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8. The Great Firewall... which isn’t very great!

In my short life I have heard about this mysterious great firewall of China, I have heard that it blocks social media platforms such as Facebook and that it blocks inappropriate sexual content that surrounds the internet. Until now I did not understand how powerful of a force the great firewall is, considering it blocks much more than once thought. The Great Firewall of China is the combination of legislative actions and technologies enforced by the People's Republic of China to regulate the internet domestically. Its role is to block access to selected foreign websites and to slow down cross border internet traffic. This sounds a bit technical but it’s basically a higher power who decide what can be viewed and what can’t. Along with the content I noted above, the great firewall also blocks Google search, foreign mobile apps and even Wikipedia. This seems crazy, because without Wikipedia I am not sure how any of China’s university students would be able to complete assignments…

As a westerner I find it hard to believe that China would want to block their nations people from all the online spoils that we have access to. However, it is popularly agreed upon by people who live in China or have lived in China, that the great firewall was built for this main reason. In China there is a large gap between the rich and the poor, usually in correlation, the rich are well educated while the poor may not be. It is believed that the great firewall of China is in place to censor negative comments made against China mainly surrounding education and politics that they don’t want their citizens to know. On some websites like Facebook or Twitter, there are a lot negative news about China, some of which are real, others may be fake. The government is trying to protect themselves from their own people, by keeping them in the dark about sensitive topics. In doing so they have placed a big protective bubble over their citizens, in the 21st century where free will is of upmost importance, it seems cruel and unjust to censor the public. #ClassicCommunism

Fortunately for a lot of the public in China they are still able to connect with one another and create digital communities themselves. They do this with certain apps that are approved by the government, which are basically twins to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, they only display content their government allows them to see. So, in contrast it’s not all doom and gloom as you may expect… (**people screaming). The apps used in China to replicate some of the big western counterparts are, Youku, Weibo and WeChat. These twin apps are somewhat popular here in Australia. WeChat being used by over 2.5 million Australians. Even with the steady popularity of WeChat, I personally believe the people of China are not getting the full experience, which is a bit of a depressing thought. Social media platforms were created for people to connect, to share and illuminate others around you, with your own interests and opinions. Unfortunately, the great firewall of China is a great pain in China’s citizens asses, and this fault should be rectified. The people should be free to make their own choices on which cat videos they can search on the internet, rant over!

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6. Public Health & Sport

Public health campaigns are a common occurrence in our day to day lives. The publicity for campaigns is strong and you can find information on campaigns everywhere. A health campaign is a type of media campaign which attempts to promote public health by making new health interventions available. The internet, television and radio being the spearheads for public campaign promotion. We all know examples of campaigns, we have grown up with the slip slop slap venture, to reduce our risks of skin cancer. Other well-known campaigns regarding public health are Movember, Freeze MND and the Pink ribbon foundation for breast cancer. Generally, these bigger campaigns are plugged by our national sport, but I will get into that below…

One of the popular campaigns that people like to participate in, is the Movember Foundation. This organisation is committed to saving men's lives by assisting them in any way they can. Issues that they try to focus on are men who suffer from testicular cancer, mental health problems, thoughts of suicide and prostate cancer. Using their well-established social media campaign #Movember annually, they propose a yearly challenge to all those partaking, to grow out the moustache, ditch the razors to raise awareness and funds.

Another great campaign that has gained traction over the past few years in the media is the Freeze MND foundation. They are raising funds to help find a cure for ALS which is Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). They were founded in 2014, but what you would know them best for is the freeze MND day they host at the MCG annually. Previous years have seen names such as Lleyton Hewitt, Eddie McGuire and Adam Gilchrist. The Fight MND foundation has also used social media to it’s advantage by spreading the ice bucket challenge. Overwhelming Facebook feeds, thousands of Australia’s took part in the ice bucket challenge raising awareness and funds for fight MND. This captivating campaign has raised millions of dollars for the foundation and has been a promotion that the whole footballing world as well as outside media have decided to support.

Link to Freeze MND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UiwN47E5e8

This link highlights the amazing initiative that is freeze MND.

It seems that public health and mental health in particular has been given a lot of attention by the media of late and rightfully so. What I haven’t been able to decide is why now? Why is there such an emphasis on mental health now instead of 10 years ago and beyond? I personally believe it is the initiative of sporting organisations across the country. The AFL is arguable Australia’s most popular sport and the AFL have been the leader in mental health awareness which has caused other organisations, the media and most importantly the public, to get involved and make a change. The AFL have gotten right behind the public health campaigns, freeze MND, Movember and the pink ribbon, in supporting them and giving them a national platform to do good. Sport and media obviously go hand in hand, and it seems that health campaigns are following suite to gain exposure. I believe the AFL deserve a round of applause (**deafening claps are heard).

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7. A Gamers World

Gaming has become a focal point for my generation. For people under the age of 16, they have grown up in the golden age of social gaming. They haven’t had to struggle through the bad graphics and clunky gameplay that older users were plagued by when booting up the Nintendo 64 and early Playstation/Xbox models. The same thing was probably said by our parents who grew up with arcade games, thank god we didn’t grow up in that time!.... Gaming has become one of the most progressive technologies/businesses over the past 10 years. Two player multiplayer has transformed into online co-op games where you can communicate with team mates and opponents over your wireless headset. You can now play a game and have a fully functioning relationship with the people you are killing on Call of Duty. Social gaming has formed into vast communities of individuals who share the same interests.

These digital gaming communities have expanded into leagues and tournaments we now know as Esports. Average people like you and me can now use their gaming skills and turn it into revenue. On average Esports players can make up to $5000 per month. Some would say that the pay is quite a handy pay check for completing the simple task of pressing buttons at a high rate. Although there is much more that goes into being a professional gamer and for individuals who play the popular computer game League of Legends, they can be making over 15 thousand dollars per month if playing at the highest standard. These individuals would argue that years of training have gone into them being able to play the game professionally. As League of Legends is a team game, players have to memorise every character’s abilities while strategising with their own teammates to expose their opponents weaknesses.

Esports have become a global phenomenon and with the rise of Youtube, gamers can now promote their brand and product to people online 24/7 all over the world. This accessibility of being able to jump on Youtube and watch your favourite gamer live stream their Fortnite games is what gives this ever expanding community a widespread connectedness to average people sitting at home behind their social media devices.

While the rise of online gaming has it’s incredible up’s it also has it’s downs. These down’s come in the form of online abuse. 17% of gamers have experienced bullying or abuse while playing a network game with others. This is the result of the accessibility someone has when using the internet. Although people can not see you or even know who you are, you can talk to one another using game chat or the headsets I touched on above. This abuse is a form of online bullying which unfortunately comes with the game and the only person who can stop it is.. YOU! Removing yourself from the abusing lobby or simply shutting down your gaming console can stop these threats and abusive remarks. Here is an example of abuse that is received daily by social gamer’s across the globe:

BEWARE bad language- watch 0:30 to 2:00 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWKLc86BZSE

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5. The IN’s & OUT’s of Crowdsourcing

A term which I have only recently discovered is crowdsourcing. It is ever present and is a big part of the society we live in today. I didn’t know what crowdsourcing is and how much good it can bring until I wrote this piece. Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of many people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the internet. Crowdsourcing is used to help people who are in need, it is also used as a technique for businesses to become more relatable to the public. Some great ideas that sparked from crowdsourcing range from, AirBnB, Uber as well as great initiatives by a huge company you all know… Samsung. I just wanted to briefly touch on how Samsung has used crowdsourcing to their advantage. There is a good reason that Samsung IS the greatest smart phone on our planet earth, and that is because they ask their consumers to have their own say on Samsung products. An example of this is, in 2013 Samsung partnered with product development platform Marbler, to crowd source ideas on how they could utilise newly discovered patents from NASA. They offered users the chance to help create the companies next product and earn a share of revenue along the way.

The other component to crowdsourcing, is the way it helps people monetarily. Natural disasters, people with diseases and families who have experienced trauma can be the beneficiary of crowdsourcing. Driven by people on social media, and a lot of the time driven by people with influence. Others who are in need can then receive aid, by the help of others who are willing to give to a cause. The recent disaster that was Notre Dame cathedral catching on fire, through crowdsourcing, the public raised over $2 billion to be used on repairs. (On a side note, that money could’ve been used on something a bit more productive, but that is another story). Other examples such as countless go fund me pages for people with disease or injury to lighten their burden. Natural disasters like cyclones, earthquakes and fires have all been combated by crowdsourcing to help the individuals who are affected.

A disaster that was quite close to home for myself and my family was the Black Saturday fires which occurred back in 2009. I was living in Garfield at the time, not far from the Bunyip State forest which was ablaze. Thankfully we were not directly affected by the fires, but lots of our friends and people we knew lost their homes. That was probably the first time I had personally be introduced to crowdsourcing as our family donated money to help the people of our community just as they would have done for us. Only a small contribution to which resulted in a huge donation for people affected, which came from people across the country. The estimated figure that was donated to Black Saturday victims was over $687 million. This was all made possible by crowdsourcing, and even though it does have it’s loopholes and slight negatives, crowdsourcing is a incredible positive that has been born from social media.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9MbMsNZgF0 

This highlights the devastation that was Black Saturday. An incredibly captivating video.

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4. Trolls are ugly creatures!

Trolls, once mythical creatures, now a burden of social media. The essence of trolling is being a bully behind a computer screen. Online trolls are like the playground bullies you would have encountered at school. These people deliberately provoke arguments and fights on social media and forums, often by saying the most grossly insensitive and offensive things. Online trolling is now a usual sight on all social media platforms. Individuals are ready and willing to tear someone down simply because of jealousy, hate and for some, as a form of joy.

Online trolling is incredibly predominant surrounding the world of sports. Wherever sports are discussed online, trolls are sure to be close behind. The recent controversy surrounding AFLW star Taylah Harris is the perfect enlightenment on trolling. For a bit of background though… a picture of Taylah Harris was posted on social media of her performing a very athletic kick. She was then ridiculed and objectified by a countless number of people (TROLLS!) on the social media platforms. The image was not long after deleted, because of the harsh comments made by the online trolls. This here is the controversial photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BvL06n9gSSX/ 

Comments made to Harris were repulsive and sexually abusive. Harris decided to hit back at trolls by going public in a interview posted by the ABC - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-20/tayla-harris-felt-sexually-abused-aflw-photo-trolls-seven/10919008

This is just a small sample size of what online trolling has become. Most people have been affected, or at the least exposed to it, and it is the biggest negative to come out of social media. Considering trolling has become so big that it now has its own online community/identity, it is something that we must stamp out. According to a study done by researches of Oxford University has concluded that cyberbullying/trolling has raised the rate of self-harm and suicidal behaviour in teenagers. The NSW government has tried to combat this by introducing a new law; online trolls and cyberbullies if found guilty of offending can now face up to 5 years jail time.

Trolling has become a modern plague on our digitalised lives, with not a lot of change in sight.

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Public health presentation link:

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3. Activism... The reality

Activism… It is a term that usually resonates positively with young people, yet is considered a nuisance, when discussed by older people. It is a term that our older generations once held dearly, because of the issues that they were fronted with as young people, however they seem to have forgotten the positivity behind activism since the issues being protested no longer concern them. I have seen this first hand by the actions of my Grandmother, she states that our generation “DOES NOT CARE” about social issues that surround our society today. Not like her generation, who had to go through years of protest towards the government relating to World War One and Two. According to my Grandmother, all we have now is “stupid vegan protestors” and “out of control Muslim terrorists” who are plaguing today’s society (I know, how racist??).

It is a shame that some of our older generation have this narrow-minded view of what activism can do for the world, considering it is a huge change from what they used to believe. Activism obviously takes form of many protests, but one that everyone seems to have their own opinion on is…..Veganism!! Vegans come in many shapes and sizes, some are very passive about their vegan views, and go about their day according. Other vegans are very forceful in trying to shove their views down other’s throats and tell them how to live their lives. It is these vegans who my grandmother can’t stand! It is vegans like this, who decided to protest in Melbourne’s CBD only a few weeks ago.

39 people were charged in the recent protest that saw public transport come to a stand still at peak hour, in the busy Melbourne CBD. This form of activism disrupted tram routes and forced ambulances to be re-routed. Protestors chained themselves to vehicles within the intersection, and the demonstration was just one, of several animal rights protests taking place around the country, to promote a documentary about Australian livestock farm practices.  

I know that this is only a small sample of activism and protest gone bad, because there have obviously been great things that have come from people standing for the thing’s they believe in. A quick example of this is the recent #MeToo movement. The Melbourne protest was fairly radical, and their message was heard by disrupting thousands of individuals on their way to work in the morning. However, it is these types of protests which hold up the masses, that give activism such a bad wrap. Which also gives my Grandmother and others, such a harsh opinion on the individuals who are involved in the activist activities.

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2. Political engagement

Politics, it comes in many forms, and it is talked about in many different ways. Whether it’s just some quick small talk chat with a mate, or a full fledged debate on who is more idiotic, there is no doubt that politics is a hugely diverse conversation to be had within digital communities. Now, there really isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to politics because it is very circumstantial and beliefs and values of voters chop and change to align with what suites them best. Though, there is one thing that is certain when talking about politics, which is that some people have very strong beliefs and will fight to the death to defend those beliefs.

When it comes to digital communities and its crossover with politics, things can become a bit dicey. For example, only recently we have had a huge news headline in this nation and that is….. EGGBOY!!! Heralded by some for his heroic act of egging Senator Fraser Anning while doing a television interview. The controversy arose from Anning’s comments about the New Zealand terrorist mosque attack where Anning suggested it was because of immigration, quietly suggesting that all immigrants are terrorists. You could imagine his response after getting egged was very polite and professional, as he is a senator in the government ranks…. Actually he decided to strike out at the young boy…. WTF!

It is what happened after, that was most important, which was the public and overall communities divide in the matter. Overnight everyone on social media had an opinion on the matter and huge numbers of support came to Eggboy’s side, some also condemned Eggboy for his actions and called for his head….. (not literally). It is examples like this which are the spark of any dinner time conversation and along with sport, politics carry so much controversy when discussed, and for people discussing it online it becomes a free for all for savagery opinion.

The crossover between social media and politics has been another focal point of the past few years. Back tracking to the support that poured in for Eggboy over social media, the same angle of publicity can be switched to now with the immense emergence of twitter, politicians can now share their feelings and beliefs on issues with the public, with no real censorship apart from what the politicians media team, stop them from saying. Although, in some cases, politicians clearly don’t have a media team in place to stop them from defacing the internet with the dumb shit they say all day long. You know who I’m going to say… the President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump (**inaudible screaming). Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have seen some of the content that Mr Trump puts out there, on the internet. It is very offensive and even more comical to think that someone making these sort of comments, is the president of a nation, but each to their own I guess.

Digital communities, in short social media, is now the breeding ground for widespread controversy, and funnily enough politics always seems to be stuck in the middle.

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1. Is it a Blog? Is it a network? ... It’s Tumblr!

or someone who has never stepped into the Tumblr-verse until recently, I would like to have thought that I was very adept at scrolling through a social media feed to gain little to no knowledge at all. This act is the claim stake of our generation, and as a 22 year old, if I were told to write a narrative about the big three… (Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter), I would tell you I’m all over it. According to my Iphone’s screen time notification I spend an average of 4 hours on Instagram and Facebook a week, while Twitter only the 3.5 hours. So, you could say that I am an expert in liking and sharing a funny meme, as well as, knowing what every young girls insta perfect lunch is for the day.

#Do it for the Gram

But, I were asked to write a story about Tumblr, I’m afraid I would be out of luck. Tumblr is a diverse and different platform all together. People blog GiFs, memes other photos and drop small captions and hashtags at the bottom to explain. Personally, I believe that Tumblr is more of a blog, and a distant cousin to Wordpress, but the argument that Tumblr is social network site can be supported also. So for the purpose of my first blog here on Tumblr, I will be diplomatic and suggest that Tumblr is a bit of both, a blog and a social networking platform.

No one has ever been crucified for sitting on the fence right?...... right?

As I boldly stated earlier ^^^^ the blogging side of Tumblr is the posts of memes, pictures and short videos. Tumblr is also used for people to write columns on agendas they think worthy. Alternatively, to accommodate my fence sitting, Tumblr gives its loyal subscribers a chance to like, share and follow their favourite sports and movie stars, and other influencers they hold dear. This brings in the sense of connectedness and interactivity to their chosen influencers, so that regular old university students can keep track of their favourite player from their supported team, and feel closer and more aligned to their truly sophisticated lives.

The creator of Tumblr, David Klarp, wanted a space where he could let his creative juices flow, have the ability to get his thoughts and images up into a space, without the publishing barrier that runs hand in hand with Wordpress, stop him. Klarp stated in an interview with Erick Schonfeld in 2011, when asked about why he created Tumblr, that it “is built to be a place you can be proud to call your online home. It’s very design-oriented and you can customize your Tumblr to reflect your personality, but not in a cheesy MySpace way”. It seems Tumblr is not as pivotal as it once was, but at the height of it’s power was and incredibly deep digital community.