alex-richey

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #10 (Due 11/14)

How is feminism connected to the gaming community?

In their article, Jay Hathaway explains how the online gaming community joined forces against a woman named Zoe Quinn, and her game Depression Quest that garnered lots of attention. The entire community seemed to come together to harass her, which developed into accusations of journalism corruption. After some time, the community began to point out that it was never the entire community that hated Quinn, just a few select members, and that the wider community of online gamers doesn't tolerate this type of misogyny.

Why is hair such a critical consideration when thinking about Black individuals?

It's obvious that the Black community faces seemingly countless social and institutional barriers and experiences of discrimination. However, hair plays an important historical and social role in this that is often overlooked. In her article, Dr. Lee points out that when Black people are asked to change their hairstyle for other peoples' comfort, it's implied that others' comfort takes precedence over their own. While these examples are drastically different, it's a somewhat similar situation to when girls are dress-coded in middle and high schools: they're often asked to "cover up" because the boys in the class are uncomfortable. In reality, it's much more about society's discomfort with women and Black people than it is with the rest of the room. Hair is something Black individuals are often harassed or discriminated against for, so it's crucial to consider it when analyzing society's comfort with Black individuals and their bodies/expressions.

How does haircare for Black individuals inadvertently perpetuate capitalistic ideals?

In her article, Dr. Lee illustrates that America is a highly capitalistic society. Furthermore, she presents research supporting the idea that Black individuals are willing to spend a lot on haircare products, creating a large market that the country, in turn, benefits from. This creates an uncomfortable cycle of oppression and exploitation. Black people have historically been discriminated against for their hair, so the "discomfort" with Black hair types/styles is deeply rooted in America's history of white supremacy. However, the same America that created this discomfort is now profiting off of it through the production and sale of haircare products individuals believe they need to create perfect, flawless hairstyles. If these hairstyles weren't so criminalized in the first place, perhaps there would be less need for perfection, lessening the huge consumer market for haircare products overall.

Why are online spaces specifically for marginalized groups so important?

As we've discussed throughout the semester, community and representation are crucial for members of marginalized communities. Despite the hate, discrimination, and prejudice they might face in society as a whole, having designated spaces to connect with your community can foster a sense of belonging and cohesion. In her Ms. article, Dr. Lee explains that in the face of backlash for casting a Black actress as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid film, black creators on Twitter and TikTok shared their thoughts and support, as well as many videos of young Black girls reacting to the movie trailer with joy. Community is important both in-person and online, especially when it can be used as a buffer against the discrimination one may be receiving because of their identity.

Hathaway, Jay. “What Is Gamergate, and Why? An Explainer for Non-Geeks”.

Lee, L. (2023, April 14). Are Y’all ready for a black mermaid? how black twitter challenges White Supremacist imaginations. Ms. Magazine. https://msmagazine.com/2023/04/17/the-little-mermaid-halle-bailey-black-twitter/

Lee, Latoya. (Re)Constructing the Body through Social Media

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #9 (Due 11/7)

Is Social Media an effective way to spark social change?

In Social Media and Communication Power, Fuchs notes that the internet is "embedded in the antagonisms of contemporary society," meaning it has no inherent determinations. While social media can be a great way to connect people worldwide, there will always be hold-ups when trying to use it for social change because that's not what it was made for.

How is online advocacy imperfect?

We often discuss how not everything on the internet is true, and that applies to online activism as well. While the intention of promoting social justice and calling attention to social problems is often lighthearted, it is not immune to misinformation. When misinformation circles online, it can quickly skew the outcome of social movements.

How does Animal Crossing mirror real life?

In The Atlantic article, the author explains that Animal Crossing can offer some comfort, especially when the new version of the game was first released (during the initial COVID-19 lockdown). They explain that in the game, virtually any activity can be capitalized, as characters can fish, garden, and more, and exchange goods and money with other characters. The author also argues that although the game is often dismissed as escapist, it's relatively realistic. Each Animal Crossing island has limited resources, which players need to use wisely when deciding how to build their town.

Has Blackness always been associated with criminality?

In short, yes. In her article, Lee explains that laborers (who have the power to disrupt the capitalist societies they're part of) have always been closely surveilled. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as people became concerned with "problem populations," the two began to intertwine. The U.S. continued to surveil laborers, particularly Black folks, in an effort to maintain the racial hierarchy embedded in the country. Thus, Black individuals became associated with these "problems," leading to the criminalization of an entire race/ethnic group.

Bogost, I. (2020). The quiet revolution of Animal Crossing. The Atlantic.

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social Media: A critical introduction. Sage Publications.

Lee, L. (2017). Black twitter: A response to bias in mainstream media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, Sandor. Classifying Forms of Online Activism.

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #8 (Due 10/31)

How is online harassment/stalking different from offline harassment/stalking?

In Hate Crimes in Cyberspace, Citron explains the role that the internet’s permanence plays in harassment. While offline harassment may eventually go away, be forgotten, or otherwise moved on from, things posted to the internet are there to stay. While both are undoubtedly very harmful and can be ongoing, online harassment is permanently embedded in the sites it remains on, often remaining there for years to come.

How do we know social media platforms are really trying to protect us from cyber harassment?

Although I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, we can’t know when (or how) social media companies are trying to help. As described in the timeline of Leslie Jones’ online abuse, Twitter made multiple statements claiming that the type of hate and harassment she was receiving was not tolerated on the platform, and that they were “investigating it.” However, we often receive very little information regarding what that “investigation” entails. While Milo Yiannopoulis’s account was taken down, online abuse against Jones and many others continued. The removal of his account was likely helpful, but what measures are taken to ensure he doesn’t simply make a new one, or plan online harassment elsewhere?

How is Reddit a particularly “popular” forum for trolls and online harassment?

In her article about trolling on Reddit, Bergstrom explains that Reddit’s is highly used anonymously. Unlike other social media platforms, it’s not based on connecting with friends and family, nor does it entirely revolve around posting about one’s day-to-day life. We know cyber bullying to be more likely/easier to commit when the perpetrator can hide their identity, as it prevents them from having to face their victim face to face. However, Reddit also runs primarily on a “Karma” system, meaning one can tell exactly how active, or liked, you are on the site. The anonymity paired with the convenient up- and down-voting of others’ accounts makes it quite easy not only for one person to initiate some form of online harassment, but it also becomes much easier for others to follow or add onto that harassment.

Is trolling always malicious?

As we discussed in class this week, trolling is not always malicious. In fact, it’s relatively common for brands or companies to troll each other in a lighthearted fashion, which often gains followers and attention for both parties. The first example of this that came to my mind was the Empire State Building, which has official social media accounts. They commonly make fun of other buildings/architecture, perpetuating a years-running joke on the accounts about the Empire State Building being undoubtedly “better” than any other building. The managers of these social media teams tend to troll very lightheartedly, and the followers seem to enjoy it. Because the account represents a building and not a person, it feels easy to dismiss this kind of trolling as a joke, rather than anything malicious or ill-intended.

Bergstrom, Kelly. “Don’t feed the troll”: Shutting down debate about community expectations on Reddit.com.

Citron, D. K. (2014). Hate crimes in cyberspace. Cambridge, Massachusetts ; London, England, Harvard University Press.

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

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #7 (Due 10/17)

Gaming Avatar:

I don't play many games that require an avatar, but I have been using Duolingo on and off since about middle school, so this is my Duolingo avatar! My username on the app is alex.richey, which is just my first and last name (just like my Tumblr username). Honestly, I didn't put much thought into what I was wearing. Because Duolingo isn't typically known to be a social app, there's only one clothing option (the turtleneck), but users can pick the color. So, I picked green because it's my favorite color (which will become very obvious if you look at the rest of my avatars). I didn't think to disguise any part of my identity through this avatar because I don't use Duolingo socially. I just thought it would be cute to create an avatar, but genuinely didn't put very much thought into how I wanted to present myself there, so I didn't consider hiding/changing anything about my identity. Duolingo has lots of cute animations and cartoons that go along with their lessons, and the avatar customization options retained that cartoon style. While it's very cute and consistent throughout the app, there weren't a ton of options when it came to designing my avatar. It did an average job of offering different features, so people of multiple ethnicities could choose features that truly look and feel like them, but the options were pretty underwhelming. I wasn't surprised by this, but it is interesting to think about how this cartoon style removes things like race and gender from consideration to an extent.

Dating Site Avatar:

I'm not on any dating sites, but this is my Bitmoji on Snapchat, which I use to keep in touch with my friends and girlfriend. My username there is my first and middle name. As I mentioned above, I don't typically put a lot of thought into the avatars I create. If the point of a Bitmoji is to create a cartoon version of yourself, I'm gonna do just that - make it look as much like me as the options will allow. Following that goal, I'm once again wearing a green shirt and jeans, and my avatar features my green glasses! Snapchat offers the most clothing options out of all of the avatars I've shared in this post, but I can never decide which outfit to wear, so I decided to stick to the basics. Every once in a while I'll change it, but I've stopped using Snapchat as much as I used to, so I don't think to update or change my Bitmoji. Again, since I only use Snapchat with my close friends, I didn't think to change anything about my race or gender. Snapchat offers more customization options than Duolingo by far, but many people opt for making silly/funny Bitmojis rather than one that looks like them, which can create a sense of anonymity. Because Snapchat is a social media app, I can imagine that the portrayal of one's race and/or gender would be perceived much more often than it might in other forms (like Apple Memojis, which most people just use with friends and family).

Day-to-Day Avatar:

This is my Memoji, the avatar that Apple lets you create for yourself. Similarly to my other two avatars, I truly did not put very much deep consideration into this - my only thought was to try to make it look like me. There's no username associated with my Memoji, but once again, I'm wearing a green sweatshirt. Apple has many more customization options than some other apps (like Duolingo), offering more hairstyles, eye and nose shapes, facial expressions, and more. Just like my other avatars, I included my ear and nose piercings, as well as my green glasses! Again, I didn't consider disguising or changing my sex, gender, or race because my friends, family, and I use our Memojis to send cute stickers or reactions to messages, so I figured it made sense to make one that looks relatively like me. I think Apple does a slightly better job of allowing for racial and gender expression because they have many more options for avatar customization than some other apps. For example, there are many different facial features to choose from, including facial hair options, hairstyles, many different headwear options, and you can even change chest, shoulder, arm, and waist sizes. I think this makes it slightly easier to create accurate avatars and increase options for gender expression because many apps just let you choose a sex, then you have to customize a stereotypical male or female body. Offering more detailed options allows users to create more specific avatars!

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #6 (Due 10/10)

Why must we acknowledge online violence?

In her talk on Wednesday, Dr. Miriam Hernández explained how women receive much more online violence than men, often in the form of cyberbullying, harassment, revenge porn, doxxing, and more. She even noted that up to 58% of women have experienced some form of online bias. If we want to accept the internet as a major part of society like we already have, we must accept the negative sides of it as well. This point reminded me of dialectical reasoning, the third dimension of critical theory. Dialectical reasoning urges us to analyze things from more than one perspective, so it's important to recognize the serious dangers of the internet.

Why do we need to analyze violence against women from multiple points of view?

Continuing on my previous point, dialectical reasoning is also crucial when considering violence against women. The stories of violence we hear are often highly conflated with bias in the journalism industry. When a story is written, there's room for potential bias from the author, their sources, and any editors who work on the piece. So, by the time the story reaches the public, it's undergone many layers of bias (almost like the telephone game, where the story gets misconstrued a little more with each person it passes). Furthermore , flawed authoritative systems mean the statistics we have on violence against women are inaccurate and incomplete. Many victims don't report the violence they've experienced, and when they do, it's often dismissed. Analyzing this problem from all angles helps us do our best to investigate past bias and any other confounds.

What does white supremacy look like online?

As discussed in Race After Technology, White supremacists often embed their symbols in online posts, such as through hand signs or characters, and this frequent online use only normalizes their presence. The author argues that despite these symbols being blatantly racist and highly problematic, we tend not to monitor them as much simply because they're online. This feeds into the patterns of the New Jim Code, as we've discussed in the last few weeks, as well.

What is the "Black box?"

The "Black box" is used to describe how the social side of technology is often hidden or disguised. In Race After Technology, the author argues that an anti-Black box would link race-neutral technology to the race-neutral rules that allow for them, which allows us to acknowledge the biased and racial position technology undoubtedly holds in our lives.

Benjamin, Ruha. Race After Technology.

Hernández, Miriam. “Digital Defenders: Using Social Media to Challenge Violence Against Women”. WRC and WGST Speaker Series.

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #5 (Due 10/3)

How does the merit system in “Nosedive” parallel our perception of social media following?

In the “Nosedive” episode of Black Mirror, each person ranked everyone they interacted with, and one’s overall ranking determined how they were perceived and interacted with by others. This immediately reminded me of how social media status dictates our interpretations of one another. As few people would admit it, I know of many people who when looking at someone’s Instagram account for the first time, make judgments about them based on how many followers they have. Furthermore, when it comes to influencers, many companies only want to collaborate with those who have a certain amount of followers, leaving smaller social media creators to work extra hard to build their platforms. In “Nosedive,” each character’s rating offered benefits to those with particularly high ratings, such as reduced rent, access to certain buildings, and better overall social standing. This is an eerie, but realistic, example of how we let social media standing guide our interactions with people in the real world.

Why is language especially important when discussing social problems and feminism?

The language we use when discussing social issues is very important because it can make the difference in acknowledging or dismissing nuance in these issues. As we read two weeks ago, intersectionality is vital when discussing feminism to ensure that “women’s rights” include all women. As discussed in The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator, the authors argue that Haraway’s position as an established, respected white feminist grants her the privilege of an audience: people want to listen to her. However, if a woman of color made the same arguments, she’d likely have a much more difficult time gaining that same audience. When discussing social issues like sexism, it’s important to think critically about the language we’re using and how it may be interpreted to build stronger, more nuanced arguments.

How is voice-based racism more prevalent now than ever?

In her TedTalk, Dr. Lisa Nakamura explains voice-based racism in reference to the judgments we make about someone’s race based on their voice. She argues that with the rise of video games with live audio features (where you can play with friends and strangers), there’s also a rise in voice-based racism online. When we believe we know someone’s race simply from their voice, we open the door for stereotypes and prejudice to guide our interactions with that person. Furthermore, everyone is prejudiced, and these prejudices continue to exist online. I believe making judgments on someone’s voice online is relatively similar to making judgments about their appearance in real life, so voice-based racism is especially important to analyze and acknowledge when we are guilty of it.

What is ludo-Orientalism and how does it work?

→ In The Race card: From gaming technologies to model minorities, the author defines ludo-Orientalism as the way that the “design, marketing, and rhetoric of games shape how Asians as well as East-West relations are imagined,” as well as how Asian people are constantly depicted as “other.” It also refers to the way social constructions of race are perpetuated through games and disguised as “play.” This can be particularly harmful because when something is deemed fun, we assume it to be lighthearted, and we often even assume it to lack any real, societal effect. However, the portrayals of racial groups through video games are often disguised versions of stereotypes, that then get perpetuated for the sake of “a fun game.”

Fickle, T. (2019). The race card: From gaming technologies to model minorities. New York University Press.

Richter, M. (2016). Black Mirror: Nosedive. episode.

Nakamura, L. (2011). TedXUIllinois - Dr. Lisa Nakamura - 5 Types of Online Racism and Why You Should Care. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-G0FlOo7g

Ow, Jeffrey A. “The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator: The Rape of Digital Geishas and the Colonization of Cyber-Coolies in 3D Realms’ Shadow Warrior.” Asian America.Net: Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Cyberspace.

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #4 (Due 9/19)

Why is the perceived lack of culture in White America an integral part of racism?

In Race After Technology, the author explains how whiteness plays just as large of a role in racism as any other race. She explains that by assuming white American culture is "plain" or "bland," we take it to be a blank slate to compare to all other cultures. In other words, she argues that "invisibility, with regard to Whiteness, offers immunity" (Benjamin, 2019). Additionally, she discusses the importance of names regarding culture. Because many cultures offer names to children as a way of celebrating and continuing that culture, it's not uncommon for us to hear someone's name and make assumptions about their culture or ethnicity. In turn, our names carry a lot of privilege based simply on their associations. All in all, to have a "unique" name (meaning one that doesn't automatically "sound white") often means others may take it to be an indication of your race, and therefore subject you to prejudice.

How are algorithms so biased and flawed?

Although we often assume the internet and its algorithms to be objective and unbiased, this is painfully far from the truth. As discussed in Race After Technology, algorithms are ultimately designed and coded by people, who are notoriously flawed and inherently biased! While the internet can be a great tool for educating yourself on cultures apart from your own, an important aspect of media literacy is to remember that everyone, and everything, is biased and should be questioned.

Why is intersectionality a critical part of understanding discrimination?

As defined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality refers to the idea that people are affected by multiple forces when it comes to discrimination. It's important to recognize how these forces work together because they can work differently independently than they do in collaboration. For example, it means one thing to be a woman, and it means another thing to be a person of color, but it means an entirely different thing to be a woman of color. This same pattern applies to discrimination. One may not be discriminatory against women or people of color, but they may in fact discriminate against women of color. Crenshaw argues that simply calling out this pattern is crucial to understanding the way discrimination functions because if we can't recognize a problem, we can't see it, and if we can't see it, it's quite difficult to solve it.

What is algorithmic oppression and why is it important?

Algorithmic oppression refers to the fundamental, structural sexism and racism present in algorithm-driven data. In Algorithms of Oppression, the author provides the example of porn sites as a result of various Google searches. They explain that in 2011, if you searched "Black girls," one of the first sites to come up was a porn site. Over the years, this remained true for other groups, like Latina or Asian women. Regardless of how appropriate the search was, porn was always one of the first search results. This automatic association of women with porn (and sexuality in general, for that matter), further perpetuates many sexist ideals about women.

Benjamin, R. (2019). Race after technology.

Crenshaw, K. (2016). The urgency of intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw | TED. Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOe5-UsQ2o&t=3s

Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism. NYU Press.

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #3 (Due 9/12)

How can we maintain a sense of privacy online?

Regardless of your social media presence, it’s increasingly difficult to maintain a sense of privacy. Our phones are being tracked, often through GPS apps (which keep track of where you go and when), there are cameras in most public places, companies and apps collect countless information of ours, which is often then sold to other companies, our activity is tracked to build a “better algorithm,” our social media interactions are recorded, and information from government applications is stored. No matter how “offline” we perceive ourselves to be, our information is out there, making it extremely difficult to maintain privacy in such a technology-centered society.

Why is the information that’s stored on us important?

We’ve established how much of our personal information is collected and stored by major companies, but what do they do with it? Often, it’s sold to other companies (primarily for advertising purposes: the more someone knows about you, the better they can cater to your interests and potentially make money off of you). However, it’s also often used to make important social decisions, like who receives welfare, qualifies for loans/insurance, and more. As Eubanks discusses in Automating Equality, digital tracking and careful withholding of information give the public the “ethical distance it needs to make inhuman choices” (Eubanks, page 28). Furthermore, there’s very little political discussion about the impact of using our private data/information collected by websites, companies, and the government, so it’s scary to think about what’s being done with our information without our knowledge.

How does the internet play a role in social change?

In Rethinking Cyberfeminisms, the author discusses how the internet can gain attention, politically and socially. So, the internet can allow feminists (and other activists) to find each other, work together, and exchange ideas regardless of geographic location, a privilege that wasn’t shared by feminists in earlier generations. In agreement with other scholars, the author encouraged women (women of color, in particular) to engage with the internet beyond internet surfing, because it can be an incredibly useful tool.

Does race play the same role online as it does irl?

Online social networks are still social networks, meaning they’re generally run by the same “rules” or norms. Just because racism isn’t overt, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s non-existent or non-important. racism can take on many forms online much like in real life, being subtle, covert, or blatant. The article then notes that because race is still a factor of one’s online experience, how can online experiences truly be disembodied?

Daniels, Jessie. 2009. Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. The Feminist Press

Eubanks, Virginia. 2018. Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor.

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #2

Where does the fault of media bias truly lie?

Media bias is rampant in current news, but whose responsibility is it? Rather than pointing the finger at an individual, we must recognize that bias lies at all levels of media production and consumption. When writing a story, a reporter may inadvertently construct a blurred version of it as a result of many things, like personal bias, upbringing, privilege, ignorance, and more. This blurred report then has to pass through editors, who have their own biases. Furthermore, the story often needs to be approved before it's published, adding more potential bias to the story. Finally, once it reaches the public, the readers will all have their own biases as well, and will likely interpret the story differently from other readers. Overall, while it's vital to recognize media bias as a while, it's just as important to recognize how bias might take place at each individual level of news production and consumption.

How does the concentration of media ownership prevent the public from obtaining true information?

As discussed in News for All the People, many news companies are owned by the same companies, limiting media to just a handful of conglomerates. If you want to fact-check an article by reading an article from another company, there’s a chance both companies are owned by the same conglomerate. So, how do you know both articles are reliable if they come from the same parent source? Furthermore, the article notes the difficulty to “preserve a racially diverse and democratic system of news" (Gonzalez and Torres, page 6). With minority representation as low as it is (and much of the existing representation being harmful and reinforcing negative racial stereotypes), one must question the reliability of their news considering the limited sources they can receive it from.

What role does critical theory play when analyzing social media and other media networks?

Critical theory pushes one to think deeper about the role that social media plays in our lives. While many of us use social media without much of a second thought, critical theory would beg questions like "what kinds of power do you gain or lose by using this platform?" To me, this goes hand-in-hand with media literacy skills. While media literacy pushes one to analyze where their media came from, critical theory pushes them to explore how that media will affect them. In other words, while media literacy questions the production of media, critical theory questions the consumption of it.

Why is the study of social media so complex?

Social media is a deeply complex thing in itself, so to understand it, we have to think critically. As described in Social Media: A Critical Introduction, the foundation for a successful critical analysis of social media is critical philosophy because it can bridge the gap between communication studies and critical media studies. Furthermore, how does one define social media? Because “social” can be defined in many ways, it’s important to consider how different definitions may change how we consider their impact on our lives.

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social Media: A Critical Introduction. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446270066

Gonzalez, J., & Torres, J. (2021). News for all the people. Power and Inequality, 223–231. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315201511-28

[alex-richey]

Blog Post #1

Unfortunately, technology has failed me repeatedly while working on major projects for my classes. I'm a psychology major, and last semester I took a lab in the psychology of learning and memory. Every week, we conducted a virtual lab to put psychological theories into practice. Many of the labs we did used a virtual lab rat program, which is notoriously slow and tends to crash if it runs for too long. One week, we worked on a tedious and particularly long lab project, and the trials had to run progressively (we were conditioning, so each trial was dependent on the results that came before it). Of course, right as I'm almost done with the last trial, the entire program quit! I'd saved most of my progress, but it was super difficult to program the virtual lab rat to pick up from inputted data, compared to starting the entire process over. I ended up starting from scratch, which was frustrating in the moment, but a minor inconvenience at the end of the day. The same thing happened to a few other class members that day, so we all laughed about it.