mmakaylllaa

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 11 11/7

How has Black Twitter shown the intertwinement of social media and activism?

With the countless hashtags created in this online community space to advocate for innocent Black lives lost and challenge the dangerous bias in mainstream media, Black twitter has shown time and time again that incorporating activism and social media makes a difference. “Consequently, the hashtag #APHeadlines also demonstrates the power of Twitter, particularly black twitter, in exposing implicit bias and changing the narrative.” The purpose of this hashtag was to hold Associated Press accountable with damaging and misleading headlines. Shortly after sparking this conversation with a hashtag, the press corrected the headline. It is surely a short step in recognition but unfortunately not close enough to aiding in bringing justice in these situations. I believe these organizations and media outlets do not care about the consequences of misinformation until faced with backlash in fear of ruining their reputation. If these media outlets wanted to properly highlight the community, they would need to start with proper information with no bias and incorporation of the real people affected. This push for accountability and change is possible when we continue to pair activism and social media to spread the word and gain traction.

How have cyber protests proven to enforce and encourage change in the past?

The Black Lives Matter movement is a prominent era in both digital culture and US history that has proven to effectively encourage and enforce change. While the core of BLM’s impact comes from physical protests, policy advocacy, and community organizing- its digital strategies have amplified its message and overall reach. With the creation of #BLM, millions have been able to share stories, organize protests, and call attention to police brutality and systemic racism. With viral campaigns on social media platforms, information on the movement spread quickly as the world was able to witness firsthand accounts of police violence and raise awareness on a global level.

How can we compare and contrast online activism to physical activism?

Although both practices are powerful for encouraging social and political change, they have very distinct characteristics and limitations. In terms of online activism, participants are allowed a broad reach with the use of hashtags, viral posts, and shared content to reach millions at the speed of a share button. With this there are also no entry barriers since the internet allows for petitions, donations, and open engagement. Physical activism has a more local impact as physical protests tend to focus on a specific area. There is also a higher commitment level as participating in a physical demonstration requires time, travel, and risk which limits participation to some. While both have been proven to spread messages it is important to know the risk factor with getting physically involved.

What ethical issues do online activism pose?

Online activism comes with a range of ethical issues and concerns such as misinformation, doxxing, privacy violations, cyber harassment, toxic behavior, cancel culture, anonymity, and amplification of extremist views. Since online activism spreads quickly, this also means misleading information spreads rapidly. This poses a danger as it leaves room for unintentionally or intentionally spreading extremist views, assumptions, or incorrect data and destroying credibility and trust. A huge ethical issue involved in every form of activism is harassment and toxic behavior due to opposing views or those involved not conforming to certain expected standards. This impact creates hostility and ultimately deters the entire meaning of uniformity. By addressing these issues and concerns we must also find a balance for effectively advocating for change while respecting principles of privacy and accountability.

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 10 10/31

How does trolling today look compared to its origins as defined by Phillips?

Trolling has evolved from its early days on the internet to its present-day manifestation. From relatively lighthearted mischief to malicious complex behavior with real world consequences. In the early 90s, trolling emerged in small online forums and message boards as a form of playful disruption, often aiming to provoke humorous misunderstanding or satire arguments. Early trolls enjoyed inciting funny reactions, while trolling largely considered harmless jokes. However, as the internet expanded and platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit gained users, trolling reached larger and more diverse audiences. This shift amplified its effects, often leading to more hostile and extreme behavior such as cyberbullying, doxxing, and organized harassment campaigns that targeted marginalized individuals or groups.

Why is Grandpa Wiggly a person of interest in the topic of trolling?

Grandpa Wiggly undoubtedly falls into the category of a troll due to his disruptive discourse on social media. His personal acts were giving bad advice, damaging trust, sneaking into online communities to disrupt conversations. “Throughout the entire aftermath of Grandpa Wiggly’s unmasking, his creator continued to maintain that he viewed the character as a creative writing exercise”. This excuse holds little to no validity due to the fact that this character was merely a front to the user's real identity. In fact, when exposed he was willing to keep up the act. At this point reddit users who were once amused with his acts were now rather disturbed as there is no more anonymity. This is interesting on a psychological level as we are left unknowing what is the breaking point to those entertained by trolling and how far trolls are willing to go for satisfactory reasons.

How did cyberbullying affect Leslie Jones personally and professionally?

The cyberbullying Leslie Jones faces caused an intense emotional toil due to the sexist, outright racist, and homophobic hate and overall defamation of her character and identity. With personal photos and information being “leaked” it felt like, in her words, she was “in her own personal hell”. The fact that people are able to take over your social media at any given point is terrifying enough but this was an act of hate. On a professional side, the harassment caused a shadow over her career and projects and led to her ending social media use and ultimately ending her ability to engage with fans and followers.

How serious of a threat is trolling in America?

Trolling has truly surpassed its days of poking jokes on social media to other online communities and led to the real world with damaging and dangerous outcomes. A memorable example brought up in class would have to be Pizzagate. The dangerous allegations against a pizza parlor for political differences and conspiracy theories which led to an armed man traveling to the exact pizza parlor in an attempt to free the supposed kids trapped in its basement. Another very popular use of trolling would have to be doxxing amongst differing pop bases. For example Nicki Minaj’s “Barbz” doxxing opposing stan groups and showing up to their homes or places of work.

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 8 Blog Post #7 10/17

This is my gaming avatar from Sims. Her name is Kathy White and she is a “trad-wife” in the suburbs. When creating Kathy and her world I wanted to base it off my favorite type of women in the media: rich women/ housewives. I got my inspo from shows like Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives empire, Sex and the City, etc. I didn’t have to think of a username for her it kind of came to my head- something simple: Kathy White. I obviously didn’t base her off me so her being a rich white woman portraying a lifestyle I find entertaining was the thought behind how she looks. She’s wearing simple clothing, nothing too flashy but a pop of color in her heels and makeup. I think a big part of Sims is being able to disguise one’s identity through these avatars but the only thing I disguised in this avatar was my race. I guess I could’ve made her Hispanic like myself but I was basing her off fictional characters that don’t look like me. I can connect this to what we’ve been discussing in class to racism translating between online and the real world with the media constantly creating an image of how something is supposed to look like.

This is my day-to-day “Memoji” that I had created through iPhone’s avatar feature. I used my name- Makayla Lopez and ultimately tried to match the avatar as best I could to me by details such as freckles, think eyebrows, and the silver hoops I’ve had for years. Not pictured here but the clothing on this avatar is a knitted sweater- my favorite clothing item ever. Going back to how I wanted this avatar to mirror me I also incorporated personal taste in clothing. I was not interested in disguising my identity for this avatar as it is the icon representing my contact information.

This would be my social avatar or bitmoji from Snapchat. The thought behind the creation of this was again my personal taste with clothing such as the baggier jeans and knitted sweater and my efforts to mirror me exactly through details such as my freckles and dark features. The username is also just my name because I would want to represent myself honestly. In creating my bitmoji I wasn’t interested in disguising my race, gender, or sex because I wanted to give an accurate enough picture to who I am.

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 7 Blog 10/10

What is the difference between white privilege and colorblind privilege?

While both are connected to how race and power operate in society, they function differently. White privilege refers to the unearned advantages and benefits that white people receive simply because of their race in this society that is structured around racial hierarchies. White privilege manifests in areas such as education, employment, housing, healthcare, and the justice system. White people are less likely to experience discrimination, exclusion, or violence because of this and have access to much more than others. Colorblind privilege is the concept derived from “colorblindness” which is an ideology claiming race does/should not matter in society. This perspective suggests that we can progress towards an equal society if we ignore race or treat everyone as if we are the same. As great as this may seem in theory, colorblindness often results in denial of existing racial disparities and structural advantages/disadvantages. So in essence, colorblind privilege is beneficial towards those pretending race doesn’t matter which ultimately ignores racial issues which then results in maintaining the status quo, encouraging white supremacy.

How do our algorithms determine aspects of our identity such as race or gender?

Algorithms can determine aspects of our identity, such as race or gender by analyzing data patterns and behaviors such as what identity markers we interact with. For one, users typically fill out explicit data that may self-identify their gender, race, identity, or sexuality. Another way would be through implicit data such as language, browsing history, location. This allows algorithms to identify a demographic based on behavioral aspects. A major indicator would also have to be media consumption and interaction. When users interact with similar pieces of media and online communities, it is easier to create a self identifying algorithm.

How does the active presence of white supremacy translate into real life?

With racial bias often embedded in technology, there is an active presence of white supremacy due to the acceptance of these behaviors. This translates into real life through a variety of harmful social, political, and institutional behaviors that reinforce racial inequalities, oppression, and violence. White supremacist beliefs are often propagated through online platforms, where individuals are radicalized into extreme ideologies. These communities provide a space for white supremacists to share hateful rhetoric, recruit followers, and plan real-world actions. January 6th is a great example of how online white supreme translates into real world events with significant impact.

How is tokenism used by marketing strategists?

Tokenism is often used by marketing strategists as a superficial way to showcase diversity and inclusion without making genuine efforts to authentically represent diverse communities. This typically involves underrepresented groups such as POC, LGBTQ+, women of different body types, and those with disabilities. This type of diversity in advertisements can be classified as performative due to the illusion of diversity without consistent or authentic representation,

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 6 Blog 10/3

What are some examples of white supremacy in online spaces?

Besides bias embedded into coding leading to racism infiltrating online spaces we need to look at the conscious decisions gamers use when participating in video games pushing stereotypes.

“...the ��male” cyborg continues to march on preestablished pathways of colonization, domination, and destruction through his militarized versions of video games and Nintendo wars.” (The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator) Although the point of this Terminator character is supposed to represent an apocalyptic future, the author poses a great question- what thought was put behind racializing the character with a distasteful name? This character poses as a ‘menace’ going through the virtual world committing heinous acts while posing as a certain race. The owner of this game sent out a statement claiming this game is merely a parody- ultimately confining the gamer and society to view and play the game through the lens of a “joke” which undermines any damage caused to the targeted community. This also poses another issue of preserving white supremacy and outcasting any backlash,

How can we relate today’s society to the Black Mirror episode “Nosedive”?

We are a very digital society reliant on connection and validation. Nosedive shows a world that poses as a futuristic one but with all the same values as the average middle class trying to climb to the top. Lacie starts off with a basic rating and due to the possibility of economic and social opportunities, she dedicates every interaction and moment of her day to creating and maintaining superficial relationships. The rating system is mostly based on social media posts which leads to an obsession to strive for others to perceive one in the most perfect lighting. Through the episode we see this has detrimental impacts on Lacie’s mental health and relationships which only lowers her status. Another important detail to take note of is the exploitation of personal data. We see this as Lacie is applying for apartments and is only considered for qualification based on her data and networks. We can relate all this to our day to day lives as we are currently in an obsessive, image/status driven society which distorts real life. Although the episode may pose as an extreme take, we must understand it emphasizes the dangers of having our lives so intertwined with technology.

How do we perform gender/race online?

Throughout the entire online world, we are able to present ourselves in any possible way. This goes beyond our posts and bios but into what media we consume and what online communities we interact with. We make language choices such as “feminine” or “masculine” communication, code switching, or even emojis. We decide when it is appropriate to use these communication styles based on our virtual communities, platforms, and social movements. It is important to note the dangers of these anonymous and fluid identities. Many take the opportunity to push gender and racial stereotypes and overt discrimination such as microaggressions, gendered harassment, and racial trolling all posed as “dark humor”.

How does race differ from real life and the cyberworld?

In our everyday real life, race is perceived based on visuality such as skin color, facial features, and cultural clues. These indicators are ultimately irreversible as people are assigned these racial identities at birth. In the cyberworld, online users have autonomy to hide, alter, or emphasize any aspects of their identity- both real or made up. The choice to remain anonymous allows people to present themselves without immediate visual indicators of race which can either reduce or completely remove any existing racial bias throughout online actions. A major privilege is for those in the online world is the option to present as something other than their racial identity, which is entirely impossible throughout face to face interactions.

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 3 Blog 9/12

How do algorithms correlate to anti-black racism?

As discussed in Nicole Brown’s “Race and Technology” Youtube video, predictive policing technology has been used in the past decade to create strategic “hit-lists” to predict who would be most likely to commit or be involved with violent crimes in the area. These innocent civilians and children with no criminal past were on high surveillance in real life, as well as their data. Anything put into their algorithms would count as incriminating evidence. Sociologist Simone Brown’s book “Dark Matters” is briefly summarized through the video. It is noteworthy to acknowledge the racial and Black surveillance themes. As technologies continue to use bias and objectification against Black communities society must create and advocate for safe and inclusive spaces within the virtual world.

How has social media proven to encourage social justice and hate at the same time?

What immediately comes to my head is the BLM movement during 2020. After the unjust arrest and murder of George Floyd, uprisings in Black communities led to protests being broadcasted. With every scroll through social media and flip through news channels we were seemingly seeing the same content with different headlines and reactions. If we circle back, the death of George Floyd itself was unfortunately a trending topic with everyone’s biased opinions rather than a call of action for an act of abuse of power. Things such as his past criminal record were brought up through the media to justify what had happened to him, others used plain excuses such as his race. The Black Lives Matter movement had already gained traction years prior due to another murder of a young Black man. Black communities weren’t feeling heard or supported and the BLM movement was once again brought to headlines to advocate for Black voices and consequences to the police force. Now as this progressed and protests made way, lootings, attacks on protests, and curfews were put into place in many areas across the country. Depending on your algorithm you probably saw an array of discourse about the matter, so much so that it had taken away from the point of what was being advocated for in the first place. WIth the freedom of speech we have the right to voice our opinions on these heavy topics surrounding social justice, but society should practice proper and respectful netiquette so we use our voices with purpose.

How much does the healthcare system really depend on technology and how are people of color affected by this?

As society progresses, so do the systems within such as healthcare. Hospitals are actually quite dependent on technology as it is now considered an essential. Some technological advancements used in the healthcare system include data and analytics, diagnostic tools, telemedicine, and electronic health records. All sounds great so how would these pose as issues to people of color? With Electronic Health Records, hospitals are able to transfer patient data for improved treatment and coordination but when it comes to patients in areas with limited digital resources they are left with outdated medical treatment. “Racial bias in a medical algorithm favors white patients over sicker black patients” headlines The Washington Post as seen on Nicole Brown’s “Race and Technology” Youtube video. So yes, the use of data, algorithms, and technology has been proven to create a progressive era for healthcare and its patients, but we as a society must be aware of how this affects minority communities due to embedded bias and properly advocate for change.

Is AI ruining the future of students?

As students are distanced from pencils and paper and moved onto digital spaces, there is a lack of creativity and critical thinking within the entire generation of students. Students are able to use Grammarly and ChatGPT to write papers. Students are able to use Photomath and Mathway to complete math problems. Students are limited to a keyboard and screen for discussions and are missing raw interactions and conversations. This is a danger to the future workforce as many students are cheating their way through schooling and depending on hands on experience without book knowledge and human networking. Many are afraid of AI becoming the future of everything and that can only happen if we continue this co-dependent relationship with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uiAjigKy8

Automating Inequality Intro (Eubanks)

Rethinking Cyberfeminism (Daniels

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 2 Blog Post (9/6)

How does the new wave of advertisements used in every aspect of social media directly feed into overconsumption?

With every scroll is a new advertisement with “links attached below”. These promoters are able to get a percentage of each sale so advertisements then double. So when viewers are bombarded with these multiple items being praised as the best next thing, these viewers are turned into virtual customers. This is an issue that most definitely leads to overconsumption- for example: individuals owning multiple “reusable water cups” or something as simple as content creators posting multiple identical clothing items asking the audience for their opinion. Consumer culture makes the average person feel liberated for having access to “the next best thing” with multiple great advertisements but in reality it is capitalism winning.

Are these promotion social media accounts victim to exploitation as well?

By using Fuchs critical theory to critique domination and exploitation, we can see that everyone but higher groups of the elite tier of capitalism are victims of exploitation. “...one group controls property and has the means to force others to work so that they produce goods or property that they do not own themselves, but the owning class controls.” There have been classes of society throughout history so even when a group of higher working class’ monetary gain may seem major, it will always amount to nothing compared to who they are really working for. According to Ben Agger, critical social theory is heavily based on the structural phenomenon- denomination and exploitation. Overall, these structures through society cannot be denied.

Is AI a threat to the world or only those countries with lacking laws on the matter of regulation?

Since AI belongs to the technical world it is safe to say that any country with tighter regulation laws regarding AI may still face issues as any other country. With the simple switch of location using a VPN users can use AI for potential unethical use. Such as pushing biased campaigns, surveillance, profiling and even false criminalization. So overall, AI can still pose as a global issue no matter the border it resides in due to technology being worldwide and easily accessible.

What are the dangers of biased news outlets?

New outlets typically show bias through content based on their target audience. This can be seen as an issue as viewers use this to validate and fuel pre-existing opinions or mindsets instead of relying on facts. Some examples of what these biases lead to are: the spread of misinformation, group polarization, and something we have been seeing increase in the past few years such as political segregation.

FUCHS, C. (2014). Social Media: A critical introduction. SAGE PUBLICATIONS.

[mmakaylllaa]

Week 1 (8/26-30): Storytime

When Coachella 2024 passes had gone on sale my friend and I were waiting in queue for what seemed like hours. Keep in mind Coachella is split into 2 weekends, we were trying to buy weekend one passes when suddenly the queue refreshed and we were kicked out of the online “waiting room”. Our determined selves tried to rush back in but every pass tier was sold out except VIP and we weren’t sure we wanted to spend $2000 since the whole reason we were planning on going was to see Lana del Rey. We eventually decided to rearrange the plans we had in place of weekend two passes and surprise: the same thing happened to us. With the server continuously crashing on us we thought we’d never live out our dream of seeing Lana live. Three days before weekend two had started we were lucky enough to buy passes through Facebook resellers! Long story short, when trying to get any festival/ concert tickets the server is most definitely going to crash…but thank goodness for resellers.