 4, pp. 361–370.

‘Shout Your Abortion — Abortion is normal. Our stories are ours to tell. This is not a debate.’ n.d., shoutyourabortion.com, viewed <https://shoutyourabortion.com/>.

‘Black Lives Matter on Instagram: “Black Lives Matter: 2021 Share and repost if you’re with us in 2022.”’ n.d., Instagram, viewed 30 March 2023, <https://www.instagram.com/reel/CYqBxZ5hpus/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=>.

Black Lives Matter 2013, ‘Black Lives Matter’, Black lives matter, viewed <https://blacklivesmatter.com/>.

@ShoutYourAbortion 2023, February 17, viewed 25 March 2023, & https://www.instagram.com/p/CovdamlvhXY/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=.

@tonemobley 2023, February 1, viewed 25 March 2023, & https://www.instagram.com/p/CoGVaAjLrrS/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=.

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WEEK 4: REALITY TV AND ITS CONNECTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA

This week’s reading is by Ruth Deller as she explores the impact of social media on reality TV, explaining that social media has fundamentally changed the way we consume and engage with reality TV shows in the text ‘Reality TV in the Age of Social Media’. (Deller 2019)  

The success of most reality shows depends on the viewers participation through real-time engagement and interaction. With live tweeting and social media posts, fans can connect with their favourite reality TV stars and share their thoughts and reactions to the show. This creates a sense of community and shared experience among fans, and can even influence the direction of the show.

One of the main ways that social media has impacted reality TV is through "live-tweeting." Viewers now have the ability to share their thoughts and reactions to TV shows in real-time, using hashtags and other social media features to connect with other fans. This has created a sense of community around reality TV shows. (Deller 2019 p.157) Live tweeting and social engagement can also be seen as forms of civic engagement. By engaging with reality TV shows and live tweeting about them, viewers are participating in a form of cultural citizenship. This type of engagement allows viewers to express their views and opinions, and to connect with others who share their cultural interests and values. (Stewart 2020)

Deller also draws attention to the possible drawbacks of social media's influence on reality TV. The emphasis on drama and conflict rather than the actual events presented on screen can drown out the show's actual content, causing viewers to concentrate more on the drama and conflict than the actual events that are being shown on screen and the pressure to maintain a social media presence can lead to inauthentic behavior from reality TV stars, as they try to portray their image according to what the fans expect. (Deller 2019)

Social media has created an extensive form of engagement and investment in reality TV shows by allowing viewers to engage with the shows in new ways. This has helped establish reality TV as a genre in itself. Most importantly an entire community has been built around the conversations about various reality TV shows which gives viewers a sense of belonging.

References

Deller, Ruth A, (2019) Extract:  'Chapter Six: Reality Television in an Age of Social Media' Download 'Chapter Six: Reality Television in an Age of Social Media'in Reality Television: The TV Phenomenon That Changed the World (Emerald Publishing). 

Stewart, M 2019, ‘Live tweeting, reality TV and the nation’, International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 352–367.

‘https://twitter.com/k1ngk4i/status/1635388698522161152?s=20’ n.d., Twitter, viewed 30 March 2023, <https://twitter.com/k1ngk4i/status/1635388698522161152?s=20>.

‘https://twitter.com/trinawatters/status/1635396712427843586?s=20’ n.d., Twitter, viewed 30 March 2023, <https://twitter.com/trinawatters/status/1635396712427843586?s=20>.

[sanukidigitalcommunities]

WEEK 3: TUMBLR…. AS A DIGITAL COMMUNITY AND A PUBLIC SPHERE.

An iteration from Habermas ([1989]1991) on Public Sphere, A place where “private people come together as a public” (Flinchum, Kruse & Norris 2018 p.62). Tumblr is a platform that allows users to freely voice out their opinions and thoughts creatively while finding likeminded content through hashtags and reblogged posts from other users and forming a creative and digital community. Tumblrs’ specialty is that users are allowed to keep their anonymity as they are not tied to their real names. Hence, makes it a comfortable and safe space for people to share what they cannot express on other social media platforms due to the fear of judgement or criticism.

As Cwynar-Horta said, the majority of Western mass media still upholds a narrow standard of female attractiveness that is nearly impossible for women to achieve. (Reif, Miller & Taddicken 2022. P.1) Hashtags make it easy for users to connect with other like-minded people. In contrast to general mainstream hashtags such as #selfie where selfies are often edited and posted on social media to fit into stereotypes of unrealistic expectations of society, the use of specific hashtags such as #bodypositive on tumbler helped to make diverse forms of femininity and body types be it plus size, petite, people of color or Transgender be more visible and a source for empowerment to be themselves (Reif, Miller & Taddicken 2022. P.4) Tumblr is also known as a site of emotional authenticity for people to be open and honest while forming counter public spaces for marginalized and progressive communities to feel a sense of comfort knowing there are others facing the same struggles and that they are not alone. (Reif, Miller & Taddicken 2022. P.6|7)

‘Tumblr is the easiest digital space to practice feminism as a young person’ says Jessalynn Keller in “Oh, she’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms” (Keller 2019. p.7) after a focus group conversation with several young London school girls. She says that young teenagers are more drawn to Tumblr to speak about their experiences with sexism rather than Twitter or Facebook where they have a fear of being attacked or judged unfairly. (Keller 2019. p.7). In conversation with Dara, a 14-year-old girl she says “when I have experienced [sexism], I don’t really feel like putting it on Twitter because I just feel like I’ll be attacked for it. And actually, I want to put it out here so people know this stuff is going on” (Keller 2019. p.7|8). she goes on to say she would share her experience on Tumblr as she feels anonymous and a lot safer (Keller 2019. p.8). On Tumblr, there is a less negative commentary and more helpful conversation that fosters a feeling of community and acceptance.

Concluding, Tumblr as a public Sphere and a Digital community Is an inclusive space for people from marginalized and minority groups to feel a sense of acceptance and safely discuss controversial topics without the fear of misunderstanding from society.

References

Kruse, LM, Norris, DR & Flinchum, JR 2017, ‘Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media’, The Sociological Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 62–84.

Reif, A, Miller, I & Taddicken, M 2022, ‘“Love the Skin You‘re In”: An Analysis of Women’s Self-Presentation and User Reactions to Selfies Using the Tumblr Hashtag #bodypositive’, Mass Communication and Society, pp. 1–24.

Keller, J 2019, ‘”Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, Social Media + Society, vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 1-11.