domroso

[domroso]

Week 7 : Digital Citizenship and Health Education: Body Modification on Visual Social Media

This week looked into the use of editing images and physical surgeries on one's body to post on social media. This topic is one that has almost instant and clear impacts on people. Unlike last week where slow fashion and its negative impacts cannot really be seen such as pollution and landfill, body modification can be instantly seen as users on social media continue to share images of themselves every day, with editing done to match the body proportions of the celebrities and influencers.

This week's main reading explores the algorithm, and how it used to both regulate social media, but also harm creators who face unjust moderation. Sometimes it is unclear how these platforms regulate users with the content that gets shared and this idea is reinforced by David C. Lane in which he mentions "users’ understandings of algorithms and other governance mechanisms are neither even nor consistent." (2023, p.288). As much as it is the platforms job to moderate posts, users also should be actively aware of who they're following and choose to engage with as recommendations are often given based on engagement and followings. As a result users are almost consumed by the 'filter bubble' mentioned in the earlier weeks where they continue to see similar posts.

It is important for users to be educated on using the internet safety, and be consciously aware of the culture that is photo editing and body modification. In accordance with week 3 about body positivity, this week looks more into the source of these issues, where platforms such as Tumblr appear to be safe due to cultural differences. Just to mention there isn't anything wrong with getting surgery done to enhance features and make oneself feel more confident however there should be some honesty to an impressionable audience on social media who may understand that these features are natural and real. The main consequence of body modification is an increase in body dysmorphia as a big boob and butt, or ripped with a 6 pack is more desirable than another body type. Obviously, genetics play into this and are physically achievable but praising them, and showing how plastic surgery is a shortcut to these body standards are harmful as plenty of people suffered from botched plastic surgery as celebrities can afford the best surgeons in the world whilst the rest are left with questionable, cost-effective options.

The extra reading from this week about the Dominican Woman learning surgery from Facebook was quite compelling and a great example of positively sharing their body and stories to aid others in need. Overall, users online should be educated on body modification, and should surround themselves within a culture that is positive to all body types and set realistic body standards for themselves so they can feel most comfortable.

[domroso]

Week 10: Digital Citizenship and Conflict: Social Media Governance

This week looked into online harassment, as well as the management of users and communities. Right off the bat I find it interesting how issues like this still persist nowadays despite the cyberbullying seminars shown to students in highschools. This issue may exist for many reasons, perhaps there isn't enough education in teaching people to be disrespectful online, or perhaps the laws haven't been strict enough as mentioned in this week's lecture. Above all that, it really boils down to there just being awful people who exist on this Earth. For most, the internet is a privilege often taken for granted, and there are those who feel above everyone and have no regard for their nasty comments but at the same time, there aren't really any repercussions these people have to face due to the difficulty or regulating users online.

Women and the LGBTQIA+ community have become big targets for these online trolls and would have experienced some form of harassment online. Due to how common this is, these groups "self-censor what they post online" (Haslop et al, 2021, p.1421). This is a result of the failure to create a culture where people are positive, as well as the difficulty of regulating and preventing these issues meaning the victims are the ones who are suffering and have to be conscious of what they do to avoid repeating the harassment. The cause of these attacks can come from anyone however seeing as Women and the LGBTQIA+ are victims it must come from Men. Not to say Men are at fault but perhaps there is a culture that is too normalised when it comes to putting others down. Furthermore, influences like Andrew Tate guides young men in the wrong direction, promoting misogyny. The term 'manosphere' is mentioned in an article by Ben Rich and Eva Bujalkagence which talks about the male online community, and how influencers like Andrew Tate encourage the wrong ideals in groups like these. The manosphere is often extremist groups of male empowerment, which is a "response to feminism, female empowerment, and the alienating forces of neoliberalism" (Rich and Bujalkagence, 2023). This divide perhaps is the reason for this behaviour online has anxiety and insecurity take over resulting in hatred and negative behaviour.

Finally, this week looks into the governance in small communities like Sub-Reddits and Facebook groups. It is the duty of the admin groups of the communities to aid in the regulation of its members to ensure that users feel safe and respected, as through these micro-communities, perhaps the views and values can be carried out into the much broader digital landscape where a diverse range of users exits within. It is tough to regulate users and at the end of the day, it is within some people's own nature to be hateful and cause trouble however it is important to educate the next generation with better digital agency so they become a better digital citizen.

[domroso]

Week 8: Digital Citizenship and Software literacy: Instagram Filters

Digital filters have evolved since their recent origins as fun little gimmicks such as dog ears and vomiting rainbows, transforming into augmented plastic surgery used to deceive others with unnatural looks. The use of filters is fairly common nowadays as simple little adjustments can make aspects pop out a little more and make something more interesting. The age of having to physically go through the effort of applying makeup and surgery is now capable with the touch of a button as facial and body recognition software has become so advanced and is highlighted by Funmi Olutoye in Jessica Baker's book stating "Snapchat filters have become the modern-age version of makeup" (Olutoye in Baker, 2018, p.2.11). Snapchat has not replaced makeup though as outside the digital universe, real life still exists and unfortunately filters can't be applied without the use of a device.

There is nothing wrong with using filters to enhance features if it makes someone feel a bit more comfortable posting themselves however users need to be aware that they are presenting themselves as something they are not. The issue with these filters is that they are inherently promoting negative body positivity by making the standard for filters giving users slimmed features as well as enhanced lips and eyebrows, suggesting that the standard of beauty is to look a certain way. For someone like myself, I like to use funny filters on Snapchat that give goofy hats or put stickers on my face as it gives me moments of enjoyment.

An interesting point mentioned in one of the required readings discussed portrait photography for documentation stating "For many decades, these photographs were intended to identify us to other human beings, but now they are designed to be machine readable" (Rettberg, 2017, p.91). It kind of made me realise how fast we are moving into a digital age, where humans and technology co-exist to help each other. Also, mentioned by Rettberg was how we no longer smile in passport photos because it is harder to match faces through recognition software. There is not much for users to do with face filters as the main issues that have arisen are privacy concerns and body dysmorphia. For users, these filters portray an unrealistic standard and may put people down but with some education and body positivity, there is no harm in using face filters if it may give a bit of confidence. In regards to privacy concerns, it is unavoidable at this point as scans of your face exist somewhere and that you can be read by 1's and 0's.

[domroso]

Week 9: Gaming Communities, Social Gaming and Live Streaming

This week's topic is something I understand most compared to the other weeks for this unit as I am a big gamer and can relate to the culture that is highlighted during this week. Gaming is a huge platform to bring people together and offers a place for people to feel accepted and comfortable, where they may not feel like platforms such as Instagram or TikTok is in their interest. This is due to differences in culture as social media is more focused on sharing content and images/thoughts whereas gaming is more about playing with friends and individual skills. I think the best part about gaming is how accessible and diverse it has become as gaming used to be considered part of a nerd culture but nowadays almost everyone is a gamer, even if they think they are not. As highlighted in a study "the number of female video game players has increased, and females today make up half of the gaming population" (Kato et al., 2019) which, in comparison to the start of video games was male-dominated.

Alongside the growth of gaming arose live streaming. Although live streaming is not strictly for videogames it arguably dominates viewership on services such as Twitch. Games like CS:GO, Fortnite, and GTA V average 70-100k viewers across multiple streamers at essentially every moment of the day. Live streaming is accessible to everyone and everyone can become a streamer if they'd like to. Streaming allows games to get recognition and free advertising and allows streamers to make a profit off gaming. Coined by Richard Wohl and Donald Horton in 1956, Parasocial relationships is the idea that the creator forms an internet relationship that is not personal, and most of the time purely for profit, but is still somewhat genuine. In accordance with the study on female gamers, some of the top creators on Twitch are females with a huge following.

A final point to mention is gaming in Australia/Melbourne in particular. The Oceania region of gaming is often overshadowed by big corporations in America and Europe, with major game studios being based there, and major gaming tournaments being held within those regions with Oceania engagement and inclusion being minimal. As a result, Australia is considered to be more isolated as network limitations make it hard to engage overseas, and funding for games is much lower therefore most game developers are Indie studios who work on smaller budgets and teams. This downside however does not mean greatness has not been achieved as a certain charm is found within Indie games with unique styles and stories, and have a sense of love that is lost in these bigger AAA games. The support for Indie developers is long-running and is highlighted in the required reading where "funding bodies such as Film Victoria, have been supporting local videogame production and cultures since the early 2000s." (Keogh, 2021, p.215).

[domroso]

Week 6: Digital Citizenship Case Study: Social Media Influencers and the Slow Fashion Movement

Slow fashion is arguably one of the most important movements that clothing manufacturers should be prioritising, as fast fashion culture is on the rise, and its drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. This week's topic really highlighted the importance of choosing clothing brands that are sustainable and trustworthy, in achieving fashion that is stylish and affordable, as well as environmentally friendly. Fashion is a form of self-expression, and consumers want to find styles that suit their taste, as well as keeping up with fashion trends created online. Highlighted by Mariana Domingos perspective on humans and their social behavior, the urge for "human being’s need to be perceived as different from others, enhance self-esteem and social image" (Domingos, 2022, p.9) means humans will continue to purchase clothing to keep up with their ever-changing taste in fashion. Fast fashion is a way to support this lifestyle as it is affordable which is the main concern for all consumers, especially if a fast fashion product has the same longevity as a similar slow fashion product.

An eye-opener for me this week was how dodgy and unsustainable the clothing company SHEIN is. Prior to this week I knew their practices weren't ethical and sustainable, however I didn't realise just how bad they really are with the business practice. Highlighted in one of the presentations and Times Magazine was how SHEIN would post from 2000-10,000 (Rest of World in Times Magazine) new products every day! That number shocked me and made it very clear to may how harmful fast fashion is, because it is so easy to post new things and sell them for cheap.

The change to creating sustainable is a two-way street for both consumers and manufacturers. For the consumers, it is up to them to create a culture that encourages people to buy from sustainable brands. Alternately, it is also up to these brands to listen to the consumers and construct their business models around sustainability. Together, we can reduce waste and save the environment from the fast fashion movement.

[domroso]

References Page (all weeks in here)

Week 3 : Tumblr Case Study

Reeve, E. (2016, February 18). The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens. The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/129002/secret-lives-tumblr-teens

Anne Reif, Insa Miller & Monika Taddicken (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, DOI: 10.1080/15205436.2022.2138442Links to an external site.

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Week 4 : Reality T.V

Cohen, E. L., Knight, J., Mullin, M., Herbst, R., Leach, B., Shelledy, A., & Rebich, D. (2021). Loving to hate the Kardashians: Examining the interaction of character liking and hate-watching on the social influence of a reality TV show. Psychology of Popular Media, 10(2), 136–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000284

Deller, R. A. (2019). Reality television : The tv phenomenon that changed the world. Emerald Publishing Limited. Created from swin on 2023-02-11 05:10:56. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 5: Digital Citizenship

#auspol: The Twitter tag that Australia can't do without, Mashable March 6 2018 https://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#4tvfXtsZUEqVLinks to an external site.

Moonsun Choi & Dean Cristol (2021) ' Download 'Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education',  Download Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education', Theory Into Practice, 60:4, 361-370, DOI: 10.1080/00405841.2021.1987094Links to an external site.

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Week 6: Slow Fashion Movement

Domingos, M., Vale, V. T., & Faria, S. (2022). Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review. Sustainability, 14(5), 2860. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052860

Rajvanshi, A. (2023, January 17). Shein’s Massive Popularity Comes at a Huge Cost to Us All. Time. https://time.com/6247732/shein-climate-change-labor-fashion/

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Week 7 : Body Modification

Duffy, B. E., & Meisner, C. (2022b). Platform governance at the margins: Social media creators’ experiences with algorithmic (in)visibility. Media, Culture & Society, 45(2), 016344372211119. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221111923

Thompson, S. (2016, March 15). How Social Media Is Transforming Medical Care In The Developing World. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3057869/how-social-media-is-transforming-medical-care-in-the-developing-world

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Week 8 : Filters

Barker, J. (2020). Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of Snapchat. Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, 7(2), 207–221. https://doi.org/10.1386/fspc_00015_1

Rettberg, J. W. (2017). Biometric Citizens: Adapting Our Selfies to Machine Vision. Selfie Citizenship, 89–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45270-8_10

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Week 9 : Gaming

Kato, T., Carrà, G., Marín-Navarrete, R., Lopez-Fernandez, O., Williams, A., Griffiths, M., & Kuss, D. (2019). Article 454 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00454

Keogh, B 2021, 'The Melbourne indie game scenes: value regimes in localized game development' (Chapter 13), Download 'The Melbourne indie game scenes: value regimes in localized game development' (Chapter 13),in P Ruffino (ed), Independent Videogames: Cultures, Networks, Techniques and Politics, Routledge, pp.209-222.

Social:Parasocial relationships - HandWiki. (2022, July 2). Handwiki.org. https://handwiki.org/wiki/Social:Parasocial_relationships

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Week 10 : Digital Governance

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, 27(5), 1418–1438. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856521989270

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

[domroso]

Week 5 : What is Digital Citizenship? Hashtag Publics, Political Engagement and Activism

As someone who is considered a citizen in their country, similarly, the same applies to being a user on the internet. Everyone who uses the internet is a digital citizen, and with the right to use this technology, comes a set of responsibilities and values that everyone should follow. This however can not be the case as there are exceptions to people who simply do not care about their impact online, and are merely there for harassment and trolling purposes. Of course, there a measures for this, and platforms use their own rules and regulations to manage and maintain their platform, to exercise.

A big thing I took away from the required reading this week by Choi and Cristol was intersectionality. Intersectionality is the idea that multiple factors based on humans, such as race, culture, sex, and more "operate simultaneously...to construct multifaceted inequalities." (Collins, 2015, as cited in Choi and Cristol, 2021, pg. 363). They highlight how discrimination has migrated to the internet, and that the concept of intersectionality has to be taught well to younger students, especially primary schoolers so that their digital identity/citizenship is constructed in a way that is diverse, educated, and inclusive. As a result, the internet can become more of a public sphere (as mentioned in previous weeks), where there is more equality.

The way social media and politics have become integral to running a successful campaign is another interesting part of the internet, especially Twitter. The article about #auspol by Ariel Bogle highlights the significance of social media, as #auspol is part of "political furniture" (Burns, as cited in Bogle, 2016, n.p.). The hashtag allows the public to share their thoughts in one space and is not targeted to one political party. It's almost like a no man's land for political discussion where all opinions can be shared.

Overall this week has highlighted the importance of being a responsible user on the internet, and how politics is heavily influenced by the internet, especially Twitter.

[domroso]

Week 4 : Digital Community and Fandom: Reality TV Case Study

Reality T.V and Digital Communities coexist nicely as they bounce off each other and are able to bring people together. Reality T.V is arguably one of the most popular genres of entertainment in Australia, as new reality shows air, and current ones renew for new seasons, the catalog is very broad and there is likely something for everyone.

As mentioned in this week's reading, Deller highlights a sense of "Liveness" which "helps the media emphasise its role as something that can unite society” (Deller, 2019, p. 155). The ability to live react to shows alongside thousands of others, creates this sense of community, where people join together to share opinions, favourite moments and create discussion in general. Live tweeting (posting tweets live) through hashtags forms digital publics based around that show (#MAFS or #Survivorau)

It's interesting to look at how reality T.V fans come together, and explore why they watch these shows. Some watch for genuine entertainment, and others 'hate-watch'. Hate watching is the action of watching something to ridicule and mock, but ironically it means they still watch for entertainment. Perhaps this applies to everyone however some are more aware about what they are watching. Cohen emphasises this idea stating that “a source of their enjoyment came from having a sense of superiority over reality show cast members experiencing misfortunes and believing that they have the ability to avoid the same misfortunes. “ (Cohen, Knight et al, 2021). This idea is that perhaps audiences overestimate their abilities from the couch and in a sense belittle the cast by seeing them as incapable.

Finally, through the readings, it is more clear to me how manipulative the reality T.V industry is, and how reliant it is on social media engagement.

[domroso]

Week 3 : Tumblr Case Study

Tumblr as a social media platform is home to many, ranking number 10 in Australia for social media apps. It offers a different approach to social media, as the platform offers features that platforms like Twitter and Instagram don't. The main features highlighted being anonymity, whilst the hashtag culture being strong, as Tumblr was one of the earliest platforms to use them.

Hashtagging is an integral part of using Tumblr, as users can view content by other users who they don't follow, and get a diverse range of content, under the same hashtag from different, like-minded individuals. Because Tumblr is seen as a safer space for discussion, it allows for discussion on topics which are often ridiculed and used as a ground for trolling and shaming. As highlighted in the reading "Love the skin you're in", hashtags based on body positivity and feminism are able to thrive, and make users feel safe, and welcomed, unlike more mainstream platforms like Instagram where the culture around body positivity is "young, white, slim, and heteronormative" (Reif et al, 2022, p.1).

"On Tumblr, you can revel in anonymity, say whatever you want without fear of it going on your permanent record. You can start as many Tumblrs as you like, one for each slice of your personality," (Reeve, 2016, n.p)

This quote from Elspeth Reeve's article on the Tumblr user 'Pizza' wraps up the whole idea of Tumblr well. The idea that anonymity is crucial in the success of Tumblr as a platform. It gives the opportunity to those who may not normally have a voice, to finally speak out. They can thrive in their own interests or as quoted, personalities, and this very concept is what brings users of Tumblr together. Of course, however, anonymity is a double-edged sword as now the power to say whatever you want and suffer very little consequence means trolls can disrupt this concept of feeling safe to speak out. Luckily for Tumblr, the platform draws in a demographic of young, Gen Z users who are well-informed in using the internet for good, and uplifting others as users have arguably found refuge in Tumblr amongst the large selection of social media.