Digital Discussions w/ Mikinley

#MDA20009 Third year Business & Media and Communications Student at Swinburne University

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

Slow Fashion

Is fashion becoming more difficult to shop sustainably as sites like Shein, Pretty Little Thing and H & M start dominate affordable fashion?

Fashion is becoming increasingly more wasteful each year. Fashion is now the second biggest polluter in the world... behind oil. Fast fashion grew by 9.7% within just 5 years from 2010 (Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc, 2018). While globally, 80 pieces of new clothing are consumed each year, which is a mere 400% increase since the year 2000 (Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc, 2018). But why exactly is this happening?

Fast fashion is cheap fashion but usually poor quality. So often a piece of clothing can only be worn once before it is tossed away as it has been ripped or is ill fitting. There is also a impact of the way we see fashion today. Our trend cycling is becoming increasingly fast which we are unable to keep up with it. By the time we buy that trending shirt which arrives in the mail, its often off trend only 2 months later. This is due to a couple of reasons. The first being that the shirt was so accessible for everyone due to its affordability. The second reason can often be due to social media. The shirt can be worn over and over online, or even that you wear it once, post a photo in it and don't want to be seen in it again.

Another issue is that often brands disguise themselves as sustainable but are in fact, very bad for the environment. Consumers have to do research to see if the clothing they're actually consuming is okay for the environment.

The mobile app Good on You available on the app store can help with this. You can search any brand in which will give them a ranking for how sustainable they are. For example, Zara is ranked 2 stars with the comment 'not good enough'. It is also then rated on their labour, environment and animal sectors. There is an extended blurb on exactly why the brand is rated that way and then goes on to recommend similar brands which are much better for the environment.

References

Sustainability. 2018. Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc. [online] Available at: <https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/recycling-and-waste-minimisation/fast-fashion-quick-cause-environmental-havoc> [Accessed 9 May 2021].

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

Social Gaming

Gaming culture, social gaming and gaining communities.

Gaming culture is typically a male-dominated industry. But within this industry are many other games and/or platforms that don't adhere to this.

There are many ways to play a game including on consoles (Playstation, Xbox), or another platforms such as Apple App Store/Android Play Store, or computerised games which can be downloaded online. Popular games for consoles which often come in series include Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty etc. Mobile app games include Among Us and Candy Crush. Lastly, for computerised games The Sims is largely popular.

There has also been a rise of streaming services during the pandemic. Of course services like Twitch already existed, but were able to gain popularity as people found things to do while staying home.

Among Us in 2020 gained wild popularity due to two factors. The first being Amazon Twitch streamers drawing attention to the game but also due to the pandemic (Rodriguez, 2020). Among Us allowed multi-player gaming which is also called social gaming. People were able to play online with friends on a mobile or PC which was connecting them while staying apart. And this combination worked! Among Us had been downloaded 84 million times by September 2020( Rodriguez, 2020). It then had 10.2 million estimated players and currently 6.8 million active players. As well as an 17.8 hours of average playtime with currently a 2.4 hours of average playtime (Mikolić, 2021).

Competitive gaming also took a rise as players were able to play for money. This could be done in person (how it was done pre-pandemic) but is now often done online. Which allows players to compete from anywhere in the world.

References

Mikolić, M., 2021. Among Us stats by Playtracker Insight. [online] Playtracker. Available at: <https://playtracker.net/insight/game/37805> [Accessed 2 May 2021].

Rodriguez, S., 2020. How Among Us, a social deduction game, became this fall’s mega hit. [online] CNbc. Available at: <https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/14/how-among-us-became-a-mega-hit-thanks-to-amazon-twitch.html> [Accessed 2 May 2021].

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

Digital Citizenship: Face Filters

Face filters have drastically changed the way we present ourselves online in the last decade.

They first originated on Snapchat in 2015 with the infamous dog filter (The Brief History of Social Media AR Filters, 2020). Instagram and Snapchat then upped their game by including filters on their platforms.

Initially, filters were about adding something to content such as animal ears and whiskers, but now filters are usually blemishing photos and adding makeup to make the subject look more conventionally attractive.

Instagram filters have been so normalised and overused that users often don't like themselves without the filter and are even going so far to use cosmetic surgery to make themselves look more like these filters (Hunt, 2019).

Previously, people had been taking photos in to their plastic surgeon of their favourite celebrities such as Beyonce or Miranda Kerr.

This is called 'Snapchat Dysmorphia' which is having large impacts on society today. People are now disliking themselves without the filter to far that they are developing actual body dysmorphia disorder (BPD). This mental illness ties in with last weeks topic of body modification as people are imagining imperfections and becoming fixated on these (Hunt, 2019).

What used to be a playful aspect to add to a photo is starting to have serious implications on society. With filters now merely being recognised on photos as a little banner at the top of Instagram, and not being able to see the changes to a subject's face may impact young girls or sufferers of BPD.

References

Hunt, E., 2019. Faking it: how selfie dysmorphia is driving people to seek surgery. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/23/faking-it-how-selfie-dysmorphia-is-driving-people-to-seek-surgery> [Accessed 24 April 2021].

INDE. 2020. The Brief History of Social Media AR Filters. [online] Available at: <https://www.indestry.com/blog/the-brief-history-of-social-media-ar-filters> [Accessed 24 April 2021].

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

Body Modification

A few years ago, 'thinspo' was thriving on tumblr.

The amount of 'thinspo' gifs available were endless, and possibly triggering for some.

But now the body type trending is the one of Kylie Jenner's.

But how do we as a society keep up with these ever-changing beauty standards? Many are turning to permanent body modification.

With the rise of popularity in BBLs (Brazilian buttocks lifts), people are going to extreme lengths to look like their favourite celebrities and influencers.

The procedure is done by removing fat in unwanted areas such as the stomach, upper thighs or arms (can even be done in the arm pits, wherever it is desired) via liposuction. The fat is then re-injected into the buttocks, hips and surrounding areas.

So how did this procedure become popular in our communities? We can thank micro-influrencers for that.

Micro-influencers or micro-celebrities typically flourish on social media and use that as their preferred platform.

Mikaela Testa is an Australian influencer whom grew due to Only Fans. She has amassed over 1.2 million followers on instagram. Mikaela had the procedure done in 2021 and now has the popular curves which are faulted on social media.

Overall, body modification is highly encouraged by celebrities and micro-celebrities in areas such as BBLs, breast augmentations, liposuction, botox and injections.

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

What is digital citizenship?

Soo, digital citizenship? What could that be?

Digital citizenship is people with technical skills and knowledge whom are using them in an efficient way to better the community, while consuming and creating digital content. It involves three aspects; economic, opportunity and democratic participation. Digital citizenship allows for internet online etiquette and to promote positive use (Digital citizenship, 2021).

With the use of hashtags online creating online communities, movements such as the #MeToo movement are able to flourish.

Hashtag activism is generating conversations on social platforms to raise awareness (Razo, 2020).

The movement was about encouraging women to step forward about sexual harassment or assault with disrupting rape culture and the sexualisation of women.

The movement encouraged people to step forward and share their stories alongside the hashtag #MeToo so that other women wouldn't be afraid to share their story.

Many celebrities stepped out to share their story and accused professionals in Hollywood such as Harvey Weinstein which resulted him being sentenced to 23 years in prison (Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases, 2021). The movement had worldwide impact which helped so many women around the world to find the courage to share their story to help others.

Other things done to show support with the #MeToo movement to disrupt rape culture include to change your profile picture (Disrupt Rape Culture, 2021), calling others out for harassment (this includes men grabbing your waist as they walk by in a nightclub...not cool) and making women feel safe.

Overall, hashtags generate conversations within movements and discussions to bring greater awareness to the topic, whatever it may be. Other hashtag movement examples include #BlackLivesMatter, #IceBucketChallenge, #TakeAKnee and #FreeBritney (Razo, 2020).

References

Digital Technologies Hub. 2021. Digital citizenship. [online] Available at: <https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/teachers/topics/digital-citizenship> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

me too. Movement. 2021. Disrupt Rape Culture. [online] Available at: <https://metoomvmt.org/disrupt-rape-culture/> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

Wikipedia. 2021. Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Weinstein_sexual_abuse_cases#Criminal_prosecutions> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Razo, V., 2020. Understand the Versatility and Necessity of Hashtag Activism. [online] Learn Hub. Available at: <https://learn.g2.com/hashtag-activism> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

[theprimadona]

ONLY LOVE AND RESPECT FOR MY WINNERS!

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

Digital Communities and Fandoms

Reality TV being the poorest favoured genre of TV surprised me. Especially considering how I'm always hearing my friends rave about the new season of Love Island or The Bachelor....

The impact that social media has had on reality TV really changes the spoke of things. Social media now allows social stars to actually pursue it as a career post-filming, where they become a TV personality. Examples include Chrissie Swan who started out on Big Brother whom is now a radio and TV star. Also Abbie Chatfield who was runner up on The Bachelor who then competed on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. Hmmm... some celebrity right? 🤔

Love Island has increasingly more views that its competitor dating shows as it effectively allows for audience participation. The audience is able to choose the winning couple of the show after closely following along throughout the season. The producers were able to make the feedback loop quite short by curating special content for the show's own social media, as well as using the contestants platforms to promote the show (L'Hoiry, 2019).

In 2018, Love Island UK wrapped up 6.3 million tweets with 6.5 billion impressions which doubled its competitor in its short 8 weeks of running (L'Hoiry, 2019). 😳

The appeal of reality TV is often audiences being able to relate to the contestants. As contestants are usually everyday people, it often might give the audience a glimmer of hope that they be able to star in the next season. A real shot of fame. This then encourages audiences to study the show as it may then make them a viable contender for the next season.

Overall, recent reality TV really utilises social media which then transforms it into a digital community. The audience is engaged with contestants which then promotes discussions of the show online, therefore promoting it.

References

L'Hoiry, X., 2019. Love Island, Social Media, and Sousveillance: New Pathways of Challenging Realism in Reality TV. Frontiers in Sociology, 4.

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

How Does Tumblr Function as a Digital Community?

Reblog, like, comment. But what does that mean here on Tumblr?

Tumblr has created a community in which people around the world are able to create content, share and bond with each other. It differs from other social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook as you are able to engage with similar content on a mass scale. Different communities on Tumblr include food blogging, fandoms of bands or movie franchises, fashion, and also bringing awareness to political issues that are ongoing in the world. You also can’t forget the never-ending humorous blog post threads.

David Karp launched Tumblr in 2007 as he wanted to create an untraditional blog that stood out for more creative content (Siegel, 2019). Tumblr was created to be more focused on GIFs, or image blogging. The phrase “that’s so Tumblr” even became it’s own aesthetic where people created content specifically for it to thrive on the blogging site.

Tumblr gained global traction as it was deemed a safe site for exploring LGBTQ+ identity and also allowed porn content (Siegel, 2019). This gave users a lot of freedom that other sites did not which often allowed users to interact in a way that they have not been able to online before. Tumblr allows for the ultimate creative expression online with not limits. Although, a 2017 policy change which banned nudity resulted in a loss of many Tumblr supporters.

But how does Tumblr actually function as a digital community? It allows users to make friends, interact, create content and reblog content that they might like. Users can even ask other users questions on their profile which provides support for all users to help each other. Tumblr is a safe environment which thrives off its users self expression.

References

Siegel, R., 2019. Tumblr once sold for $1.1 billion. The owner of WordPress just bought the site for a fraction of that.. [online] Washington Post. Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/08/13/tumblr-once-sold-billion-owner-wordpress-just-bought-site-fraction-that/> [Accessed 25 March 2021].

[digitaldiscussionswmikinley]

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