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w11 - How Social Media works in China

Social Media Platforms

Citizens in China do not use social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and numerous others. Instead, citizens there use Weibo, which is similar to Facebook, WeChat, which is similar to WhatsApp, YouKu, which is similar to YouTube, and many other apps.

According to Zucchi K (2021), in terms of global censorship, China is widely regarded as having one of the most extensive and advanced systems. Websites and keywords are filtered, social media is censored, and content posters who discuss sensitive or political topics are arrested as part of the "Great Firewall." Basically, everything is under control by the governments and being monitored by them.

I personally do not like communist countries like China, maybe because I lived in Malaysia which is a democratic country. I feel like being a citizen living in a communist country, I will feel very pressured and concerned about all my doings wherever I go. I remember hearing from a friend, He says, "China banned Facebook, YouTube, etc, is because the government does not wish the Westerners to influence the citizens of China. They wanna keep their Chinese culture forever and do not let us Chinese to live like a Westerner".

I am not so sure why China had banned social media platforms from the United States and created their own social media platforms for their own citizens. I could only imagine that people in China only know what's going on around in their country only, and nothing from around the world like a frog in a well. It is hypocritical for governments to have access to all social media platforms, claiming that they are monitoring what's going on around the world in order to see if any country or people have said anything negative about China or its leader.

China bans Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh? Who's afraid of him? As far as I can tell, it's the Chinese government. According to Hass B (2018), As comparisons became more prevalent and the meme spread online, censors began removing images mocking Xi. HBO's website was blocked last month after comedian John Oliver repeatedly mocked the Chinese president's apparent sensitivity to comparisons to Winnie the Pooh. Additionally, the segment focused on China's appalling human rights record.

Conclusion

I personally really think that China must not ban social media platforms from the United States and instead let their own people explore what's going on around the world and have no limitation on the internet. I feel like the more you want to control, the more they wanna find out. There are people who are extremely ignorant that they do not even know people with black skin exist(African American). As for the government, please do not take small matters very seriously, unless it is a life-threatening thing that could cause bad things to happen to you personally and to your country.

References

Hass, B 2018, 'China bans Winnie the Pooh film after comparisons to President Xi', The Guardian, November 3, viewed on 27 November, <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-winnie-the-pooh-film-to-stop-comparisons-to-president-xi>.

Zucchi, K 2021, 'Why Facebook is Banned in China & How to Access It', Investopedia, June 5, viewed on 27 November, <https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/042915/why-facebook-banned-china.asp>.

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w10 - Gaming Communities

I enjoy playing games alone or with my squads whenever I have free time. Simply have a good time with my friends and laugh about it. We would constantly diss each other, talking about how noob you can be in games whenever one of us made a silly mistake. We were only joking around and didn't take those words seriously. However, it does not apply in the gaming community with other players. Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games are known to have a very toxic community and environment. For example, games like League Of Legends and Dota2.

I've met countless toxic players in games. Whenever you did some mistakes in games, they would just go all out and have a keyboard war with you during the game. These keyboard warriors do not care a single thing about your feelings, they just want to win the games. NO ONE'S PERFECT. Even if you're a pro player, micro mistakes can happen. I personally do not flame other players based on their mistakes, well I've got no mercies on my friends. I would say it nicely and appropriately to my own teammates for them to change their playstyles and turn the table around in order for us to win the game. I myself had mistakes too and I would take their advice when they say it nicely. However, there are many keyboard warriors who love to cuss and talk bad things about their teammates, I would just mute their chat and continue one with my game.

Stuck in "elo hell"

According to Wilko, tilting is a major factor that affects the majority of ranked games in League of Legends. If things aren't going your way, or your teammate decides to just feed the enemy team, you'll feel so angry and so tilted that you just wanna bang your own keyboard and stuff (which I don't, cuz I've got a pretty expensive setup, Thank God). Try to give yourself a break and don't let that get into your nerves. You can simply ignore those toxic players and concentrate on your own game in order to turn the tide and make a comeback. If players are having losing streaks in ranked games, give yourself a break because it will only lead you to lose more in the end. The most important piece of advice for any player is to recognize that they are in Elo Hell. You must stop blaming other players for your misfortune. Yes, your teammates can drag you down at times, but in League of Legends, you are in charge of your own destiny. Meaning, if you play well and get fed early on, you will be able to carry the game. So, if you want to climb the ranks and get out of Elo Hell, practice more by playing better than everyone else.

Effect of Games on Mental Health

According to HealtyGamer, video games foster a sense of belonging. Someone who is lonely in real life can make friends online. These friends can be extremely genuine. Because the usual barriers to long-term friendships, such as geographical distance, are no longer an issue, relationships formed online can last a long time. In fact, for some people, these friends are their only source of support, and as a result, they assist them in getting through difficult times, including dealing with mental illness. These people could relate to each other's problems in life. Therefore, they are able to cope with each other very well and be best friends online.

In conclusion

The gaming community can be both positive and negative. Let us not spread hate throughout the gaming communities, but spread love instead. You'll have no idea what that individual had been going through. Imagine flaming a depressed person; the outcome will be disastrous. As a result, gamers should make good use of these platforms and not take them for granted.

References

HealtyGamer, 'Video Games and Depression: Is There a Connection?', viewed on 16 November, <https://www.healthygamer.gg/blog/video-games-and-depression>.

Spezzy, 2021, 'League of Legends Elo Hell – How to get out of it?', LeagueFeed, 13 June, viewed on 16 November, <https://leaguefeed.net/league-of-legends-elo-hell-how-to-get-out-of-it/>.

Wilko, 2017, 'Get Good: How to Become a Better League of Legends Player', Dignitas, 29 July, viewed on 16 November, <https://dignitas.gg/articles/blogs/Unknown/10620/get-good-how-to-become-a-better-league-of-legends-player>.

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w9 - Fandom

The state or condition of being a fan of someone or something is referred to as fandom. For example, we use the term fandom to describe a group of people who adore a particular celebrity, hero, sports team, television show, or a variety of other things.

What? Any examples ma?

Take the Korean male Kpop group, BTS for an example. The fan group of BTS is known as the BTS Army. The team "A.R.M.Y" stands for "Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth," and it has a lot of meaning behind it. Because "Army" is associated with the military, body armor, and how those two things are always together, the fandom name basically means that fans will always be with BTS.

Some hardcore "fans" go crazy about it

Beware jumping on the BTS bandwagon; the group's toxic fan “A.R.M.Y.” might wage war on you. Even if you say some bad things about the BTS K-pop group in the most formal way possible, those toxic fans will come at you. Toxic fans, on the other hand, are the abusive party in an abusive relationship with the content they enjoy. That is, they aren't there to celebrate it; rather, they are there to control and negate it. Fans who are toxic can also be abusive to other fans.

But still, Fandom can be a good thing too la

The BTS K-pop group had help raised 1 million dollar for the racial justice organization Black Lives Matter. It helps create and raising awareness to their fellow fans and be aware of what is happening around the world too. "We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives." Inspired by the group's action, the BTS Army set a #MatchAMillion goal and made it happen with donations to BLM that surpassed $1 million.

So last but not least

Fandom can be good and bad as well. We as a fan towards our idols or whatsoever have to be careful and not misuse it. I believe all these celebrities or idols have their own responsibilities to "tame" these toxic fans. That will slowly lead others to hate that particular group of celebrities or idols because of those toxic fans.

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w8 - Crowdsourcing

What is crowdsourcing?

To be honest, this is the first time that I've ever encountered this word and I do not know what crowdsourcing is. Here's what I had found. According to Livescault (2021), crowdsourcing is the process of obtaining information, goods, or services from a large group of people. These individuals respond to online requests for their ideas via social media, smartphone apps, or dedicated crowdsourcing platforms.

What it does?

Crowdsourcing can be used to solve a wide range of problems. Small things like a band asking its fans which cities they should visit on their next tour are examples of this. Crowdsourcing has a lot of potential on social media. For instance, the Obama administration has used Twitter to solicit questions for town hall debates, and football clubs have asked fans to vote for their team's starting lineup before each match. Ideas for Action, a forum for students and young professionals to submit solutions to global innovation challenges, is an example of crowdsourcing in action.

Which company uses crowdsourcing?

As a result, over 80% of global brands, including such giants as McDonald's, Coca Cola, and Dell have used crowdsourcing over the past decades. From logos and graphic design to recipes and answers to common questions, crowdsourcing can be used for virtually any type and aspect of a business (Norton 2021).

A very good example of a company that uses crowdsourcing is Lego. The company had developed a website where users could share their creativity towards their builds with Lego blocks and shared it on the website. Here's the website's link https://ideas.lego.com/. The design that gets the most votes will get reviewed by the company. Lego can use this method to not only get free designs for unique products, but also to figure out how much demand there is for them. Users are creating more buzz around Lego as they try to promote their product ideas and gain likes. As a result, the brand's mindshare grows and it receives free advertising.

References

Livescault, J 2021, "What is Crowdsourcing? (in 2021)", braineet, viewed 4 November, <https://www.braineet.com/blog/crowdsourcing>.

Norton, K 2021, "12 Brands Using Crowdsourcing for Product Design Ideas", cad crowd, viewed 4 November, <https://www.cadcrowd.com/blog/12-brands-using-crowdsourcing-for-product-design-ideas/>.

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W7 - Social Media Public Health

What is Public Health?

The science of protecting and improving people's and communities' health is known as public health. Promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing, and responding to infectious diseases are all part of this work. The overall goal of public health is to protect the health of entire populations. These populations can range in size from a single neighborhood to an entire country or region of the globe (CDC Foundation 2021).

Why is it important?

In contrast to clinical professionals like doctors and nurses, who focus primarily on treating individuals after they become sick or injured, public health professionals try to prevent problems from occurring or recurring by implementing educational programs, recommending policies, administering services, and conducting research. In addition, public health works to reduce health disparities. Promoting health care equity, quality, and accessibility is a big part of public health.

Social Media

I remember the moment when Covid-19 was and still is a big deal to all of us now, we all encountered Covid-19 news through social media when we first heard of it. The virus outbreak was in Wuhan, China, and people from social media went crazy about it. There were posts and news about the virus everywhere, there's nothing we could do to not know what's that thing or even ignore it. Later, the virus' symptoms, how it spread ways to prevent getting Covid-19 and many many more started to appear in social media as well. Government updates its citizens by sharing Covid-19 status daily and news related to the virus to keep us well updated.

But there's a catch

Fake news. I am from Malaysia, and there are many uncle anties that I know like to share fake news with their own family and friends through WhatsApp. This is very wrong and misleading. People will start to worry and it gives unnecessary stress towards one and another. Many people start panicking and rush towards a supermarket. They literally just buy everything they think it's helpful for this covid pandemic, which is useless at all. For example, toilet paper. I've seen people piling up stacks after stacks of toilet paper rolls on their shopping cart in the supermarket. This is why, social media users must fact check first, before sharing the news.

How do I prevent myself from sharing fake news?

First and foremost, all social media users must follow a trusted news page. People may say, "oh well, so how do I know if it's real or not?". Take Instagram for an example. Those accounts with a blue tick beside their names, it means that the accounts are verified by Instagram's social media teams, and will not share fake news to their own followers.

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W6 - What does Social Activisms have to do with Social Media?

What is Social Activism?

Social activism is a deliberate action aimed at achieving long-term social change. Anyone who is passionate about a cause can become a social activist by working to bring about effective and positive change.

Why is Social Activisms important?

Activism gives you more control over your life and helps you overcome feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. We must join a cause to improve our sense of belonging in the community and to support others in their quest, especially during pandemics (Prilleltensky 2020).

There weren't so many Social Activisms happened in Malaysia, especially in Kuching, Sarawak if we were to compare it with the United States. I had never been to a protest rally in my own country. So if there were to be some protest going on in my own country, I do not think that I would join as well. Unless it is a serious matter that will affect the whole population in Malaysia in the future, I would consider joining.

As mentioned above, social activism is a deliberate action aimed at achieving long-term social change, but some people who join in are just merely for fun and make more trouble. Take Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest as an example. Protesters who sincerely joined the protest really do want to make changes for the African Americans and stop police brutality against them. Those who joined the protest for fun started smashing shop lots along their way and made a horrible scene. Those aggressive "protesters" were putting others who protest peacefully at risk. In the end, the protest might have just become meaningless because of these people but luckily not.

Social Media Activism

There are lots of social activism that happened in the social media. Examples of well known social media activism are Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, and many more. According to Khiry 2020, following the implementation of state-mandated social distancing measures, responses to the police officers' and white supremacists' murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and countless others coalesced into the widespread revival of the Black Lives Matter movement. Millions of people took to the streets in protest around the world, while others expressed their displeasure online, shared resources, and raised money for racial justice organisations and victims' families. Several celebrities have since expressed their condolences on social media and raised awareness about the injustice of the incident as well.

Referencing

Khiry, Z 2020, 'Why is Social Media Activism Important?', 23 December, viewed on 14 October, <https://www.onlineoptimism.com/blog/social-media-activism/>.

Prilleltensky, I 2020, 'The Importance of Activism during a Crisis', 21 July, viewed on 14 October, <https://culture.miami.edu/blog/importance-of-activism/index.html>.

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W5 - What does Social Media have to do with Politics?

Who doesn't use social media now on a daily basis? People now use social media every time, every day. It is because social media contains lots of information and it keeps us updated on the latest news all the time. I believe many youngsters now do not spare their time for reading newspapers. What an old fashion way yikes. #justkidding

What Impact Has Social Media Had On Political Campaigns?

While rallies, peaceful protests, and fundraisers are still common, social media has surpassed them in terms of generating interest and action for various causes, particularly among the youth(The Graduate School of Political Management 2021). Now, social media has served as a focal point for political participation.

I remember the time when Donald Trump was up for election, many celebrities were using social media to share their opinions and voice themselves out. Most of the celebrities did share their opinions on "why vote for Joe Biden". Fans were encouraged to vote for the Biden-Harris ticket by John Legend, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Cardi B, while 50 Cent and Kid Rock backed Trump until the end (Burney 2020).

Donald Trump being Donald Trump himself had too much impact and influence during the time of election. In the end, Donald Trump had won the election and became the president of the United States during the year 2017.

Conclusion

Social media can be used for many purposes. Social media does influence our political behavior. Therefore, one should use social media carefully and not spread false news towards one and another. Celebrities and influencers really do play a very important role models for their fellow fans.

References

Burney, O 2020, 'Which celebrities voted for Donald Trump vs Joe Biden? 13 Hollywood and music stars who made their pick for president known in the 2020 US election', South China Morning Post, viewed 6 October 2021,<https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3109079/which-celebrities-voted-donald-trump-vs-joe-biden-13>.

'How Social Media Has Affected Political Campaigns', The Graduate Scool of Political Managment 2021, viewed 6 October, <https://gspm.online.gwu.edu/blog/how-social-media-has-affected-political-campaigns/>.

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W4 - Blogs in TikTok & Instagram era?

What are blogs?

A blog, on the other hand, was more of a personal journal where people shared online. You could talk about your daily life or share what you were up to in this online journal. People saw an opportunity to communicate information in a new way via the internet at that time. As a result, the wonderful world of blogging was born (Minaev 2021).

Based on my opinion, I believe many youngsters now do not really understand the concepts and purposes of blogging. I was born in the year 2001. When I first started using social media, Facebook was the most mainstream among all. All I did was "Like" and "Share" each other's posts, uploaded some pictures during an occasion, and shared some funny short videos. It was known as Vines back then.

Are blogs still relevant now in 2021?

Yes, according to my research online, blogging is still relevant now in 2021. In fact, approximately 409 million internet users read almost 20 billion blog pages each month. As a result, 53% of marketers consider blogging to be their primary content for marketing strategy. Furthermore, blogging has grown by 12 percent in the last five years (Sanders 2021).

Blogs can be written in many different ways. Some bloggers would like to share their own journeys or experiences throughout their life. On the other hand, there are many business companies that promote themselves through blogging as well.

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a 15-second video-sharing app that allows users to make and share videos on any subject they like. According to an App Annie analysis, TikTok surpassed Facebook and WhatsApp as the most popular social app in the world in 2020 (Lovejoy 2021).

TikTok is just like blogging. It's just that users share their content or journey throughout their life with short video clips, rather than just writing a blog on a website.

Conclusion

I personally do not share my own experiences online with strangers. That is why I prefer using Facebook and Instagram. It is because I could share all my experiences and funny things like memes freely that can only be seen by my own family and friends. I feel like there's no need for a stranger to know all or latest details about my life and kinda feel unsafe for that too.

References

Lovejoy, B 2021, 'Most popular social app in 2020 was TikTok, overtaking Facebook', viewed 30 September, <https://9to5mac.com/2021/08/10/tiktok-most-popular-social-app/>.

Minaev, A 2021, 'What is a Blog? - Definition of Terms Blog, Blogging, and Blogger', viewed 30 September, <https://firstsiteguide.com/what-is-blog/>.

Sanders, K 2021, 'Are Blogs Still Relevant in 2021?', viewed 30 September, <https://nealschaffer.com/are-blogs-still-relevant-in-2019/>.