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Peace, Love & Selfies

Digital citizenship is the pinnacle of social media and the internet. We use it to describe the effective application of skills and knowledge to positively impact the social media community and become good digital citizens. This obviously doesn’t apply to everyone, there is always bound to be a bad egg (or cookie) so to say, but it is up to those that do use their skills emphatically to right the wrongs and educate the misinformed.

A lot was learned this semester and there is so much more to be learned. The internet is a vast and incredible place (with a few black holes), there is so much to know and understand and these 12 weeks were just the tip of the iceberg. It is up to us, the users, to seriously and genuinely reflect upon our actions and how we use social media, as well as how we can use it for good, education and real change in our world. We are the drivers of change, with everything to gain.

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Social Media ‘Governance’

It’s a sad thing to think that regardless of any actions we may take to protect ourselves online, there will always be someone that does not agree with you, your ideals or religion, has some tiny problem with what has been said and will use that to chastise you, or will just straight up abuse you for the sake of it. Blocking or reporting will only stop a few, because it is just as easy to just create a new account and begin the trolling, doxing and bullying all over again.

Founder of feminist frequency, Anita Sarkeesian, has described the internet as a “battlefield”, were perpetrators use what little power and control they have in their own real lives and project their “angry misogyny on a massive scale” (2012). Most of this intense hateful speech is on forums or chat rooms that have almost no moderation and give these people free roam to “maintain… [their] privileges and entitlements that come with an unquestioned boys club,” (2012). However, this is not entirely unquestionable or out of the ordinary when compared with social media. It may not be as coordinated or interactive as what Sarkeesian describes in her video but it is real all the same. As stated by Ostini and Hopkins “power and control extend beyond the physical world into the online world and frequently produce real world effects” (2015). Too often women, girls, minorities and those a part of the LGBTQI community are harassed, abused and targeted in campaigns of hate speech, that bleed into their real lives.

Although this is not quite to the same scale as what Sarkeesian experienced, a prime example of an influencer being affected by something that is largely out of the control of social media governance is the James Charles and Tati Westbrook saga of 2019. Without going into extensive detail of what happened between the two very successful YouTubers, after Westbrook called out someone who she considered a dear friend, the internet took a hold of the drama and ran with it in order to ‘cancel’* Charles. Although followers of both took shots at the other, Charles took the brunt of most of the hate, loosing millions of followers in mere hours and being ‘cancelled’ across all of his platforms. This mob mentality of coordinated attacks (Sarkeesian 2012) was out of the control of the platforms themselves as millions of people ‘verbally’ destroyed the then teenager, and because of the thorough coverage of attacks on each platform there was no way to stop the myriad of participation and escalation of condemnation.

With examples like the Westbrook-Charles drama and plenty more, and regardless of whose side you are on, it is clear that the internet has no true boundaries to stop assaults like this. Yes, there are rules, regulations and community guidelines but it is scarily easy to cast those aside with little to no consequence. No amount of positivity and good digital citizenship can stop such riotous behaviour of those who use the internet purely for these purposes.

This week we were given Anita Sarkeesian’s Ted Talk to watch, which I have attached below, and gives a thorough insight into the way these hate movements can take hold:

*cancelled being the “cultural blocking from having a prominent public platform or career” (Romano 2020)

References:

Eugene debs 2018, Anita Sarkeesian at TEDx Women 2012, 24 November, viewed 15 May 2021 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wKBdMu6dD4>

Ostini, J & Hopkins, S 2015, ‘Online Harassment is a Form of Violence’, The Conversation, viewed 15 May 2021 <https://theconversation.com/online-harassment-is-a-form-of-violence-38846>

Romano, A 2020, ‘Why We Can’t Stop Fighting About Cancel Culture’, Vox, viewed 15 May 2021 <https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/30/20879720/what-is-cancel-culture-explained-history-debate>

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Sustainable Fashion is More Than Just the Movement

According to Lai et al. (2017), slow fashion is "described as the antipode to fast fashion, which is mass produced, cheap, changes within a fortnight and is often associated with a throw-away attitude" (p.82) and by understanding this, it can be gathered that slow fashion is the attempt to right these wrongs. This can be done by going to opportunity shops, buying from second hand platforms (e.g. Depop, second hand Instagram pages, etc.) and supporting sustainable brands. However, in saying this it is also extremely important to understand what a sustainable brand really is. Roos et al. (2016) acknowledges this problem of sustainability that can be solved as long as we can answer the current troubles that plague the fashion industry, that being the pollutants from factories, poor working conditions, unfair wages, use of limited resources and the mass output that ends up in landfill, to name a few (p.2). The most frustrating part is that we can acknowledge all of these issues and yet we are unable to tackle most of them as a result of the long and arduous supply chain (that often spans multiple countries) which makes it difficult for some retailers to accurately pin point where their garments are made (Roos et al. 2016, p.3) the problem is almost the entire industry and its system.

It is important to recognise however that there are many brands and influencers who do want to make a difference (as well as every day shoppers), but as a result of this systematic problem it can difficult. Furthermore, after the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, there have been increased concern and outcry from the general public for greater clarity and honesty from the industry, which according to Henninger et al. (2017) is one of the most negligent in regards to the manipulation of the work force and their wellbeing, and drainage of (scarce) natural resources during production (p. 2)

A great example of an influencer advocating for sustainable fashion is Hannah Klose (@nevereverpayretail). Hannah is an Australian social media influencer with 23.6 thousand followers on Instagram where she shows her follows great op shops to visit (more than just the typical Salvo's) and how to style one outfit multiple ways in order to get the most use out of clothes. She also has a website (linked below) that links the op shops she frequents, her own online op shop and a blog to further inspire her follows on how to style clothes and what to look for when thrifting. Hannah's effort to encourage people to shop in a more thoughtful manner is a great example of digital citizenship as she uses her platform and following in order to promote awareness of the impact of the fashion industry, and further utilises these skills on her blog and website which is be accessible to those who don not have social media, which broadens her positive reach.

http://nevereverpayretail.com.au/

This YouTube video is a great little insight into slow fashion, which really makes you think about spending habits:

References:

Henninger, C E, Ryding, D, Alevizou, P J, Gowerek, H 2017, ‘Introdution to Sustainability in Fashion’ in A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, Palgrave, pp 1-10

Lai, Z, Henninger, C E, Alevizou, P J 2017, ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’ in Sustainability in Fashion a Cradle to Upcycle Approach, Palgrave, pp. 81-101

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Esports: Already the Next Big Thing?

Gaming communities and live streaming is truly the epitome of a digital community. It is often a place to seek refuge and interact it other likeminded individuals as it is up to the user as to who and what they wish to network with. Gaming communities are inherently social and are based around digital citizenship and community, as without active participation, there is no game (Hardwick 2021). Furthermore, as discussed by Taylor (2018), there is a feeling of not being alone as users watch alongside one another in real time, which further establishes this bond commonality and togetherness (p.2). These feelings and bonds are only growing as platforms become more popular. By 2017, Twitch, a gaming live-streaming platform, had amassed over 2.2 million unique users per month, with hundred of thousands of creators (Taylor 2018, p.3).

It is also important to understand that content consumption is hardly ever singular, consumers do not belong to one platform, they are not just a "television watcher, a Twitch user, sports fan or game player," (Taylor 2018, p. 13) they cross over all of these platforms (and many more), interacting with thousands and millions of other individuals, in one giant community, or many small ones.

With the growth of platforms like Twitch and the popularity of Esports rising, these spaces are now more profitable than ever, for both users and bigger corporations. According to Faust, Meyer and Griffiths (2020), tournaments can see winners go home with up to $9 million (USD) in prize money, that is often then followed up with paid advertising, sponsorship and a growing platform, with more and more followers (p.173). As these tournaments grow in popularity it will likely be more and more difficult to make a comfortable wage, as creators become increasingly more skilled, raising the bar for up and coming users, in order to provide maximum entertainment. It is also likely that large corporations will begin to become more involved and invested, which could privatise aspects of the gaming community, which is not what it was created for.

The video linked below is a great overview of what Twitch (and other streaming platforms) does, and how different creators use them differently:

References:

Faust, K, Meyer, J, Griffiths, M 2020, ' Professional and Competitive Gaming: Discussing Potential Benefits of Scientific Study' in The Oxford Handbook of Digital Technologies and Mental Health, Oxford University Press, pp. 173-176

Hardwick, T 2021, 'MDA20009 Week Eight Guest Lecture Social Gaming', MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning Materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 28 April, viewed 28 April 2021

Taylor, T L 2018, ‘Broadcasting Ourselves’ in Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming, Princeton University Press, pp. 1-23

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Alipay: The Most Toxic Way to Pay for Anything

In the most literal sense, a filter is something that is used in order to remove impurities from something. However, in a more digital context it is also used to remove 'impurities', but even more so, is used to 'improve' a person's features. Rettberg (2014) notes that in a social media environment, filters are often perceived to add to an image (i.e. boosting the colour or blurring parts of an image in order to enhance another aspect) (p.21).

Filters have certainly developed over the last five years alone, where originally they were used in order to change the person's face into something silly, like a lemon. Where now, especially on very public visual social media (i.e. Instagram), filters are used to meet an 'ideal' beauty standard to fit societies heteronormative beauty principles. Often filters will smooth out the person's skin, make their lips bigger, nose smaller, even when the primary function of the filter may not be for that function, for example wanting to change your eye colour, and as a 'bonus' comes with the aforementioned features as well. Furthermore, as noted by Miller (2021), these filters *usually* take on an androgynous, caucasian appearance which begs the question of the ethical implications of filters in addition to the problems of body image and body dysmorphia that are often intensified by these filters.

A prominent example of beauty filters working their way into everyday lives, more so than our daily (even hourly use of social media, is the update made by Alipay, where they incorporated beauty filters into their payment system. Alipay is very similar to PayPal in that they are third-party and peer-to-peer (respectively) payment platforms. In 2019, Alipay made an update to their platform that added beauty filters to their facial recognition system (one way users can certify a payment, they can also use a PIN). After the initial roll-out "face-scan payments increased by 100%... and they number of women users... increased by 123%" (Li 2019 as cited by Peng 2020). In their press release announcing the update they described it as "[making] you look even prettier than with a beauty camera. I bet you'll be impressed" (Liao 2019). This casual phrasing of 'clear improvements' only reinforces the stagnant and dogged ideals society has, and their persistence in order to maintain those values is maddening as there is always so much talk of reform and supposed progress, especially in a Western format, that is so blatantly wrong and frankly patronising. There are not enough words to explain the clear bias in technology development and the systemised oppression by men in order to bolster "patriarchal capitalism" (Peng 2020). This is further emphasised by the male values that infiltrate technology development (*cough* Alipay *cough*) and manipulating "gender power relations" (Peng 2020) through the world's routine consumption of technology developed by men. The article that has been quoted is a great read to further understand the Alipay update:

https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/doi/epub/10.1080/14680777.2020.1750779?needAccess=true

This YouTube video is also great for a quick overview of the effect of filters from the perspective of social media users, medical experts and social influencers:

References:

Liao, R 2019, China’s Alipay Adds Sought-After Beauty Filters to Face-Scan Payments, Tech Crunch, viewed 21 April <https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/03/alipay-beauty-filters/>

Miller, L 2021, ‘MDA20009 Week Seven Guest Lecture Instagram Filters’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning Materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 21 April, viewed 21 April 2021

Peng, A Y 2020, ‘Alipay Adds ‘Beauty Filters’ to Face-Scan Payments: A Form of Patriarchal Control Over Women’s Bodies’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 20, no. 4

Rettberg, J W 2014, ‘Filtered Reality’, in Seeing Ourselves Through Technology: How We Use Selfies, Blogs and Wearable Devices to See and Shape Ourselves, Palgrave Macmillan, London, pp. 20-32

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Elusive Beauty Standards Becoming the New Norm

There is no denying that social media has a massive impact on body image and how people perceive themselves, especially when you compare yourself to 'influencers' like the Kardashian/ Jenner women or models such as Emily Ratajkowski, who are paid to exercise and eat a specific way in order to look the way they do (no hate, just facts). Which ultimately sets impossible beauty standards that society then see as ideal. These men and women are paid to look the way they do, and it causes a domino effect of body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and body dysmorphia. These ideals are presented as 'easy' and 'attainable' and people begin to compare themselves to everyone around them, not just the celebrities they follow on social media, which ultimately plagues their every thought (Franchina & Coco 2018).

Although many content creators do advocate for positive body image, and 'exposing' people who edit their pictures and pointing fingers at those who stand by these unrealistic beauty standards, it is largely hypocritical as the majority, not all, will continue to emulate this toxic content. Often using pornification (the manipulation of one's body into specific poses and sexualisation of themselves), and make a huge profit from the interaction (likes and comments) they receive. Furthermore, pornification demoralise these women as it is a reaffirmation of historic and heteronormative standards and views of the world. These views being that women are objects and things to be manipulated and controlled by men, in addition to controlling how women present themselves, as well as how the ideal woman or man should look. Its degrading and just wrong. While these creators may not see or truly sympathise with the severe impact one image of them by a pool can have, it is up to us, their followers and the people who gave them popularity, to help them comprehend and recognise the demoralising effect they can have on society as a whole if they continue to conform to these patriarchal, sexist principles.

It is important to also acknowledge that not all influencers are as blind as others, and do work to stop these aforementioned principles, and work actively in the body positivity community. Most notably is the singer Lizzo, who has always been incredibly outspoken and supportive of larger women, and uses her platform to call out poor behaviour and show encouragement for her followers. The attached video is great example of Lizzo calling out the body positive movement that has now marginalised the people it was supposed to be supporting.

References

Franchina, V, Coco, G L 2018, ‘The Influence of Social Media Use on Body Image Concerns,’ International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education, vol. 10, no. 1

Lewallen, J, Behm-Morawitz, E 2016, ‘Pinterest or Thinterest?: Social Comparison and Body Image on Social Media’, Social Media and Society, vol. 2 no. 1

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#auspol: The Best Way to Keep Up With ScoMo These Days

Digital citizenship is the ability of individuals to connect and participate in issues, ranging from most prominently, politics and activism to also concern over use of social media and technology in schools in regards to concerns with bullying and trolling, all facilitated over the internet. More specifically anyone wishing to be a 'good' digital citizen is someone who has the awareness and knowledge to appropriately use digital technology in a progressive manner to participate in societal problem and content creation.

One way people amplify their position as a digital citizen, good or bad, is to use hashtags in order to identify (and be identifiable) and participate in specific discussions and content. A particular example of this is #auspol, a hashtag used to discuss and navigate Australian politics over social media, especially on Twitter. Vromen (2017) makes note of this when monitoring that the internet has rallied organisations and allowed for greater political participation through the personalisation allowed by social media and hashtag movements.

#AusPol really got a work out in 2020 even before the pandemic began. Starting off with the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, AKA Sco Mo, taking a Hawaiian holiday in the middle of the Australian bushfire season, the "most extensive and long-lived fires appear to be the largest in Cale in modern record in NSW, while total area burnt appears to be the largest in a single recorded fire season for eastern Australia" (The Burea of Meteorology as cited by Parliament Australia 2020). And upon return, forcefully shaking a woman's hand who just wanted help after watching her town burn.

Later on in the year, following Victoria's increase in Covid-19 cases, #AusPol seemed to follow premier Daniel Andrews around to each of his 120 consecutive daily press conferences and was used to scrutinise his every step in the navigation of getting Victoria out of the Covid spotlight. Similarily, the hashtag seemed to haunt Gladys Berejiklian following the Ruby Princess Cruise disaster where hundreds of vacationers were allowed to disembark even though many had Covid-19 symptoms, and were allowed to return home to their respective states.

Australian politics will never fail to keep Aussie's on their toes, especially when you can easily follow along because of hashtag publics and their ability to connect to similar content across networks. For a more thorough catch up of the expletive that was 2020, this YouTube video is a great watch:

References

Butler, J 2020, D is for Doughnuts: The A to Z of Politics in 2020 – Part One, The New Daily, viewed 16 April, <https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2020/12/27/politics-australia-2020-alphabet/>

Parliament Library 2020, 2019-20 Australian Bushfires – Frequently Asked Questions: A Quick Guide, Parliament of Australia, viewed 16 April <https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1920/Quick_Guides/AustralianBushfires>

Vromen, A 2017, ‘Introduction’, in Digital Citizenship and Political Engagement the Challenge from Online Campaigning and Advocacy Organisations, Palgrave Macmillan, London, pp. 1-7

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Reality TV: One Giant Contradiction

Bignell (2005) aptly describes reality television as a 'development of television documentary forms, and also a departure from their conventions" (p. 1). Ultimately, reality television, although technologically advanced and only getting more and more complex, is far from what the name suggests, for the large majority of television that falls under its category. Understandably, as we change as a society, our entertainment would too, as individuals seek greater gratification from what they view, however as this evolution occurs our idea and expectations from reality get farther and farther from the real, and instead become falsehoods and carefully crafted manipulations of not just the audience but also the contestants. Hill (2005) acknowledges however the use of 'performed selves' where individuals on these shows display parts of themselves and dramatise other aspects in order to fulfil their designated role on the show and how they fit into the constructed world of television (p.67-68). For example, there is often a villain, the soft spoken/ innocent one, the catty girl, the good guy etc.

Exploitation of these individuals, particularly on shows such as Love Island, begins even before the show airs. Advertisement and mass campaigning on social media quickly put these people's lives on display, campaigns which further manipulate audiences once the show is run. L'Hiory, elaborates on this when explaining the cheap marketing done through social media where audiences help promote the show, however in doing so, through analytics and data collection make themselves more available to these production companies to be further used for monetisation.

Although there are many ethical questions that are being raised in regards to reality TV and its potential for disastrous effects, it cannot be ignored that through the active participation of viewers, political discussion and important social issues can be raised and examined. The Australian docu-series Go Back to Where You Came From mobilises their audience through Twitter, facebook and other online participation avenues in order to educate and inform their viewers on humanitarian action and political engagement (Nikunen 2016, p.274)

References:

Bignell, J 2005, Big Brother: Reality TV in the Twenty-First Century, Palgrave Macmillan, United Kingdom

Hill, A 2005, Reality TVL Audiences and Popular Factual Television, Routledge, United Kingdom

L'Hiory, X 2019, 'Love Island, Social Media, and Sousveillance: New Pathways of Challenging Realism in Reality TV', Frontiers in Sociology, vol. 4, no. 59, pp 1-13

Nikunen, K 2016, 'Media, passion and Humanitarian Reality Television', European Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 265-282

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How Does Tumblr Function as a Digital Community?

A digital community allows those involved to express views, feelings and opinions, in regards to anything, through using the internet and social media as a broad discussion space. Tumblr is a great example of this as it not only is a place where people can share their feelings about absolutely anything, but as a result of the anonymity of the platform, users can create their own world (under a pseudonym if they prefer), and post whatever they want without the fear of judgement. In comparison, platforms like Instagram are heavily influenced by current trends and expectations of someone's life, all posted under their 'real' name, and potential for fear of judgement. According to Keller (2019, p.4), whilst discussing platform vernacular and feminism, she acknowledges the "specificities" of each individual platform and how that may influence a user's approach to a subject or discussion. Keller further discusses however, that social media is not fundamentally "open, neutral or egalitarian," but rather broadly situated amongst the "competing interest of users, companies, advertisers and policymakers" (p.4) and rather recognises that social media is a "designed space" that manipulates users (i.e. Instagram). Comparatively, Renninger (as cited by Keller 2019) explores the ways in which Tumblr has allowed for likeminded individuals to connect through pen names in a safe community that has supported marginalised groups since its inception. This is further supported by McCracken's (2020) interview of Amanda Brennan, who describes Tumblr as a social media that empowers the voices of those who have been disregarded in the past, gives them a community a safe space in which they can 'build their own kind of world". Tumblr is a social media where people can forget the real world in order to surround themselves in what they are most passionate about, that may not be highly-regarded in their day-to-day life, or something they wish to have just to themselves.

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

McCracken, A 2020, 'Going Down the Rabbit Whole: An Interview with Amanda Brennan, Head of Content Insights and Social, Tumblr' in A Tumblr Book: Platform and Cultures, eds A McCracken, A Cho, L Stein, & I N Hoch, University of Michigan Press, pp 37-48

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