Catherine Skothos

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. I am originally from Montreal and I am doing a semester abroad in Melbourne. "Portions of this site and the works within it are being produced with the intention of critique and/or educational use under Australia's 'fair dealing' exceptions to copyright (Section 40 & 41). However, if you feel your IP is being infringed, please contact my service provider (tumblr) with the appropriate DMCA requests, as I, the single author take full responsibility for the content of this site.”

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Week 10: Digital Citizenship and Conflict: Social Media Governance: Online Harassment :/

In the reading “Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment” the authors explain that women are more likely to face online harassment than men (Marwick & Caplan 2018, p. 545). For instance, many women who share their feminist viewpoints on social media are subject to online harassment by anti-feminists such as groups of men online that claim feminism is incorrect or that it is a lie (Marwick & Caplan 2018, p. 594). However, online harassment can be taken a step further with sexual harassment.

Anna Gensler, who has approximately 33,400 Instagram followers, created an Instagram project ‘Granniepants’ exposing online sexual harassment, which is one form of online harassment many women must deal with (Vitis & Gilmour 2017, p. 335). Women will send in an inappropriate message they have received by a man, and Gensler will then draw a naked portrait of the man with his words incorporated in it, so that the woman can send it back to him. Many of the men who receive these portraits have bad reactions to them. Through this project, she encourages her followers to stand up against online harassment. Additionally, the ‘Granniepants’ project highlights how many individuals who participate in online sexual harassment do not consider it to be a serious form of abuse due to the fact that they are doing it online with words rather than in person or physically. Gensler’s project encourages those who participate in online harassment to realize that, although their abuse takes place online, there may be consequences to their words and actions.

It is quite difficult to govern online harassment, especially on social media. Many of the technological affordances associated with social media are what allow online harassment such as anonymity, private messaging and posting publicly. However, more effective measures can be implemented in order to prevent online harassment from happening as often as it does in society. For instance, users who post abuse and use hate speech can be suspended and banned from platforms due to their actions.

References

Marwick, A.E. & Caplan, R. 2018, ‘Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 545-594.

Vitis, L & Gilmour, F 2017, ‘Dick pics on blast: A woman’s resistance to online sexual harassment using humour, art and Instagram’, Crime, Media, Culture, vol. 13, no. 3, p. 335.

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Week 9: Gaming Communities, Social Gaming & Live Streaming :)

The gaming community has grown exponentially over the last few years. As highlighted in the reading “The Melbourne indie game scenes: value regimes in localized game development” there is “an overproduction of videogame making activity insofar as the number of people able and eager to create videogames has outgrown what the local industry is able to commodify and instead manifests as informal networks and communities of practice: shared spaces, friend groups, meet ups, parties, resource sharing, and game jams” (Keogh, 2021, p.212). Gaming is one of the largest forms of contemporary entertainment.

Furthermore, social gaming and live streaming have also emerged from the gaming world. Social gaming is often played amongst friends, but it may also be played with strangers online. It allows for users to not only connect and play with their friends but also with other gamers from across the world. Social gaming can lead to new friendships forming with a common interest of videogames.

Additionally, many gamers now livestream when they are playing videogames on platforms such as Twitch with a live audience that can interact with them through the chat feature. This allows other gamers the opportunity to watch their favorite gamers play a game in a live setting. However, Twitch has also evolved as a platform, as stated in the reading “Broadcasting ourselves”. Taylor explains that Twitch: “began as a platform to support digital gaming [but] has quickly expanded to accommodate people who want to produce a range of creative content for others. […] Across the platform, participants are creating new entertainment products that mix together gameplay, humor, commentary, and real-time interaction with fans and audiences” (Taylor, 2018, p.9).

I am not particularly interested in gaming as I am not a gamer; however, I follow a social media creator, Jc Caylen who has started to use Twitch for other content as well. He does gaming live streams but he also does live streams for entertainment purposes such as answering questions sent in by fans or doing a fun activity with his friends who are also social media influencers infiltrating the twitch live stream world. They are known as the camboys.

References

Keogh, B 2021, 'The Melbourne indie game scenes: value regimes in localized game development' (Chapter 13), Download 'The Melbourne indie game scenes: value regimes in localized game development' (Chapter 13),in P Ruffino (ed), Independent Videogames: Cultures, Networks, Techniques and Politics, Routledge, pp.209-222.

Taylor, TL 2018, ‘Broadcasting ourselves’ (chapter 1), in Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming, Princeton University Press, pp.1-23.  

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Week 8: Digital Citizenship and Software Literacy: Snapchat lenses

When Snapchat first introduced lenses, I remember that it felt as if they were fun and playful with many of them being animal themed. They were not to be taken too seriously as they were funny filters you could use to send to your friends. However, once you critically analyze what these filters are really doing to users faces it becomes quite problematic. For instance, it was noted that many filters would whitewash users faces and “people of colour find their complexions unnaturally and undesirably lightened by Snapchat’s filters” (Barker, 2020, p. 209). Many lenses “that apply makeup, rhinestones, and flower crowns – characteristics generally associated with performances of beauty and femininity” white-wash users faces (Barker, 2020, p. 214). Whitening skin for beautification purposes is extremely racist and encourages a western beauty standard that claims whiteness means beautiful.

For those of you who remember when Snapchat lenses were first introduced, one of the most popular filters was the cute puppy filter. This filter would add puppy ears, a puppy nose and if you moved a puppy tongue to your face. It had become extremely popular and widely used. Many of us must have used it sending snapchats to our friends without really noticing that “the puppy filter [...] smooths your skin, widens your eyes, and visibly thins your face” (Barker, 2020, p. 213). These small changes to your face may initially go unnoticed, but if you would compare an unfiltered selfie to one with the puppy filter you may notice your face has changed beyond just the puppy ears and nose. Snapchat filters encourage a stereotypical heteronormative beauty standard “By thinning out the face, slimming and shortening the nose, enlarging the eyes, plumping the lips and smoothing out the skin” (Barker, 2020, p. 209). These other changes are unnecessary for an animal filter.

Although these changes may be minor, they can create insecurities for users. These changes can cause users to feel insecure about their facial features and may cause them to want to surgically change their faces to match the filtered version of themselves. Filters can be described as a form of “digital plastic surgery” (Barker, 2020, p. 216). This digital plastic surgery has translated to real plastic surgery as “some users […] seek Snapchat-inspired plastic surgery in the real world”. (Barker, 2020, p. 216). This has also lead to what is called Snapchat dysmorphia which “is related to body dysmorphic disorder, an obsessive- compulsive fixation on perceived appearance defects” (Barker, 2020, p. 216).

In ““Digitised Dysmorphia” of the Female Body: The Re/Disfigurement of the Image” Coy-Dibley discusses how the pressure online users may feel to alter their image to portray a perfect image of themselves online reflects the issues within society. She says that “The popularity of apps aimed at perfecting the body, air- brushing and erasing the raw image in exchange for an increasingly narrow, standardising perception of female beauty that excludes, marginalizes or simply overlooks differences in race, able- bodiedness and even gender identities […] emphasizes how entrenched with homogenized, Westernized and unattainable beauty standards our image- saturated culture has become” (Coy-Dibley, 2016, p.9).

References

Barker, Jessica. (2020). 'Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of Snapchat'. Download 'Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of Snapchat'.Fashion, Style & Popular Culture. 7. 207-221. 10.1386/fspc_00015_1. 

Coy-Dibley, I. (July, 2016). “Digitised Dysmorphia” of the Female Body: The Re/Disfigurement of the Image Download “Digitised Dysmorphia” of the Female Body: The Re/Disfigurement of the Image. Palgrave Communications. 2:16040 doi: 10.1057/palcomms.2016.40

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Week 7: Body Modification on Social Media, Pornification on Instagram

On social media, many women who are content creators present a sexualized version of themselves online in order to attract followers so that they can therefore monetize their social media account. This is most commonly seen with the social media application Instagram. Female content creators on Instagram often post sexual imagery conforming to the heteronormative standards of beauty, openly subjecting themselves to the male gaze online for money. This concept may be referred to as pornification, which entails a porn chic aesthetic and sexual posing in images online. They may also modify their body through filters and photo editing to enhance their physique.

Instagram users that subject themselves to pornification are known as boosters. In the text “Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention’ Drenten defines a booster as: “influencers who promote access to self‐marketed products and perform sexualized labour to exploit the attention of social media followers for monetary compensation” (Drenten et al. 2018, p. 56).  Instagram creators post provocative and almost nude images online in order to promote products.  Furthermore in “Aglorithmic Hotneess", Carah states “the escalating capacity of social media platforms to calibrate flows of attention depends on users' work in curating flows of "hot" body images" (Carah & Dobson, 2016, p. 1).

On Instagram, pornification is monetized through the use of advertisements. Advertisements on Instagram may look like regular posts however they are promoting a product. For instance, many creators may take sexual images on a beach in a bikini they were sent by a brand, therefore it is a brand deal for them. They may post a porn chic photoshoot wearing the bikini, which will receive a lot of likes, and then they are paid for it. However, they may also promote their own products in a similar way: “boosters mark a shift toward access‐based influencer labour as they create and promote their own products or services, such as swimwear, clothing, make‐up, sunglasses and fitness guides, among others” (Drenten et al. 2018, p. 56). Once they have created a strong following by posting sexualized images, they may begin to do so for their own products as well.

Lastly, many of the overtly sexual images seen online are edited and modified. Users can edit their bodies to enhance their curves, erase any blemishes, darken, or lighten their skin and add filters to their images to present the perfect 'hot' body. Additionally, users can undergo plastic surgery procedures on their faces and bodies such as nose jobs. According to statistics from 2017 “42% of surgeons report that their patients are seeking aesthetic surgery to improve their appearance on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and other social media channels” (Dorfman, Vaca, Mahmood, Fine & Schierle 2018, p. 332). The use of body modification on social media creates an unhealthy and unrealistic beauty standards for users and may increase their insecurities within themselves leading to dangerous disorders.

References:

Carah, N., & Dobson, A. (2016). Algorithmic hotness: Young women’s “promotion” and “reconnaissance” work via social media body images. Social Media + Society, 2(4), 205630511667288. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305116672885

Dorfman, R. G., Vaca, E. E., Mahmood, E., Fine, N. A., & Schierle, C. F. (2018). Plastic surgery-related hashtag utilization on Instagram: Implications for education and marketing. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 38(3), 332–338. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx120

Drenten, J., Gurrieri, L., & Tyler, M. (2019). Sexualized labour in Digital Culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention. Gender, Work & Organization, 27(1), 41–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12354

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Week 6: Slow Fashion & Social Media <3

Slow fashion which can also be referred to as eco-fashion, sustainable fashion, ethical consumption, thrifting and circular fashion refers to the focus of sustainable practices in the fashion industry. In the text “Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review” they define slow fashion as “the need to adopt sustainable performance and a change in core values in the fashion industry" (Domingos et al, 2022, p. 1). They also go on to explain that “the movement encourages brands to embrace a quality-based rather than a time-based business philosophy based around slower production, ethical attitudes, and well-made and long-lasting products" (Domingos et al, 2022, pp. 2). However, the slow fashion movement has only become more popular in recent years due to the trends seen online through social media influencers.

Therefore, slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion which is mass production of clothing in unethical manners. In a study conducted in 2017, customers reveal that the price and availability of options are reasons by they do not purchase from sustainable fashion brands (Henninger et al 2017, p. 96). Additionally, another study conducted in 2021 reinforces that this issue is still present (Chi et al 2021, p.110). However, something that might help brands would be explaining the negative effects of fast fashion which is often done online through social media influencers. Many influencers bring attention to the many negative attributes associated with fast fashion brands such as environmentally as well as ethically regarding the work environment.

Finally, there is an Australian website I recently learned about “Good on you” that evaluates fashion brands sustainability. It is an efficient way to look into a fashion brands ethics. The website has the support of actress Emma Watson; you can read about their mission statement here if you are looking to learn more about Good on you: https://goodonyou.eco/about/

They also explain on their website how they rate fashion brands by stating: “Using our proprietary tech, Good On You analysts evaluate each brand with our rigorous methodology, which we developed in collaboration with industry experts, academics, and organisations (like Fashion Revolution, Fashion for Good, and Four Paws). Materiality is key meaning we assess issues based on what’s most important and impactful. Our methodology also distinguishes between large and small brands based on annual turnover or parent companies. We proportionately apply more demanding standards to large brands as they inherently have greater impacts and influence.” (https://goodonyou.eco/how-we-rate/)

References

Claudia E. Henninger, Daniella Ryding, Panayiota J. Alevizou and Helen Goworek, ‘Introduction’ Sustainability in Fashion A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, edited by Henninger, C.E., Alevizou, P., Goworek, H., Ryding, D. (Palgrave: 2017). Click here.

Domingos, Mariana, Vera Teixeira Vale, and Silvia Faria. (2022). "Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review" Download "Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review" Sustainability 14, no. 5: 2860. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052860

How We Rate Fashion Brand Ethics - Good On You

Good On You pulls all the information together and uses expert analysis to give each brand an easy-to-understand score on their ethics and s

Ting Chi, Jenisha Gerard, Yuhfen Yu & Yuanting Wang (2021) 'A study of U.S. consumers’ intention to purchase slow fashion apparel: understanding the key determinants' Download A study of U.S. consumers’ intention to purchase slow fashion apparel: understanding the key determinants', International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 14:1, 101-112, DOI: 10.1080/17543266.2021.1872714

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BLACK LIVES MATTER by Catherine Skothos, zine, 2021.

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Week 5: Hashtag Publics & Activism: Black Lives Matter #BLM

Thanks to the process of platformisation, digital citizens can fight for social inequalities in society through online activism. For instance, social media activism is prevalent on Instagram and Twitter through the use of infographics posts and hashtags online about inequality and social issues. An example of an effective hashtag is the #BLM (Black Lives Matter) hashtag supporting the movement fighting against racism, discrimination, and racial inequality for black people in society.

The #BLM hashtag helped bring attention to the many unjust deaths of black individuals at the hands of the police. Using a consistent hashtag throughout different social media platforms allows for the topic being discussed to be easily accessible and found by others. Users can follow the hashtag or use the hashtag themselves to raise awareness and share their experiences. Additionally, within the BLM movement there was the use of participatory democracy to express the need for political change through a variety of laws that could be instated to help solve this social issue.

Social media activists encourage other digital citizens to share, post and repost their content and use the hashtag to help raise awareness. In the text “Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education” by Moonsun and Dean they discuss digital citizenship and intersectionality when it comes to social issues such as the Black Lives Matter Movement. They discuss how “The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement enhanced their messages by effectively using social media, and the Covid-19 pandemic has also accelerated the need to understand digital citizenship in a profound way, particularly emphasizing its effects on marginalized and oppressed people” (2021, p.361). Digital citizenship allows for social media to be used effectively when raising awareness for an important topic such as fighting for social change.

In conclusion, although social media activism may have its limitations, it is an effective way to spread awareness about a social issue to the masses. Social media and hashtags can be used to organize protests and physical manifestations, share experiences and video evidence of certain social issues.

References

Moonsun Choi & Dean Cristol (2021) ' Download 'Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education',  Download Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education', Theory Into Practice, 60:4, 361-370, DOI: 10.1080/00405841.2021.1987094Links to an external site.

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Week 4: Fandoms & Reality Tv Shows <3

The driving force of many reality television shows’ success is the viewers participation online through digital communities such as on Twitter and Instagram. Some reality television shows that are competitions like The Voice or Big Brother ask viewers to participate in voting for their favorite members of the show online. The element of online participation adds to the show’s success as viewers feel involved in the fate of the show.

Additionally, another element that draws viewers in is the opportunity to discuss the show online with other fans when viewing it. In Deller’s text “Chapter Six: Reality Television in an Age of Social Media” she discusses the concept of ‘Tweeting with the Telly’ highlighting the use of Twitter and reality shows. Viewers are encouraged to tweet along their thoughts, comments, and reactions as they are watching an episode that is airing live in real time (2019, p.155). Deller states how “reality television tends to be one of the most popular talking points on the platform [Twitter] (Bruns, 2011; Deller, 2011; Woodford, 2013), and thousands of tweets can come in during the duration of a single show” (2019, p.155).

Twitter is a useful platform to connect fans of reality shows by using shared hashtags. Many viewers will use the shows hashtag when live tweeting which allows their tweets to be found by others within the fandom. Viewers can feel connected to others as “some reality shows present themselves as a shared social experience where different generations can congregate, either in person or facilitated by technology” (Deller 2019, p.156).

In conclusion, there is an emphasis on watching a live broadcasting at the time it is airing so you can participate in the discourse happening online, however even if you watch the episode later you can follow the hashtag to see what people were saying. Also, if you watch a reality show alone, you can connect with strangers online who are watching the show with you.

References

Deller, Ruth A, (2019) Extract:  'Chapter Six: Reality Television in an Age of Social Media' Download 'Chapter Six: Reality Television in an Age of Social Media'in Reality Television: The TV Phenomenon That Changed the World (Emerald Publishing). 

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Week 3: Tumblr As A Digital Community <3

Tumblr encompasses a digital community in which individuals can sign up to create a blog to share their thoughts, feelings, and emotions about a variety of topics. On Tumblr users can reblog posts, share their own content and follow different topics through hashtags. Unlike other social media sites such as Instagram or Facebook, Tumblr users do not typically sign up with their real names or any personal information which allows for anonymity. This is an important advantage to the platform which differentiates it from other social medial platforms with digital communities.

In Jessalyn Keller’s’ text ““Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’” she discusses how teenage girls who are feminists tend to use Tumblr to express their experiences and thoughts due to the privacy of their identity (2019, p.7). For instance, an interviewee Dara expresses that she feels safer sharing her feminist views on her personal experiences with sexism on Tumblr instead of other social media platforms as nobody knows her identity therefore, they cannot attack her online (Keller 2019, p.8). There is less negative feedback on Tumblr and more helpful discourse creating a sense of community. Many members of minority and marginalized communities feel safest using Tumblr to express themselves anonymously.

Furthermore, Tumblr users feel comfortable in this digital community to express themselves without fearing any judgement or backlash. In the text, Keller highlights how “one girl described Tumblr feminism as “quite controversial” for its acknowledgment and challenging of patriarchy through discussions of personal experiences with sexism, as well as topics like lesbian, gay, bisexual, transfer and queer (LGBTQ) rights and the prevalence of rape culture” (2019, p.8). This type of “controversial” discourse is less likely to appear on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook due to the lack of anonymity. Many individuals are hesitant to have difficult conversations online when their real names are attached to it. In addition, they may not want to share their personal experiences which may be traumatic to all their friends and family but rather feel more comfortable sharing them anonymously to strangers online.

In conclusion, Tumblr is the preferred social media platform for individuals who are seeking anonymity such as marginalized communities who feel underrepresented on other digital communities.

References

Keller, J 2019, ‘”Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, Social Media + Society, vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 1-11.