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Blog Post #8

How has Black Twitter become a place to challenge bias? Unlike many places on the internet, Black Twitter has become a place where people can come together and lift each other up. It has become an outlet to express one’s thoughts and advocate for themselves. This is due to the fact that many outlets are the exact opposite and they represent them incorrectly which hurts them. There are a lot of biases but Black Twitter began to create hashtags that started to spread awareness and they quickly reached mainstream media which caused them to rethink a lot of their biases.

What are the impacts of cyber activism? The cyberactivism that we see in this is against the World Bank which shows how much impact protesting and activism online can really have. There are so many ways to raise awareness and attention while fighting for something online and that is why it goes a long way. Such as disruptive forms like email bombing or denial of service, this creates a huge impact and helps in the long run. You can see how you can leverage your use of technology against these big companies so they can finally take accountability.

How did communication technologies shape the organization of the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement? Digital technologies helped with collective action and encouraged people to take on non traditional roles. These networks helped empower people to become nodes in a larger movement without leadership. They were now able to access things like Facebook and Twitter meaning that they were able to share in real time information about the protest. However sometimes online can lack some organization which can make it harder to be successful. With that said the internet can be a good way to start a movement but with a mix of other elements.

How did the #NoDAPL movement uses intersection to challenge settler colonialism? The movement was able to successfully do a protest both online and in person. It was created to challenge colonial settlers. It was against the Dakota Access Pipeline because they were taking their land and they were fighting for environmental protection. They were able to be so successful because they pushed hard to spread their protest online through hashtags and posts. They were able to shift the attention to indigenous voices and they were finally being heard. They were able to break the stereotypes of Natives not being so tech savvy or in the know about politics and they were able to reclaim power.

Lee, Latoya A. “Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 5 Mar. 2017, www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/6/1/26.

Person, et al. “Classifying Forms of Online Activism: 5 : The Case of Cyberprotests a.” Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis, 21 Aug. 2013, www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203954317-5/classifying-forms-online-activism-sandor-vegh.

“Nicholet Deschine Parkhurst.” Nicholet Deschine Parkhurst | ASU Search, search.asu.edu/profile/227380. Accessed 12 May 2025.

(PDF) Networked Communication and the Arab Spring: Linking Broadcast and Social Media, www.researchgate.net/publication/263816143_Networked_Communication_and_the_Arab_Spring_Linking_Broadcast_and_Social_Media. Accessed 12 May 2025.

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Blog Post #7

What is the relationship between mainstream media and trolling? Phillips argues that trolling has always been around and the mainstream media is how we learned how to do so. Trolling is trying to create an emotional reaction out of a person by creating offensive content or comments. It can be seen oftentimes as a “joke” but a lot of the time it is stemmed from issues that are already existing such as misogyny and racism. A lot of the time trolling is already embedded in mainstream media to make people mad and gain attention. These people are not separate from society but they are the products that come from these environments.

What is revealed about the intersection of race, gender, and celebrities in online worlds? What is revealed about Leslie Jones abuse is that black women are more vulnerable to hate online. She had been targeted after appearing in GhostBusters, many called her slurs and many offensive things. She was receiving a lot of attacks and threats, her information was even leaked. This goes to show that even someone as her who has such a high status is not safe from being attacked online. These acts have the deeper meaning behind it which is racism and misogyny. There was also very little action taken and this goes to show that these acts are not taken seriously.

How is cyber harassment seen as a civil right? Citron reframes online harassment as a civil rights issue and not as a singular act of online harassment. This is due to the fact that these issues are mainly targeting marginalized groups. These attacks can have a very big impact such as job security, privacy invasion, and safety overall, but these issues are overlooked and they are not handled in a criminal manner. The approach that Citron takes by calling it a civil right issue shifts it from being an issue of freedom of speech to an issue of being protected by the law. She urges that tech companies and the government understand the bigger issue that is at hand because it seems as though things are repeating.

Why is ignoring trolls not always the best option? Bergstrom argues that although the main advice that is given when encountering hate or trolling is to ignore it, it might not be the best option as this trolling can be very calculated and it may not need to be fueled in order to continue. A lot of time trolling is rooted from racism which can lead to harassment. Ignoring the hate can sometimes mean that you are allowing it to happen. It might be best to answer in a nuanced way maybe by reporting it and addressing it clearly.

Sutoris, Peter, et al. “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture, by Whitney Phillips.” Times Higher Education (THE), 27 May 2015, www.timeshighereducation.com/books/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things-mapping-the-relationship-between-online-trolling-and-mainstream-culture-by-whitney-phillips/2019982.article.

“Carl T. Bergstrom, Publications.” Carl T. Bergstrom - Essays and Letters, ctbergstrom.com/letters.html. Accessed 12 May 2025.

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Blog Post #6

How does Haraway’s concept of cyborg challenge traditional boundaries? The cyborg is a mix between human and machine. In this situation it would be a figure that resists categorization that challenges traditional ideas. Haraway explains that this is because these traditional roles are a way to maintain power in certain places and people. This can relate back to technology in relation to race and gender. Haraway explains that humans and technologies are no longer considered two but we can see it as we already have technology within us. This can be seen as a problem for marginalized groups as they may not have the same access.

How are gender and white supremacy interconnected on the internet? Daniels argues that gender and race are interconnected on the internet, they can be seen as equal and not separate. Traditional roles and misogyny is often portrayed online such as women being given the role of mothers while also pushing white purity agendas. Women of color especially are targeted when it comes to doxxing, threats, and hate which is where the intersectionality is shown. This makes online environments very unwelcoming and inaccessible for people of color but especially women of color as it is such a hostile place to be in.The internet is never neutral and it has always reflected upon racial problems that go on in person. This is allowed because the discussion of freedom of speech comes into play so there are no regulations when it comes to these issues.

How can the internet be a place that reinforces gender norms? The internet and cyber world helps emphasize gender norms and stereotypes. This is seen heavily in video games and online art of men and women. Characters are sexualized, especially women, as they are a female character in a war game but they have the tiniest figure and the most form fitting and very small clothing which would not be helpful at all during a war. Same with the men being very big and muscular and being superior to the women. As well as the little remarks or sayings that the characters have reflect very sexualized manners. This can stop viewers from having a real depiction of what roles men and women serve and they should look. This is helping the narrative continue.

How can the internet be a place that challenges gender norms? Although the internet can be a place where traditional gender roles can be portrayed, the internet can also be a place where these roles are challenged. These platforms are representative of capitalist and patriarchal structures that gain from exploiting women but there are places where you can create art or your avatar as your own. You can experiment with the visual aspects and challenge these expectations. This would just depend on what platform you choose and what you decide to do with it.

A Cyborg Manifesto, warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/undergraduates/modules/fictionnownarrativemediaandtheoryinthe21stcentury/manifestly_haraway_----_a_cyborg_manifesto_science_technology_and_socialist-feminism_in_the_....pdf. Accessed 12 May 2025.

“Cyber Racism: White Supremacy Online and the New Attack on Civil Rights.” Rowman & Littlefield, rowman.com/ISBN/9780742561588/Cyber-Racism-White-Supremacy-Online-and-the-New-Attack-on-Civil-Rights. Accessed 12 May 2025.

(PDF) Gender, Technology, and Visual Cyberculture: Virtually Women, www.researchgate.net/publication/292492340_Gender_technology_and_visual_cyberculture_Virtually_women. Accessed 12 May 2025

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Blog Post #5

How does social media reinforce racism? Senft and Noble explain that social media can be seen as a good thing for marginalized groups because it’s a way for them to connect and to have a platform. #BlackLivesMatter was a big movement that was able to be spread around and raise awareness because of social media which brought attention to police brutality and social injustice. On the other hand these platforms also can promote inequality since they tend to push popularity on certain posts which can drown out these movements. Social media is also a way for people to be racist online and the data collected from these places can be used against these marginalized groups.

How does the New Jim Code reveal racism throughout the online world? The New Jim Code is a subtle way for racism to appear within technology. This can be through algorithms, Benjamin discusses the way that policing online is more attracted to marginalized communities and people of color this is because of the past years of racial bias. These systems are reflecting bias and it has become normalized especially if we don’t show attention to it.

How does the internet let white supremacy grow? The internet and social media allows for these white supremesist groups to continue to share their beliefs to everyone. Jesse Daniela discusses how they tend to take advantage of free speech so that they can spread hate and racism. They tend to use humor and “light hearted” content but Daniel argues that they use platforms such as YouTube that you can gain from the views. There is no monitoring them and there are no punishments although they are promoting hate. It is hard to regulate though because it might not be illegal or violating anything so it’s difficult to cut someone off due to free speech.

How does social media shape the way race is being viewed? Senft and Noble say that social media is a huge way that shapes the way race is being represented and viewed. This is because these companies and platforms make money based on the views that they get, so they profit off of jokes made against marginalized groups. This is justifying being racist and creating jokes. There is an upside though because social media can be used as a way to advocate for themselves.

Daniels, Jessie. “Combating Global White Supremacy in the Digital Era.” CUNY Academic Works, academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_pubs/197/. Accessed 12 May 2025.

Benjamin, Ruha. “Race after technology.” Social Theory Re-Wired, 28 Apr. 2023, pp. 405–415, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003320609-52.

Race and Social Media — Macquarie University, researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/race-and-social-media. Accessed 12 May 2025.

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Blog #2

In light of recent events due to Trump’s promise to mass detain and deport immigrants in the United States, how does this challenge the US values of equality and justice? Since America’s founding there has always been a fight for everyone’s rights to speech and equality, things have been moving forward not entirely but there has been progress but recently the President in office Donald Trump has shown a step in another direction. He has made statements and promises about mass deportation which directly challenges the ideas and core values that the US has instilled. Equality and justice are continuously brought up when it comes to the American dream, accepting people without prior judgment about their background. A mass deportation would lead to a lot of destruction and repercussions since there is no real strategy. Profiling would be a major way of detecting people to deport but this could lead to deporting the wrong people and this could destroy the lives of many. This isn’t reflecting values of equality and justice, it is the opposite, leaving families without the chance to live a better life.

How did the media coverage on the “Day Without Immigrants” protest impact the viewer's perspective on immigrants and their messages? “Day Without Immigrants” was a protest created to show how much immigrants had an impact on the United States. All immigrants and any allies were encouraged to stay home for a whole day. This meant nobody would attend to their jobs, school, and no purchasing of any kind. This was to prove that the immigrants here were running the US smoothly and they were needed just as much as born citizens. The protest led to other protests the same day with groups of people trying to make their voices heard. Large parts of LA freeways were being blocked causing some chaos and traffic which led to lots of news coverage. That was the point of the protest so that they could gain attention and spread awareness as to what was going on

What is the urgency to fix automated technology? Automating Inequality shows how automated systems are not as useful nor as flawless as they should be. For example there was a story of how a homeless lady was not able to get public assistance because of their automated system which was flawed. The system denied her because she had had problems in the past before and instead of being properly analyzed the system ignores her. There is a bias that is built in within these systems that pushes away people who are in need.

How is it argued that technology can reinforce racial hierarchies? Nicole Brown explains in her video that technology is not neutral because they show the biases that are within the people who create these systems. For example she talks about how Face recognition can be a lot more likely to fail on someone who has darker skin tone which shows the lack of thought and inclusivity for all users because only lighter tone would benefit from this. This means that recognition would be distorted which leads to a lot more people of color to be falsely accused of crimes. Designers are to blame since they have control to work on these problems.

Eubanks, Virginia. Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor. Picador, St. Martin’s Press, 2019.

Brown, Nicole. “Race and Technology.” YouTube, youtu.be/d8uiAjigKy8?si=Od1EnfKf0TBydPLG. Accessed 12 May 2025.

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Blog post #4

How does race and identity in cyberspace challenge the concepts of race in the physical world and how does this affect how inclusive the cyberspace is? Race and identity is presented as two different concepts between the physical and the online world. Race can be perceived and presented differently in the real world since there are visible markers to distinguish one’s race such as skin color, accent, features etc., whereas in the online world there are very few ways to identify someone’s race. These markers are socially constructed and they alter the way discrimination and privilege comes into play with people. The online world allows for those markers to be “invisible” because you can choose your new persona, creating a new name and avatar so that nobody knows who you truly are. This allows for people to feel free of those markers as they remain anonymous and they are free to speak their truth as they may not be able to do so necessarily because of stereotypes and prejudice. Although this is true for the most part, certain names and ways of speaking can still be a marker that can be translated through the online world so it might not be as anonymous as it may seem. Another thing that needs to be remembered is that certain groups who are marginalized in person by these markers may also have disadvantages through the online world as they might not have the same resources to access the internet or there is a lot of misinformation about these groups.

In what ways do the Asian portrayals reflect societal stereotypes and how do these representations affect the way society understands race and technology? Asian characters are typically represented as cyborgs or some sort of technological advancement which reflects the way society views Asians with lots of stereotypes. These two, cyborgs and race, can intersect as cyborgs are part human and part mechanics which means they’re neither this nor that which is how race, Asians in this case, can be viewed. There is a sense of otherness that is present with technological advancements that leave many with fears since there is that disconnect from humans. This is tied into the Asian stereotypes since this fear comes mainly from Western groups which are very different from Asian groups. This thinking dehumanizes and makes these groups feel a sense of being the “other”. Films such as The Terminator portrays Asians as disconnected to emotion and ingenuine. Which is capitalizing off of Western groups’ fears and growing them.

How do online platforms empower white supremacy and are these platforms responsible for negativity without stopping the freedom of speech? White supremacy can be empowered through the internet since it is an easy and accessible platform to reach many people across the world to gain new followers and continue to share ideologies. These hate speeches, ideologies, extremist views can be spread quickly with the help of the algorithms. With the more shares, likes, and views it receives it is seen as more important therefore pushed to be more seen. The counterside may not reach as much engagement which hinders their views to be as seen. The fact that the online world can keep you anonymous helps since people are not necessarily forced to take accountability for the things they put out as they can create new identities. Although many things that are being put out are harmful and these people putting it out should take responsibility for it, there is a dilemma with the interference of the people in charge of the platforms. They are made to allow for everyone to voice their opinions not necessarily to put out the correct facts which is why extremists are protected. This gives them the power to continue to put out these false and altered narratives without repercussions.

How do different forms of racism impact both the real and the online worlds and are tech companies responsible for it? The different forms of racism talked about are harassment and hate speech which consists of slurs and threats, disinformation and stereotypes which is misleading information and stereotypes being spread through the internet, exclusion and marginalization is excluding marginalized groups from having access to credible information, microaggression which is an unintentional and subtle form of being racist and offensive, and the last one which is digital surveillance and targeting which includes minority groups being overly tracked and certain ads show up based on stereotypes. There is always a discussion about tech companies holding people responsible about what they put out but also it is difficult when it might hinder someone’s freedom of speech. Dr. Nakamura suggests that tech companies should find the balance between the two as there can be an improvement on software and algorithms so that there isn’t a bias and a negative impact on marginalized groups.

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Blog Post #3

How does technological redlining impact marginalized groups regarding access to accurate and reliable information online? Technological redlining is defined as “Algorithms in the age of neoliberalism and the ways those digital decisions reinforce oppressive social relationships and enact new modes of racial profiling.” Redlining typically refers to certain groups of people being turned down and discriminated against when it comes to housing, but technological redlining refers to the same groups of people being discriminated against online. This excludes them from gaining access to accurate and objective information leading to misinformation and unreliable information due to the biased algorithms. “While Googling things on the Internet that might be interesting to t my stepdaughter and nieces, I was overtaken by the results. My search on the keywords “black girls” yielded HotBlackPussy.com as the first hit.” Google is one of if not the most used search engines and while searching about a certain marginalized group of people the results came to show that the information being put out as most relevant, useful, and first is perpetuating these hurtful stereotypes on certain groups of people. So technological redlining is not only disconnecting people from accurate information but it is also pushing out these stereotypical views on groups of people.

How does the New Jim Code continue with racial inequalities through biased algorithms? The New Jim Code is defined as “The employment of new technologies that reflect and reproduce existing inequities but that are promoted and perceived as more objective or progressive than the discriminatory systems of a previous era.” There are inequalities that are still here today but they are being presented in new ways meaning that it may seem like things are progressing and getting better but they are showing up differently in the present day and that is through technology. Jim Code is a take on modern Jim Crow Laws where segregation was institutionalized, Jim Code is present through bias integrated in softwares and algorithms. For example, darker skin have a higher error rate when dealing with facial recognition softwares. “For instance, in a recent audit of California’s gang database, not only do Blacks and Latinxs constitute 87 percent of those listed, but many of the names turned out to be babies under the age of 1, some of whom were supposedly “self-described gang members”.” Here there’s an error in this system since you can’t obviously join a gang at a couple months of age but it is these fixed algorithms that target certain groups and continue to fit them into these stereotypes.

How is the new digital divide continuing to impact communities? Digital Divide once was whether you had access to a computer or not, but now the divide is much more referring to the barrier marginalized groups, mainly black communities, face limiting digital resources and this hinders their full access to the digital world. It is much more than physical access to the internet but now it is about the ability to use it correctly. Digital literacy and using information to your advantage, correctly, and to educate yourself is now a barrier that is dividing people. High speed internet and the devices that allow for that kind of technology isn’t accessible for everyone and in this case Everett talks about how a lot of black people lack those resources which puts them at a disadvantage. People aren’t able to access websites for job searching, education, and other tools necessary in this day and age.

How does intersectionality challenge fixed frames created by society? Fixed frames are the categories and ways that we as a society view oppression and identities. Intersectionality challenges those fixed frames since social problems are viewed incorrectly sometimes as they can be oversimplified and narrowed so it is incomplete. For example, race and gender can often go hand in hand, the example give by Dr. Crenshaw was that many recognize the names black men who were impacted by police brutality but black women who experienced the same are overlooked. These issues are often treated as two separate things even though they intersect. Fixed frameworks show how rigid society's thinking is. Social justice topics are more complex and intersectionality allows for more inclusive and accurate views.

Everett, Anna. The Revolution Will Be Digitized: Afrocentricity and the Digital Public Sphere. Universiteit Utrecht, Faculteit Der Letteren, 2001.

Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Kimberlé Crenshaw: What Is Intersectionality?” YouTube, 22 June 2018, youtu.be/ViDtnfQ9FHc?si=WVePLu-iTneM2sc_.

Noble. Algorithms of Oppression. New York University Press, 2018.

Benjamin, Ruha. Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. Polity, 2020.

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About one month ago I was hanging out with one of my friends. I don’t see this friend often because she goes to school two hours away and our schedules almost never align. Essentially the time we get to hang out is precious and valuable since it’s limited. We decided to go eat and during our dinner my friend got a call from her mom. She picks up the phone and she’s calling for her mom but her mom doesn’t seem to respond so she decides it was a mistake and if it wasn’t she can call back. About 20 minutes go by and she receives another phone call from her mom and she answers it but her mom was still not actually on the phone speaking to her so she’s very confused but she ultimately decides it was an accident again. Not even 10 minutes go by and she receives another phone call, this time she’s visibly upset and she answers in a pretty annoyed tone. Her mom again isn’t on the line so she hangs up and she apologizes because she thinks it’s interrupting our time to talk and hang out. I let her know it was no problem and we continued on but her mom called once more and she just let it ring. She didn’t pick up her phone again until we left the restaurant and she noticed she received a voicemail. She checked and it was none other than her mom. It was a 10 minute voicemail of her mom talking to others and a whole lot of nothing. Although my friend had been annoyed we laughed at how many times she had been butt-dialed and how a 10 minute voicemail can be recorded. We wondered how that happened so many times especially since we had never done anything of the sort. We don’t blame her though she’s not the best with technology and phones easily turn on.

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