MDA20009: Digital Communities With Rana

This blog includes weekly topics related to a unit i’m currently studying MDA20009: Digital Communities. Please get involved by posting your comments below to bring about an engaging discussion. Thank you!

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #8 ~ Social Gaming

Most video game players consider games as their individual companion and are addicted to the idea of interacting with virtual character and being in control of their movements. The interactive nature of video games enable its players to become a part of the actions, decisions and it even reaches their mood leading to aggressive or unexpected reactions to the game experience. Some gamers become highly addicted to their games to an extent that they require some serious help and support to control this behaviour, the sense of escapism that games give freely to players can make it hard to associate with the real world on the long run as players are so used to not being judged or classified based on their physical and social qualities in gameplay, which is not always the case in real life context.

Massively Multiple Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) like World of Warcraft is an example of an online society well developed, allowing millions of players to take part in an ongoing world that never stops. Having a roleplay and an individual avatar in the game gives the players some sort of power and status amongst all other characters, and perhaps this is why players become addicted to such online society because it meets their social desire and boosts their self esteem as well as leading them to create friendships through virtual communication. 

Regardless of the flexibility games transfer to player, all ‘fantasy environments depend on artificial rules’ which players become familiar too and comply with in order to win or lose. (Suzor & Woodford 2013, pp.2) ‘Elsewhere, Suzor (2010) has argued that in online social spaces, governance needs to be legitimate and consent of participants must be real and arbitrary power of providers must be limited to maintain the fundamental interests of participants.’ (Suzor & Woodford 2013, pp.2) Game rules set by game developers often overlaps with the understanding and expectations of the players, and if completely unusual they could possibly disregard cultural norms. Game procedures may eventually influence the players thought processes and therefore their behaviour if they come to believe that its acceptable to undertake these actions in real life. (De Zwart & Humphreys 2018, pp. 80)

Thus, the game world seems alike to real life, however it is in fact quite different and the decisions and movements made are most likely to be socially unacceptable with serious consequences if conducted outside the game environment.

References:

Alonzo Leon, J 2017, Social Gaming Apps: The Future of Travel Entertainment, viewed 3 February, 2018, https://jetsettimes.com/2017/05/12/social-gaming-apps/

Beck, K 2017, 'World of Warcraft' is getting a new expansion that's all about Horde vs. Alliance, viewed 3 February, 2018, <https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=warcraft&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidm5XpoIzZAhUFZlAKHa-NCWkQ_AUICigB#imgrc=_ixwEqhuui-dfM:> 

De Zwart, M & Humphreys, S 2018, The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space Code as Law in EVE Online, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, pp. 77-99, viewed 3 February, 2018, https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/fullText;dn=225934593111540;res=IELHSS

Game Override 2018, What are social gaming?, viewed 3 February, 2018, http://www.game-overdrive.com/2017/social-gaming/

Smith, A 2016, The Evolution of Social Gaming Over The Years, viewed 3 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=social+gaming&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjngobs_YrZAhXPaFAKHdJiB_AQ_AUICigB&biw=1293&bih=822#imgdii=GxEzwEiP4-GCvM:&imgrc=_prg5TBzGBs3FM:

Suzor, N & Woodford, D 2013, "Evaluating Consent and Legitimacy amongst Shifting Community Norms: an EVE Online Case Study", Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1-16, viewed 3 February, 2018, http://file:///Users/admin/Downloads/6409-29029-3-PB.pdf

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #7 ~ Visual Communities & Social Imaging

Smartphone technology has created this trend of taking selfies and being so concerned with capturing moments and taking snap of almost anything, anywhere and anytime whether that be with family, friends, pictures of one’s pet or the sunset or even breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. With the developments in camera technology, pictures are always enhancing and the standard are set high for quality images and videos, purchasing a smartphone today must come with the benefit of a built in camera that will grant the user with the ability to capture moments and fit in a world that values photos over human interaction and time appreciation.

It has become a seriously alarming habit and a trend that many users fancy and take advantage of or else they may feel left out in some way, it is no longer about age or mindset, as I’ve seen toddlers to seniors taking pictures and it was quite interesting to my eyes. The act of taking constant self portraits has become a way of self expression, so rather than representing one’s thoughts, feelings and personal stories in written text and taking time to enjoy the experiences, expression is now reflected via photos and videos and so much time and effort is given to taking pictures rather than living the moments.

Photographers no longer have the same privilege they once had, as personal photography has almost replaced the need to visit the professional studio or take hardcopy photos by someone who is entitled for the job. ‘However, personal photography begins with the introduction of the Kodak hand cameras in 1888, making the practice of photography accessible to the mass market.’(Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp. 280) Social cohesion was previously experienced from close networks and family photo albums which were there to remind people of the good times and the talk would actually be in regards to the event and the feelings at that time rather than today where images are accepted based on perfection, quality and flawlessness as ‘material culture materializes identities.’ (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp.280)

A primary platform like Snapchat is successful with many users because it aims at overcoming the self-consciousness of being photographed and the discomfort that comes from stored images that can’t be controlled or altered. Snapchat even provides different filters that enhance the imperfections and make one’s selfie appear more pleasant and finely retouched, this is one reason why many appreciate selfies because they feel in control of the image, deciding whether it is acceptable to their eyes before its captured and seeing the best version of themselves through the filters provided. “The tension between experience for its own sake and experience we pursue just to post on Facebook is reaching its breaking point, that’s called Snapchat."(Herrman 2014) ‘Individuals are being remediated into new contexts of social visibility and connection through the ways that smartphones afford instant sharing of mobile snapshots with social networks via SMS, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or Twitter.’ (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp.282)

The increased behaviour of taking photos and videos can become a form of distraction where people find it difficult to do anythin but take countless photos while outing with family and friends where time is supposed to be valued and memories are to be cherished. Now, we are able to take numerous photos which are stored automatically on the camera roll, this means people’s self esteem is determined by how good or bad the images turn out what we choose to share over social media is based on what we keep or delete, this makes us judgemental of ourselves and therefore of other people’s posts because there is a really high expectation of how one is supposed to appear and if otherwise then they may be disapproved or disliked by those who follow, like and comment. This further creates competition and possibly jealously between one another as everyone tries so hard to capture and post the best images of themselves, focusing on what they perceive to be positive about their appearance which makes them stand out from the crowd and be socially accepted, and supposedly confident in their own bodies. ‘The practices that surround personal images in the digital era, including selection, editing, transformation and distribution are mediated by the realities of socially networked identity.’ (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp.283)

References: ADWEEK 2018, Snapchat Is Making App Install Ads More Targeted With Deep Links, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=snapchat&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CZqXoRQXTy3TIjjQdvSFux2hAvtsIB-X7d7xbTyrjLXS_1QCmCGXZQ-G63vLSQ8Iemu0mIQ29IFQhObcFvBdrwh3eGyoSCdB29IW7HaECEUb3Zau-GijoKhIJ-2wgH5ft3vER7u0hyP8KpAAqEgltPKuMtdL9ABEXKGfT-Tt9GCoSCaYIZdlD4breESe-6O5wOSAuKhIJ8tJDwh6a7SYR63cbBsfizP0qEgkhDb0gVCE5txFWsuhAEvp3fyoSCQW8F2vCHd4bEeBibpggC9uw&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqsMWY3orZAhUML1AKHSShDDEQ9C96BAgAEB4&biw=1330&bih=822&dpr=0.8#imgdii=Hq6StsyGfLU9KM:&imgrc=sqCiGK8s5cxbWM:

AppdAddict, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=snapchat&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsqsTI3IrZAhVEZVAKHSWbB2oQ_AUICygC&biw=992&bih=822#imgdii=vHgCIXqo-Kk9WM:&imgrc=tXUfCGke8WMzAM:

Bose, P 2016, 5 Best Photo Editing Android Apps for Great Selfies, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1330&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=aTF2WpqyK4_SwQLjzYewBQ&q=selfie+poses&oq=selfie+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.2.0i67k1l2j0j0i67k1j0j0i67k1l3j0j0i67k1.93438.93438.0.99201.1.1.0.0.0.0.144.144.0j1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.143....0.w6gho5sqBNs#imgdii=DZjxXGCeux0mRM:&imgrc=qSf1DkPC_vfgHM:

Herrman, J 2014, "Meet The Man Who Got Inside Snapchat's Head", BuzzFeedNews, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch?utm_term=.vqaM2KZapG#.ggv5gAQDWw

John n.d., The man who invented selfie Mr Bean Meme, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1330&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=gzB2WqWEOZKz0gWB2qnIDQ&q=selfie+meme&oq=SELFIE+m&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0l10.67639.71863.0.73372.4.3.1.0.0.0.173.415.0j3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.4.419...0i67k1j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1.0.nGBrAJSItxQ#imgrc=6ZLybsT286MtqM

Style 2016, Snapchat Beauty Filters: From Plastic Surgery To Body Image, Here's The True Cost, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1330&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=RzJ2WpGhOY_bwQKWgqzYBw&q=snapchat+filters+before+and+after&oq=snapchat+filters+bef&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0.103459.104058.0.105163.4.4.0.0.0.0.230.592.0j3j1.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.4.591...0i67k1j0i30k1j0i24k1.0.cUR19FrLv_A#imgrc=2rIamMXguoG-SM:

Vivienne, S & Burgess, J 2013, The remediation of the personal photograph and the politics of self-representation in digital storytelling, SAGE, Australia, pp. 278-298, viewed 3 February, 2018, http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1177/1359183513492080

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #6 ~ Crowdsourcing in times of crisis

Crowdsourcing is one crucial communication tool that functions to bring services, ideas and data from a large number of people, whether paid or unpaid. Having content spread widely to initiate immediate action and attempt to reach conflict resolution is necessary in times of natural disasters and life threatening occurrences. Crowdsourcing refers to the act of using online platforms to distribute updated and trusted information regarding a real time crisis, to initiate problem-solving movements by digital communities, initially aimed at reaching an end resolution. (Brabham 2013, pp.117)

By creating strong social networks of updated and relevant information in times of a crisis, limiting and avoiding loss and destruction can be achieved. Hence, In the response to crisis, our media and communication technologies are vital in delivering precise, timely information, and for organising action. Constant data release usually occurs during serious and alarming events where journalists and police figures announce to the public what is occurring in real time, this takes place mostly over social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to inform people about safety matters and gather information from those involved or aware of any updates. Facebook helps connect friends, family and close ones in times of a crisis which brings people closer, it also notifies people to stay away from affected areas and encourages donations to recover destruction. Thus, social media raises strong awareness in regards to any critical situation and encourages a supportive system to overcome hardship and prevent future conflicts.

Ushahidi is a highly appreciated tool that emerged during the civil conflict in Kenya 2007, its acknowledged for integrating many updates from the web so that a ‘crowdsourced picture of an event unfolding over time could be depicted on a single map.’(Ford 2012 pp.35) ‘Undoubtedly, projects using crowdsourcing platforms like Ushahidi can alter the velocity and nature of political events, enabling people to organise faster, find others who share their views and work together in selected locations to produce powerful sources of information.’  (Ford 2012, pp. 33)

However, the flow of important security data between members of digital communities may lead to further crisis and set potential risks on the lives of citizens as information misuse or data breach attempts conducted by perpetrators can lead to greater conflict. Due to the widespread internet environment and the diverse public sphere this cannot be completely restricted or monitored, there is always a work around to reach certain data.

The Lindt café Sydney siege in 2014 is a real life event where crowdsourcing and social mapping were simultaneously used to track the location and hosts under threat to bring them back safely to their families. David Malet confirms that such terrorist attack was previously expected and claimed to be long planned as the gunman’s ‘political motivation.’ Through the information gathered and the tracked details of the siege, police were able to save the situation as much as possible although there were a few lives lost and destructed aspects as well as sorrow for the families that had to face such experience of losing a loved one and the threat that the country felt for a long time. However, without crowdsourcing as an essential tool, it would’ve been extremely difficult to overcome the situation in such short matter of time with the least possible loss.  

Watch Video regarding The Lindt Cafe - Sydney Siege 2014:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-12-15/sydney-standoff-is-crowdsourced-terrorism-malet

References:

Bloomberg 2014, Sydney Standoff Is `Crowdsourced Terrorism': Malet, viewed 1 February, 2018, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-12-15/sydney-standoff-is-crowdsourced-terrorism-malet

Brabham, D 2013, Crowdsourcing, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, p. 117, viewed 1 February, 2018, http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzU3Mjc4NV9fQU41?sid=5de1a2ba-52e6-4df1-aa8b-b3a6a842a803@sessionmgr4010&vid=0&format=EB&rid=1

Bradley, B 2017, "How Crowdsourcing Tools Are Building More Powerful Maps", GEOTAB, viewed 1 February, 2018, https://www.geotab.com/blog/crowdsourcing-tools/

Forbes 2017, Wipro Launches Hybrid Crowd In Move To Capture Digital Expertise, viewed 1 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1265&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=qgZ2WrarOsHawALElrDIAg&q=digital+crowdsourcing&oq=digital+crowdsourcing&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i24k1.1223093.1226339.0.1226538.12.10.2.0.0.0.218.1313.0j9j1.10.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.371...0i13k1.0.k7TwAqSuTbw#imgrc=K7XX8Lz-xPCFSM:

Ford, H 2012, Crowd Wisdom, pp. 33-39, viewed 1 February, 2018, http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1177/0306422012465800

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Blog #5 ~ Trolling & Social Media Conflict

Alongside the many advantages of digital media and the benefits of communication and interactivity that it grants users with, there are still some potentially harmful disadvantages and high risks of negative impact on internet users, particularly young teenagers. The openness of the internet environment enables sense of freedom where tolls feel uncontrollable and the misuse of different media platforms acts as an irresistible threat to those who experience it which isn’t something that can be escaped easily, in fact it becomes cyclical and trolling becomes a dangerous trend.

Cyberbulling has increased the number of suicidal attempts and affected the mental health and wellbeing of its victims, leading to significant levels of anxiety and depression. Trolling and discrimination lowers self-esteem and creates a sense of fear towards social interaction and personal image, it also impacts on one’s ability to face challenging life situations, both emotionally and thoughtfully.  Bullying involves ‘aggression, repetition, and imbalance in power’ which are the components that Olweus’s identified to differentiate this form of behaviour amongst other human behaviours. (Boyd 2014, pp.131) Our idea of bullying is complicated due to networked technologies and the several theories in relation to them that influence people’s perception and interpretation of bullying and the act of trolling. 

Some believe that cyberbullying is a result of digital community acts and the nature of the established internet which sets no boundaries for trolls and bullies as well as putting victims lives at risk. Conversely, others suggest and support that technology has introduced new opportunities to monitor harmful behaviour and made human activities much more easier, faster and variable. (Boyd 2014, pp.132) Recently, linguistics have been working on improving and refining the technological terminology used to enhance online expression and interaction, meanwhile aiming towards a respectful and protected digital community. (McCosker 2013, pp. 205)

Social media interaction is always developing and this means that its presence will always remain crucial in teenagers’ lives and upcoming generations, therefore, a support network is always a essential. Parents and schools should continue to educate their children about the dangers of cyberbulling and abuse, while keeping their children’s accessibility a safe as possible. Many teens have infact reported their experience of bullying as much more distressing at school compared to online. (Boyd 2014, pp. 133) The majority of victims will feel embarrassed or ashamed to seek the support needed and this means that they will hardly share many interpersonal conflict with a family member or teacher, this increases their fear and ability to cope through everyday interactions and social media. (Boyd 2014, pp.133) Hence, if health organisations continue with campaigns and look out for those who suffer from any trolling to work towards educating the community, people will feel much safer and trolls will eventually stop such cruel behaviour. As the rate of cyberbulling decreases so will the rate of suicidal attempts, this will initiate stronger emotional wellbeing and resilience in the digital communities while making the internet environment more protective towards its contributors.

So what is trolling?

“The art of deliberately, cleverly, and secretly pissing people off, usually via the internet, using dialogue. Trolling does not mean just making rude remarks.” (Wilson, J, Fuller, G & McCrea, C 2013)

The most essential part of trolling is convincing your victim that either:

a) Truly believe in what you are saying, no matter how outrageous.   b) Giving the victim malicious instructions, under the guise of help.

Watch the video for a better understanding about trolls and the unecessary act of trolling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zxy_dScjsM

References: 11 Facts About Cyber Bullying, viewed 30 January, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1326&bih=823&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=NZZzWs-hA5HOwAKarYvYDw&q=cyberbullying&oq=cyberbully&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0i67k1j0l4j0i67k1l2j0l3.38711.42582.0.44605.10.6.0.4.4.0.300.1045.0j4j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.10.1071....0.LRbz0elDAxI#imgrc=53984GzDL5XZyM:v

Boyd, D 2014, Bullying : is social media amplifying meanness and cruelty?, Yale University Press, New Haven, USA, pp. 128-152, viewed 30 January, 2018, https://commons-swinburne-edu-au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/file/d47f38bf-bd06-413f-9542-0bc855f38b51/1/99333103114.pdf

Kanika 2015, Top 20 Cyber Bullying Facts, viewed 30 January, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1326&bih=823&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=NZZzWs-hA5HOwAKarYvYDw&q=cyberbullying&oq=cyberbully&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0i67k1j0l4j0i67k1l2j0l3.38711.42582.0.44605.10.6.0.4.4.0.300.1045.0j4j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.10.1071....0.LRbz0elDAxI#imgrc=7fjJ6XRjftIvoM:

McCosker, A 2013, Trolling as provocation: YouTube’s agonistic publics, SAGE, Australia, pp. 201 - 217, viewed 30 January, 2018, http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1177/1354856513501413

Stalking/Cyberbullying, viewed 30 January, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1326&bih=823&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=NZZzWs-hA5HOwAKarYvYDw&q=cyberbullying&oq=cyberbully&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0i67k1j0l4j0i67k1l2j0l3.38711.42582.0.44605.10.6.0.4.4.0.300.1045.0j4j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.10.1071....0.LRbz0elDAxI#imgrc=Z1-a9_muxMDBxM:

The Science of Internet Trolls, viewed 31 January, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zxy_dScjsM

Wilson, J, Fuller, G & McCrea, C 2013, "Troll Theory?", The Fibreculture Journal, no. 22, viewed 30 January, 2018, http://twentytwo.fibreculturejournal.org/

Yordy 2014, What You Can Do to STOP Online Bullying, viewed 26 January, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=online+bullying&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvn43E34XZAhXJZFAKHcTHDp0Q_AUICigB&biw=962&bih=823#imgrc=WOR6hOUdFbbTyM:

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #4 ~ Activism & Protest

Technology has resulted in a revolutionary change and has impacted significantly on human behaviour. Activism is an act of gathering in public to be heard, it initiates movement and promotes change in society. Many organisations actively use social media platforms to spread awareness and raise funds for their campaigns as the internet is now the quickest way of getting information around and gaining support. Prior to the internet, activism was achieved through protests and poster, by physically being there to receive attention. However, today digital citizenship has changed human practices and the way in which individuals and groups seek to express their voices.

Digital citizenship is based around the idea that new forms of technology and media have enabled greater membership and more participation in society. Although, this largely depends on the nature of civic culture, which determines how well prepared citizens are to get involved in the public sphere based on importance and classification. The internet is an inexpensive and powerful tool and therefore campaigns and social groups have greater chance of success and better opportunities for change. ‘Information technologies have become indispensable to reformers, revolutionaries, and contemporary democracy movements. They withhold shared expression of dissent, dissemination of information, and collective action.’ (Youmans & York 2012, pp.315)

Social media isn’t always the key to activism, especially when there is a difference in social class amongst citizens but agreement on what is being demanded. Large groups and great populations often gather with powerful voices and unpredictable acts and protest in the streets. Much in the same way that Egyptians didn’t entirely depend on digital means of expression in the rise of the Egyptian revolution (2011) but rather filled the streets with huge energy, seeking to remove president Hosni Mubarak and lead a mass protest movement. However, Gerbaudo shares her memory of a young Egyptian who reached for her phone to capture a picture of the ‘violent arrest,’ desperately positing it on social media to share the current experience with the rest of the world. (Gerbaudo 2012, pp.1)

Hence, ‘modern media has always constituted a channel where social movements organise their actions and mobilise their constituencies through digital means of communication.’ (Gerbaudo 2012, pp.4) During such revolutionary crisis, social media was just a tool that helped frame the situation and release news to the rest of the world. However, the movement was coming almost instantly from the people of the country who didn’t want anything more than immediate change and a chance to be heard in with millions of other voices all at once. The debate as to whether social media leads to activism or not continues as social media efforts and social gathering efforts are both unclear and unmeasured during revolutionary history.  

References: 

Gerbaudo, P 2012, Title: Tweets and the Streets : Social Media and Contemporary Activism, Pluto Press, London, pp. 1-17, viewed 23 January, 2018, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=7a9a3b95-2a20-4a5d-8056-309856285a15%40sessionmgr104&ppid=pp_1&vid=0&format=EB

Youmans, W & York, J 2012, Social Media and the Activist Toolkit: User Agreements, Corporate Interests, and the Information Infrastructure of Modern Social Movements, University of Michigan, San Francisco, pp. 315-325, viewed 24 January, 2018, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=3f2bff94-957b-4740-b937-ba0341a0562f%40sessionmgr104

Feng, J 2018, What Does Everyday Radical Activism Mean?, viewed 23 January, 2018, https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/what-does-everyday-radical-activism-mean/

Insight 2015, Mizzou Protests Set Off Wave of Student Activism on College Campuses, viewed 24 January, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=activism&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjd7d-tmP7YAhXPL1AKHQphCEUQ_AUICigB&biw=1113&bih=825#imgrc=tnXo0rbwvqJX9M:

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #3 ~ Political Impact On Social Media Users

The public perception is highly impacted by political media content and the visibility of political figures over the internet, whether that be spreading rumours or facts about them, debates and news or published speeches and interviews made by them which are aimed at groups and targeted at selected audience to gain popularity, increase engagement and attention. Unsurprisingly, the internet is the fastest way to get information across nowadays, with the numerous active user accounts and various opportunities that media platforms continue to offer, political heads take great advantage of digital communities to build public awareness and achieve political objectives.

The borderless environment of the internet sets no limits to what is published and made accessible for the wider public. Anyone is able to share false or true political content and this can be further manipulated and filtered by any one. This then puts several question marks as to whether political decisions are fairly taken or made based upon what the public is convinced and encouraged to believe and follow. Any form of publication is often followed by a number of reviews or political comments which increase the motivation to follow and interact with that post, with the aim to capture one’s political views or rebut their beliefs and therefore get them engaged in the topic of discourse. This practice becomes extremely repetitive and this benefits authority figures and candidates in adjusting and changing their behaviour to influence the public perception and gain more voters through likes, follows and social media interactivity.

‘A Pew (2012) study found that about half of the U.S. population uses social media, including 80% of people 18–29 years old.’  (Kruse, L, Norris, D & Flinchum, J 2017, pp.62) This demonstrates that the younger population is the one being targeted the most as they are the ones who consume digital content the most, unlike, the elderly who are more prior to reading the newspaper or watching a news channel on television to remain updated. Skilled politicians are well aware of how to influence young voters and this is often found in the way they speak with words, a way that can be extremely manipulative, especially on social media platforms like Twitter where posts lack detail and so many voices are responding with comments.

 Since 2009, many Australian politicans have become actively involved on Twitter and have used this to broadcast and contribute with journalisms. (Jericho 2013, pp. 255) However, at some point in time Malcolm Gladwell tweeted ‘The Revolution will not be tweeted.’ As he believed that political topics require ‘real connection’ which ‘needs to be offline.’ (Jericho 2013, pp.256)

According to Mark Shephard (2014) political differences need to be acknowledged more often as people often become so absorbed in a political discussion that their terminology begins to lose shape and that’s where conflict mostly occurs. On platforms like Twitter, there is a word limit and this often affects how users express their thoughts, to an extent that a statement may end up being absolutely false or offensive because it lacks clarity and is stated in very few words. This becomes a social trap and creates countless views and opinions related to serious political matters. Posting on social media can become repetitive and that usually blocks the ability to overlook political aspects and consider the opposing views which also leads to greater possibility of misunderstanding and prejudice. (Shephard 2014)

Mark Shephard talks about political comments going wrong and social traps when it come down to language and social differences...

References: Coyne 2016, the politics of social media, viewed 22 January, 2018, http://www.coyneresearch.com/the-politics-of-social-media-2/

Jericho, G 2013, Rise of the Fifth Estate : Social Media and Blogging in Australian Politics, Scribe Publications Pty Ltd., pp. 254-264, viewed 22 January, 2018, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/reader.action?docID=1020873&ppg=261

Kruse, L, Norris, D & Flinchum, J 2017, Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media, Routledge, pp. 62-65, viewed 22 January, 2018, http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1080/00380253.2017.1383143?needAccess=true

Mark Schaefer n.d., Heed these 3 social media lessons in politically-charged times, viewed 21 January, 2018, https://www.businessesgrow.com/2017/10/04/social-media-lessons/

Tedx Talks 2014, The impact of social media in political debate, viewed 22 January, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-YUVP7G524

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #2 ~ Social Media Affordances

There are many opportunities that invite internet users to explore beyond just the main purpose in which something was created for, the various features that web designers offer are expanded on overtime through user attempts and social trends. What leads one or many to activate social media accounts is to make use of the main elements that the sites were originally designed for, however through exploration and familiarity, people are granted more opportunities far beyond what they originally knew.

According to Don Norman (2011) affordances is ‘the value of an object which allows people to do things that the designer couldn’t imagine while they were designing it.’ For instance, Instagram was made with the intention of enabling users to post pictures and short videos, to like and comment on other people’s posts, and to gain followers and follow others back. Affordances revealed from such simple website design are trends like the hashtags used below captions which because popular and people began to find other possibilities that Instagram can be well known for even if its not the only platform where hash tagging option is highly used.  Similarly, Twitter users have this feature and it makes finding specific posts and topics easier and faster as there are similar items grouped under individual and relatable hashtag titles. This affordance works positively in allowing the social media users to express something about their post in a more captivating way and also makes searching for topics of interest more organised and faster, particularly in regards to common hashtag terms related to family, locations, events, sports, seasons, colours, days etc.  Such social media platforms have a degree of power which they are ‘designed to provoke’ and they expand by ‘enabling users to attain the power to discover and update them further. Thus, this itself comes from the nature of affordances.  (Murthy 2012, pp.25)

Social media affordances grant digital communities with the ability to learn and grow altogether in terms of knowledge and awareness, both from one another as well as individually by expressing one’s own discoveries and ideas. Information published on social media revolves around vastly and people are much more likely to engage on media platforms that captivate their own interest, where they may find discussions that match their own or one’s that challenge them. Regardless, trending topics and popular hashtags found in tweets and Instagram posts increase the likelihood of receiving significant attention or being read by various users as they become retweeted or reposted multiple time, this is part of a spreading activation process. (Murthy 2012, pp. 32)  

References: 

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

Blog #1 ~ Digital Communities Effect

So much of our time is spent on the online environment where we consciously and unconsciously consume published content. The information we receive may be meaningful such as news events, science facts, job opportunities or health awareness. Alternatively, much of our time also goes into consuming less important media content like memes etc. Being available online all the time isn’t simply about consumption and production of media but also about ‘creating an ecosystem in which people stay peripherally connected through various microdata.’ (Boyd 2012, pp. 73)

The borderless environment of the internet era has led to great numbers of active user accounts and high levels of regular activity on multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and many more. Each of those sites serve similar functions, however in they allow people to interact in different ways and as users, we find ourselves constantly spending time on certain platforms over other ones, unaware of the scarce resources of time and attention. (Boyd 2012, pp. 74) Social media aims to promote connection but the question is, does it really connect us to other people, does it connect us to our world and the events occurring, or does only lead to a strong connection with our screens?

The wide-spread accessibility of the internet and the numerous social media platforms has resulted in a strong need to constantly be available and updated online. (Turkle 2013) The desire to stay connected is what generally drives human interaction, this relates to the conception that we try to avoid being alone, however, we end up lonely anyway. (Turkle 2013) Particularly, because we become so attached to digital media yet so detached from actual real life human interaction.

The flexibility that social media offers its users to build their own profile and find what entertains them or what enables them to relate their views, beliefs and interests boosts the motivation behind continuously accessing certain applications and using them for extended time periods that could be used to do something else more important. It is becoming an unhealthy habit to have our devices in our hands even in the most severe situations, during outings with friends, family gatherings, meetings, even at times where we could be placing our lives at risk such as while driving. Theses social platforms allow people the freedom to upload images, videos, post activities or even engage in common discourses, present personal views which ‘reflect aspects of our intimate everyday lives’ (Cunnungham et al. 2014, pp.292) as well as stay updated with the information about friends, family and celebrity figures.

It cannot be denied that digital communities have broadened our opportunity to engage and interact in a technological manner and to learn about the world that revolves around us, it has boosted individual self confidence and helped people stay actively sociable online. However, digital communities have seemingly undermined the original meaning of ‘connectedness’ because in reality we are only connected virtually when communicating online. Furthermore, due to the significant amount of time we choose to spend online rather than together, we no longer seem to value human relationships and our communication skills are actually deteriorating, hence when faced with real situations, it can be difficult to resolve certain issues effectively or to speak in consideration to an opposing perspective. That’s what concerns me personally, that limited levels of real life interaction will eventually lead to failure to communicate at all because we are not physically observing different behaviour and listening to different perspectives but rather we’re selecting what we mostly like to engage with and believing in that type of connection.

References:

Bajarin, B 2012, “Are You Multitasking or Are You Suffering from Digital-Device-Distraction Syndrome?”, BIG PICTURE, viewed 9 December, 2017, http://techland.time.com/2012/11/12/are-you-multitasking-or-are-you-suffering-from-digital-device-distraction-syndrome/

Boyd, D 2012, ‘Participating in the always-on lifestyle’, in M Mandiberg (ed) The Social Media Reader, NYU Press, pp. 71-79, viewed 9 December, 2017, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/reader.action?docID=865738&ppg=82

Cunningham, S, McCosker, A, Wilken, R & Turnbull, S 2014, Social selves, 4th ed, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, pp. 291-295, viewed 8 December, 2017, https://commons-swinburne-edu-au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/file/74073dcd-af3b-42ba-9451-b2bf0742e5d1/1/99333114083.pdf

Graham, A 2014, How social media makes us unsocial | Allison Graham | TEDxSMU, viewed 10 December, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5GecYjy9-Q

NR Media Group n.d., Digital Multitasking - Why Do We Do It?, viewed 9 December, 2017, https://commons-swinburne-edu-au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/file/74073dcd-af3b-42ba-9451-b2bf0742e5d1/1/99333114083.pdf

Tech - Time 2012, Are You Multitasking or Are You Suffering from Digital-Device-Distraction Syndrome?, viewed 10 December, 2017, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1191&bih=657&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=lVU4Wq6uGIfGkwXQxaKQCA&q=multi+tasking+digitally&oq=multi+tasking+digitally&gs_l=psy-ab.3…5904.9795.0.10362.11.10.1.0.0.0.260.1387.0j9j1.10.0….0…1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.301…0i10i24k1j0i24k1j0i13k1j0i8i13i30k1.0.7Y8J3dzP2sA#imgrc=3uexJAn9dxUQKM:

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p>Turkle, S 2013, Connected, but alone?, viewed 6 December, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=130&v=rv0g8TsnA6c

[digitalcommunitieswithrana]

We are so connected to technology, yet so disconnected from reality.