Tumblr Assignment

MDA20009_Digital Communities

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Week 12- Citizens move society: Creating a participatory society through crowdsourcing

Collective Intelligence and Digital Citizenship: Crowdsourcing Fosters Democratic Society

Crowdsourcing is a method in which companies, organizations, government agencies, etc. outsource tasks, problems, and ideas to an unspecified number of Internet users (the general public) (Howe 2006). It is characterized by the fact that tasks that were previously limited to in-house and external experts and companies are now open to the general public via the Internet. Typical examples of crowdsourcing include public competition for logos and catchphrases, outsourcing microtasks such as translation, writing, and data entry, and soliciting open source projects in software development, as well as solving social issues such as gathering opinions on public policies and collecting and sharing real-time information during disasters. Crowdsourcing is also attracting attention as a means of promoting citizen-participation governance and social innovation. In particular, crowdsourcing is being used as a tool to visualise and reflect citizen voices in policymaking and urban planning, making it a place to practice digital citizenships.

Benefits and challenges of crowdsourcing: Utilising collective intelligence and its limitations

The main advantages of this method are cost reduction, acquisition of diverse ideas and perspectives, rapid problem solving, and large-scale resource utilization. On the other hand, there are also challenges to be aware of, such as the difficulty of quality control, motivation of participants, and issues regarding copyright and compensation.

Crowdsourcing and Digital Citizenship: Practices and Possibilities for Supporting Participatory Society

Crowdsourcing and digital citizenship are interrelated in that they both enable individuals to actively participate in society. For example, using crowdsourcing to make policy recommendations, collect disaster information, and solicit opinions on public projects are concrete examples of how people can fulfil their role as digital citizens. In order to participate in these efforts, literacy to discern accurate information and ethical consideration in collaboration with others are essential, so an understanding and practice of digital citizenship is required.

Furthermore, by giving citizens the role of problem-solving, crowdsourcing encourages their involvement in social issues and promotes their participation in democratic decision-making processes. This fosters digital citizens as active participants in the information society, rather than simply recipients (Brabham 2013).

References:

Brabham, DC 2013, Crowdsourcing, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, viewed 9 June 2025.

Howe, J 2006, ‘The rise of crowdsourcing’, Wired, vol. 14, no. 6, viewed 9 June 2025, https://www.wired.com/2006/06/crowds/.

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Week 11- Online Violence and the Path to Coexistence: Online Harassment and Cultivating Civic Awareness

Violence on the Internet: The reality of online harassment and its serious consequences

Online harassment refers to aggressive behavior and harassment that occurs on the Internet, such as digital media platforms, emails, and chats. It includes threats, human rights violations, discriminatory remarks, slander, and invasion of privacy. These are violent acts that go beyond the scope of mere freedom of speech and cause mental, economic, and social damage in the real world, and it is pointed out that they tend to target women, people with disabilities, and minorities who are in a socially vulnerable position (Citron 2014). Victims suffer a variety of mental and psychological effects, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, as well as social and economic effects that negatively affect their lives, such as losing jobs or educational opportunities or being forced to move, which shows the seriousness of the damage (Citron 2014). Its characteristics are that it is difficult to identify the perpetrator due to anonymity, that posts are easily spread or saved, and that the damage is likely to be long-term, and that in many cases the perpetrators are not only individuals but also groups.

Protecting Minds and Rights through Digital Citizenship: The Key to Preventing Online Harassment

Understanding digital citizenship is important in addressing the issue of online harassment. Digital citizenship education has been shown to be an effective preventive measure against online harassment, and it has been pointed out that, especially for young people, it is important not only to educate them on the rules, etiquette, ethics, and responsibility of using the Internet and digital technology, but also to foster ethical judgment and empathy (Kopecký 2022). Digital citizenship education teaches people the rules, etiquette, ethics, and responsibility of using the Internet and digital technology, and if each individual, from children and young people to adults, can participate in the online space safely and ethically, a safer and more inclusive online environment will be created where people are considerate of others, and no one becomes either a perpetrator or a victim.

References:

Citron, DK 2014, Hate crimes in cyberspace, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, viewed 9 June 2025.

Kopecký, K. 2022, ‘Online Harassment in the Context of Digital Citizenship: Preventive and Educational Strategies’, Social Sciences, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 12, viewed 9 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11010012.

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Week 10- Game Streaming and Digital Society: At the Forefront of Audience Connectivity and Monetization

A New Era of Broadcasting and Viewing: The Versatility of Game Streaming Platforms

A game streaming platform is a service that allows users to broadcast and watch gameplay footage to others in real time (Zine 2024). Here, viewers can share their opinions and impressions using comment sections and chats, and the broadcaster responds accordingly, enabling two-way communication between the broadcaster and the viewer, creating a more interactive space. In addition to real-time broadcasts, the archive function allows users to save and watch recordings after broadcasting. Furthermore, monetization can be achieved by utilizing this platform. Ad revenue, sponsorship, and tipping between broadcasters and viewers are some of the means to achieve this.

The two giants of game streaming: Twitch and YouTube Gaming: their functions and potential

The first major game streaming platform is Twitch. Twitch is a major game streaming platform used by approximately 7 million streamers per month, and it has an environment where it is easy for existing popular streamers as well as newcomers to gain an audience. Real-time chat integration allows two-way communication between viewers and streamers and improves the viewing experience and discoverability through features such as extensions, stories, and discovery feeds. In addition, analytics functions allow broadcasts to be tailored to viewers' preferences, and monetization methods such as subscriptions, bits, and ads are also abundant. Twitch continues to grow as a platform that achieves both interactivity and monetization (Siuty 2025).

Second, YouTube Gaming is an excellent platform for streamers to connect with large audiences and grow their channels through various content formats (live broadcasts, on-demand videos, short videos, etc.). By utilizing comment replies and the community tab, you can strengthen your relationship with your viewers. In terms of monetization, various methods are available, such as advertising revenue, super chats, channel memberships, and affiliates, so you can expect stable revenue. Short content is effective in acquiring new viewers (Siuty 2025).

China's Game Streaming Culture: New Forms of Civic Engagement Under Regulation

In China, due to strong government regulations and censorship, streamers are subject to certain restrictions on their speech and content, but at the same time, they bear social responsibility as those who influence many viewers (Cunningham, Craig & Lv 2019). In addition, interactive exchanges with viewers (chat, tipping, reactions, etc.) are developing the streaming itself. Such movements are creating a new form of engagement as citizens, where their position and voice are reflected in society through online expression and engagement.

References:

Cunningham, S, Craig, D & Lv, J 2019, “China’s livestreaming industry: platforms, politics, and precarity,” International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 719–736, viewed 7 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877919834942.

Siuty, L 2025, “Best streaming platform for gaming,” SteelSeries, 24 February, viewed 7 June 2025, https://steelseries.com/en-gb/blog/best-streaming-platform-for-gaming?srsltid=AfmBOorZ8gS1wca_rJ6XN4nbvRrkcTkTpp4j4Zp_VlDcOUOsVziNkg-4.

Zine, D 2024, “Game streaming platforms: Changing the way we play,” SDLC Corp, viewed 7 June 2025, https://sdlccorp.com/post/game-streaming-platforms-changing-the-way-we-play/.

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Week 9- AR and Digital Ethics: Evolving Experiences and User Responsibilities

AR and its transformation into everyday life: Application to the visual industry and its evolution

Augmented Reality (AR) is defined as a technology that "augments" the real world by overlaying virtual information on the real world while the user is viewing it (Craig 2013). Its unique feature is that it simultaneously links to real landscapes and objects and responds to the user's movements, making it interactive and giving the user a sense of immersion that is closer to reality than simply a visual effect. AR is used in many things in our daily lives, not only in entertainment such as app filters and games, but also in education and medical settings. AR is expected to be used in a wider range of industries, such as fashion, beauty, and real estate, where visuals are particularly important. In addition, as the technology evolves, it is said to enable more personalised experiences, such as each user's behaviour (Rauschnabel, Felix & Hinsch 2019).

Privacy and co-creation: A code of conduct for the AR era

While AR provides us with a new immersive experience, there are also concerns about user privacy and rights protection. It has been pointed out that AR technology, which merges the real world with the digital world, may violate user privacy more than ever before, such as the acquisition of personal information and recording of space (Apps 2024). In such a situation, it is important for operators to thoroughly manage and protect information, and conversely, users are required to understand and control their own information and act ethically in a way that respects the rights of others. Furthermore, since AR space is different from traditional spaces, new standards are required for ethical behavior and behavior in the space. It is important to have an ethical awareness in expressions and remarks in the digital space, as well as in the relationships and responsibilities between users. In addition, it is expected that the platform side will establish a code of conduct and support system to realize a co-creative AR space in which everyone can participate with peace of mind.

References:

Apps, E 2024, “The Ethics of Augmented and Virtual Reality: Navigating privacy and digital rights,” Medium, 18 November, viewed 6 June 2025, https://medium.com/evangelist-apps/the-ethics-of-augmented-and-virtual-reality-navigating-privacy-and-digital-rights-30fc4298efbe.

Craig, AB 2013, Understanding augmented reality: concepts and applications, Morgan Kaufmann, Burlington, viewed 6 June 2025.

Rauschnabel, PA, Felix, R & Hinsch, C 2019, Augmented reality marketing: How mobile AR-apps can improve brands through inspiration, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 49, pp. 43–53, viewed 6 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.03.004.

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Week 8- Microcelebrities as Ethical Communicators: A Study on Influence and Responsibility

Digital Platform Influence: What are Microcelebrities?

Microcelebrities are a form of influential individuals that are primarily built through digital platforms. Unlike traditional celebrities, they build relationships with their followers by branding themselves through smaller scale platforms (Abidin 2018). They exert more influence on their followers by projecting authenticity, familiarity, and realness, which in turn garners their trust and attention. They make influencer culture an important and integral part of the modern media society.

Microcelebrities not only exert influence by branding themselves through digital platforms but also treat themselves as a commodity. They use self-branding to commodify their appearance, personality, values ​​and lifestyle, and use endorsements and sponsorships to build their careers and generate income (Marwick, Redmond & Marshall 2015).

Responsibility as a communicator in the digital age: Microcelebrities and ethics

Microcelebrities are closely related to digital citizenship in the modern online environment, centered on media platforms, from various perspectives. First, as described above, microcelebrities have the power to communicate by branding themselves. On the other hand, digital citizenship requires healthy and responsible behavior and behavior online (Öztürk 2021). Therefore, as they influence many people, they are required to be aware of this and act ethically in accordance with their influence and to communicate in a manner appropriate to their position. It is essential to be careful when communicating, in preparation for the risk of unconscious actions such as discriminatory remarks, actions, and the spread of misinformation. In addition, microcelebrities often communicate commercial content such as sponsored posts and product introductions, and ethical issues are sometimes pointed out, especially in "stealth marketing" that is difficult to recognize as advertising (Jin, Muqaddam & Ryu 2019). Therefore, transparency and legal compliance as a sender are important, and the credibility of a digital citizen greatly affects the sustained influence of a microcelebrity. Moreover, their audiences are often made up of impressionable young users who mimic the digital behavior of microcelebrities. As a result, microcelebrities not only shape trends but also serve as informal norm-setters for responsible digital engagement.

References:

Abidin, C 2018, Internet celebrity: understanding fame online, Emerald Publishing, Bingley, viewed 6 June 2025.

Jin, SV, Muqaddam, A & Ryu, E 2019, ‘Instafamous and social media influencer marketing’, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 567–579, viewed 6 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-09-2018-0375.

Marwick, AE, Redmond, S & Marshall, PD 2015, ‘You may know me from YouTube: (Micro)-celebrity in social media’, in A companion to celebrity, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, pp. 333–350, viewed 6 June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118475089.ch18.

Öztürk, G. 2021, ‘Digital citizenship and its teaching: A literature review’, Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 4(1), pp. 31–, viewed 6 June 2025.

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Week 7- Slow Fashion and Information Dissemination: Towards Building a Sustainable Clothing Culture

What is Slow Fashion: Contrasting it with Fast Fashion

Slow fashion in the modern world is the opposite of "fast fashion" (Araújo et al. 2022), which is a design and sales strategy that provides mass-produced, relatively cheap clothing to customers that follow the latest fashion in trend. It is a strategy that provides customers with sustainable clothing that can be worn for a relatively longer duration of time, based on environmental sustainability, ethical consumption, workers' rights, and working conditions (Minney 2016).

Ecologically and ethically, we would consider the idea of ​​slow fashion to be perfect and superior to fast fashion. As a response to moving away from fast fashion, however, it is instead typically presented as an extension or improvement of such harmful tendencies and the standard (Fletcher 2010).

The connection between media and slow fashion: Changing attitudes and transforming the industry through information dissemination

Therefore, in order to popularize slow fashion on a large scale, we can utilize the best of present media society. That is, we disseminate the value and spirit of slow fashion through the internet and social media. By clearly and accurately communicating the history of environmental issues, working conditions for the employees, and the close connection between human rights and manufacturing and selling clothes, it becomes evident that more awareness among spectators and consumers can be created as well as a community of like-minded people. This word will spread and generate social pressure resulting in change in the entire industry.

How to identify slow fashion information: Media literacy to avoid being misled by misinformation

However, it is dangerous to neglect to check whether the information you receive is incorrect. When companies and advertisers promote slow fashion products, they may conceal the environmental problems that the products pose and the poor working conditions, and may end up misinterpreting the products as slow fashion when in fact they are fast fashion. It is important to check the accuracy of the information when doing so. It is also important to have the skills to discern whether the materials you have are correct when you are disseminating that information yourself.

References:

Araújo, MKF de, Mesquita, RF de, Matos, FRN & Sobreira, MC do 2022, ‘Fashion consumption practices of millennials women: between fast and slow fashion’, Revista de Administração Da UFSM, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 615–633, viewed 14 May 2025,  https://doi.org/10.5902/1983465970206

Fletcher, K 2010, ‘Slow fashion: an invitation for systems change’, Fashion Practice, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 259–265, viewed 14 May 2025,  https://doi.org/10.2752/175693810X12774625387594

Minney, S 2016, Slow fashion: aesthetics meets ethics, 1st edn, New Internationalist, Oxford, viewed 14 May 2025.

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Week 6- Hashtags as a tool for spreading and dividing: the light and dark of the social media era

The social influence of hashtags: The power of diffusion and solidarity seen in #BlackLivesMatter

A hashtag is a keyword preceded by a "#" on social media, and is used to search and share a specific topic or theme. It is an effective tool to spread and promote social movements in modern digital society, and can exert cultural, political, and economic effects.

An example is #BlackLivesMatter. #BlackLivesMatter is an anti-racial discrimination movement against black people by police officers in America and against such events that followed due to such events (Bondarenko, Kaptiurova & Orlova 2021). This rapidly gained traction worldwide on social media and generated a lot of interest. Over 25 million Instagram posts have been posted using this hashtag.

By attracting the attention of the masses in this way, it is possible to raise awareness of social issues and link them to media coverage and actual protests.

Harnessing the Power of Hashtags: Benefits in Social Media Communication

One of the main advantages of hashtags is that they can spread in real time. Simply by posting information on social media using the "#'" symbol, you can find that bit of information immediately and share topics with other people all over the world in real time. The social networking application X has an option called Trends that uses hashtags. This feature uses hashtags to indicate timely topics and presently trending topics in Japan and worldwide in ranked presentation (X Corp. 2024). This has become an important tool for spreading information and forming opinions.

The Dark Side of Hashtags: Spreading misinformation

However, the use of hashtags can often cause problems, such as the spread of racism and prejudice. A good example would be racist tweet #chinesevirus as a hashtag for COVID-19. It was used because the novel coronavirus originated from Wuhan, China. Some politicians, media, and social media members used this hashtag to share their opinions regarding the new virus, spreading prejudice and discriminatory idea that "virus = Chinese" all over the world. This has led to increasing prejudice and hate against Asian residents, especially those Chinese. In fact, based on recent times, there has been a sharp increase in cases of violence and harassment against Asian citizens of the United States, Europe, and elsewhere (Hswen et al. 2021).

References:

Bondarenko, V, Kaptiurova, O & Orlova, V 2021, ‘BLACKLIVESMATTER and struggle over national discourse on Twitter: digital activism as new public sphere’, Aktualʹni Problemi Ukraïnsʹkoï Lingvistiki: Teoriâ i Praktika, vol. 42, pp. 90–103, viewed 13 May 2025, https://doi.org/10.17721/APULTP.2021.42.90-103

Hswen, Y, Xu, X, Hing, A, Hawkins, JB, Brownstein, JS & Gee, GC 2021, ‘Association of “#covid19” versus “#chinesevirus” with anti-Asian sentiments on Twitter: March 9–23, 2020’, American Journal of Public Health (1971), vol. 111, no. 5, pp. 956–964, viewed 13 May 2025, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306154

X Corp. 2024, X trending FAQs, X Help Center, viewed 13 May 2025, https://help.x.com/en/using-x/x-trending-faqs

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Week 5-"Reality TV and the Illusion of Reality"

Behind the Scenes of Reality TV: Social Impact Beyond Entertainment

Reality television has emerged as a major source of entertainment in today's popular culture, and is loved by many viewers. Its popularity lies in the fact that ordinary folk are placed at the centre of the public eye like stars, and that it presents real dramas of everyday life and human relationships. Nevertheless, it has also been argued that reality TV can have a detrimental moral and social effect on the public. Because of this cause, it is considered very seriously to go beyond that of being mere entertainment material and to become a tool for disseminating social and political ideologies (Couldry 2008).

The pros and cons of reality TV: Emotional exploitation and social disruption

In order to attract enormous public interest and achieve greatviewership ratings, producers of television shows often use dramatization and melodramatic faces in order to inject a narrative element in reality shows. Such practices are often criticized on rationalgrounds as manipulating the feelings of the audience (Dong & BMBF Fördervorhaben TOA funder 2022). Besides, once such scenes are a burning topic and get shared far and wide through social media, audiences automatically repeat such scenes without even thinking about it and form their own values. This can also lead to over-expression and searching for a desire for acceptance (Nesi & Prinstein 2015). Moreover, a program structure that blurs the boundary between reality and fiction will make viewers forget the boundary between the real world and the fiction the program creates (Livingstone & Brake 2010), which negatively impacts self-awareness and social judgment.

How to avoid being misled by reality TV: The responsibility of viewers

In this case, audiences must be keen on digital media literacy as a way of digital citizenship. Since reality TV does not show real everyday life to audiences as it is, and may be presented to audiences as a composition created as part of entertainment, audiences must not accept it without question but instead critically read and analyse the information given and strive to behave responsibly (Hobbs 2010). This will reduce the negative effects of reality TV.

References:

Couldry, N. 2008, ‘Reality TV, or The Secret Theater of Neoliberalism’, The Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 3–13, viewed 12 May 2025, https://doi.org/10.1080/10714410701821255.

Dong, W & BMBF Fördervorhaben TOA funder 2022, The cultural politics of affect and emotion: a case study of Chinese reality TV, 1st edn, transcript Verlag, viewed 12 May 2025, https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839462843.

Hobbs, R 2010, Digital and media literacy: A plan of action. A white paper on the digital and media literacy recommendations of the Knight Commission on the information needs of communities in a democracy, Aspen Institute, viewed 13 May 2025.

Livingstone, S & Brake, DR 2010, ‘On the rapid rise of social networking sites: New findings and policy implications’, Children & Society, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 75–83, viewed 13 May 2025, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2009.00243.x.

Nesi, J & Prinstein, MJ 2015, ‘Using social media for social comparison and feedback-seeking: Gender and popularity moderate associations with depressive symptoms’, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, vol. 43, no. 8, pp. 1427–1438, viewed 12 May 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0020-0.