digitalcommunicator-blog

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An interesting perspective, Mr. Sinek. 

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Mirror mirror on our phones, who is the ‘selfie-est’ of them all?

http://fox59.com/2015/05/04/selfies-social-media-and-narcissism/

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Getting through the end of  semester like

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I wonder where the percentages would lie if the gaming was not as social.

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#no.8 The Censorship wall

The Great Firewall of China (2010) <http://bit.ly/1qHv0nP>.

If we hopped on a plane and went overseas we would naturally expect to connect with friends and family as we always have in Australia. Due to the censorship in China, most of its citizens do not use the online platforms that dominate social media today including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

'The Great China Firewall' can be described as the barrier placed between the people of China and the sites which are accessible to them. Chinese consumers spend most of their time on 'Qzone' (Chiu et al. 2012).

Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have restrictions placed on them in China. Although this may seem unfair, these restrictions on social media and foreign websites have resulted in Chinese properties thriving.

"YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are blocked in China, yet their Chinese equivalents are continuously expanding" (Crampton 2011).

Let's just imagine for a moment that instead of Australians spending most of their time on online social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, we instead spent more of our time on Australian founded platforms and social networking sites. What would our future look like?? Would Australian made sites gain same level of popularity??

The population of China is the greatest in the world, and this tells us a lot as to why Chinese online platforms generate such a high level of users. Even though these barriers may prevent most of the individuals living in China from accessing the universally dominating social media platforms, the censorship encourages people to grow their own business and branch away from the commercial trends which may boost their level of authenticity and credibility.

We are all so accustomed to the popularity of the sites which we use, and that is the very reason why we use them, we like feeling a sense of control and purpose. The more that people know of us, the more we feel that we are part of the world. Perhaps others may feel differently as they believe that the online world is not the real world. China may not allow its citizens access to particular social media platforms, yet the presence of online users remains high.

Whether or not we are censored when it comes to online platforms, most people will find a way to stay engaged and co exist in the ever growing technological era we now live in.

Chiu, C, Lin, D & Silverman, A 2012, China's social-media boom, McKinsey & Company, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/chinas_social-media_boom>.

Crampton, T 2011, 'Social media in China: The same, but different’, China Business Review, Vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 28-31, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://www.thomascrampton.com/china/social-media-china-business-review/>.

'The Great Firewall of China' [image] 2010, Scoolbell, Wordpress, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://scoolbell.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/behind-the-great-firewall-of-china/>.

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#no.7 It isn't just a game

Online games have not only provided the general public with entertainment, such games have created private platforms and communication spaces for gamers to interact with each other and build virtual relationships. Contrary to how they may seem, online gaming relationships aren't solely built off of the little red hearts on the bottom left hand corner of our screens.

The options that some games offer including 'multi-player' allow gamers to play against each other from the comfort of their own homes. People who play such games simply need to login to access the game through their account and add friends via online methods and before you know it, you may be playing 'Overwatch' with online user: 'Digital Sue' from Arizona, and she may totally annihilate you. This creates an increased desire for online gamers to seek out other games which are similar. Online gaming chat rooms and forums are also available to those who identify themselves as a member of the online gaming community.

Other online games which are linked with social media platforms such as Facebook can entice non-gamers to enter into the digital gaming world. Mobile games including 'The Candy Crush Saga' encourage you to play while having a Facebook account. By incorporating the game with the social media platform it gives it's users access to 'ask friends for lives' when they need help getting to the next level and to generally have an overall idea of where your fellow Candy Crush players are up to in the game. This encourages users to compete against each other and discuss the possible challenges that they may have faced so far in the game.

Pokemon Go has been branded as one of the most popular games of 2016, the game was the most downloaded application on the iOS app store last year (Gameranx 2017). It drove people out of town, literally. This game certainly encourages its users to travel far and wide geographically in order to catch pokemon which was good in relation to assisting people to get out of the house and leaving the couch. But there is always a catch, pun intended. The lengths that people were beginning to go to just to capture these pokemon were almost endless and this began to add a dangerous dynamic to the game. Some reports stated that a Pokemon Go player drove into a school as he was attempting to capture a Pokemon as his phone's gps led him to that area.

Are we still playing a game when our own life and the lives of others is at risk?? This type of relationship is the kind we don't want to have, almost like the crazy ex-girlfriend stalker kind. Let's leave it to the pros.

Coetsee, J 2017, Pokemon Go, the most downloaded app on iOS app store in 2016, Gameranx, viewed 2 February 2017, <http://gameranx.com/updates/id/87535/article/pokemon-go-the-most-downloaded-app-on-ios-app-store-in-2016/>.

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#no.6 But first, let me take a selfie.

I can only just remember the days where I would run to the next room and reach for my kodak camera in order to take a photo, and the image which I was capturing usually did not contain just food with an accompanying filter or hashtag. I truly do miss those moments, I miss the times where I did not have as much as I do in terms of technology. I find this statement ironic, as in my surroundings I mostly hear how what we have is not enough, and that is in turn reflected in the continuous innovation we face in society today.

Visual representation is more important today than it has ever been before. But before I explain this, let me take a selfie. Privately.

Herman (2014) stated that Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel described our relationship with social media to not only be what we get out of it, but what we put into it.

"We are the sum of our published experience."

But what is the it that we are actually putting online. Are we really sharing a true reflection of ourselves or are we simply aiming to fit into the mould of digital perfectionism??

Snapchat is one of the most popular and effective applications which allows people to share themselves more visually than ever before. We have come a far way away from social cohesion, as the 'seflie' is all about ourselves. Snapchat has become an effective tool for self promotion, we constantly upload images of ourselves that we believe to look good, and if we don't like what we see we can edit or add a filter to the picture. People add filters to their image in order to feel that they are 'acceptable' in the eyes of their friends, and their friends naturally are doing the same as we are all trying to achieve the impossible standard of beauty.

The Snapchat icon itself however presents an image without a face, the symbol is of a cartoon like ghost. What does this symbolise for the overall meaning of Snapchat?? Are we all fading away from our uniqueness, are we becoming the ghosts in our own lives as we are always mostly online?? In a world that is so heavily focused on personal image, it has become hard to see anything beyond.

I am A Witness Campaign (2016) <http://iwitnessbullying.org/>. 

Visual publics are the new forms of efficient communication. Why tell someone that you feel angry about something when you can just send an angry emoji, it's just easier that way. People have come to the point where they believe that online communication is the best form of expression.

As they have always said, 'a picture says a thousand words' yet we are all interpreting these pictures differently. This difference in interpretation can lead to online conflict, as some may get involved in cases of cyber bullying or trolling. Our pride and ego naturally accompany all the photos we share online, and because of this, our feelings can get hurt if we read or hear something that we don't like or don't agree with.

Our image has not ever generated this level of attention. The question is, can we handle it??

Herrman, J 2014, ‘Meet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’, BuzzFeed, 28 January, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch#3dlvjg2>.

I am A Witness Campaign 2016, I am A Witness, The Ad council, viewed 2 February 2017, <http://iwitnessbullying.org/>.

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#no.5 Surfing the digital crowds

Having a bad day? Google can help. Feeling out of the loop with friends? Upload a new profile picture to draw in the likes and attention again. Not sure of the weather tomorrow? Check out weather.com with only one quick click on the keyboard or phone in front of you.

In times of crisis, confusion, or simply boredom, we reach out to the internet to 'save' us. Crowdsurfing falls under this digital safety blanket most of us have come to rely on so well. For most, if not all of the problems we face today, innovative means are efficiently facilitating the flow of information we can access while providing it to us at 'lightning speed'.

Crowdsurfing is often broadly referred to as 'the practice of obtaining needed services by soliciting contributions from larger groups of people, generally people from the online community instead of traditional employees' (Merriam webster Online 2014).

'The online community'. This is such a vast and open platform, I often question, what can I not find on the internet??

In terms of natural disasters, the latest updates on the damage that has been caused to the related area or the possible fatalities which have been accounted for are updated online on various websites and social media platforms every second to few minutes. This helps people keep up to date and stay aware of what is happening around them even if they are nowhere near the event which is taking place. Information continues to flow all over the internet, videos are uploaded showcasing footage at the scene, not only by the media but by bystanders and locals who are capturing the imagery and action all on their phones. The immediacy of 'amateur' visual coverage has now become a vital source to public knowledge and recovery.

"In 2007, the Ushahidi platform emerged, giving ordinary citizens the opportunity to report human rights abuses in the wake of the Kenyan presidential elections" (Ford 2012, p. 33).

Since its formation, its purpose has developed into an online space where anyone can initiate their own mapping website and allow others to have access to a reliable platform for posting and reporting on issues. Undoubtedly, a platform such as Ushahidi can change the nature of events as prominent as those within the political arena. As more people from all over the world add information to the crowdsourcing platform, the volume of data increases and users are therefore left without certainty as to what is reliable information and what is not.

"Tell your story the way you want it to be seen" (Ushahidi 2014).

How do we want to see the world and what happens around us?? Who will believe us, who will agree with us?? I guess we may have to continue crowdsurfing to find out.

Ford, H 2012, 'Crowd Wisdom', Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39.

Ushahidi 2014, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://www.ushahidi.com/>.

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#no.4 Social Media now 18+

Along with the benefits of social media and online platforms, which allow many to connect and interact with each other worldwide, there are also aspects of these networks that do the opposite of benefiting us. Online bullying or 'trolling' as they have termed it today can leave long lasting digital scars on our cyber devoted hearts.

The more opportunities we are offered via online social platforms in terms of open expression do not only assist us to find other like-minded people who share our views and ideologies, they also allow us to come face to face with conflict. Conflict can arise from almost anything, and appear almost anywhere.

'What has come to be called trolling should be taken as a starting point rather than a vague end point for understanding the place of provocation in its multiple, highly contextualised and always changing forms'.

McCosker (2014, p. 202)

As there are age restrictions placed in movie theatres, on alcoholic beverage labels, and even laws in place regarding the age we are allowed to test our fate at the wheel, who is to say that we should not have any rules to follow when it comes to social media.

Any kind of online incivility can be the cause for social institutions, including schools and workplaces, to suggest that the there should be age restrictions in place regarding access to social media. Teenagers and adolescents can be severely traumatised by what they may come to read and view online, especially when a message is delivered in the form of a personalised attack toward them. This issue can help us to understand the idea of 'digital citizenship', and if any rules will be in place in the coming future, which age group will be forced to surrender their social media freedom and hopelessly wait to be granted an indefinite online visa.

The level of capacity that we have gained over the years in relation to online communication has increased exponentially, this simultaneously elevates the level of responsibility we face in how we represent ourselves online and how we handle ourselves when it comes to others.

There are numerous reasons as to why people become online 'trolls', yet most reasons lead to the same outcome, where someone has been made a victim of embarrassment or anger, or something has been manipulated or disrupted.

I have personally witnessed numerous examples of trolling as an online bystander, even if most pass an action off as a mere opinion or humorous comment, no one ever really knows how they may be affecting someone behind the screen.

For this reason alone, perhaps it would be best to take another look at social media and the rules and norms that would best suit its purpose.

McCosker, A 2014, YouTrolling as provocation: Tube's agonistics publics, Convergence, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 201-217.

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#no.3 Online activity

As most of the world today is quite engaged online, especially those of us that use social media, we tend to feel that we naturally become part of certain events that we here about or issues that draw our attention. Online forums and platforms allow for opinions and thoughts to be shared universally, this encourages more and more individuals to participate in discussion and take part in a level of digital activism.

Social media has been used as a tool to enforce protest movements and even prominent public events such as social revolutions. These social changes have come to dramatically affect certain policies implemented by government leaders, initiating locally, activist groups are using social media platforms to form campaign projects. Some of these campaigns include Greenpeace and change.org. Although these campaigns may have their differences, they also have a common goal, and that is to change the world by bringing peace in and eradicating injustice one step at a time.   Greenpeace (2016) stresses that "This fragile Earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs you." It needs you, and me. It needs us. By using inclusive language and providing people with reliable reasons and facts as to why we should help such a cause on their website, we feel motivated enough to lend a hand, and if not a hand, an empathetic and passionate voice. We are further encouraged to speak up about issues of social change, climate change, and political injustice. Social media acts as a sounding board for many, and it serves as a pathway for those who feel powerless to finally be heard and gain some control.

Digital Activism (2012) <https://xomariee.wordpress.com/>.

Due to particular types of digital activism, there are now extensive opportunities for expression and interaction among artists and other cultural groups who have found the media to offer online social platforms as powerful tools for challenging mainstream culture (Leah Lievrouw 2011, Alternative & Activist Media, p. 2).

Activism does not only take place online however, 'culture jamming' can happen in the form of graffiti art and performance art, most of which happens on the very streets on which we live. This can sometimes appear as an act of deviance, yet this artistic expression can also prove to be liberating for those who feel voiceless and powerless elsewhere.

Although most forms of activism present as noble and respected pursuits, it appears that some do not fulfill their intended aims, these types of acts are referred to as 'slacktivism' and 'clicktivism'. Unfortunately, cases of slacktivism and clicktivism are appearing more and more in society today, as many campaigns merely stand to empower people and make ordinary individuals feel part of an important cause without producing any significant results. People can often feel empty after realising the nature of these causes and refuse to participate in other levels of activism in the future.

How can we really know if something is actually worth being part of or not? Are we simply joining groups, protesting in rallies and participating in local debates to fulfill a secret and personal desire to be part of something that is life-changing? Or are we really changing the lives around us but just not hanging around long enough or believing in the cause enough to notice the changes taking place.

Greenpeace 2016, Greenpeace International, viewed 30 December 2016, <http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/getinvolved/>.

Lievrouw, L 2011, Alternative & Activist New Media, Polity, Cambridge, U.K, p. 2.

'Social media activism' n.d., [image], Digital activism, Wordpress, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://xomariee.wordpress.com/>

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‘Did Facebook elect Trump President?’

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#no.2 Twitterlitical times

If anybody today released a new newspaper, and wrote all about politics, would people buy it over reading it over Twitter? Perhaps not. What about if the Newspaper brand name read as 'The Twitterlical times' rather than 'The Age', or 'The New York Times'. Maybe the chances would be higher.

Social media today has almost become the best pathway to politics. Various online platforms such as Twitter and Facebook display the latest and most up to date news and current affairs relative to all election matters. The Biggest trends on Twitter for Australians in 2016 included 1. #auspol 2. #ausvotes, and number 6. #ElectionNight (Chester 2016). This suggests that the political arena and the social media realm have come to find common online ground. #Election2016 in America was the leading discussion for most of 2016 around the world, and the passing year's most widely shared subject of political tweets (Victor 2016). Social media and politics assist each other in achieving national, and universal dominance.

Social media helps politicians themselves promote their beliefs and ideologies in a multitude of different ways, allowing their opinions to reach people far and wide. While not all political conversations on Twitter fall under the #auspol or #Election2016 umbrella, they are useful as hashtags merely because they are seen and circulated online (Bogle 2016). KIssane (2016) claims that the average voter spends a great deal of time being on their phones browsing through social network sites, and this has made political campaigners re-think the most efficient method of communication to get their point across to the greater public.

When satire such as caricatures drawn for cartoons with accompanying text, or online YouTube videos with well-known celebrities acting as politicians are printed in traditional media or posted online, younger voters who have less time or interest to read lengthy articles or watch debates become more enticed to follow and understand politics. And these images and videos are all becoming only one click or 'tap of the phone screen' away. Political discourse is shrinking to fit our smartphone screens (Carr 2015). Screens that easily support platforms like Facebook.

Curtis (2016) claims that Mark Zuckerberg has expressed interest in obtaining a position at the White House, after court documents revealed the Facebook founder made provisions to maintain control of Facebook if he went into government. If society now has the chance of being lead by a social media platform founder, what would this mean for politics long term?

Whether or not the growing relationship between politics and social media has become too overwhelming at times, as  with greater awareness comes further controversy, it seems inevitable that the nature of reciprocation will only get stronger as social media continues to prove itself as an effective tool for politicians overall.

REFERENCES

Bogle, A 2016, '#auspol: The Twitter hashtag Australia can't live without', Mashable Australia, viewed 10 December 2016, <http://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#j08ht2Ev.Eq4>.

Carr, N 2015, 'How Social Media is ruining Politics', Politicio Magazine, viewed 7 December 2016, <http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/2016-election-social-media-ruining-politics-213104>.

Chester, R 2016, 'Top Australian tweets of the year focus on US politics, Brexit and sport', news.com, viewed 7 December 2016, <http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/top-australian-tweets-of-the-year-focus-on-us-politics-brexit-and-sport/news-story/00729d1b00994520a0696ac674243aef>.

Curtis, S 2016, 'Does Mark Zuckerberg want to be President? Text messages reveal Facebook founder's political aspirations', Mirror, viewed 9 December 2016, <http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/mark-zuckerberg-want-run-president-9423617>

Kissane, D 2015, 'Three ways the internet has changed political campaigns', viewed 5 December 2016, <http://www.doz.com/marketing-resources/three-ways-internet-changed-political-campaigns>.

Victor, D 2016, 'The top political tweets and hashtags of 2016', The New York Times, viewed December 9 2016, <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/technology/top-tweets-politics-2016.html?_r=1>.

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Today, in the world of politics. Let’s be social about it. 

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Tumblr Blog #no.1

Wherefore art thou social media? Oh, that’s right, everywhere.

It may still feel safe to assume that most people will immediately picture dollar signs as soon as one poses the question, “What makes the world go round?”, yet the better question may now be, what type of a world is actually ‘going round’. Whether you are at home, work, or hanging out with your best friend at your favourite restaurant, the resonance of the digital world echoes in your surroundings. This technological ambiance has not simply been created overnight however. It was sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies who discerned an evolutionary shift early in the 19th century, which saw a vast majority of people move from living in villages to living in cities during the industrial revolution (Siapera 2012, p. 192). Tönnies related this universal development to the question that still both confuses and intrigues us today. “What holds a society together when most of us are strangers to each other?” (Siapera 2012, p. 192) Have we now become further isolated, or is it simply a new type of independence, which ironically depends more on technology. Perhaps this would be the best time to revert back to the question: 'what type a world is actually going round’, with the answer being, technological. A society, driven by technology. Technology has affected our social, cultural, political and economic lives, with social media acting somewhat as a mediator (Siapera 2012 p. 203). People have become permanently plugged into their devices such as phones and computers, we have become “perma-plugged” (abcqanda 2016). This innovation has influenced the human race as both a society, and a community. A society, driven by rational will and formed by the purpose of obtaining profit versus a community, existing via natural will, created for the hope of self-fulfillment, making friendships and establishing a neighbourhood and/or family. Both vital aspects of who we are and how we live. Yet what happens when society becomes technological, and community, digital? Have we indeed entered the 'digital age’?  Moreover, the era of technology? The amount of online tools, devices and applications we use and share today are definitely allowing us to believe so, with a range of social media platforms to venture out on, this technological turf now acts as our home.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and twitter have taken the world by network storm over the past decade amongst other familiar platforms including Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat and many more. They have become the new tools for communication, the very thing that humans need to progress in life. If these platforms really are the source of what is essentially holding society together, it is us who must be holding them. For we not only engage, but build on and use such platforms daily, replenishing their digital oxygen. What comes next? For these platforms certainly have their limitations. Will we soon witness the irreversible appearance of the artificial age? The limitless era?

REFRENCES

abcqanda 2016, Q&A Live - Kate Tempest performs 'Progress’, 16 May, viewed 24 November 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCSoFd7O75E>.

Siapera, E 2012, ‘Socialities and Social Media’, in Introduction to New Media, Sage, London, pp. 191-208.

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Beautifully said. And beautifully shared @susieqwhereru

Your future self is watching you right now through memories.

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Tumbling into tumblr

My unit at uni has finally brought me here. Thank you 'Digital Communities’.