Caitlin Peek

This account is purely used for education purposes. Media and Comms Student at Swinburne University

[cpeek1]

WK 10 – Gaming communities, social gaming, and live streaming

This week I will be talking about online gaming communities, types of social gaming and live streaming. Although this is not a strong point of mine as I do not play video games, it is still something really interesting to learn about.

Gaming communities are a form of digital communities where people come together as a collective of like minded individuals, interested in video games and all things about them. They are groups that are centered around the organisation, communication and exchange of game related issues and events (IGI Global, 2020). The gaming industry has a value of over 18.4 Billion USD as of 2017 and is continuing to rise rapidly, with Nintendo being the leading gaming brand in the US as of 2016 (Gough, 2020). Video games to those who don’t know, are games that are played on a computing device whether it be a computer, gaming console or mobile device. Technological advancements have allowed these games to be played both online and offline depending on the game and its platform.

Online gaming/social gaming is becoming very popular amongst many adolescents as well as a wide range of other individuals. Online gaming allows people to play games with and against others from all around the word as well as make friends and play competitively. Games such as Overwatch, Mario kart and COD all offer the opportunity to play single, multiplayer, and online.

Many online games also involve professional teams, which are a group of the best players from all around the world who get paid by their team and sponsors to compete is some of the biggest e-sport tournaments around the world (Techni sport, 2020).

The world of gaming has something to suit almost everyone, of all age groups, genders, and socioeconomic status. With the gaming communities helping them all come together and connect through this hobby.

References

Gough, C 2020, ‘Video game industry- statistics and facts’, Statista, Viewed 23 May 2020, <https://www.statista.com/topics/868/video-games/#topFacts__wrapper>

IGI Global, 2020, ‘What is online gaming communities’, IGI Global, Viewed May 23 2020, < https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/self-educational-effects-computer-gaming/20980>

Techni Sport, 2020, ‘How to become a pro gamer in 2020’, Techni Sport USA, Viewed 23 May 2020, < https://technisportusa.com/blogs/news/how-to-become-a-pro-gamer>

[cpeek1]

WK 9: Digital Communities, Political engagement, and activism

The world wide web is a big place and has become increasingly more relevant in the day to day lives of most of the world’s population. More and more people connect with the internet and social media platforms every day, currently sitting at an estimated 3.8 billion people using social media as of 2020, with increasing numbers every year (Statista, 2020).

Because of this, digital communities have become one of the most advancing ways to interact and connect with people all around the world. Digital communities formed on social media platforms has given groups of individuals the ability to let their voice be heard, sharing ideas, opinions, engage with politics and share their support to different movement and activism groups.  

These social media platforms are what gives all individuals a place to express themselves and be heard, when more and more people come together as a digital community, they are more likely to have their opinion be heard and action be taken. As said by James Whelan in his article ‘Theories of change’, change will happen when people come together into a community, join their voices and fight for a change together. Whelan’s example suggested that if a community comes together with a strong concern, the leaders in charge will have to consider their arguments as it could result in loss of respect and backlash for when the next election is held which will have a negative impact on them (2020). A recent example of this can be seen with the #METOO movement, because of the trending hashtag on twitter and a group of people coming together and arguing for the same thing, change was made, and these people are now heard.

Without digital communities, online protests like this would cease to exist and people would not have the freedom to speak for themselves and their opinions, especially when it comes to political engagement and activism.

References:

Clement, J 2020, ‘Number of global network users 2010-2023’, Statista, Viewed 19 May 2020, < https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/>

Whelan, J 2020, ‘Theories of change’, The change agency, Viewed 19 May 2020, <http://www.thechangeagency.org/theories-of-change/>.

[breckcarter]

Superficiality on social media - Week 8

Every time I go onto social media I am flooded with messages of self-love, being true to who you are and body positivity. I love this. It just so happens that these messages are coming from social media influencers who have vast amounts of money and spend it on personal training, fake nails/eyelashes and Botox/filler/cosmetic surgery and are the epitome of superficiality.

As of January 9th 2017, #plasticsurgery had 523,361 posts, #facelift 224,235 and #rhinoplasty 138,259 on Instagram (Dorfman et al. 2018, p. 334). Not only is this practice now increasingly normalised on social media, but people are consulting this information available before going about doing the same thing themselves.

YouTube videos are often created by individuals sharing their cosmetic surgery experiences, this openness busting myths and removing stigma about the experience (Wen, Chia & Hao 2015, p. 939-940). However it is worth nothing that much of the cosmetic surgery content promoting it to others is produced by cosmetic surgery companies with aims of marketing. This brings into question the amount of reliability that can be had when trying to find information online relating to cosmetic surgery. While individuals may be more honest, they have less accreditation; and while professionals share a one-sided positive perspective they have the science and expertise to back up what they’re saying.

The elective practices are undoubtedly rising due to social media and technology, but large developments and advancements in technology have also amounted to more upstanding outcomes. Groups facilitated by global health care training non-profit  Physicians for Peace (PFP), educational apps, tele-monitoring and online courses are all now possible (Thompson 2016). These essential services are privy to the same growth that cosmetic surgery has, yet does not get the recognition it deserves online.

This brings into question whether social media only champions the aesthetically pleasing? Do we care about genuine people, their stories, education and connecting with the wider world or are we just superficial?

References:

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, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 332-338.

Thompson, S 2016, ‘How social media is transforming medical care in the developing world’, Fast Company, 15 March, viewed 13 April 2020, <https://www.fastcompany.com/3057869/how-social-media-is-transforming-medical-care-in-the-developing-world>.

Wen, N, Chia, S.C, & Hao, X 2015, ‘What Do Social Media Say About makeovers? A Content Analysis of Cosmetic Surgery Videos and Viewers’ Responses on YouTube’, Health Communication, vol. 30, no. 9, pp. 933-942.

[cpeek1]

Great points Breck!

thought you argued your points super well and was a really eyeopening read.

[cpeek1]

WK 8- Cosmetic surgery, Body image and Social media

The way we see ourselves has always been an issue among many individuals, especially adolescence. With the growing use of social media and online media, more and more people are confronted everyday with what is said to be ‘the perfect body’ and the idea that every person should have this ideal body to be considered beautiful. Instagram influencers and marketing are just the beginning of these issues, constantly showing unattainable and unnatural beauty in order to draw their audience in and let them believe that people can look and should look this way.

According to Walker, Krumhuber, Dayan and Furnham, woman aged between 18 and 29 have been largely impacted when it comes to the idea of cosmetic surgery because of their social media use. In their study, results showed that when viewing women on social media who have undergone cosmetic enhancements, it has significantly increased the women’s desire of cosmetic surgery. Especially when they have spent a large amount of time on social media viewing these images, they then state they were less satisfied with their own appearance (2019). I personally find this myself as well, when I look through my Instagram feed and see absolutely stunning people I can’t help compare myself to them, despite knowing that majority of these pictures have been edited and show an unrealistic person.

Pornification has also become a very normalized part of social media, with many social media influencers sexualising their bodies and using it as a way to attract their audiences and brands attention. “Academics have argued that female influencers positioned themselves as objects alongside the products they promote” (Mavroudis, 2020). One example that sticks out to me is Shani Grimond. I have nothing against her as a person, but she is one of the very known influencers that uses her body in a sexualising manor to promote products on her platforms, especially when it comes to lounge wear, lingerie, and workout gear.

Although I believe every woman has a right to do as they please to feel and look however they want, but I do agree that there is a huge impact on younger woman and the way that beauty is portrayed through social media. I think influencers should not have to sexualise themselves in order to promote brands or keep up with the trends, and instead should embrace their natural beauty more and share that with the world.

References:

Mavroudis, J 2020, ‘Lecture 8: Public health campaigns and social media influence’, MDA20009 Digital communities, learning materials via canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, Week 8, Viewed 11 May 2020.

Walker, C.E., Krumhuber, E.G., Dayan, S, Furnham, A  2019, ‘Effects of social media use on desire for cosmetic surgery among young women’, Current Psychology (2019), Viewed May 12 2020.

[sarahkwalsh]

Week 7: Fast Fashion and the Slow Fashion Movement

Today’s post is about Fashion, specifically looking at Fast fashion in comparison to slow fashion. I personally love shopping, as well as keeping up with the new fashion trends and styles, this includes looking at social media accounts to gain inspiration, which I know a lot of girls like myself do this, however, do we know where the clothing is coming from or if its sustainably made? Fast fashion can be defined as “lower-quality, low-priced, mass produced and machine-made garments that quickly end up in landfills.” (Aishwariya, 2019). Slow fashion in contrast is typically made by hand which means better quality that last longer, use artistic talent and values fair treatment of people, animals and the planet. (Hill, 2018). More people are looking towards slow fashion as people are becoming more concerned for the environment as well as the child labour that goes into making fast fashion.

As fast fashion is cheap and can be easily located, it leads to an over consumption of spending and consumers purchasing more clothes then they actually need, which leads to fashion waste which badly impacts the environment. Recently, popular media users have been expressing the importance of slow fashion which has led to an increase in the ‘slow fashion movement’. Slow fashion involves longer and more ethical production lines, use of local materials and a focus on sustainability and quality. (Hall, 2017). The rise of the slow fashion movement could be because of a growth in awareness of the damages Fast fashion has. It was estimated that 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse emissions were produced in 2015 due to the fibres and textiles industry (Brewer, 2019). As the global fashion industry makes up 10% of the worlds carbon emissions, it is important that clothes are being made in an environmentally safe way, to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas being emitted into the air.

The ‘Slow Fashion Movement’ has been widely spread on social media, especially Instagram bloggers. There are several social media influencers who promote sustainable fashion, how to become sustainable in your clothing, the impacts of fast fashion and how to live ethically and environmentally friendly. For example, @ironicminimalist is an Instagram influencer who is known to be a ‘Slow fashion stylist’. She shows people through her photos how to style slow fashion pieces and she believes in the importance of owning a minimalist wardrobe (only owning a few of everything). She also holds ‘Slow fashion workshops’ where she teaches people how to create a sustainable wardrobe. She has a following of 3,384 people who comment on her photos expressing their thoughts and appreciation. Social media is a fantastic tool to help project topics you are passionate about, and the slow fashion movement is only growing with the amount of sustainable fashion accounts being made every single day.

Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/ironicminimalist/

The second-hand clothing store ‘Thred Up’ stated “Compared to the overall apparel market, resale’s growth has been phenomenal. As the market uniquely meets consumers’ preference for variety, value and sustainability, we expect the high growth to continue”. (Saunders 2019). This is promising as more people are seeming to drift towards slow fashion, and at a quicker pace also, which will overall help towards to improvement of our environment as well as the improvement of quality in our fashion. Picking out outfits and styling staple pieces is a lot of fun, however knowing it was ethically made and produced will make you feel even better wearing it.

Aishwariya, S 2019, Fast vs Slow Fashion, viewed 6 May, 2020, <https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/8460/fast-vs-slow-fashion>. 

Hill, M 2018, What Is Slow Fashion?, viewed 6 May, 2020, <https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-slow-fashion/>. Hall, J 2017, “Digital Kimono: Fast Fashion, Slow Fashion?”, Fashion Theory, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 283-307. 

Brewer. M.K, 2019, ‘Slow Fashion in a Fast Fashion World: Promoting Sustainability and Responsibility’ Laws, Vol 8, Iss 4 

ThredUp 2019, 2019 Fashion Resale Market and Trend Report | thredUP, viewed 6 May, 2020, <https://www.thredup.com/resale?tswc_redir=true>.

[cpeek1]

Hey Sarah!

I loved this post and thought you really understood what you where talking about! I also love how you’ve used an influencer as an example because i really do feel that they have the biggest influence on our generation and what we choose to buy. 

[cpeek1]

(via GIPHY)

[cpeek1]

Instagram, Influencers and the slow fashion movement!

This week I’ll be focusing on the slow fashion movement and the impacts fast fashion is having on our environment. The fashion industry is one of the largest, multi billion-dollar global enterprises in the world, A business of making and selling clothes (Steele & Major 2019). However, in my opinion, the fashion industry is one of the most brutal and destructive enterprises that is destroying the climate and I am sure many can agree.

Our generation is very well known for our online shopping splurges and a new outfit for every occasion mindset which is super unfortunate and needs to change.

‘Fast Fashion’ is a term used in the fashion industry referring to “fashion that is mass produced, cheap, changes within a fortnight and often associated with a throw away attitude” (Lai, Claudia & Henninger, 2017 p.82). Fast Fashion is also one of the most commonly bought due to how easy it is to obtain and doesn’t break the bank. It has been calculated by the intergovernmental panel on climate change that the fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions each year whilst also estimated to use 1.5 trillion litres of water each year as well (Davis, 2020), these factors are greatly influenced by the effects of fast fashion. These levels are already too high and need to stop before even more damage is done to our planet.

The Slow Fashion Movement is one step towards a positive change to the fashion industry. Slow fashion is a movement that focuses on sustainability and considers all the processes and resources that are used to make clothing, it involves buying higher quality clothing that are longer lasting and is much more ethical towards the treatment of people, animals and the planet (Hill, 2018). Slow fashion has become increasingly more popular but still has a long way to come before most retailers are stocking sustainable items. There are four guiding principles that will qualify a fashion line/label to be ‘sustainable’. These are that the items produced must not involve any form of child labor across the entire supply chain, Materials used must be low harm to the natural environment and can be recycled/up cycled, the production of the clothing must be ethical and socially responsible, such as fair wages, creating jobs as well as producing clothes locally and finally they have to create a long term relationship across their supply chain as it allows for negotiation of fair prices, wages and develops a strong network that supports the creation of sustainable fashion (Week 7 Lecture, MDA20009, 2020).

The use of social media also plays a large part in the way that fashion is sold, many brands use social media influencers to advertise and encourage their following to purchase items from a brand that they are payed to talk about. This is a very useful method but in most cases these brands are not of a sustainable manner and are using influencers to support fast fashion and therefor continuing the unhealthy cycle. If more influencers denied working with any brand offering fast fashion and instead supported only sustainable brands, we would have a much better chance of reducing fast fashion dramatically.

I personally try to only purchase from sustainable brands, as I feel the extra cost for the item of clothing is much more worth it in the long run as they last longer and are of much better quality. As well as this I also consider many second had options and always look to upcycle my clothing, so it doesn’t go to waste as quickly.

References:

Davis, N 2020, ‘Fast Fashion speeding towards environment disaster, report warns’, The Guardian, Viewed 8 May 2020, <https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/07/fast-fashion-speeding-toward-environmental-disaster-report-warns>.

Hill, M 2018, ‘What is slow fashion?’, Goodonyou, Viewed 9 May 2020, <https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-slow-fashion/>

Milne, E 2020, ‘Lecture 7: Digital citizenship case study: Instagram, influencers and the slow fashion movement’, MDA20009 Digital communities, learning materials via canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, Week 7, Viewed 6 May 2020.

Steele, V & Major, J 2019, ‘Fashion industry’, Encyclopedia Britannica, Viewed 8 of May 2020, < https://www.britannica.com/art/fashion-industry>.

Zhen Lai, Claudia, E, Henninger & Panayiota J. Alevizou ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’, Sustainability in Fashion A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, edited by Henninger, C.E., Alevizou, P., Goworek, H., Ryding, D. (Palgrave: 2017)

[cpeek1]

What is digital citizenship? How social media is changing the election process

This week post looks at a broader part of the internet, focusing on the idea of digital citizenships and the way that social media has changed the election process.

You might ask, what exactly is a digital citizen?

Being a digital citizen, and having a digital citizenship means that you participate in society online and that you use the internet on a regular basis (Mossberger, 2007, pp. 1), It is a person that has the access and ability to use digital technologies and platforms to connect with others and share information on whenever they please.

Social media has been a game changer to the world of politics. Back before social media, political advertising was done through radio, commercial and newspaper, now people and political parties have turned to use social media to run their campaigns and accumulate votes as well as incorporating traditional advertising to ensure they cover all bases. The use of social media and the internet for political gain enables organisations to break through all the mixed messages and gain support while being able to challenge other established parties and governments (Surowiec & Stetka, 2017, pp.1-2)

Social media can be used to vote, keep up to date with political media, voice your opinion and follow the political candidates that you are interested in. One of the biggest political hashtags used all throughout Australia is #AUSPOL. #AUSPOL is a trending hashtag on twitter and is commonly used for commentary and rumour spreading about the federal government (Bogle, 2016). This hashtag plays a vital part of social media where individuals all around Australia can keep tabs on what is happening in government as well as voice their own opinion on the matters.

A great example of the use of social media in politics was during the 2008 presidential election when Barack Obamas use of social media revolutionised campaigning forever, increasing public attention by 29% (Owen, 2019). Despite the use of social media dwindling over the following years, it surged again to 43% during the 2016 election of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (Owen, 2019) with both Clinton and Trump jumping to social media due to how quick and efficient it was to share their political stance.

References:

Bogle, A 2016, ‘#auspol: The twitter hashtag Australia can’t live without’, MashableAustralia, viewed 29 April 2020, < https://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#4tvfXtsZUEqV>

Mossberger, K 2007, ‘Digital citizenship: The internet, society, and participation’, Cambridge MIT Press, pp. 1.

Owen, D 2019, ‘The past decade and future of political media: The ascendance of social media’, Openmind BBVA, viewed 1 May 2020, <https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/the-past-decade-and-future-of-political-media-the-ascendance-of-social-media/>

Surowiec, P, Stetka, V 2017, ‘Social media and politics in central and eastern Europe’, Routledge series on Russian and East European Studies, no. 1, pp.1-2.

[sophie-embleton13]

How does Tumblr function as a Digital Community?

In 2014 Tumblr was the fastest growing social platform (Lunden, 2014), since then numbers may have declined yet it is still a place that houses an important digital community. Like most social platforms users can follow, reblog (share) images and like eachothers posts although, Tumblr is unique in the way that it’s a blogging site yet users communicate primarily through images. It’s currency, ‘reposts’ are another form of ‘likes’ which displays the popularity of the image but direct comments on posts are not an available feature. In order for users to comment, they must repost the image which ends up being displayed on their own blog. David Karp who founded Tumblr states that this feature is key to discourage overly negative comments, diffusing comment wars that ignite and exacerbate bullying and hate speech (Kanai, 2015). 

 A platform that provides connectivity and actively encourages and relies upon the creation and sharing of content, Tumblr is the perfect environment for niche communities to thrive. The ‘hug box’ theory (Kruse et.al, 2017) addresses the ease of eliminating anything we dislike or disagree with online translating to an unfollow, unfriend or delete. This filtration process enables us to make sense of the vast information we are faced with on social media and connects us to likeminded communities with similar interests (Kruse, 2017).  

“These virtual communities based on shared interests rather than shared physical space can be more democratic, less oppressive” (Jenkins, 2016) and despite the absence of a personal profile or social network, the anonymity users have on Tumblr enables them to voice their opinions freely (Papacharissi, 2011). This freedom of speech allows self-expression to be exercised to its full potential with no consequences of a ‘tarnished reputation.’  

Tumblr plays a vital role in shaping our social identity, an online extension of ourselves allowing us to create and play with the ‘look’ of blog through many facets. The way we portray ourselves to our online community, the aesthetic of our blog becomes our new physical appearance to hide behind (Zoonen, 2013). An emphasis on individuality has grown as Tumblr becomes saturated with users, yet a desire to fit in is prevalent, as similar aesthetics are formed and certain themes become popular. Tumblr functions to serve as an extension of ourselves, a place for self expression with no filter and a place that cultivates niche communities.

References

Bruns, A. and Highfield, 2016. Is Habermas On Twitter? Social Media And The Public Sphere.. Routledge, New York: The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics, pp.56-73.

Kanai, A., 2015. WhatShouldWeCallMe? Self-Branding, Individuality and Belonging in Youthful Femininities on Tumblr. M/C Journal, 18(1), pp.1-2.

Kruse, L., Norris, D. and Flinchum, J., 2017. Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media. The Sociological Quarterly, 59(1), pp.62-84.

Lunden, I., 2014. Techcrunch Is Now A Part Of Verizon Media. [online] Techcrunch.com. Available at: <https://techcrunch.com/2014/11/25/tumblr-overtakes-instagram-as-fastest-growing-social-platform-snapchat-is-the-fastest-growing-app/> [Accessed 21 April 2020].

Papacharissi, Z., 2011. A Networked Self. New York: Routledge.

Wilken, R. and McCosker, 2014. The Media & Communications In Australia: Social Selves. pp.291-295.

Zoonen, L., 2013. From Identity To Identification. pp.44-51.

[cpeek1]

Hey i thought this was a super interesting post! I loved how you mentioned that anything you reblog is shown on your own page as it really does have an impact on the way negitivity is reduced around the platform, Keep up the good work!

[cpeek1]

How does Tumblr function as a ‘digital community’ (week 1-5)

Ever since Tumblr came about in 2007 it has created one of the most connected and supporting digital communities on the internet today. Tumblr allows people from all around the world to connect in a virtual place, encouraging individuals to express themselves, making Tumblr their canvas for creativity and share it with a huge digital community of like minded people (Tumblr, 2020). Tumblr is a Platform for creative and opinionated posts with large amounts focusing around politics. For the younger generations, Tumblr has served as a place of judgement free sharing and a way to freely express themselves. Marlo, a 19 year old student stated that, ”Facebook is a more conservative platform, that’s where you share news about family, or like, you know, I got accepted to Oxford, as opposed to Twitter where I can use curse words and be a little more free in what I say!” (Keller, pp.1, 2019).

A huge group of users on Tumblr are the LGBTIQA+ community who have used Tumblr as a safe place to express themselves as individuals and form a group of similar individuals for support and encouragement. According to a survey conducted by ‘The Conversation ‘of young people’s social media use, young LGBTIQA+ people are using Tumblr much more frequently (2017).

The idea of the digital community has also brought forward the idea that social media, including Tumblr is part of a “Public Sphere”. The idea that individuals come together to form a public body, sharing public opinions which is accessible to all citizens (Haberman, Lennox & Lennox,1974). Although this idea of a “Public Sphere” is a much-debated topic amongst some scholars with many arguing it does not exist, Tumblr is a living example of how this “public sphere’ may truly exist.

Tumblr is a huge digital community and has allowed the youth to become more politically aware and stay updated with the changing world around them, whilst at the same time be part of a public body with freedom to express themselves.

References:

Habermas, J, Lennox, S & Lennox, F 1974, ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article 1964, New German Critique, no. 3, p. 49, viewed 22 April 2020

Keller, J 2019, 'Oh, she’s a Tumblr Feminist’: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, no. 3, p. 1, viewed 22 April 2020

The Conversation 2017,’There’s something queer about Tumblr’, The Conversation, viewed 23 April 2020, < https://theconversation.com/theres-something-queer-about-tumblr-73520>.

Tumblr 2020, About Tumblr, Tumblr, viewed 23 April 2020, <https://www.tumblr.com/about>.