digital communities

Critiques on Digital Communities

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ugh, MEN.

As discussed in an earlier post, digital communities give every day individuals the power to communicate their thoughts and feelings to an audience, without boundaries. Although this can be used as a great tool for sparking change in important political and social issues, this ‘freedom of speech’ is often very problematic.

Take for example, men texting on dating apps.

In their article, Marwick and Caplan (2018, p. 445), describe how the rise of the internet and social media has allowed the formation of mens rights activist groups. Inherently, this isn’t a bad thing, as most would agree, it is important for societal groups to have these supportive communities. The problem begins when these groups create a derogatory culture that perpetuates poor behaviour (Thompson, 2018, p. 71).

Women receiving online abuse is growing more visible due to dating apps and the simplicity of sharing these encounters online. This is exemplified through the highly followed Instragram accounts ‘Instagranniepants’ and ‘Swipes4Daddy’. Run by women in their 20′s, these accounts post screenshots of the real, online conversations they have had with men. Although meant to be funny, it is concerning to see how horrible the messages are. Thompson (2018, p.71) argues that this derogatory communication is the result of dating apps perpetuating a traditional sexual hierarchy. She describes that when swiping on Tinder, women are predicted as the products of sexual desire, whilst men are the consumers. This was supported through a study done by Frohlick and Migliardi (2011), where interviewed women described men on dating apps as ‘kids in a candy store’. Scary! It appears as though men believe that women on dating apps are always looking for a hook-up. Rejecting their offer results in a crude attack on the female’s character, abusive and uncalled for.

In their article on The Conversation, authors Ostini and Hopkins (2015) bring forward the important issue surrounding this online abuse. They state that violence is often thought of as something physical, but it can also carry out online, verbally. As a result, domestic violence prevention services are growing increasingly concerned about how social media plays role in violent relationships. Unfortunately, internet legislation is still very much in its baby stages, so punishment for online abuse does not go much further than having an account banned or restricted.

As women, it is important to keep on calling out men when they display this behaviour. Furthermore, we can use our own digital communities, online feminist groups, to initiate a change in the way dating apps portray us. This is a serious issue that needs to be nipped in the bud, before the poisonous weed grows.

Resources:

1. Marwick, A.E. and Caplan, R, 2018, ‘Drinking male tears: Language, the manosphere, and networked harassment’, Feminist Media Studies, 18(4), pp.543-559.

2. Thompson, L, 2018, ‘“I can be your Tinder nightmare”: Harassment and misogyny in the online sexual marketplace’, Feminism & Psychology, 28(1), pp.69-89.

3. Gajda, E, ‘Swipes4Daddy’, Instagram, viewed 15 May 2021, <https://www.instagram.com/swipes4daddy/>

4. Gensler, A, ‘Instagranniepants’, Instagram, viewed 15 May 2021, <https://www.instagram.com/instagranniepants/>

5. Frohlick, S. and Migliardi, P., 2011. Heterosexual profiling: Online dating and ‘becoming’heterosexualities for women aged 30 and older in the digital era. Australian Feminist Studies, 26(67), pp.73-88.

6. Ostini, J and Hopkins, S, 2015, ‘Online harassment is a form of violence’, The Conversation, viewed 15 May 2021, <https://theconversation.com/online-harassment-is-a-form-of-violence-38846>.

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fast fashun’ and the socials👗🛍

‘Desire’ is the most influential element when it comes to manufacturing clothes for consumers (Loureiro and et al, 2018). In the internet era, fashion brands need to work even harder to adjust and appease the ever changing trends that consumer’s demand to wear, according to Loureiro. 

Consequently, it’s easy to see how influential social media is in contributing to the fast fashion carbon footprint. Social media has allowed brands to obtain a closer relationship with their buyers, and with the vast amount of content posted online, often change their minds about particular brands (Loureiro and et al, 2019). This short, and often changing, attention span means that brands need to constantly produce and adapt, to maintain their target market. If this wasn’t enough pressure on the fashion industry alone, social media influences come to throw an extra spanner in the works.

To demonstrate the impact that influencers have on the fast fashion crisis, an analysis of the celebrity ‘Doja Cat’ will be done. Doja is a female rap artist who was boosted into the spotlight during the pandemic, thanks to the popular app TikTok. On instagram, Doja currently has an impressive 10.7 mil following and is known to promote her favourite clothing sponsor, Pretty Little Thing. Pretty Little Thing is a fast fashion brand popular amongst teens and young adult females. According to Loureiro (2019), there are 3 requirements a brand needs to fulfil in order to classify as a fast fashion brand:

1. Quick response

2. Frequent changes

3. Fashionable designs at affordable prices

And unfortunately, Pretty Little Thing fulfils all three. Below is an example of one of Doja’s promotions of the brand:

As it can be seen, this single post alone has over 1 million likes. If half of those users decided that they too wanted to own the same suit (affordable, trendy), that’s already a production of 500,000 items of clothing. Which, is a lot. Not to mention her collaboration with the brand, which will promote the mass production of a whole new line of garments. The scary part, is that Doja is just one influencer, and this is just a single post. If we combine every single influencer and their paid promotions, it’s almost incomprehensible to think of how quickly these brands need to work to fulfil consumers fashion ‘desires’. And, as Loureiro says, ‘Desire’ is the main element for fashion manufacturing.

It’s important to be very mindful during shopping sprees, being aware of where the garments come from and whether they are sustainably made.

My advice: Hit the thrift shops!

References:

1. Loureiro, S.M.C, Maximiano, M, and Panchapakesan, P, 2018, ‘Engaging fashion consumers in social media: The case of luxury brands’, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 11(3), pp.310-321.

2. Loureiro, S.M.C, Serra, J, and Guerreiro, J, 2019, ‘How fashion brands engage on social media: A netnography approach’, Journal of Promotion Management, 25(3), pp.367-378.

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Island Communities 🥺🏝💖

One of my favourite games of all time is the popular and highly praised ‘Animal Crossings’. It’s a game that has been present throughout many of our childhood’s, and has undergone many developments in order for fans to carry on playing it on new devices. For example, I started playing the 2005 ‘Wild World’ on my DS Lite, then the 2011 ‘City Folk’, before finally the latest development on the Nintendo Switch; ‘New Horizons’.

It’s widely known that the latest version of Animal Crossing, ‘New Horizons’, literally EXPLODED during lockdown. In fact, journalist Keza MacDonald describes it as one of Nintendo’s most record-breaking games, selling 11 million copies by the END OF MARCH! Crazy! Furthermore, McDonald talks about how Animal Crossings enticed non-game players into becoming a part of this new game community.

And the Animal Crossing community is an important one.

Lockdown saw many people isolated in their own homes, lacking social communication from their friends and family. As humans are naturally sociable creatures, of course, society searched for ways to connect and Animal Crossing provided a solution. Offering players the opportunity to develop their own ‘island world’ where life is, in a sense, ‘perfect’ offered a great escape from the covid saturated world we were living in.

Zhu explains the psychology side of this ‘other-world’ reality. Firstly, describing it as a Dreamland where players can get involved in day-to-day activities without any real world nastiness. I mean, you could even view the game as a kind of ‘escapism drug’ because essentially, that’s what many people used it as. Who could blame us though, with the adorable villagers, self-paced task completions, lack of demanding bosses and pandemics... it was a great relief. Also, some of the stuff the villagers would say was seriously heartwarming:

Scholar Kim, in his study of the 2005 ‘Wild World’ game also came to a similar conclusion. His study similarly found that the addictiveness of Animal Crossing stems from the game giving players the opportunity to communicate with villagers, or other players, and move about completing tasks in their own time.

So in conclusion, if you haven’t experienced an Animal Crossing phase, or the community, you definitely should, because it’s not something you should miss out on!

References:

1. MacDonald, K, “’It’s uniting people’: Why 11m People are Playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons’, The Guardian, 13 May 2020, viewed 3 May 2021 <https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/may/13/animal-crossing-new-horizons-nintendo-game-coronavirus>.

2. Zhu, L, 2021, ‘The psychology behind video games during COVID‐19 pandemic: A case study of Animal Crossing: New Horizons’, Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 3(1), pp.157-159.

3. Kim, J, 2014, ‘Interactivity, user-generated content and video game: an ethnographic study of Animal Crossing: Wild World’, Continuum, 28(3), pp.357-370.

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It’s Bimini, B*tch

Season 2 of UK’s Drag Race introduced many of us to the magnificently stunning, Vivienne Westwood fused (and of course, vegan) high fashion couture icon; Bimini Bon Boulash.

HOW GORGEOUS IS SHE THOUGH.

Throughout the seasons of queens, none has stood out quite like Queen B. For her unique approach to stray away from the typical conventions of drag is utterly beguiling. Viewing Bimini, it’s really all about the face. I believe that typical drag utilises aspects of ‘hyper femininity’ in order to make a look seem feminine. Not Bimini. Although, yes, she does portray a more ‘female’ gender, many of her make-up looks seem to be inspired by unconventional beauty filters, the alternate-reality type. You know, the ones that give you elf ears or white eyes or a pinkish glow to your skin.

And I believe this is why I found Bimini so refreshing. She strays away from the main crowd who channel the Kim K, Marilyn Monroe, Hailey Bieber type of femininity and just does her own gorgeous thing. I mean, remember her acne look? There’s no way any other Queen would have dared to do something as bold as that AND be able to pull it off. It’s like Bimini uses the aesthetic side of beauty filters and blends them with human imperfection, creating a perfect balance between being ‘human’ and hetero-beauty ideologies. 

She’s basically merging the online ‘filtered’ version of femininity and the offline version (flaws, no makeup etc) and creating resulting looks that audiences just adore and can’t get enough of.

Remember her bacteria look? That one was by far my favourite of the season. When she stepped out, I literally gasped. It was like she had taken a sci-fi face filter on instagram, blended it with Vivienne Westwood Vogue, sprinkled in some unconventional beauty ideals and presented us with a delicious dish of ultimate perfection. Who knew clouded cataracts could be so desirable?

Instagram filters are usually used to polish away human flaws. I believe Bimini challenges this ideal. Yes, she utilises aspects that beauty filters employ such as perfect facial symmetry, snatched make-up and big lips, but merges these qualities with humanly traits that society deems as flaws, as seen in her acne look. Here are some more examples below:

THE ALL TIME BACTERIA LOOK. Notice the symmetries of her face/hair (filter quality), but her clouded eyes.

Again, snatched make-up, perfect hair but in this look she darkened a tooth, which is not something you’d see in a ‘beauty’ filter.

Again, note the symmetries of this look, particularly her face. But she’s English-Rose pale. These days, society seems to strive toward being tanned and toned.

Anyways, I hope you all get the idea. Instagram filters, reality or not.

I just really love Bimini <3.

References:

1. Coy-Dibley, I, 2016, ‘“Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image’, Palgrave Communications, 2(1), pp.1-9.

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BODY-ODY-ODY-ODY

Okay, we always talk about female body representation on social media and how it affects their mental health (Lin and Kulik, 2010). Striving to be as hourglass curvy like Kylie Jenner or as waifish as Gigi H, female body pressures and trends are pretty well documented. There’s plenty of talk about the stereotypical ‘male’ body too. Abs, biceps, shredded. Documented in magazines such as Mens Health and whatnot (Duggan and McCreary, 2004).

But what about gay men? Where do they sit on the body representation scale? Some scholars believe that they experience greater body dissonance due to their lack of masculinity (Pope, 2000). Obviously, it’s important to not classify gay men in one ‘body goal’ group. Some may prefer the muscle, others may prefer trying to obtain the curves of Kim K. It greatly depends on personal preference, but it’s interesting to ponder how they are influenced by social media’s public health campaigns. 

In a 2004 study, it was found that gay men are more dissatisfied with their body image compared to heterosexual men (Duggan and McCreary, 2004). The study also indicated that gay men strive to achieve ‘thinness’, more than heterosexual males do. This indicates that gay men perhaps lean towards liking feminine standards of beauty more than masculine standards. This could be problematic. Since the autonomy of the female and male body is so different, it would be challenging for a gay man to replicate his body to the female ones he views on social media. Coupled with the fact that the bodies on social media are likely already morphed to the gods with photoshop, it makes replication even more unachievable. So perhaps their physical dissonance is just perpetuated by the constant battle of trying to obtain something that doesn’t really exist.

Body dissonance is a concept I’m sure everyone is familiar with, if not has experienced. It’s a pity that we live in a society that puts so much value on physical looks, rather than personal character. Overall, it’s important we remain sensitive towards individuals who are not happy with the way they look and provide support when society doesn’t allow them room for physical association.

References:

1. Lin, L.F. and Kulik, J. A, 2002, ‘Social comparison and women's body satisfaction’, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 24(2), pp.115-123.

2. Pope, H, Pope, H.G, Phillips, K.A. and Olivardia, R, 2000, ‘The Adonis complex: The secret crisis of male body obsession’, Simon and Schuster.

3. Duggan, S.J. and McCreary, D.R, 2004, ‘Body image, eating disorders, and the drive for muscularity in gay and heterosexual men: The influence of media images’, Journal of homosexuality, 47(3-4), pp.45-58.

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#bryce

To my fellow Australians who enjoy an OTT reality TV show, most of you would know (or be able to guess) what this hashtag entails. After every episode of Married at First Sight, I am scrolling on Twitter, reading my way through the mounds of angry viewers venting their dislike for Bryce and his manipulative ways. It’s addictive as much as it is both concerning (for his partner Melissa) and hilarious (the memes).

But, if it weren’t for the hashtag, I wouldn’t be able to experience this hot drama happening live all around the country. And it’s not only reality TV that hashtags have an impact on.

It’s pretty obvious that hashtags go hand-in-hand with politics these days. On a platform with users from all over the globe, hashtags allow us to easily create a more local political public-sphere. Here in Australia, the hashtag #auspol is a prime example (Bogle, 2016). Having this hashtag has created forms of digital citizenship for those who choose to use it. It facilities political participation for us folk who do not have the opportunity to stand up in parliament or talk personally with Morrison. And hey, it’s a popular means of communication, just take a look back at how hashtags have played a major part in the recent American elections. As to whether politicians should have their own Twitter accounts, well, I’ll leave that up to you.

For now, I’m going to go back to reading #bryce and Miss Bianca’s hilarious tweets.

Reference:

Bogle, A 2016, ‘#auspol: The Twitter Hashtag Australia can’t live without’, Mashable Australia, viewed 5 April 2021, <https://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#4tvfXtsZUEqV>

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Not today Satan! Not today!

Bianca Del Rio

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Is RuPaul’s Drag Race Really a Winner?

This week, I was immediately drawn to Brennan and Gudelunas’ article; ‘Drag Culture, Global Participation and RuPaul’s Drag Race’. Mainly because I am a fan of RuPaul, I frequently watch his show and my friends and I enjoy discussing/following the different queens and seasons.

Before I read this journal article, I believed that RuPaul’s drag race was a great show which was ahead of it’s time, representing a marginalised group in such a bold, unapologetic way. That was part of why I loved it so much. The show is so ‘out-there’ and it seemed like a safe space for every one who enjoyed watching the queens compete. As Brennan and Gudelunas highlight, the show would often do things such as incorporate LGBTQ milestones or political history in order to raise awareness about the issues that their society faces (2017, p. 2).

However, as the authors begin to describe, some of the phrases that the show uses and their choice of body representation through their queens appears to actually be quite problematic. The article points out that the phrase ‘You’ve got She-Mail’ was quickly dropped after viewers began to claim that it was insensitive and derogatory to transgender individuals (2017, p. 4). I noticed this phrase yesterday whilst watching an episode from season 6 and I did actually find it quite a bold choice of a statement. Furthermore, the authors highlight how the show makes it challenging for plus sized queens to compete, as they are often judged and compared against the ‘ideal’ body types (2017, p.6). Additionally, plus sized queens cannot overcome challenges in the same way one can just overcome things like bad sewing skills or contouring (2017, p. 6). It seems as though they do not have the same advantages as the queens with the ideal body types do.

So, is RuPaul’s Drag Race really a winner in every aspect? I suppose not every Reality TV show is perfect and when comparing it with others, it’s actually quite unproblematic overall. However, as a cisgender woman, my opinion could differ drastically from someone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I am still a big fan of RuPaul and the queens, but I will approach each episode I watch with an open eye and increased sensitivity to the LGBTQ+ community.

References:

Brennan, N., & Gudelunas, N. (2017), Drag Culture, Global Participation and RuPaul’s Drag. Race RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Shifting Visibility of Drag Culture. 1-11. 

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Tumblr: A Digital Community

Although it’s not a platform that takes the main spotlight centre stage like other sites such as Instagram or Facebook, Tumblr is a platform that is home to many individuals and is still very much active to this day. In fact, as I log into my personal account I am always presented with a feed of recent posts surrounding topics that are important to myself. Often those that are marginalised or heavily critiqued in society, group interests range from feminist ideologies, LGBTQ+ rights to even those involving cosplaying and animes, all can be seen extensively interacting on Tumblr. And why so? Instagram and Facebook offer a much wider audience, so indeed it would make more sense to post on sites such as those.

In her article, Jessalynn Keller (2019, p. 5) exemplifies the ‘Perils of Publicity’. That is, the fact that these other mainstream sites offer little privacy to their users, so posts tend to not be as bold or ‘out there’ as those on Tumblr. As Tumblr is a much more private site (for example, no real names or time posting), the anonymity is comforting for these marginalised groups. This was prevalent in an article published on The New Republic website, where teenage holders of a popular Tumblr account, Zach Lilley and Jeremy Greenfield, describe Tumblr as a “safe space” where someone can make observations about the public that everyone can see, but “no one knows that it’s you” (Reeve, 2016).

In addition, Keller (2019, p. 5) finds that teenage girls in particular choose sites according to where they believe their post will be best received. Hence why it can be seen that Tumblr is so popular for ‘insignificant’ communities.

Tumblr gifts them with the space that allows them to be heard, which society has stripped from them for so long.

References:

1. 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.

2. Reeve, E 2016, ‘The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens’, New Republic, viewed 23 March 2021, <https://newrepublic.com/article/129002/secret-lives-tumblr-teens>