The Digital Revolution

Is technology taking over?

[brookelevy]

This image by @barbsiegraphy on Instagram strongly relates to my last post (week 11). Although social media is rampant with harassment and bullying, it is important to not change yourself or hide away to please the harassers. Despite those moments being uncomfortable and painful, it is important to remember your strength and continue to flourish. 

[brookelevy]

Online Harassment or Free Speech? (Week 11)

Despite the many benefits of digital citizenship, social media often provides a space for bullying and online harassment. Online harassment can be defined as the use of the Internet to harass, threaten, or maliciously embarrass someone (CCOHS 2017). This has become an increasing concern as according to Pew Research, 41% of Americans have been personally subjected to harassing behavior online, and an even larger share (66%) has witnessed these behaviors directed at others (Pew 2017). 

Image from @sravya_attaluri on Instagram.

On many forums, all comments are anonymous. On others, people have the ability to create usernames or fake names that do not represent their actual identity. This anonymity is utilized to reduce the ability of the victim to defend themselves and to shield the harasser from social consequences, thus worsening the impact and allowing harassment to take place more easily due to lack of accountability (Moore et al. 2012). Further, the consequences of online harassment seem far less obvious and personal, as the victim can not be seen or heard responding. It is much more difficult to empathise with a person when you are unable to see their pain and the damage caused (Norton 2016), therefore it is ideal for harassers to bully online rather than in-person. The Internet acts as a barrier between themselves and the victim, leading to feelings of fearlessness and security. 

Specifically in the United States, there is large debate as to whether these behaviours are those of ‘free speech’ or those of bullying and oppression. According to Pew Research, approximately  “43% of Americans say that offensive speech online is too often excused as not being a big deal, but a larger share (56%) feel that many people take offensive content online too seriously” (Pew 2017). With most harassment targeted toward individuals based on political views, gender, physical appearance and race (Pew 2017), the subjectivity surrounding online conversation leads to further disparity between minorities and the perceived ‘straight, cisgendered, white conservative man’. The question then arises - how far is too far?

Image from @femaleinspiring on Instagram.

Australia has seen recent controversy over a Facebook group called ‘Melb Guy Pals’, created as a men’s alternative of the ‘Melbourne Gal Pals’, a group amassing over 67 thousand participants. However within hours of the group’s formation, there were several explicit posts targeting young women. One boy posted that if he received 75 “love reacts” on his post, he would upload a sex tape of himself and his ex-girlfriend, with others outright posting unconsensual sexual content of underage women (Cohen & Placella 2020). Many posts tagged girls and young women, calling them “whores” and “fat”, with others making horrendous statements such as “Holocaust #2 but instead of jews we target women”. This page was immediately reported by thousands of people after stories of its participants were shared, being removed only days after it was created (Boseley 2020). However, many replica pages spawned following this, claiming free speech and blaming women for their ‘harassment’. 

Ultimately, it is incredibly difficult to dictate what is said online, and the concept of ‘free speech’ will continue to be debated. However for those who are thinking of harassing others online, please consider - would you be capable of saying this to someone’s face?

Image from @bemoremvmt on Instagram.

References

Boseley, M 2020, Melbourne 'guy pals' Facebook group shut down after 'revenge porn' and misogynist abuse posted, The Guardian, viewed 28th May 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/17/melbourne-guy-pals-facebook-group-shut-down-revenge-porn-misogynist-abuse-posted 

CCOHS 2017, Internet Harassment or Cyberbullying : OSH Answers, viewed 28th May 2020, https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/cyberbullying.html 

Cohen, H & Placella, L 2020, Revenge porn sees plug pulled on Facebook site, copycat groups emerge, Mojo, viewed 28th May 2020, https://www.mojonews.com.au/gender-and-sexuality/melb-guy-pals-removed-by-facebook-but-copycats-groups-begin-to-emerge

Moore, M, Nakano, T, Enomoto, A & Suda, T 2012, ‘Anonymity and roles associated with aggressive posts in an online forum’, Computers In Human Behavior, vol.28, no.3, pp.861-867

Norton 2016, Why people are more likely to see online bullying than offline, viewed 28th May 2020, https://uk.norton.com/norton-blog/2016/08/why_people_are_more.html 

Pew 2017, Online Harassment 2017, viewed 28th May 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/07/11/online-harassment-2017/

[brookelevy]

What is a gamer? (Week 10)

If asked to picture a “gamer”, many would envision a teenage or young adult male, who is lazy and unattractive. They are often believed to be socially inept and unpopular, as they hide from others alone in their rooms (Grohol 2013). However more formally, a gamer can be defined as “a hobbyist or individual that enjoys playing various types of digital or online games” (Techopedia 2018). This definition does not lend itself to a particular type of person, so why is the world holding onto a stereotype? According to Statista, in 2019 46% of all gamers in the United States were actually women. Although 40% of these gamers are between the ages of 18 and 35, another 40% of gamers are aged 36 and older, with 21% over 50 years (Gough 2019)! Further, gamers are able to form lasting friendships, learn about new cultures and teamwork. The games they play may also teach coordination, comprehension, mathematics and even economics (Hussain & Griffiths 2009).

Photo capture from @alodia​ on Instagram.

An example of a popular girl gamer is Alodia Gosiengfiao, with almost 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and 1.3 million Instagram followers, she is a Filipina gamer, cosplayer, model, artist, actress and now recording artist (Middle East Film and Comic Con 2020). She uploads videos playing Call of Duty, League of Legends and Horizon Zero Dawn along with vlogs from gaming conventions and conferences. Named by UNO Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in the Philippines (Middle East Film and Comic Con 2020), Alodia is recognised for her various talents, including gaming. 

86 year old Hilda is another gamer defying stereotypes. After playing video games for 40 years, Hilda praises them for keeping her mentally active. She plays a variety of games, ranging from puzzles on her iPad to Mafia or Grand Theft Auto on the Playstation. With BBC’s report on her in 2013, Hilda has been celebrated by many within the community (Mackenzie 2013).

Despite the success of many diverse gamers, they are often overshadowed as a result of the typical male gamer stereotype. The association between young men and gaming leads to less visibility of all other identities. This in turn results in more diverse gaming communities feeling as though they do not “fit in”, and standard gaming figures participating in active discrimination. Women in the gaming community are often made to feel unwelcome, receiving sexual harassment suggesting rape and death threats (Paaßen et al. 2017). If women are being threatened online, it is very likely that they may choose to not play video games and therefore the stereotype progresses. Further, female characters are often hyper-sexualised to please a heterosexual male, leading to the perception of women as ‘objects’ rather than players. These depictions lead to unfavourable attitudes towards womens’ cognitive and physical abilities (Paaßen et al. 2017), providing men with reason to undermine and insult them. 

Nevertheless, society is moving forward. Older women such as Hilda are gaining recognition on media channels, with gamers learning of the diversity within their community. Gaming companies are increasingly engaged with issues of gender representation in games, implementing a conscious approach to creating “aspirational” female characters with appropriate combat outfits and reduced sexualization (Paaßen et al. 2017). To truly combat the stereotypes, those who are dismissed must game proudly, and encourage others to join them. With 70- 85 % of U.S.-American male adolescents wanting to see more female adolescents playing video games, there is hope for a more inclusive space in future years.

References

Gough, C 2019, Gaming - Statistics & Facts, Statista, viewed 24th May 2020,Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/1680/gaming/

Grohol, J 2013, Gamer Stereotypes Just Aren't True, World of Psychology, viewed 24th May 2020, https://psychcentral.com/blog/gamer-stereotypes-just-arent-true/ 

Hussain, Z & Griffiths, M 2009, ‘The Attitudes, Feelings, and Experiences of Online Gamers: A Qualitative Analysis’, Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society, vol.12, no.6, pp.747-53

Mackenzie, B 2013,  'Computer games keep me mentally active', BBC News, viewed 24th May 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-21116544/computer-games-keep-me-mentally-active

Middle East Film and Comic Con 2020, Meet Alodia Gosiengfiao, viewed 24th May 2020, https://www.mefcc.com/en/Overview/Celebrities/2019-Celebrities/Meet-Alodia-Gosiengfiao.html 

Paaßen, B, Morgenroth, T & Stratemeyer, M 2017, ‘What is a True Gamer? The Male Gamer Stereotype and the Marginalization of Women in Video Game Culture’, Sex Roles, Vol.76, no.7, pp.421-435

Techopedia 2018, What is Gamer?, viewed 24th May 2020, https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1912/gamer

[brookelevy]

The Internet as a stepping stone to revolution (Week 9)

Many believe that as of recent, the world has entered a mentality of ‘sousveillance’. Coined by Steve Mann, the term ‘sousveillance’ reflects the opposite of surveillance. This means that although we are constantly being watched over by the Government and large corporations, these groups and the officials within them are being monitored just as closely by us (Light 2020). With the rise of the Internet and social media platforms, users are able to both post and view regular updates from another city, state or country around the world. Anyone has the ability to be a journalist of their own accord, meaning that the resources are limitless. This gives the population the ability to be highly critical. Any misstep of a politician or a billionaire is relentlessly published over thousands of news sources.

This rapid dissemination of information leads to a build up of knowledge and therefore opinions. People are distraught as they read anecdotes of the struggles of others, and as the secrets of the powerful are exposed. As a result, there has been a wave of what is often referred to as ‘clicktivism’, defined by The Oxford English Dictionary as “the use of social media and other online methods to promote a cause” (Clicktivism 2020). The online sphere has been a location for many waves of activism, and this can be attributed to the simplicity of it. To participate in an online campaign, it is as straightforward as tweeting a hashtag, signing a petition, transferring money or producing something creative (Clicktivism 2020). The power of these seemingly small actions can be derived from the masses. If thousands or even millions of individuals participate, declare their opinion through a tweet or two, the impact of these minor contributions can become major. 

Image from @coast.designstudio on Instagram

This can be seen in the UK’s #StopFundingHate campaign. Discussed through an ‘Impakter’ article in 2018, co-founder Richard Wilson explains that the campaign was launched in 2016 in response to anti-migrant rhetoric stemming from news outlets including the Daily Mail, Sun and Daily Express over the previous year (Wilson 2018). The video published to initially explain the campaign was immediately shared thousands of times on Facebook, accumulating over 3 million views in a matter of days. Their Facebook page and Twitter hashtag immediately became an outlet for conversation and expressions of concern that had existed well before the campaign began. He highlights how this build up of anger pushed supporters to send messages to companies themselves who were supporting these corporations. The first major success was initiated when supporter Bob Jones made a heartfelt post on Lego’s Facebook page, which was shared by thousands of followers. This one message led to Lego concluding their agreement with Daily Mail and ceasing any future promotional activity with them. Following this event, the hashtag #StopFundingHate began to trend globally, beyond the UK. Today, the campaign has influenced thousands of companies and online advertisers to draw their support from hateful sources, with The Sun publicly apologising and Daily Mail changing their editor of 26 years. In May 2017, Stop Funding Hate was invited to address a meeting of UN member states developing a new Global Compact for Migration. This is now formally adopted by UN member states, endorsing“stopping allocation of public funding… to media outlets that systematically promote intolerance, xenophobia, racism and other forms of discrimination towards migrants”.

Image from @artbaby.co on Instagram.

Despite the success of this campaign, it is also argued that clicktivism is not always enough. Mahatma Gandhi believed that we must be the change we want to see in the world (Ahern 2013). Tweeting #BlackLivesMatter or #StopFundingHate does not combat racism. Racism begins to be combatted when caucasian individuals acknowledge their privilege, recognise that this does not make them superior, and reach out to those who may be struggling to learn more and ask what it is that they need. It is important to take responsibility not over just large corporations, but to call out racism in ourselves and others. Clicktivism is a great beginning, however revolution is only possible with intentional internal change.

References:

Ahern, C 2013, Real change must come from within ourselves, The Sligo Champion, viewed 16th May 2020, https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/opinion/real-change-must-come-from-within-ourselves-28983806.html 

Clicktivist 2020, What is clicktivism, viewed 16th May 2020, http://www.clicktivist.org/what-is-clicktivism 

Light, J 2020, Sousveillance, Reset, viewed 16th May 2020, https://en.reset.org/knowledge/sourveillance-11152016 

Wilson, R 2018, Stop Funding Hate – How a Movement for Ethical Advertising is Making Hate Unprofitable, Impakter, viewed 16th May 2020, https://impakter.com/stop-funding-hate/

[brookelevy]

Another incredible woman exploring sexual liberation for all body types is Florence Given (@florencegiven)! I would highly recommend having a look at her Instagram page for some uplifiting art. 

[brookelevy]

Pornification and female self-image (Week 8)

When scrolling through Instagram, it is highly unlikely to avoid pictures of women in small bikinis or lingerie, accentuating their features on pages such as the Kardashians’ or Fashion Nova. This can be described as “pornification” of the media, a display of heightened female sexuality as a form of self-commodification to gain likes or followers (Tyler & Quek 2016). For the modern feminist this arises an inner conflict; is pornification a movement of body positivity and removing shame around female sexuality, or is it purely the objectification of women in a heteronormative society?

One of the most followed accounts on Instagram is that of Kylie Jenner, having a total of 174 million followers. Many of Kylie’s posts are of her wearing minimal clothing, accentuating features such as her breasts and her behind. From a sex-positive outlook, it is important to  explore women’s sexual desire, agency, and to challenge traditional femininity. Posting these images of herself may be a format to show young girls that sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, that it is normal and necessary for self-love and self-care (Trinh 2016). From a feminist outlook, women’s bodies are beautiful and have no need to be hidden, and it is liberating to be able to celebrate them online (Ross 2010). 

Image from @kyliejenner on Instagram.

The issue then arises when these influencers idealise their lifestyles, promoting body image ideals that are almost unachievable and unhealthy both physically and mentally. With many of these influencers being celebrities, they have the luxuries to create perfectly-lit photos with professional make-up artists and photographers. They have been taught how to angle their body to enhance their features, and many have had some form of fillers or botox (Malacoff 2019). Repeated exposure to these images may present them as a being normative, which may lead to women participating in harmful activities to “fit in”. Such include drinking dangerous weight loss substances such as Kim Kardashian’s “flat tummy tea” (Malacoff 2019), or showing heightened interest in body modification, as according to 2017 statistics from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 42% of surgeons report that their patients are seeking aesthetic surgery to improve their appearance on social media channels (Dorfman et al. 2018). 

Image by @florencegiven on Instagram.

These “perfect” women are often called out and ridiculed by other influencers, who identify with the body positivity movement. Celeste Barber, often hailed as the “celebrity queen of comedy”, has an Instagram account with over 7.1 million followers (@celestebarber). The premise of her Instagram account is to parody model shoots of the most famous and beautiful celebrities by comparing what it might look like for an average woman to strike those same poses (McKay 2019). The images and videos posted mimic those of celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Beyonce, the Kardashians and Gigi Hadid, highlighting that often the content posted by these influencers is unrealistic. In her interview with Vogue, Celeste explores her outlook on body positivity throughout her life, outlining her discovery that “looking a certain way has currency”, and that “body shaming and healthy living are not the same thing”. She is often approached by detox tea companies, however turns them down as she refuses to promote any products that make women feel we need to look a certain way to feel a certain way (Baker 2019).

Image from @i_weigh on Instagram, artist is @shopsundae 

Similarly, Jameela Jamil is an actress, feminist and advocate who has utilized social media to create an online space for body-positivity. On Jameela’s Instagram account (@jameelajamilofficial), holding over 2.9 million followers, the actress posts uplifting messages for women, sparks political conversation and calls out other celebrities and influencers promoting dangerous ideals. She has emphasised the harmful effects of detox teas and appetite-suppressing lollipops promoted by Kardashians (Dickson 2018), and detailed her views of waist trainers such as ‘Slim Tum’, stating in the caption of her post that “feminine is a vibe, not a fucking shape”. She has also established a second Instagram account (@i_weigh) with over 1 million followers, sharing messages of intersectionality and body positivity, creating a space for followers to share what they value about themselves other than their appearance. The account was established as she was “tired of seeing women just ignore what’s amazing about them and their lives and their achievements, just because they don’t have a bloody thigh gap” (Dickson 2018).

Image from @i_weigh featuring @ssedonaa

Ultimately, women have the right to express their sexuality and celebrate their bodies without shame, provided they are not fostering negative, damaging standards of beauty. It is important for large influencers to remain honest with themselves and with their followers in order to empower and healthily support each other.

References:

Baker, V 2019, Celeste Barber on body image, social media and the realities of healthy living, Vogue, viewed 8th May 2019, https://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/wellbeing/celeste-barber-on-body-image-social-media-and-the-realities-of-healthy-living/news-story/6213ecafcfb4badf85cdc18e9138a6bd (Accessed: 8 May 2020). Dickson, E.J 2018, How Jameela Jamil built a brand around body positivity, Vox, viewed 8th May 2020, https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/12/4/18124392/jameela-jamil-good-place-body-positivity

Dorfman, R, Vaca, E, Mahmood, E, Fine, N & Schierle, C 2018, ‘Plastic Surgery-Related Hashtag Utilization on Instagram: Implications for Education and Marketing’, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 332–338 Malacoff, J 2019, Following Your Favorite Celebs On Instagram Might Be Bad for Your Mental Health, Shape, viewed 8th May 2020, https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/celebrity-social-media-affects-mental-health-body-image 

McKay, R 2019, Celeste Barber: 11 Things You Didn't Know About Celeste, Who, viewed 8th May 2020, https://www.who.com.au/celeste-barber-11-things-you-didnt-know-about-celeste 

Ross, K 2011, ‘Gendered Media: Women, Men and Identity Politics’, in J Wood (ed), Communication Research Trends, vol. 30, no.4, pp. 37

Trinh, S. L 2016, ‘“Enjoy Your Sexuality, but Do it in Secret”: Exploring Undergraduate Women’s Reports of Friends’ Sexual Communications’, Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 96–107

Tyler, M & Quek, K 2016, ‘Conceptualizing pornographication’, Sexualization, Media, & Society, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 1‐ 14.

[brookelevy]

Some ideas following up from my last post about slow fashion. Many of these ideas taken from the Swinburne Sustainability Society.

[brookelevy]

The Fast Fashion Industry needs to Slow Down (Week 7)

Slow fashion can often be described as a countercultural movement to the fast fashion industry. The fast-fashion industry is mass-produced, cheap, changes within a fortnight, and often associated with a ‘throw away’ attitude (Watson & Yan 2013). To contrast this, slow, or sustainable fashion refers to those ‘goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life-cycle, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations’ (Lai et al. 2017 pp.83). 

The rise of this movement can likely be attributed to an increase in awareness of the environmental and ethical consequences of fast fashion. The global fashion industry accounts for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions, with the fibers and textiles industry producing an estimated 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse emissions in 2015. This exceeds the combined carbon footprint of international flights and maritime shipping (Brewer 2019)! Underprivileged countries are also exploited as garment workers for their cheap labour, leading to abominable working conditions. The 2013 collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh caused the death of 1134 people and injured approximately 2500 others, although sufficient warnings of the building’s lack of safety were given on the day prior and these deaths could have been easily avoided (Brewer 2019).

Photo from Instagram (@ugurgallen)

This topic has been very widely discussed in the media, especially on social media platforms. There are numerous influencers online who inform about the fast fashion industry, critique other influencers who promote fast fashion and demonstrate to viewers how to live more ethically and sustainably. For example, Kristen Leo is a YouTuber who discusses issues including sustainable living, ethical fashion & veganism. Her channel has almost 300 thousand subscribers and her Instagram account, where she discusses similar issues, has upwards of 80 thousand followers. She has videos about her eco-friendly apps, thrifted outfits and sustainability tips.

Slow fashion has also entered the online world through the popular app/website, Depop. The app is described as a “global marketplace” for over 15 million users that allows anyone to sell their second hand clothes from around the world (Depop 2020). This application promotes a more sustainable version of online shopping. Rather than purchasing cheap clothes online from major fast fashion brands, users can find something unique and decently priced, providing it with a second life. It is free to download, and easy to both purchase and sell items. 

The $1.78 trillion fast fashion industry has a new threat, the second hand apparel market. Resale has grown 21 times faster than the retail apparel market over the past three years, with the secondhand market estimated to reach $51 billion in four years (threadUP 2019). The more people are educated on and acting upon fast fashion, the greater the slow fashion movement will grow.

References:

Brewer, M 2019, ‘Slow Fashion in a Fast Fashion World: Promoting Sustainability and Responsibility’, Laws, vol.8, no.4, pp.24

Depop 2020, About, viewed 1st May 2020, https://www.depop.com/about/

Lai, Z, Henninger, C, Ryding, D & Alevizou, P 2017, ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’, in Henninger, E, Alevizou, G & H., Ryding, D (eds), Sustainability in Fashion A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, Springer International Publishing, UK

thredUP 2019, 2019 Fashion Resale Market and Trend Report, viewed 1st May 2020, https://www.thredup.com/resale?tswc_redir=true

Watson, M, & Yan, R 2013, ‘An exploratory study of the decision processes of fast versus slow fashion consumers’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol.17, no.2, pp. 141–159

[brookelevy]

Digital Citizenship and Jacinda Ardern (Week 6)

According to the Office of the NSW eSafety Commissioner, “a good digital citizen is a person with the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital technologies in a positive way to participate in society, communicate with others, and create and consume digital content” (Grant 2020). Recently, politicians have been identifying more as digital citizens, forming an online presence with a community of followers. Voters, also digital citizens themselves, have been using the online world as a space to express their political values and track elections. An example of this is the use of hashtag public #auspol, short for Australian Politics. The third largest trending political Twitter hashtag in 2015, #auspol synchronised all tweets posted by Australians commenting on and critiquing each federal election (Bogle 2016). 

However, a stand out political user of social media and the online world is Jacinda Ardern. The Prime Minister of New Zealand currently has 1 million Instagram followers and over 1 million likes on Facebook. She is using these platforms to spread positive messages, highlight achievements of both herself and fellow New Zealanders, and also to share aspects of her personal life in order to ‘humanize’ herself. At the end of 2019, a video created by Jacinda and her team went viral on social media. The video explains that Jacinda had been challenged by her team to list all her achievements as Prime Minister over the last two years in the span of two minutes. The video went overtime, ending at two minutes and 56 seconds, highlighting the enormous successes of her time in government. The video had 40,000 shares and about 6,600 comments on Facebook as of November 2019 (The Star 2019), and has since been re-posted on several other sites such as YouTube. 

This not only reflects Jacinda’s digital citizenship, creating digital content and communicating with her followers, but it also created a space for followers to respond to the digital community. Most responses were in the form of uplifting, praising comments on the videos, however others were more creative. For example, a man named Peter Rhode took to YouTube to create a parody of Jacinda’s video, titled “Australian PM Scott Morrison's 2-minute video challenge goes viral”. The video sarcastically mocks the current Australian Prime Minister in comparison to Jacinda, and has been viewed almost two thousand times (Rohde 2019).

(Image by @studio.bon on Instagram)

Jacinda has also been praised for her impromptu Facebook live sessions, where she joins followers from her own home to answer questions and settle concerns about COVID-19 (Krishant 2020). Rather than waiting until she can dress up and attend a formal press conference, Jacinda decided to use her digital platform to communicate directly with her followers. She did so in a very casual manner, using a selfie cam in casual clothing with no special lighting or make up. This connects her even further to the online community, reminding them that she is more than just a politician. She is just a participant of society, a mother and a human being with understanding and  empathy for New Zealanders. It also allowed them to connect to her further, with the ability to ask her questions themselves.

Overall, Jacinda is a politician who personifies her media, creating relevant content as a digital citizen and encouraging followers to be digital citizens themselves.

References:

Bogle, A 2016, #auspol: The Twitter tag that Australia can't do without, Mashable, viewed 26th April 2020, https://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#4tvfXtsZUEqV

Grant, J 2020, Digital Citizenship - About, NSW Department of Education, viewed 26th April 2020, https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/about 

Krishant, N 2020, Jacinda Ardern praised after impromptu Facebook Live session on COVID-19 lockdown, FijiVillage, viewed 26th April 2020, https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Jacinda-Ardern-praised-after-impromptu-Facebook-Live-session-on-COVID-19-lockdown-5xf48r/ The Star 2019, Video on govt achievements by New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern goes viral, viewed 26th April 2020, https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2019/11/04/video-on-govt-achievements-by-new-zealand039s-jacinda-ardern-goes-viral

Rohde, P 2019, Australian PM Scott Morrison's 2-minute video challenge goes viral, 10th November, viewed 26th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_pzdLRy0Cg

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“Regardless of whether your interests are considered mainstream, ‘artsy’ or niche, you’ll be surprised the likeminded people and creative you’ll encounter online.”

This interesting line from @lavieestbellebelle​‘s post really sums up the whole purpose of digital communities! A place for everyone to share their interests and learn from each other.

Artwork by @laurenrustart on Instagram.

[brookelevy]

‘How does Tumblr function as a digital community?’

The new age of technology provides the world with a whole new realm of activity and discussion. The Internet, and all that resides within it, has allowed for people from around the globe to access and communicate ideas and entertainment. A virtual community is a group that interacts primarily through electronic communication, in which members have a feeling of belonging, identity and attachment (Abfalter et al. 2012). Tumblr in many ways identifies with a digital community, asking users to “start a conversation” and to “connect with your people” (Tumblr 2020). However, these prompts do not necessarily apply automatically to all users. It takes an active effort to be a part of a community.

Sharing of content alone does not directly lead to collaboration (Hyde et al. 2012). Blogging, naturally, is a one-to-many approach. An individual creates their post on their own page, and is not required to interact with other users. The work remains a singularity. However, Hyde (2012, pp. 53) suggests that “social media platforms can become collaborative when they add an additional layer of coordination”.  Tumblr becomes a many-to-many platform when its features such as hashtags are utilized, where people can attach them to their own posts, and later search for them to find and share more content within that topic. This, as well as the ability to comment and re-blog allows for posts that were once a singularity to become a part of a new collective object.

In many ways, digital communities can be redefined as a ‘public sphere’. Kruse (2018, pp. 62) explores how Habermas defines the public sphere as a place where “private people come together as a public” for the purpose of using reason to further critical knowledge which, in turn, leads to political change. She also delves into the main requirements of a public sphere. This includes unlimited access to information, equal and protected participation, and the absence of institutional influence, particularly regarding the economy. Although Habermas argues that the public sphere does not exist in modernity as a result of the influence of money constraining the required elements, it is argued that Tumblr can navigate around this. The structure of Tumblr allows anyone from anywhere to create an account, and provides users with equal and endless access to information and protected participation. The Internet, although can be argued is not accessible for many, is still actively used by 59% of the global population (Statista 2020). Many of these people use pseudonyms or usernames that don’t align with their actual identity. This allows them to be more open with their self-discovery and form closer bonds with a community without other users being attached to a name (or the status that person holds) (Keller 2019).

Having this public sphere allows for discussion on many relevant issues. For example,  the #metoo hashtag brings together women who have suffered abuse and trauma in their past, and creates a space for them to speak to a community of people who understand and support them. Mr Kellan Terry of research firm Brandwatch’s firm found the #metoo hashtag was viewed 42 billion times and was mentioned four million times last year across social media and news sites, including Tumblr (Straits Times 2020). Below is an image displaying one of the ways in which the #metoo hashtag is used to connect people and form a community using Tumblr. It was posted by user @sapphic-positivity​ .

Ultimately, although Tumblr may not be accessed by all individuals around the world and may sometimes be used as a one-to-many platform, it definitely creates a space where voices can be heard and digital communities can thrive.

References:

Abfalter, D, Zaglia, M & Mueller, J 2012, ‘Sense of virtual community: A follow up on its measurement’, Computers in Human Behavior,  Vol.28, no.2, pp.400-404

Hyde, A, Linksvayer, M, Kanarinka, Mandiberg, M, Peirano, M, Tarka, S, Taylor, A, Toner, A & Zer-Aviv, M 2012, ‘What is Collaboration Anyway?’ in Michael Mandiberg’s (ed) The Social Media Reader, New York University Press, New York,  pp.53 

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[brookelevy]

My name is Brooke and I am a second year Media and Communication student at Swinburne University of Technology, exploring the digital world and the role that it plays in our lives. This blog will navigate ideas discusses in the unit ‘digital Communities’.