junyen6

[junyen6]

Governing the Internet: Who Holds the Power?

Although the internet may appear to be a very free space for all users, but there is a complex framework of managing , moderating, and regulating it behind the curtain.

Actually, there are several layers of internet governance, governments adopt legislation to influence internet to perform or to shape the behavior in a larger scale. For instance, the Online Safety Act 2021 in Australia authorizes the power to remove of any dangerous content within 24 hours (Online Safety Act, 2021) more or less like the CMA we got in Malaysia. On the other hand, China got their official censorship, while the Europe enforces extremely strict privacy regulations (such as the GDPR).

Social media platforms like Meta and Tiktok apply their own regulations policies at the level of company. These regulations frequently place their business interests ahead of their welfare of users (Haslop, O'Rourke, & Southern, 2021). Even some group admin serves as a small gatekeeper for online speech on a smaller scale, example like facebook group, reddit, and discord.

Although with these guidelines, bullying on the internet still persist, especially to women and users who are not gender-conforming (Plan International, 2020). Nevertheless, according to Marwick and Caplan (2018), online environments mirror offline inequalities, therefore centralized legislative approaches are insufficient in this context.

Because of that, that is why grassroots tactics were applied, example like digital advocacy and platform transparency are equally crucial (Vitis & Gilmour, 2017). Law is only one of the aspects of governance taking action on this, other than that is who with authority and how it was utilized, challenged, and safeguarded.

Being a good digital citizen entails knowing and influencing the mechanisms that regulate us in addition to complying by the law.

Reference 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, 27(5), 1418–1438. Marwick, A. E., & Caplan, R. (2018). Drinking male tears: Language, the manosphere, and networked harassment. Feminist Media Studies, 18(4), 543–559. Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth). http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/osa2021154/ Plan International. (2020). Free to be online? A report on girls’ and young women’s experiences of online harassment. https://plan-international.org/publications/freetobeonline/ Vitis, L., & Gilmour, F. (2017). Dick pics on blast: A woman’s resistance to online sexual harassment using humour, art and Instagram. Crime, Media, Culture, 13(3), 335–355.

[junyen6]

Gaming gives emotional damages and fun

The gaming culture in Malaysia, I would say it is unique and toxic and the same time. It did give emotional damages and also support, it just feel different when you engage with South East Asian's server (SEA). Other than that, Discord also serve as a meme museum and a mamak on the web!!! Before reading Hjorth et al. (2021), he talked about Minecraft creates the sense more than a game, its a space of creativity and connectivity sparks. At this point I really felt a synchronization deep down in me, while during the MCO the whole world was like on fire. But at the same time, me and my friend has build a whole virtual world in it, we didn't use that to make money, we just needed it!

This does not just apply in Malaysia, our context but, all around the world. Keogh (2021) also explains how Melbourne's independent developer communities grow on common goals and local ties rather than influence. Where on discord or any kind of social media platform, there are people or expertise helping each other, until the early morning. There is also tons of idea or inventions comes out when during the pandemic, but anyhow the idea was just to have something to do with your friends, isn't that the whole point instead of creating something that could've make you go popular?

YES, indeed we have enough friendship to support one another to cross the line, along with discord, memes, games. Therefore, take Minecraft as example, we just need a space that we can support each other through laughs and communication despite our connection latency, I would say it is more than sufficient already.

References Hjorth, L., Richardson, I., Davies, H., & Balmford, W. (2020). Exploring Play. Exploring Minecraft, 27–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59908-9_2 Keogh, B. (2020). The Melbourne indie game scenes. Routledge EBooks, 209–222. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367336219-18

[junyen6]

Am I still satisfied as who I am behind the filter?

Filters were initially as a complete funny and chaotic trend for people on the internet, filters get you big mouth, laser optic, even anime blushes on your face. Back in the trend started with, you would even apply the dog face filter and took a selfie for your friends with the captions, "Look, I am a dog." But gradually, things had shifted from the gentle blur or rainbow puke, which the kinds of funny one to every filters that I put on now just lightly makes me look better than who I really am. Example like, I get a sharper jaw, smaller and straight nose, flawless skin.

This kind of filters were called AR filters. They were initially invented and meant to be harmless, Snapchat utilize it to keep you use more of it, whereas Instagram implement it to keep you remain longer on it. The filters were added to keep we increase the self-confidence, make our selfie stand out, even to cover up our insecurities for us to share them openly. However, Jessica baker (2020) had brought up that filters rapidly became less entertaining as initially, and evolved into a nasty grooming tools while shaping the new visual standards.

This perspective does not just apply on female but also same as both gender, those "masculine" one makes their face look more "chad", balanced, and even came up with a terms called "TikTok Boyfriend". Without really touching up their face in reality, but free and improving their self-confidence.

This is where the feeling hits, whenever the picture were took without a filter, showing that I don't really have a keen jaw. There is pores, texture on my skin, my eyes were seen so soulless. The filter in somehow is telling me to get a surgery to fixed that, and this is how the platforms influence the perception, no? Algorithms constantly give and pushing values by promoting those characteristics and suppressing others, establishing some unseen systems of worthiness (Amoore, 2021). Keep on building on this, Jacobsen (2021) defines social media as a "systems of approval" which algorithm system decide which types of faces and bodies are more visible. This action somehow manipulate our mind to limit the standards of beauty, which means what algorithm think is much more acceptable will eventually let us accept it is true. I mean, the urge of getting perfect jawlines, skins, exposure with zero effort is genuine. the absence of flaws with simply click and precise is definitely.

References Amoore, L. (2020). Cloud Ethics. Google Books. https://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tVbZDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=Amoore Jacobsen, B. N. (2021). Regimes of recognition on algorithmic media. New Media & Society, 25(12), 146144482110535. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211053555

[junyen6]

Robocop is getting micro-surg😏

Social Media has evolved from being a platform for self-sharing to self-shaping.

Not with major changes, but with some minor adjustments that seem small and tiny, such as smoothen the jawline, getting a "more" symmetrical face, and etc. Which the platform's algorithm admires it.

You may become more NOTICEABLE the more "perfect" you appear. As if being a "modified" one, also meant you making your body appear as for the performance on the web. The question is "will u guys tempting to modify for a better performance on views on social media platforms?" I think even Robocop going to ask instead of giving answers.

But till the end, the systems is the issue, not simply just cause by insecurity. As Duffy and Meisner (2022), social media platform controlling the algorithm at first, to display those flawless, attractive, even revealing image. On the other hand, who does not fit well in the category rather getting care of. From this point of view, we get to know that algorithm is the only one to determine who is "pleasing enough" to show up.

Especially those creators that are raw or unaltered, they are going to be stacked bottom as who match closer to platform's algorithm.

What will be the consequences? Majority of the internet users nowadays, edit themselves to survive in this world, and what i mean here does not mean just technologically edited, but physically also. In this current world's norm raw is dangerous and risky, it has became people "editing" to feel good, but it was not what it meant for.

Now, Robocop needs a better system instead of better jaw, a system that body should be appreciate and unedited. Perhaps a system that does not prioritize on processed, edited, modified pictures or body. A genuine self is completely a better one than one with filament or things plugged in like ROBOCOP?!

"The original body is what, Robocop wanted the most"

References Duffy, B. E., & Meisner, C. (2022). Platform Governance at the margins: Social Media Creators’ Experiences with Algorithmic (in)visibility. Media, Culture & Society, 45(2), 285–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221111923

[junyen6]

How Fashion Can I Be?

It has been said that fashion is kind of a form of expression.

A way of expressing that in a silent method, does not even need to speak a word to the world.

Maybe a patched shirt, secondhand jacket, or even the method on how you reuse an old t-shirt states more than anything could. I used to believe that… Maybe I still do?

If the fashion was done intentionally, that fashion may be anything.

Is “fashion” defined by owning the newest or latest designer brand? It require styling, thinking and being purposeful Isn’t that what slow fashion means?

In my opinion, yes but not quick or trend-chasing on the internet.

But here comes the question…

If I cannot afford the “good” products, can I be as fashionable as I want to be?

What if I don’t live near the “trendy” thrift stores? What if the nice thrift stuff never comes in my size? What if I cannot expertise the skills to make use of it?

Slow fashion has been adopted time by time, but it somehow has been transformed into luxurious or expensive labels. Despite the phrase “consume less”, there are still people out there continuing the moves. Unless the choices of slow fashion are much more accessible and affordable, orelse eco-friendly choices will always remain out of sight (Francis, 2024). Nevertheless, slow fashion might be so demanding that so many people never feel they belong, showing the conflict between sustainable values and identity expression (Domingos et al., 2022).

So when I ask,

“How fashion can I be?” I’m genuinely asking about Is there room for me in this version of fashion?

And then I realize Fashion is more than just the things I purchase. I use what I already have for that. It's the way I use fabric to patch the rip in my jeans rather than covering it up. It's dressing up in my dad's old shirt.

References Domingos, M., Vale, V. T., & Faria, S. (2022). Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: a Literature Review. Sustainability, 14(5), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052860 Francis, T. (2024, December 2). Consumers face barriers to embracing ethical fashion, psychologist warns. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-consumers-barriers-embracing-ethical-fashion.html

[junyen6]

How Does Politics Blend with Digital Citizenship???

Politics are no longer limited to assemblies and protesting gatherings. Today, it exists on hashtags, memes and TikTok. But this comes with a question of whether whatever we do on the internet will somehow represents involvement in politics. But who makes the decision???

As of the internet advancement of the current digital era, according to Choi and Cristol (2021) they define the digital citizenship as we log into the internet, the effect impact on the democracy rather than just being respectful or well-informed. This means that whatever we do on the internet including sharing, publishing, and even harassing will all be considered action of engaging in the movement if they try to offer justice or judgement. However, Digital politics is not neutral. It is influenced through the platforms we use and the message from the political party they aim to deliver.

Platform advantages, or the elements that the platform providing, has alter the participation of digital citizens (Theocharis et al.,2023) example like hashtag as #MeToo or #BlackLivesMatter. However, these digital communities has been controlled by algorithms rather than the officials of the politic party, as in comparison to the digital communities, things that we post related could be deleted by them. Furthermore, who is already get trending with the algorithm actually get heard by others easily.

According to Sandu, M. A. (2020), in the worlds of digital citizenship should not just include sharing political thoughts on internet but also exploring how online political parties work, particularly publics voice may be suppressed or seized by others. So how the politics interconnected with digital citizens? They present important engagement chances, like even small interactions like posting or giving a like to the post, will eventually turn in a form of political participation, if people remain informed about how the way platforms works and take the actions carefully.

Choi, M., & Cristol, D. (2021). Digital Citizenship with Intersectionality Lens: Towards Participatory Democracy Driven Digital Citizenship Education. Theory into Practice, 60(4), 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2021.1987094 Sandu, & Anca, M. (2020). Digital Citizenship and Political Engagement. The Challenge from Online Campaigning and Advocacy Organizations - ProQuest. Proquest.com. https://www.proquest.com/openview/78803eeb8c68f063e7bc53918a3a6843/1?cbl=2032049&pq-origsite=gscholar Theocharis, Y., Boulianne, S., Koc-Michalska, K., & Bimber, B. (2022). Platform affordances and political participation: how social media reshape political engagement. West European Politics, 46(4), 788���811. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2022.2087410

[junyen6]

Is there reality behind the reality show?

Reality shows/tv often promotes themselves as raw, unscripted, and authentic. But whether is it real?

Example like Too Hot to Handle, Love Island, and The Bachelor shows, showcasing the drama, romance and character growth storylines while they maintaining a documentary-like reality.

Nevertheless, underneath the visual shown as the tropical villas, mansion, and slow pace confessions is sort of a system they construct to edit to manipulate emotion and build the atmosphere.

If we really observe how Reality Tv creates the authenticity through faked emotions. Those participants are assigned for the roles of being "Villain", "Nice Guy", "Mean Girl", and etc. which these characters are strengthen through thoughtful editing process. Furthermore, according to Littler and Couldry (2022), the appearance of reality on Reality Tv is more related about showing and perpetuating existing power systems, particularly those involving sexuality and sentiment than the show is reflecting the truth.

This sort of growth of "confidence culture" has been warned about the independence was marketed as individuals expressing oneself while structural disparities are neglected. Female participants are encouraged by the production to express the "true self" but only if their thoughts or expression were to fits into simple, or camera-ready storylines that had been prepared or briefed about (Gill and Orgad, 2022). On the other hand, male participants often showcase masculinity and apply sensitive as a technique, demonstrating feelings just enough to earn favor from female participants or to the audience but never let go the control of the situation.

Therefore, is there a realism behind the reality show? My answer is Yes, but beforehand there will always be scripted and framed as improvisation through editing, even relations also disguised as discovering themselves.

Couldry, N., & Littler, J. (2011). Work, power and performance: Analysing the ‘reality’game of The Apprentice. Cultural Sociology, 5(2), 263-279.

Gill, R., & Orgad, S. (2015). The confidence cult (ure). Australian Feminist Studies, 30(86), 324-344.

[junyen6]

Can Men Be Feminist?

As Tumblr user @prodicalwitch (2024) argues, men who loudly define feminism online without listening often reflect "peak performative allyship," reinforcing hierarchies rather than dismantling them. This question always sparks a debate no matter online or offline regarding Can Men Be Feminists??? In another word, men with the thoughts of Feminist always going to be labeled by queer or soft person.

In white word writing, feminism is actually talking about the reducing or even removing the prejudice on gender-based in order to achieve equality of different gender. Which means the group of people supporting the idea are allowed to claim the term.

But anyway, as of (Halvorsen, 2022) discussed about the ally identity development as talking about the allyship showing in men does not apply to individual by just calling it out, its how they shows matter.

On various social media platform we can see the users has came up with a terms as "male feminists", the term used in social media platform has evolve the issue into a double edge sword. Male Feminists Influencers even made income by their status as "the ally" of the female, whether the actions could made actual changes still a question that on hold for answer (Scharff, 2023). Through the internet we can see that feminism often comes with the inclusiveness and also securing the privilege of them, men need to be aware that avoid dominating the conversation. Instead play as a role that able to works with them able to tackle the issue of this harmful system.

With all these words in short, man can be feminist, yes but we need to be a listener instead of a person that taking over the share space. This imbalance system able to reach a fair place eventually when time comes, what we can do is not to rush and push the situation way too fast.

Halvorsen, J. (2022). Interrogating White Men’s Allyship: Implications of Performativity for Qualitative Methodologies. Qualitative Inquiry, 29(8-9), 107780042211440. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004221144070 Scharff, C. (2023). Are we all influencers now? Feminist activists discuss the distinction between being an activist and an influencer. Feminist Theory, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/14647001231201062