lacthehumann

[lacthehumann]

WEEK 10

Digital Citizenship & Social Media Conflict: Real-World Applications

Posted on March 17, 2025

Hey Tumblr fam! Today I'm exploring how theories of digital citizenship and social media conflict play out in our everyday online experiences. Let's look at real examples that showcase these concepts in action! ✨🌐

#BlackLivesMatter: Digital Citizenship in Practice

The #BlackLivesMatter movement exemplifies Mossberger et al.'s (2008) concept of digital citizenship as participation that benefits society. When George Floyd was murdered in 2020, social media became a crucial platform for organizing protests, sharing educational resources, and documenting police actions. Twitter users employed strategic hashtags to coordinate efforts, Instagram accounts compiled bail fund information, and TikTok creators explained complex concepts of systemic racism in accessible ways.

This wasn't just "slacktivism" - the online actions translated to offline impact. Research by Jackson et al. (2020) found that digital organizing directly contributed to record-breaking protest participation across all 50 US states and internationally (https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1777360).

r/wallstreetbets and GameStop: Multi-Level Governance in Action

The 2021 GameStop stock situation perfectly illustrates how social media governance operates at both micro and macro levels. Within the r/wallstreetbets subreddit, moderators (everyday users with no formal authority) suddenly found themselves managing an explosive growth in membership and coordinating a financial movement that challenged Wall Street.

At the macro level, this online community's actions triggered responses from multiple governance stakeholders. Robinhood (commercial interest) restricted trading, congressional hearings were held (state actors), and the SEC launched investigations (regulatory bodies). The case demonstrates how online communities can disrupt traditional power structures, forcing governance adaptations across systems (Chohan, 2021, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3774019).

Gamergate: The Playbook for Networked Harassment

What began as targeted harassment of game developer Zoë Quinn in 2014 evolved into what Marwick & Caplan (2018) identify as a perfect example of networked harassment. The coordinated attacks against women in gaming weren't just random trolling—they were organized across platforms including 4chan, Reddit, and Twitter.

Techniques refined during Gamergate continue to be used in online harassment campaigns today:

Doxing: Anita Sarkeesian had her address published, forcing her to leave her home

Brigading: Coordinated mass reporting of targets' accounts to get them suspended

Sea-lioning: Bad-faith "just asking questions" tactics used to exhaust targets

These methods were later deployed against journalists, politicians, and activists from marginalized groups, showing how online harassment techniques evolve and spread (Massanari, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815608807).

Noelle Martin's Fight: Legal Remedies in Practice

Australian activist Noelle Martin discovered at age 18 that her social media photos had been stolen, digitally edited onto pornographic images, and shared on multiple websites without her consent. When she sought help, she found Australia lacked sufficient laws addressing this form of abuse.

Martin turned her traumatic experience into advocacy, campaigning for legislative change. Her efforts contributed to the criminalization of image-based sexual abuse in Western Australia in 2019 and informed Australia's Online Safety Act 2021, which now requires platforms to remove such content within 24 hours of notification.

Her case demonstrates how individual advocacy can drive legal reform, creating new protections for digital citizens (McGlynn & Rackley, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqw033).

Clementine Ford's Screenshot Strategy: Humor as Resistance

When Australian feminist writer Clementine Ford received messages calling her a "fat ugly slut" and worse, she employed what Vitis & Gilmour (2016) identify as humor-based resistance. Rather than silently blocking harassers, Ford began publishing screenshots of abusive messages alongside the sender's name and profile photo.

In one notable case, a man who sent Ford an abusive message lost his job after she shared the screenshot and tagged his employer. Her approach turned traditional power dynamics upside down—using visibility as a weapon against harassers who typically rely on anonymity and platform inaction.

This strategy of "naming and shaming" transformed individual harassment into a public conversation about online abuse, particularly against women (Vitis & Gilmour, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1177/1741659016652340).

Instagram's Anti-Bullying Features: Platform Pressure Success Story

After years of criticism regarding rampant harassment on their platform, Instagram introduced several anti-bullying features that demonstrate how user advocacy can drive corporate social responsibility:

Restricted accounts: Users can limit interactions with specific accounts without blocking them

Warning prompts: AI detects potentially offensive comments and asks users "Are you sure you want to post this?"

Hidden words: Automatic filtering of potentially offensive DM requests

According to Instagram's internal research, the warning prompt resulted in 40% of users editing or deleting their comment when prompted. This example shows how persistent user pressure can lead platforms to implement meaningful changes to governance structures, though critics rightfully note these changes came only after years of documented harm (Jhaver et al., 2018, https://doi.org/10.1145/3274433).

What Has Your Experience Been?

Digital citizenship isn't abstract theory—it's lived every day as we navigate online spaces. Have you witnessed these dynamics in your own communities? Have you used any of these resistance strategies? Share your experiences below! 💭👇

References

Chohan, U. W. (2021). Counter-hegemonic finance: The Gamestop short squeeze. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3774019

Jackson, S. J., Bailey, M., & Welles, B. F. (2020). #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice. MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1777360

Jhaver, S., Ghoshal, S., Bruckman, A., & Gilbert, E. (2018). Online harassment and content moderation: The case of blocklists. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 25(2), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1145/3274433

Marwick, A. E., & Caplan, R. (2018). Drinking male tears: Language, the manosphere, and networked harassment. Feminist Media Studies, 18(4), 543-559. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1450568

Massanari, A. (2017). #Gamergate and The Fappening: How Reddit's algorithm, governance, and culture support toxic technocultures. New Media & Society, 19(3), 329-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815608807

McGlynn, C., & Rackley, E. (2017). Image-based sexual abuse. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 37(3), 534-561. https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqw033

Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & McNeal, R. S. (2008). Digital citizenship: The internet, society, and participation. MIT Press.

Vitis, L., & Gilmour, F. (2016). Dick pics on blast: A woman's resistance to online sexual harassment using humour, art and Instagram. Crime, Media, Culture, 13(3), 335-355. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741659016652340

[lacthehumann]

WEEK  8

ok but can we talk about how filters are literally RUINING our brains??

so i've been thinking about ar filters a lot lately (bc i'm a nerd who's taking this digital media class and now i can't stop analyzing everything i do online, rip me) and i just needed to dump all these thoughts somewhere. buckle up folx, this might get a bit academic™ but i promise it's relevant to your daily doom-scrolling 👀

that moment when your unfiltered face feels like a jump scare

storytime: you're taking selfies for the grid and you've got that perfect filter that makes your skin look ✨flawless✨ and suddenly you accidentally swipe and see your actual face and you're like "WHO IS THAT CREATURE???" and spend the next 20 minutes toggling back and forth feeling progressively worse about your actual human face?

yeah that's literally social comparison theory (festinger, 1954) making you compare yourself to... yourself?? but make it perfect??? like, our brains weren't designed to see an idealized version of our own faces and then have to process the reality. no wonder we're all spiraling.

me, waking up and immediately checking how i look in the "subtle glow" filter

big mood: that thing where you roll over in bed, grab your phone, and open insta to see how you "could" look today if you weren't, you know, a mere mortal. then you spend an hour trying to make your actual face match the filtered version before leaving the house.

this is objectification theory (fredrickson & roberts, 1997) in action and we're doing it TO OURSELVES. we're literally treating our faces like objects to be "fixed" instead of, idk, the actual face we live in?? the call is coming from inside the house, y'all.

#stop it. get some help.

filter creators be like "my beauty filter got 1 billion impressions!!!"

not me watching: some 19-year-old coding genius post about how their subtle lip-plumping eye-enlarging skin-smoothing filter just hit some ridiculous milestone and they're celebrating like they cured cancer.

the whole neoliberal beauty thing (elias, gill & scharff, 2017) is turning literal FACES into products with metrics and kpis and it's so dystopian i can't even. capitalism really said "what if we made people feel bad about their faces AND found a way to profit from it?"

tagging your heavily filtered selfie #nofilter and expecting no one to notice

i'm sorry but: if you post a selfie where your skin looks like it's been airbrushed by god himself and claim it's #nofilter, you KNOW i'm zooming in 500% to investigate. and then sending screenshots to the group chat like "are we supposed to pretend this isn't filtered???"

this is what the academic girlies call the "digital-forensic gaze" (lavrence & cambre, 2020) and we're all doing it constantly. we've become filter detectives analyzing every pore and pixel because we don't even know what real skin looks like anymore??

that job interview zoom panic

real talk: who else has had a mild existential crisis before a video interview debating whether using the "professional" filter that makes you look less tired is: a) cheating b) essential self-preservation c) what everyone else is doing so you'd be stupid not to

filters are literally invading every aspect of our digital lives (peng, 2020) and creating whole new anxieties. like, is this the digital equivalent of wearing makeup to an interview or is it something weirder??

the gendered filter experience™

observed at every party ever: guys grabbing the phone to try filters that make them look like potatoes or dogs or whatever while girls are carefully selecting the most "natural-looking" beauty filter that enhances everything but still looks "real."

researchers (pescott, 2020; ibanez-sanchez et al., 2022) have literally confirmed this is a thing - men use filters to look ridiculous and women use them to look "prettier." gender roles are alive and well in filter land, folks!!

"can you make me look like my snapchat filter?"

lowkey terrifying: people are literally bringing filtered selfies to plastic surgeons and saying "make me look like this" as if that's a normal thing to ask another human to do to your face.

this "snapchat dysmorphia" thing (rajanala, maymone & vashi, 2018) is so wild because we're not even comparing ourselves to celebrities anymore - we're comparing ourselves to DIGITALLY ALTERED VERSIONS OF OURSELVES. like, that's not even a real person to begin with!!

shoutout to the chaotic filter creators

the real heroes: those people making filters that deliberately make you look weird or glitchy or turn you into abstract art instead of just making your lips bigger.

there's actually this whole cyberfeminist theory (haraway, 1991) about how we could use technology to break free from beauty standards instead of just reinforcing them. miller & mcintyre (2022) call this "dissident use" and it's literally the only thing giving me hope in this filter hellscape.

in conclusion: we're all doomed (but at least we're aware of it?)

with 700 million people using these filters every month, this isn't just a you problem or a me problem - it's a whole society thing.

next time you're swiping through filter options, maybe pause and ask yourself:

am i comparing myself to an impossible standard?

am i treating my face like an object to be "fixed"?

am i participating in beauty capitalism?

am i playing filter detective on other people's faces?

could i maybe use this technology in a way that doesn't make me feel worse about myself?

anyway thanks for coming to my ted talk. feel free to reblog with your thoughts or your own filter horror stories.

#filters #augmented reality #body image #social media #digital culture #essay #long post #academic #personal

sources (because i'm still a student and my professor might see this)

azuma, r. (1997). a survey of augmented reality. presence: teleoperators and virtual environments, 6(4), 355-385. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355 

burnell, k., kurup, a. r., & underwood, m. k. (2021). snapchat lenses and body image concerns. body image, 36, 95-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.11.001 

coy-dibley, i. (2016). digitized dysmorphia of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image. palgrave communications, 2(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1057/palcomms.2016.40 

elias, a. s., gill, r., & scharff, c. (2017). aesthetic labour: rethinking beauty politics in neoliberalism. palgrave macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-47765-1 

elias, a. s., & gill, r. (2018). beauty surveillance: the digital self-monitoring cultures of neoliberalism. european journal of cultural studies, 21(1), 59-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549417705604 

festinger, l. (1954). a theory of social comparison processes. human relations, 7(2), 117-140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202 

fredrickson, b. l., & roberts, t. a. (1997). objectification theory: toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. psychology of women quarterly, 21(2), 173-206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x 

haraway, d. (1991). a cyborg manifesto: science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. in simians, cyborgs, and women: the reinvention of nature (pp. 149-181). routledge.

ibanez-sanchez, s., orus, c., & flavian, c. (2022). augmented reality filters on social media: analyzing the drivers of playability based on uses and gratifications theory. telematics and informatics, 66, 101736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101736 

lavrence, c., & cambre, c. (2020). "do i look like my selfie?": filters and the digital-forensic gaze. social media + society, 6(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120955182 

miller, l., & mcintyre, k. (2022). from surgery to cyborgs: a thematic analysis of popular media commentary on instagram filters. journal of digital social research, 4(1), 44-67. https://doi.org/10.33621/jdsr.v4i1.93 

peng, q. (2020). alipay adds "beauty filters" to face-scan payments. technode.

pescott, c. k. (2020). "i wish i was wearing a filter right now": an exploration of how adolescents engage with beauty fillers on instagram. journal of children and media, 14(4), 378-396. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2019.1710110 

rajanala, s., maymone, m. b., & vashi, n. a. (2018). selfies—living in the era of filtered photographs. jama facial plastic surgery, 20(6), 443-444. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0486 

rettberg, j. w. (2014). seeing ourselves through technology: how we use selfies, blogs and wearable devices to see and shape ourselves. palgrave macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137476661 rettberg, j. w. (2017). self-representation in social media. in j. burgess, a. marwick, & t. poell (eds.), the sage handbook of social media (pp. 429-443). sage publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473984066.n24

[lacthehumann]

Week 9✨ Aesthetic Templates & The Hidden Cost of "Perfection" on Social Media ✨

Hey fam, let’s dive into something wild but super real: how Instagram’s cookie-cutter beauty standards are low-key wrecking our self-esteem. �💔 You know those flawless influencer feeds? They’re not just aesthetic—they’re part of a toxic system called aesthetic templates. Let’s unpack this.

Microcelebrity Culture: You’re a Product, Babe

Influencers aren’t just posting selfies—they’re building brands. Think of yourself as a walking billboard 🏷️. This is visibility labor: grinding for likes, followers, and clout (often unpaid!).

Aesthetic labor = molding your body to fit trends. Women? Pouty lips, tiny waists, 🍑🍒. Men? Chiseled jaws, gym-bro vibes 💪. But if you’re queer or gender-nonconforming? Algorithms ghost you. 🏳️🌈👻 (Shoutout to algorithmic invisibility—marginalized creators get buried for not being "mainstream").

Pornification: When Your Feed Looks Like a Porno Set

Social media’s obsession with "porn chic" aesthetics means women are pressured to pose like OF models, while men flex "muted masculinity" (read: no emotions, just abs). Gay men? If they dare to embrace feminized poses, they’re sidelined. 🚫 It’s not ~empowerment~—it’s heteronormativity on steroids.

Body Image Crisis: Why Filters ≠ Reality

Ever feel like your IRL body can’t compete with your Instagram self? That’s identity dissonance, and it’s linked to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). 😰 The more we chase fillers, filters, and fillers for filters, the more we spiral into anxiety and self-hate.

So… What Do We Do?

Call out BS campaigns: Influencers promoting detox teas or impossible beauty goals? Not it. 🚫

Boost marginalized voices: Share LGBTQ+ creators, POC, and folks breaking the template. 📢

Remember: You’re more than a branded product. Your worth isn’t defined by likes or a thigh gap. 💖

Drop a comment: Have you ever felt pressured to edit your pics or hide parts of yourself online? Let’s vent. 💬

#AestheticLaborHurts #PornificationIsNotEmpowering #BreakTheAlgorithm #BDDIsReal #UnfilteredAndProud

References 

Bishop, S. (2021). Influencer management tools: Algorithmic cultures, brand safety, and bias. Social Media + Society, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211003066

Carrotte, E. R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C. (2017). ‘Fitspiration’ on social media: A content analysis of gendered images. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(3).

Dorfman, R. G., Vaca, E. E., Mahmood, E., Fine, N. A., & Schierle, C. (2018). Plastic surgery-related hashtag utilization on Instagram: Implications for education and marketing. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 38(3), 332–338.

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

Marwick, A. E. (2013). Status update: Celebrity, publicity, and branding in the social media age. Yale University Press.

Phillips, K. A. (2009). Understanding body dysmorphic disorder: An essential guide. Oxford University Press.

Senft, T. M. (2012). Microcelebrity and the branded self. In J. Hartley, J. Burgess, & A. Bruns (Eds.), A companion to new media dynamics (pp. 346–354). Blackwell.

Tyler, M., & Quek, K. (2016). Conceptualizing pornographication. Sexualization, Media, & Society, 2(2), 1–14.

[lacthehumann]

WEEK 7

✨ The Dark Side of Aesthetic Templates: How Social Media Shapes (and Shatters)

Body Image ✨

Hey y’all, let’s talk about something heavy but super relevant: the way Instagram aesthetics are low-key messing with our mental health. Ever noticed how every influencer’s feed looks eerily similar? 💄💪 That’s aesthetic templates at work — curated poses, edited bodies, and a whole lotta heteronormative beauty standards.

Microcelebrity Culture 101:

Influencers aren’t just posting pics; they’re branding themselves like products. 📦 Think: "visibility labor" (aka unpaid work to stay relevant) and "aesthetic labor" (molding your body to fit trends).

Want clout? Follow the script: women = pornified "porn chic" (accentuated curves, plumped lips), men = "muted masculinity" (athleticism, strong jaws). 🏋️♂️💋 But guess who gets erased? LGBTQ+ folks, especially when algorithms prioritize "palatable" heteronormative content. 🏳️🌈🚫

Pornification Nation: Social media’s obsession with sexualized selfies isn’t just ~empowering~ — it’s reinforcing commercial porn aesthetics. Women are pressured to perform hypersexualized femininity, while gay men mimicking those poses get sidelined. The result? Marginalized creators face algorithmic invisibility just for existing. 😤Body Image Crisis Alert: Trying to morph your IRL self into an Instagram filter? That identity dissonance (the gap between online persona and reality) is linked to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). 😰 The more we scroll, the more we internalize unattainable ideals — leading to anxiety, surgeries, and endless dissatisfaction.

What Can We Do?

Demand regulation of influencer-led "health" campaigns pushing harmful ideals.

Amplify marginalized voices + call out algorithmic bias.

Remember: Your worth isn’t defined by likes or a jawline. 💖

Drop your thoughts below — have you felt pressured to fit these templates? Let’s unpack this together. 💬

#AestheticLabour #PornificationIsNotProgress #BDDAwareness #AlgorithmicInvisibility #BreakTheTemplate

References 

Bishop, S. (2021). Influencer management tools: Algorithmic cultures, brand safety, and bias. Social Media + Society, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211003066

Carrotte, E. R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C. (2017). ‘Fitspiration’ on social media: A content analysis of gendered images. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(3).

Dorfman, R. G., Vaca, E. E., Mahmood, E., Fine, N. A., & Schierle, C. (2018). Plastic surgery-related hashtag utilization on Instagram: Implications for education and marketing. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 38(3), 332–338.

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

Marwick, A. E. (2013). Status update: Celebrity, publicity, and branding in the social media age. Yale University Press.

Phillips, K. A. (2009). Understanding body dysmorphic disorder: An essential guide. Oxford University Press.

Senft, T. M. (2012). Microcelebrity and the branded self. In J. Hartley, J. Burgess, & A. Bruns (Eds.), A companion to new media dynamics (pp. 346–354). Blackwell.

Tyler, M., & Quek, K. (2016). Conceptualizing pornographication. Sexualization, Media, & Society, 2(2), 1–14.

[lacthehumann]

WEEK 6

slow fashion is digital citizenship’s secret weapon (and your closet’s glow-up) 🌿✨

1. digital citizenship: where hashtags meet hemp shirts 🧵💻

theory: “using tech to fight fast fashion’s dumpster fire” (Council of Europe, 2022).

example: influencers like @venetialamanna using Instagram Reels to dissect Shein’s labor practices. Translation: turning “haul culture” into “call-out culture.”

example: #WhoMadeMyClothes campaigns on Tumblr, where users tag brands demanding transparency. Vibe check: digital citizenship = holding Zara’s feet to the fire.

2. slow fashion 101: thrifting is the new rizz ♻️👗

definition: “sustainable fashion is not just linen sacks and Birkenstocks” (Lai et al., 2017).

principles:

no child labor (obvi).

materials that don’t murder the planet (recycled polyester > plastic oceans).

pay workers like, actually living wages (revolutionary, ikr).

build supply chains that aren’t built on exploitation (Domingos et al., 2022).

3. fast fashion’s crimes: a trauma dump 💔🌍

environment: 10% of global carbon emissions come from fashion (aka more than all flights and shipping combined).

waste: 11.9M tons of clothes trashed yearly in the U.S. alone. Burberry literally burned $36M of unsold merch to “maintain exclusivity” (Brewer, 2019).

labor: Garment workers in Bangladesh earn 15M/year. Math is not mathing.

4. slow fashion icons: the chaotic good of tumblr 👑📱

@bigsisterswap: A thrift collective where you trade your 2014 Tumblr graphic tees for vintage band shirts. No money, just vibes.

@tiffanyferguson: Posts “slow fashion moodboards” pairing DIY tie-dye tutorials with rants about greenwashing.

Second Runway: A TikTok collective turning red carpet looks into upcycled masterpieces. “We don’t buy new sequins—we steal them from H&M’s landfill.”

5. corporate citizenship: when brands try (and fail) to be ethical 🤑🚮

theory: “CSR is just PR in a recycled tote bag” (McCosker et al., 2016).

example: Zara’s “Join Life” collection uses 5% sustainable materials. Congrats, you’re 95% villain.

example: H&M’s “Conscious” line—babe, polyester microplastics aren’t conscious of anything except choking sea turtles.

references (but make it tumblr academic): 📚

Council of Europe (2022). Digital Citizenship Education Handbook.

Lai, K. et al. (2017). “Slow Fashion’s Radical Roots.” Journal of Sustainable Clownery.

Domingos, M. et al. (2022). “Fast Fashion’s Funeral: A Guide to Ethical Business Models.”

Brewer, M. (2019). “Burberry’s Arsonist Era.” Vogue Business.

McCosker, A. et al. (2016). Negotiating Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest and Culture.

final take: Slow fashion isn’t about buying less—it’s about giving a shit. Use your digital citizenship powers to drag fast fashion, boost thriftfluencers, and remember: the most sustainable outfit is the one already rotting in your closet. 💅

[lacthehumann]

WEEK 5

Why your midnight reblogs are secretly saving the internet (a love letter to tumblr)

1. digital citizenship: when fandom becomes a lifeline 🛡️💻

you know that #ActuallyAutistic tag? it’s not just a place to vent. it’s where neurodivergent creators drag “autism speaks” rhetoric into the sunken place and replace it with self-advocacy masterclasses. think: ”no, susan, my autism isn’t your inspo porn” meets ”here’s how to stim without shame.” this is digital citizenship—defending dignity through memes and mutual aid (Council of Europe who? we’re too busy crediting artists).

or remember when the cyberpunk fandom turned their tag into a privacy bootcamp? VPN tutorials, encryption guides, and rants about data vampires (looking at you, Zuck). Literacy as rebellion, baby.

2. platformization: tumblr’s corporate glow-up (and downfall) 💸🚫

flashback to 2018: tumblr yeeted nsfw blogs into the void, replacing queer art with #safetymodearmy bots. overnight, the site went from “chaotic creative haven” to “mall cop simulator.” we fled to Pillowfort like ”fine, we’ll build our own utopia with blackjack and ao3 links.” platformization at its messiest—when your fave app sells its soul for ad revenue (RIP “neutral social utility” lies).

and now? Tumblr Blaze. paying $10 to promote your crackfic is peak dystopia. congrats, you’re monetizing the reblog economy (Chia et al., 2020 called it: capitalism always wins).

3. hashtag activism: keyboard warriors, assemble 🐝🔥

tumblr doesn’t do slacktivism. take #RenewSense8: fans spammed Netflix into submission with 500k+ posts, crowdfunded billboards, and turned cancellation grief into a movement. or #StandWithUkraine: artists drew wolves in vyshyvankas, shared VPN hacks for war zones, and made dashboards into resistance archives. hashtags here aren’t trends—they’re survival kits (Bruns & Burgess nodding in the background).

4. political engagement: democracy, but make it ✨unhinged✨ 🗳️🎨

who needs door-knocking when you’ve got anime stickers on swing-state postcards? 2020’s “Postcards to Voters” campaign was pure chaos: think Levi Ackerman doodles with ”vote or eren wins” threats. and #TransCrowdFund? a 24/7 mutual aid Bat-Signal where strangers venmo your top surgery. NGOs could never.

5. election tea: shitposting as policy 🍵🇺🇸

2016 was a vibe. while boomers fought over tweet typos, tumblr turned Bernie’s policies into Supernatural memes (”Dean Winchester would abolish student debt”). unofficial blogs weaponized fandom logic for voter guides—policy wonkery in wolf’s clothing. meanwhile, the rest of the internet wondered why Gen Z was so passionate about a 78-year-old socialist.

the takeaway 🔥

tumblr isn’t a website. it’s a manifesto written in reblogs. every tag war, privacy guide, and niche fundraiser is a quiet middle finger to algorithms, respectability politics, and the idea that caring isn’t cool. keep shitposting. keep fighting. credit the artist.

Bruns, A., & Burgess, J. (2015). Twitter hashtags from ad hoc to calculated publics. In N. Rambukkana (Ed.), Hashtag publics: The power and politics of discursive networks (pp. 13–28). Peter Lang Publishing.

Chia, A., Keogh, B., Leorke, D., & Nicoll, B. (2020). Platformisation in game development. Internet Policy Review, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.14763/2020.4.1531

Choi, M., & Cristol, D. (2021). Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Lessons for pandemic education. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(1), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-09938-x

Council of Europe. (2022). Digital citizenship education handbook: Being child in the age of technology. Council of Europe Publishing. https://www.coe.int/en/web/digital-citizenship-education

Enli, G. (2017). Twitter as arena for the authentic outsider: Exploring the social media campaigns of Trump and Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election. European Journal of Communication, 32(1), 50–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323116682802

Gillespie, T. (2010). The politics of ‘platforms.’ New Media & Society, 12(3), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444809342738

Helmond, A. (2015). The platformization of the web: Making web data platform ready. Social Media + Society, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305115603080

McCosker, A., Vivienne, S., & Johns, A. (2016). Negotiating digital citizenship: Control, contest and culture. Rowman & Littlefield.

Nelimarkka, M., Laaksonen, S. M., & Tuokko, M. (2020). Platformed interactions: How social media platforms relate to political engagement. New Media & Society, 22(12), 2267–2285. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819884340

Poell, T., Nieborg, D., & van Dijck, J. (2019). Platformisation. Internet Policy Review, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.14763/2019.4.1425

Vromen, A. (2017). Digital citizenship and political engagement: The challenge from online campaigning and advocacy organisations. Palgrave Macmillan.

[lacthehumann]

Is Tumblr the New Agora? 🤔 Decoding Digital Communities! #MDA20009 #DigitalCommunities #Tumblr #PublicSphere #PlatformVernacular

Hey guys! 👋 So, today's lecture on digital communities totally blew my mind 🤯. We talked about the public sphere and platform vernacular, and it got me thinking… is Tumblr, like, the new Agora? 🤔

The Public Sphere: Ideal vs. Reality 🏛️

Remember Habermas's idea of the public sphere? (Habermas, 1991) That perfect space for open communication and rational discussion? Yeah, Tumblr kind of fits the bill. We've got access to tons of info, (theoretically) equal participation, and anyone can share their hot takes. It's like a digital town square! 📢

Think about all the times fandoms on Tumblr have rallied around social issues. Remember when everyone was reblogging posts about net neutrality? That's the public sphere in action! People using the platform to discuss important issues and try to influence policy. This aligns with Benson (2009) concept of "strong" public spheres, where deliberation and collective decision-making are emphasized.

But let's be real, it's not all sunshine and rainbows 🌈. We've got barriers to entry (not everyone has equal access or digital skills), surveillance (Big Tech is always watching 👀), algorithm bias (hello, echo chambers!), and harassment (haters gonna hate 🙄). Habermas's ideal public sphere is all about rational discourse, but online, things can get… messy.

While fandoms can be great for social activism, they can also be breeding grounds for cyberbullying and infighting. Remember when [insert a recent example of fandom drama on Tumblr]? Not exactly rational discourse. This illustrates the challenges of maintaining a "strong" public sphere online, as discussed by Benson (2009).

Platform Vernacular: Lost in Translation? 😵‍💫

And what about our unique language? Reblog, dash, RP, shitpost, F4F, OTP, AU… it's like a secret code! 🕵️‍♀️ This "platform vernacular" is what makes Tumblr Tumblr. It's our way of expressing ourselves, of creating our own culture. It's what makes us us.

When someone posts "I'm screaming," you know they're not actually screaming. It's a way of expressing intense excitement or amusement. It's a Tumblr thing. Try explaining that to your grandma! 👵 This is a perfect example of how online communities develop their own unique language and communication styles, as discussed by Battistella (2003) in his work on internet linguistics.

But platform vernacular can also be exclusive. If you're new to Tumblr, it can be hard to understand what everyone is talking about. It's like learning a new language! This highlights the potential for in-group/out-group dynamics within online communities.

So, is Tumblr a public sphere?

Tumblr, like other social media platforms, has the potential to be a public sphere. It offers a space for discussion, information sharing, and community building. However, it also faces challenges related to accessibility, equality, and the quality of discourse. It's a complex ecosystem with both positive and negative aspects.

What do YOU think? Is Tumblr a public sphere? Let's discuss in the comments! 👇

Reference list

Battistella, EL 2003, ‘Language and the Internet: A Linguist Looks at Discourse on the Internet (review)���, Language, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 432–432.

Benson, R 2009, ‘Shaping the Public Sphere: Habermas and Beyond’, The American Sociologist, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 175–197.Harper, T 2016, ‘The big data public and its problems: Big data and the structural transformation of the public sphere’, New Media & Society, vol. 19, no. 9, pp. 1424–1439.

Blocked 2025, Pinterest.com, viewed 14 February 2025, <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/199636195984363298/>.

[lacthehumann]

✨ Digital Communities: The Internet is My Hometown ✨

Hey! 👋 Your fave media student is back, and OMG?! Today's lecture EXPLODED my brain 🤯 about how we're basically living in digital neighborhoods now, and I'm officially obsessed! Like, we're not just on the internet anymore, we're in it. It's giving digital nomad vibes, but make it academic. 🤓

Okay,lets go! 🌟

You know that one group chat that's more lit than your actual social life? Or that Discord server where you've found your soulmates (even if you've never met IRL)? Turns out, this is a whole academic field, and I'm living for it! It's called the study of digital communities, and it's basically the sociology of the 21st century.

So, spill the tea – what are digital communities, really? 

Picture this: You're a Stranger Things mega-fan (if not, bestie, what are you even doing with your life?!). You're on Reddit or Twitter, connecting with other fans who are just as obsessed with Vecna as you are. (McCosker et al. 2016) That's a digital community! It's connection, but make it online. It's like finding your tribe, but in cyberspace.

But wait, there's more! 🎮

Gamers, rise up! ✊ These digital spaces are where the magic happens. Imagine fragging noobs with someone from across the globe at 3 AM. Geographical boundaries? We don't know her. 💅 Reid (2016) argues that these gaming communities on Discord and Twitch are revolutionizing how we think about social spaces, and I'm here for this digital evolution! It's not just about the game; it's about the camaraderie, the shared experience, the memes.

Now, let's get a little spicy 🌶️

Remember those activism movements that flooded our feeds? #MeToo? Climate action on the 'gram? That's the raw power of digital communities, bestie! Farrell (2016) spilled the tea on how these online spaces are literally changing the game for social justice. It's about amplifying voices, mobilizing action, and holding power accountable, all through the digital realm. We love to see it! 👏

Okay, time for the real academic deep dive (yes, we're going full nerd mode 🤓):

The job market is ravenous for social media experts! Companies are building entire teams just to manage their online presence. (McCosker et al. 2016) Imagine getting paid to scroll through social media all day?! Dream job alert! 🚨 But it's not just about posting cute pics; it's a strategic game.

Speaking of jobs, let's talk 24/7 hustle ⏰

Social media never sleeps! Companies like Telstra have 24/7 support because the internet doesn't believe in business hours. (And neither do Karens in the comments 💀). These platforms have completely transformed customer service. It's about meeting people where they are, when they are.

Plot twist! 🌀

It's so much more than just aesthetic pics now! Social media managers are modern-day superheroes, juggling multiple skills:

Creative queens/kings 👑

Data whisperers 📊

Crisis management ninjas 🚨

Content creation wizards ✨

Community builders 🤝

Trend forecasters 🔮

And don't even get me started on the platform drama! Facebook's "pay to play" era had brands screaming "Ma'am, this is a Wendy's!" 😭 But they had to adapt, because that's the wild west of the digital world. It's a constant evolution.

But beyond the brands and the marketing, digital communities are about something bigger. They're about connection, belonging, and finding your place in the vast expanse of the internet. They're about building relationships, sharing passions, and creating something together.

Digital communities are changing everything – how we connect, work, fight for what we believe in, and even how we define "community" itself. We're not just posting selfies anymore, bestie, we're building digital HOMETOWNS! 🏡 And honestly? I'm here for it. 🙌

References List:

Baban, E. and Güzel, E., 2015. Digital Activism and Social Movements: How the World perceives the Gezi Movement. Amity Journal of Media & Communications Studies (AJMCS), 5.

EDEALO 2019, FREE International Human Rights Law Course DEAL at edX - EDEALO, Pinterest, viewed 14 February 2025, <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/238620480244663074/>.

Jimenez, M 2024, Unity in Diversity Multicultural Hands Together | Premium AI-generated image, Pinterest, viewed 14 February 2025, <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/776448792042033986/>.

McCosker, A., Reid, D. and Farrell, C., 2016. Social media industries: bridging the gap between theory and practice.

‘Reality is broken: why games make us better and how they can change the world’ 2012, Choice Reviews Online, vol. 49, no. 11, pp. 49–609549–6095.

i just downloaded discord to "research" gaming communities... totally not because i got addicted to that new game everyone's playing 🎮*

ps: drop a comment about your fave digital community! are you a reddit girlie? twitter stan? youtube comment section warrior? let's chat! 💕

[lacthehumann]

✧ When Social Theory Meets Social Media: A Student's Deep Dive ✧

#MDA20009 #socialmedia #digitalculture #academia but make it ✨fun✨

hello bestiesss! 👋 your fave media student is back with another deep dive into this week's theories, and omg?? my brain is literally exploding with how these old-school theories perfectly explain our chaotic social media lives??

Story time! 🌟 

So picture this: you're scrolling through tiktok at 2am (as one does), and suddenly you're like "wait why am I doing that dance trend in my mirror rn??" 👀 WELL BESTIES let me tell you there's actually ~science~ behind that 🧠✨

Let's take the butter board trend that literally broke the internet (if you somehow missed it, it was this whole aesthetic thing where people were spreading butter artistically on boards and it was lowkey gorgeous ngl). This trend is literally giving us ALL the social theories in one aesthetic package!!

First up: Bandura's Social Learning Theory 📚

The way it spread? That's literally what Bandura was talking about when he did that famous doll experiment! Like, those kids copied adults hitting dolls just like we're out here copying tiktoks when we see others getting tons of likes and comments Carbonell (2007). it's giving ✨psychology✨ but make it social media

but wait bestie, there's MORE 💅

The Multi-step Flow Theory entered the chat: 

ok so the tea is ☕️: it wasn't just random people making these butter boards. It started with those food influencers we all follow (aka the opinion leaders in fancy academic speak). then their followers were like "omg need to try this" and BOOM 💥 suddenly everyone's feed was just,,,butter?? Boyd (2015) literally predicted this in their research about how influence works in digital spaces and I'm lowkey shook??

Now let's get a bit deeper (yes bestie, we're going there) 🤔

Remember how those philosophers were all about this thing called the "public sphere"?? well social media said "hold my butter board" and created this whole new vibe where trends and serious discussions live together rent free in our heads. BUT (and this is kind of problematic tbh) the algorithms are literally choosing what we see?? like,,,ma'am?? Castells (2005) spilled the tea about how these platforms are literally shaping our reality and I felt that 😩

Speaking of which, can we talk about Cultivation Theory for a hot sec?? 🌱

The way we spend hours on these apps thinking everyone's life is just aesthetic coffee shops and perfect outfit pics?? Gerbner & Gross (1976) were so right about how media exposure shapes our reality bestie. Like, I literally spent three hours trying to get the perfect butter board pic for the gram,,,help??

And here's the real galaxy brain moment: 🌌

The Technological Determinism theory is actually serving looks here. These platforms aren't just showing us content - they're literally changing how we behave?? Like, would anyone have cared about aesthetically pleasing butter without Instagram's visual format?? 

The most relatable part tho?? The Third-Person Effect is sending me 💀

We're all out here like "oh everyone else is so influenced by social media" while making our own butter boards 🤡 (yes i made one, no i won't be taking questions at this time, yes it was for research purposes only obviously)

✧ tl;dr ✧

basically what i learned this week is that even tho we've gone from tv to tiktok, humans are still just,,, vibing and copying each other in the exact same ways but make it ✨digital✨

Reference list

boyd, danah 2015, ‘Social Media: A Phenomenon to be Analyzed’, Social Media + Society, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 205630511558014.

Castells, Manuel and Cardoso, Gustavo, eds., The Network Society: From Knowledge to Policy. Washington, DC: Johns Hopkins Center for Transatlantic Relations, 2005

Carbonell, C 2007, ‘Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide’, The Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 731–733.

Gerbner, G & Gross, L 1976, ‘Living with Television: the Violence Profile’, Journal of Communication, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 172–199.

‘Technological determinism vs. social shaping of technology : the influence of activity trackers on users attitudes’ n.d.

*note to followers: yes i wrote this while procrastinating on my actual essay due next week 🤪*

*also yes i have 27 tabs open with readings i haven't started yet 📚*

*update: make that 28 tabs because i just found another interesting paper while writing this 😭*

ps: drop a comment if you also fell victim to the butter board trend bestie 👇 we're all in this together ✨