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[georgiemckinnon]

This is a great example of Trolling and it’s fantastic to see how celebrities are dealing with people posting negative comments about them. I love how Jimmy Kimmel has created this segment on his show as it demonstrates that although its hard, the best way is to just laugh it off. 

Celebrities Read Mean Tweets #12

[georgiemckinnon]

# 7 Social Media Conflit & Trolls

One of the hardest things about social media is the conflict that can be encountered. Social media allows people to stay anonymous, which sometimes make people feel entitled to say and post whatever they like, no matter how hurtful and wrong. “Trolls, who create conflict on social media sites by making controversial statements with the purpose of causing havoc, can be found in almost every corner of the web” (Hanson 2017). Trolling can be defined as “creating discord on the internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people by posting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community” (Hanson 2017). To put it simply, an online troll is “someone who purposely says something controversial in order to get a rise out of other users” (Hanson 2017). 

“Online Harassment is an umbrella term encompassing a variety of behaviours” (Marwick et al 2018, p.544). These behaviours include cyberbullying, sexual harassment, posting threatening or offensive remarks online and spreading rumours or cruel comments (Marwick et al 2018). It’s estimated that online abuse, harassment and cyber trolling costs Australians $3.7 billion annually in terms of medical bills and loss of income (Roy et al 2019). With so many children now using social media, it is important to understand the consequences and take precautions to prevent online harassment.  

A study conducted by Pew Research, found that “41% of Americans have been personally subjected to harassing behaviour online, and an even larger share (66%) has witnessed these behaviours directed at others” (Duggan 2017). “In some cases, these experiences are limited to behaviours that can be ignored or shrugged off as a nuisance of online life, such as offensive name-calling or efforts to embarrass someone. But nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) have been subjected to particularly severe forms of harassment online, such as physical threats, harassment over a sustained period, sexual harassment or stalking” (Duggan 2017). These shocking statistics make it clear why the technology industry use the expression ‘harassment is now a feature of life online’ (Duggan 2017). Harassment is often focused on personal or physical characteristics, political views, gender, physical appearance and race, which can make social media difficult and unfair to express oneself (Duggan 2017). 

One of the challenging things about trolling and online harassment is that itis very hard to prevent and very difficult to stop, and there isn’t many laws in place to help victims. In very severe cases of online harassment such as stalking, intimidating or threatening conduct, encouraging suicide and defamation, there can be serious consequences and the possibility of imprisonment for the defendant (Lexology 2019). However, for less serious cases such as name calling, spreading offensive rumours and lies, there is very little that can be done in the way of the law. So encouraging and teaching young children the safest ways to use social media is the best preventative measure. It is also important to ensure children know they can speak to adults and even the police to report cyberbullying, and that schools put in place serious consequences for those caught harassing online. 

References

Duggan, M 2017, Online Harassment 2017, Pew Research Centre, viewed 4 June 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/07/11/online-harassment-2017/

Hanson, J 2017, Trolls and their impact on social media, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, viewed 4 June 2020, https://unlcms.unl.edu/engineering/james-hanson/trolls-and-their-impact-social-media#:~:text=Trolls%2C%20who%20create%20conflict%20on,some%20aspects%20of%20social%20media.

Lexology 2019, Cyberbullying Laws in Australia, Lexology, viewed 4 June 2020, https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ff372a76-3f36-4b8e-9f30-08ab4cdd9a87

Marwick, A & Caplan, R 2018, ‘Drinking male tears: Language, the mansphere, and networked harassment’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 18. no. 4, pp. 543-559. 

Roy T & Burnside, N 2019, ‘Online abuse, harassment, cyber trolling costing Australians $3.7 billion’, ABC News, 28 January, viewed 4 June 2020, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-28/online-abuse-harassment-costing-australians-3.7-billion/10754196 

[georgiemckinnon]

# 6 Gaming Communities, Social Gaming & Live Streaming

I wouldn’t describe myself as a ‘gamer’, however i have definitely played online games mostly on my phonebto entertain myself and kill time. The gaming industry has ‘blossomed into one of the most profitable entertainment industries in the world’ (Chikhani 2015). The gaming industry generated $120 billion USD in revenue during 2018, and it is estimated that by 2022, the gaming industry will produce $196 billion USD in revenue (Chikhani 2015). Social games are games that are played on social networking services such as Facebook. “During recent years, social games have become the biggest genre of games if measured by the number of registered users” (Paavilainen et al 2013, p.1). “Järvinen (2011) has proposed the following short definition of social games: ‘Online games that adapt your friendship ties for play purposes, while accommodating your daily routines’. This definition emphasises three distinct aspects: social games are played online, they take advantage of the players existing social network, ad they support the sporadic and spontaneous cultural use of social network services such as Facebook” (Paavilainen et al 2013, p.3).

“The emergence of new technologies and competitors within the marketplace has given rise to a variety of new platforms for streaming media content” (Edge 2013, p.33). With the increase in professional gamers and their fandom, streaming platforms like Twitch have “created a new interactive internet exclusive marketplace that does not require traditional broadcasting methods” (Edge 2013, p.33). Twitch, a live video streaming platform, has been at the forefront of this success with over 15 million daily active users. This platform allows “enthusiastic audiences [to] tune into tournaments, tutorials, competitive game play, and social online chat rooms with their favourite gamer personalities playing their favourite title. This two-way communication fosters a unique relationship between the streamer and its spectators” (Edge 2013, p.33). Online games can sometimes be criticised for being isolating and some believe it can lead to a decline in social skills. However, online games are indeed very social as they form as their own online community. This gaming platform is a great examples of a large online gaming community which fosters people from around the world who come together to join a common interest. 

References

Chikhani, R 2015, The History of Gaming: An Evolving Community, Tech Crunch, viewed 28 May 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/ 

Paavilainen, J, Hamari, J, Stenros, J & Kinnunen, J 2013, ‘Social Network Games: Players Perspectives’, Stimulation & Gaming, vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 794-820. 

Edge, N 2013, ‘Evolution of the Gaming Experience: Live video streaming and the emergence of a new web community’, The Elton Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 33-39. 

[georgiemckinnon]

# 5 Digital Communities: Political Engagement and Activism

Social media activism is when citizens utilise media and communication technology for social and political movements. Over recent years, digital communities have involved strong political engagement, and social networking sites have also emerged as a key venue for political debate and discussion. Social media allows activists, supporter and protesters to come together to spread the word with the use of hashtags to communicate to the world and create a movement. One of the largest modern-day protests and political engagements on social media is the #BlackLivesMatter campaign. This hashtag first occurred following the shooting of Trayvon Martin is 2016, who was an unarmed black teenagers who was wrongfully killed. 

According to the Pew Research Centre, from July 2013 through May 2018, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter has been used nearly 30 million times on twitter, that san average of 17,002 times per day. “Although the hashtag was slow to gain prominence, there have been periodic increases in its daily usage in response to real-world events - most notably news and discussions about fatal encounters between law enforcement and black Americas” (Anderson et al 2018). This year has seen a large increase in the hashtag being used with the protest and riots recently occurring in USA with the devastating death of George Floyd, a black American. 

A survey conducted by Pew Research Centre found that around half of Americans have engaged in some form of political or social-minded activity on social media in the past year (Anderson et al, 2018).  In the past year, 34% of Americans have taken part in a group on social media that shares an interest in an issue or cause, while 31% say they have encourage others to take action on an issue that is important to them (Anderson et al, 2018). Smaller shares have used these platforms recently to find information about rallies or protest happening in their area, change their profile picture to show their support for a cause, or use hashtags related to a political or social issue. Taken together, 53% of US adults have engaged in at least one of these activities on social media last year. (Anderson et al, 2018) 

Social media allows everyone to have a voice and results from the Pew Research Centre found that 64% of Americans feel that the statement “social media help give a voice to underrepresented groups” describes these sites very or somewhat well. (Anderson et al, 2018). However, contrary to this, 77% of Americans feel that social networking sites distract people from issues that are truly important. Results also found that 71% agreed that “social media makes people believe they’re making a difference when they really aren’t”. Social media activism has many different views, however, it is undeniable that in the last few days the #BlackLivesMatter movement has defiantly drawn people to focus on current unjustly issues in America, and all around the world. 

References

Stickes, L 2020, ‘Digital Communities, political engagement and activism week 9′, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 13 May, Viewed 28 May 2020. 

Anderson, M, Toor, S, Rainie, L & Smith, A 2018, Public Attitudes toward political engagement on social media, Pew Research Centre, viewed 28 May 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/public-attitudes-toward-political-engagement-on-social-media/ 

Anderson, M, Toor, S, Rainie, L & Smith, A 2018, Activism in the Social Media Age, Pew Research Centre, viewed 28 May 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/activism-in-the-social-media-age/

Anderson, M, Toor, S, Rainie, L & Smith, A 2018, An analysis of #BlackLivesMatter and other Twitter hashtags related to political or social issues, Pew Research Centre, viewed 28 May 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/an-analysis-of-blacklivesmatter-and-other-twitter-hashtags-related-to-political-or-social-issues/

[georgiemckinnon]

This video is a good representation of the challenges women are facing in society today. 

[georgiemckinnon]

# 4 Digital Health & Cosmetic Surgery on Visual Social Media

In a society that is dominated by technology and the use of social media, celebrities can hold a strong and powerful influence over their followers. These days celebrities are using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram as a business platform for self-promotion as well as product promotion. As a regular user of social media, in particular Instagram, I am constantly exposed to influencers posts promoting products that are more often than not, related to body modification and image. However, what are the implications of this on the young and impressionable woman seeing these images on social media?

@Kimkardashian

Kim Kardashian, a celebrity with over 174 million followers released her new Skims Business which is focused on shape enhancing undergarments. However, she herself has has so many cosmetic surgery’s and body modifications that it seems shocking that she would try to promote a new collection of undergarments claiming to enhance body features. I would consider this a form of unachievable standards that could easily lead to an increase desire for cosmetic surgery and body modification in young women that aspire to be ‘perfect’. Research has shown that the aesthetic templates these kinds of products endorse that are often intertwined with influencer brands, promote unhealthy body image ideals (Mavroudis 2020). 

With social media so prevalent by visually appealing images, microcelebrity culture is reliant on visibility tactics and aesthetic labour. With a strong focus on poses, accessories, props or superficial work on the boy’s surface rather than emotion work, aesthetic labour has been described as being an aspect of sexualised labour (Mavroudis 2020). “Academics argue that female influencers positioned themselves as objects alongside the products they promote. Research suggests that female influencers build a brand and maintain the attention of a public audience through the replication of ‘porn chic’ poses and gestures” (Mavroudis 2020). 

@Balibody

These aesthetic template can be a cause for concern as they are very unrealistic as with cosmetic surgery and photo editing, they can encourage unhealthy body images onto young and impressionable viewers. The role that these celebrities and social media influencers play on the health of younger audience can be very negative early research shows that Body Dysmorphic Disorder is linked to young people managing the tensions between their offline bodies and who they aspire to be on social media, which can lead to greater cosmetic seeking behaviours (Mavroudis 2020).

References

Mavroudis, J 2020, ‘Lecture 8 Public Health Campaigns and Social Media Influence’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning Materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 6 May, viewed 16 May 2020. 

[georgiemckinnon]

# 3 Instagram, Influencers and the Slow Fashion Movement

The fashion industry is currently dominated by fast-fashion, and this in turn has spurred overconsumption where consumers buy more than they need, which in the end results in fashion waste (Pookulangara et al. 2013). However, there is a growing movement of ‘ethical consumerism’ with consumers demanding that the goods they buy are made in ways that do not harm the environment or the workers who made them (Pookulangara et al. 2013). Ethical fashion, Eco fashion and sustainable fashion are all terms which have become familiar within the media as this new slow fashion movement has arisen. 

“In its most basic form, sustainable fashion, as part of the slow-fashion industry, is often described as the antipode to fast fashion, which is mass-produced, cheap, changes within a fortnight, and often associated with a ‘throw away’ attitude (Lai et al. 2017, p.82). “Slow fashion on the other hand, seeks to slow down the pace of the current fashion life cycle by producing a maximum of four fashion lines annually, focus on quality rather than quantity, and are not mass-produced” (Lai et al. 2017, p.82). Studies have indicated that consumers are often willing to pay more more ‘green’ products or ‘sweet-free’ goods (Pookulangara et al. 2013).

Younger generations have appeared to be a leading crowd of the slow fashion movement as online social media influencers have become instrumental in helping to raise awareness of sustainable fashion and recycling fashion. Kristen Leo, a social media influencer, publicly speaks up about the devastating implications from the fast fashion industry. She was ironically a poster child for Zara, a leading fast fashion brand, but she is now across all social media platforms, spreading the word and informing people about the secrets behind the unethical and unsustainable brand. 

@Kristen Leo 

Thrifting has recently become very popular among the younger generations with social media influencers such as Emma Chamberlain (9 million YouTube follower), expressing her passion for thrifting and the hidden treasures she finds in the second-hand stores. Emma’s ‘Come thrift with me’ and thrifting haul videos which are targeted to younger viewers have millions of views which is raising awareness and making thrifting trendier and more popular. Thrifting is not only a very sustainable way to shop bit is also much more affordable than regular shopping which is just another positive. 

@Emma Chamberlain

Along with the increase trend in ‘op shopping’, new business and organisations have appeared to encourage more sustainable fashion and make it easier and more accessible for everyone. Big Sister Swap is just one example of a new innovative business which encourages people to ‘swap don’t shop’ which is similar to thrifting, however it’s based online with their website and instagram page. 

Although fast fashion stores such as H&M and Zara aren’t likely to disappear in the near future, fast fashion retailers need to be more pressured and face negative publicity to encourage adjustments to the fast fashion model in order for more sustain and ethical items. 

References

Lai, Z, Henninger, CE & Alevizou, PJ 2017, ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion - A Qualitative Study in the UK’, in Henning CE, Alevizou, P, Goworek, H & Ryding D (eds), Sustainability in Fashion, Palgrave Macmilian, Cham, pp. 81-101. 

Milne, E 2020, ‘Week 7: Digital citizenship case study: Instagram, influencers and the slow fashion movement’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning Materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 29 April, viewed 14 May 2020. 

Pookulangara, S & Shephard, A 2013, ‘Slow fashion movement: Understanding consumer perceptions - An exploratory study’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 200-206. 

[georgiemckinnon]

# 2 Digital Citizenship

A digital citizen refers to a person who develops the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital technologies in a positive way to participate in society, communicate with others, and create consumer digital content (officer of the eSafety Commissioner 2018). Mossberger (2007) describes digital citizens as “those who use the internet regularly and effectively”. To be considered a good digital citizen, the person should engage in appropriate and responsible behaviour when using technology. Digital citizenship is often equated with the participation in the political process as the ability for citizens to vote and have their day is a defining feature of democracy. 

Politics has found its way on to social media in the last 10 years, and has since become an effective way for citizens to connect and discuss important political topics. Social media has become an important forum for political campaigning as it offers an effective channel for voter activation, discussion with constituents and sharing of information and political views (Nilimarkka et al 2020). “The advance in technology has created more opportunity for citizens to participate, as they learn more about each candidate and have easier access to the candidates themselves” (Vonderschmitt 2020, p.3). “With millions joining the conversation from all over the country, social media sites are an effective way for politicians to reach their constituents” (Vonderschmitt 2020, p.2). A major benefit of social media is that it also allows politicians to bypass mainstream media and control the message that is going to their communities. “Through interaction-based functions, social media seems to increase campaigning’s efficiency, an effect that can be directly reflected in election results” (Nilimarkka et al 2020, p.1)

Hashtags have become an effective way to discuss politics online as it allows digital citizens to debate and make people more aware of the social and political issues. In Australia, one of the most popular political hashtags trending is #auspol, which stands for Australian Politics. It is useful as it is a generic hashtag which can be used for all Australian politics rather than just one issue or person. A report that was pulled by twitter shows that “between February 21[2016] and March 21, there were 760,000 total tweet using the hashtag” (Bogle, 2016). This information defiantly shows use how politics has changed with the advancements in technologies and social media, and i think that politics is going to increasing rely on social media, especially for targeting the future younger generations. 

References

Nelimarkka, M, Laaksonen, SM, Tuokko, M & Valkonen, T 2020, ‘Platformed Interactions: how social media platforms relate to candidate-constituents interaction during finnish 2015 election campaigning’, Social Media + Society, vol. 1, no. 17, pp.1-17. 

Officer of the eSafety Commissioner 2018, Digital Citizenship, NSW Department of Education, viewed 11 May 2020, https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/about. 

Mossberger, K, Tolbert, CJ and McNeal, RS 2017, Digital citizenship: The internet, society and participation, MIT Press. 

Bogle, A 2016, #auspol: The Twitter Hashtag Australia can’t live without, Mashable, viewed 11 May 2020, https://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#4tvfXtsZUEqV

Vonderschmitt, K 2012, The growing use of social media in political campaigns: how to use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to create an effective social media campaign, Honours Thesis, Wester Kentucky University. 

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[georgiemckinnon]

# 1 How does Tumblr function as a digital community?

In a global society dominated by modern technology, digital communities are continuing to grow rapidly. Tumblr serves as a digital platform that allows users to express their creativity and interests, and with over 472 million accounts (Petrov 2019), Tumblr is still relevant in today’s modern world. Tumblr can be described as a cross between a social networking site and a micro-blog. The combination of content such as text, audio, videos, GIFs and images lets users share ideas and allows them to connect with like-minded people who share similar interests, therefore creating a digital community. 

Tumblr has noticeable differences from other social media sites which foster digital communities such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Tumblr has a heavy emphasis on visual media which is similar to Instagram, however the platform is more versatile as it allows users to fully customise their blogs with different themes, colours and images. Tumblr is quite a different digital community from Facebook, as it is “centred more around users who share common interests, as opposed to just friends and family” (Tarbaj 2013). Research has found that “users may be hesitant to be honest about their political leanings for fear of online harassment and the potential effect it has on their employment or relationships with family and friends” (Kruse et al 2018, p.65). Tumblr avoids these fears and creates a more ‘sense of community’ as it’s a mostly anonymous digital community because the majority of users follow people with similar interests rather than friends and family.

Tumblr can be considered a public sphere which is a place where people can come together and discuss things that matter to them and can have an influence over decisions. However, it could also be argued that many online sites and social media that requires internet isn’t necessarily publicly available as many people have very limited access to internet or modern technology. “While social media sites are free to join, a device and/or an internet subscription are cost prohibitive for some” (Kruse et al 2018, p. 64). Although anyone is able to participate and create a Tumblr account, to match the criteria of a public sphere, anyone should be able to participate which isn’t true to those without internet access. 

Current events have seen a large influx of the public using social media sites recently, as many people have had more time on their hands due to the Covid-19. Restrictions from these events have shown just how important digital communities are for interacting, socialising and supporting people during the crisis. Tumblr and digital communities have now become more important than ever!

References:

Kruse, LM, Norris, DR & Flinchum JR 2018, ‘Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media’, The Sociological Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 62-84.

Tarbaj, C 2013, Tumblr for Business: What is Tumblr?, Social Media Today, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/tumblr-business-what-tumblr>. 

Petrov, C 2019, Tumblr Statistics 2020, Tech Jury, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://techjury.net/stats-about/tumblr/#gref>. 

Stout, D 2020, Social Media Statistics 2020: Top Networks by the Numbers, Dustin Stout, viewed 26 April 2020, <https://dustinstout.com/social-media-statistics/#tumblr-stats>.