All Things Digital

Brit in Australia. Exploring social media experiences in a range of contexts.

[digitaltia-blog]

China’s Social Media Landscape

WhatsApp, Google, YouTube,Facebook Messenger, Twitter - Not in China!!!! 

China has its own social networking and internet sites. Instead of WhatsApp they use WeChat. Google is replaced by Baidu; Weibo is used instead of Twitter. And China has many more substitutes for Western sites. Why? Because the Chinese government chooses to censor its internet and the content that is shown to its citizens.

Known as the Great Firewall, the Chinese government argue that restrictions are in place to maintain social order and safeguarding national security. But these restrictions are becoming stricter, especially around times of political events. However, critics argue that the restrictions are solely political based with the main political party in China afraid of the Internet’s power to spread its opposition party rules.

We’ve all been in the position at school or a place of work where websites are blocked; or YouTube videos have been taken down for not being appropriate. This would be our own versions of internet censorship. But instead of being angry at those in power for choosing what we can and can’t see, we take cover under our desks in the hope that no-one chases you down.I have a running joke with my friends that the FBI are listening to our conversations through our phones. And why couldn't they. If China can block major VPNs, surely the British and Australian governments can listen and view everything that we say and do. As scary as it is, what you don't know doesn't hurt and at times I don't know if I would much rather be a part of China’s social media program.

But what if every country in the world decided to join China in censoring the internet. Would this take away from the globality of social media in that people can longer converse with other like-minded people around the world to solve the Earth’s problems. Because this would surely be an issue in Western countries were freedom of speech is a human right.

China’s own versions of social media are far more advanced than there Western counterparts; and that added censorship and regulation is something all countries do. But I feel that China is more open about it in terms of creating their own social media platforms which still follow the same principles but are aligned to their own countries values. 

[digitaltia-blog]

Social Gaming and Gaming Communities

The concept of ‘play’ is no longer something you do with your friends in your local park. Instead, you play on your phone, your computer or on the television via a console; often connected to friends through a headset. Thus creating a new style of social gaming, a virtual community of gamers. 

Social gaming is defined as a computer game that is played with or against other people, using the internet and social media. It often involves interaction with players from around the world. 

The casual nature of social games means that anyway can play, anywhere at any given time; as long as you had access to internet of course! The sharing aspect is also important feature. And yes, by sharing I mean that couple of friends, who weren't really you’re friends, but who would constantly request you send them an extra life on CandyCrush. Sharing doesn’t have to be in the form of lives though it could be an item, or rating or inviting someone to join the game. In-app purchases are another characteristic which is how the producers really make their money; by convincing you to surpass a level by buying your way out. 

Whilst social gaming really took off on Facebook with FarmVille and Words with Friends, it initially began with Second Life.

Second Life is an online virtual world with approximately one million users. It is classed as a mimicry simulation game, which involves players escaping from themselves and becoming illusionary characters. Players, or residents, can create virtual representations of themselves, called avatars, who can then interact with other avatars, places or objects. But residents can do more than chat with one another. They can contribute to the whole world through user-generated content; which is what makes Second Life unique to other games. The community aspect to Second Life comes in the form of residents interactions with one another; they may go to social gatherings, live concerts, press conferences and even college classes together. Second Life mimics real life in that residents can buy land, shop for clothes and other goods or just meet up with friends. It even goes a step further where avatars can fly or teleport to another location. People spend hours on the virtual realm which has created online communities where residents form friendships, hook up and even get married. The online game has infiltrated real life with a married couple breaking up due to him having virtual sex and moving in with another avatar. The world of Second Life is form of a social gaming which acts as an escape from real life. It is often easier for us to create new versions of ourselves and construct the perspective that we want others to see of ourselves. Therefore, a virtual alternate realm such as the one in Second Life is the perfect example of a social game in creating an online gaming community. 

Social gaming doesn't have to be on a social media platform. Whilst social networking platforms do offer gaming services, the most popular and common seem to be games on consoles and computers where players converse via a headset. Thus creating online communities of gamers who have the same interests in particular games. 

[digitaltia-blog]

Just come across some extra #KnowYourLemons information that I thought I would share with you all

[digitaltia-blog]

#KnowYourLemons

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer found in women. Almost every person today will know of someone who either has had cancer, is battling cancer now, or is a cancer survivor. Whilst there is currently no cure for breast cancer, I believe that Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont breast cancer awareness campaign, #KnowYourLemons, acts as a non-medicinal cure. Read on to find out more…

In 2013, Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont resigned from her job to focus on her own non-profit organisation Worldwide Breast Cancer. With a goal of educating every woman about the symptoms of breast cancer, Corrine began her journey by researching the best ways of reaching women worldwide and found that well-designed visual marketing campaign would appeal to all. In 2017 the #KnowYourLemons was born. The lemons were effective in showing breast cancer symptoms without being too cheeky or graphic. Corrinne has broken barriers surrounding the human anatomy and made people aware of what they should be looking for when it comes to breast cancer symptoms. The campaign is now in 93 countries in 2018, it was believed that over 200 million people were educated on breast cancer having seen the #KnowYourLemons campaign; this is an increase from 7.3 million in 2017. That’s 193 million more people, then in 2017, who are likely to seek medical help and survive breast cancer thanks to the power of social media in spreading breast cancer awareness.

The health care system is now a digital place; want to book an appointment, well you do that on the internet. Need to check if you’re up to date with immunisations, you now have access to your own health records online. Have a rash on your arm which your doctor is struggling to diagnose, just give him a minute whilst he Googles it. Health communication online has become a huge online network with social media bringing a new dimension to health care as it offers a medium to be used by the public, patients, and health professionals to communicate about health issue with the possibility of potentially improving health outcomes. (Moorhead, et al 2004). From creating online communities where patients can discuss personal/social health and illnesses to sharing general public health campaigns. Social media has made it easier for the public to encounter and engage with health services and organisation which is essential for campaigns, like #KnowYourLemons, to be successful.

Moorhead also concludes with 6 benefits of using social media within our health care systems. This includes:

1.   Increased interactions with others.

2.   More available, shared and tailored information.

3.   Increased accessibility and widening access to health information.

4.   Peer/social/emotional support

5.   Public health surveillance

6.   Potential to influence health policy.

The #KnowYourLemons social media campaign has definitely increased education surrounding breast cancer symptoms for women. But to further this, Corrine has also started a boob conversation, which in some cultures is taboo; she has made it easier for women to look after their own health and seek help when they are unsure. Most importantly, any conversation surrounding health naturally increases its public awareness with the hope that more funding and research will go into finding a cure.

So I would like to say a big thank you to Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont for finding and spreading this decades cure for cancer.

[endangeredbodiesnyc]

One third of GoFundMe campaigns are for necessary medical expenses. People are “donating” their vacation days so that a new mom can stay home with her baby. A college-educated homeless man stood on the street handing out resumes in desperation, begging for a job, any job. Multiple posts about parents buying teachers necessities like a car and school supplies went viral.

Twitter and the media highlight these stories as heartwarming examples of “sacrifice” and people “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps.”

I call bullshit. Only in a dystopian society would we feel anything other than horrified at the thought of people crowdfunding their most basic needs.

[digitaltia-blog]

Crowdsourcing in Times of Crisis

Crowdsourcing, what is it and how is it used during times of crisis? I also explore social media mapping and how crisis mapping was used in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Let’s begin by looking at a definition of crowdsourcing. Merriam Webster defines crowdsourcing as “the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers”. 

In a world where we have become produsers of content, as both a producer and user, mobile camera footage and images captured by citizens themselves tell the true story in times of crisis. This witness generated content is then dispersed on social media sites, aswell as traditional media forms for the rest of the world to see. It is here then that global online communities are created in the form of social media pages or trending hashtags where citizens come together to donate funds so that people who have been struck by tragedy can rebuild their lives. 

Ushahidi, which translates to ‘testimony’ in Swahili, was developed in 2008 to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election violence. By integrating SMS, social networking sites and live updates from the web, Ushahidi have created a crowdsourced picture of an event over time so that it can be depicted on a single map; known as social media mapping. However, Ushahidi is different to blogs and citizens posting on social networking sites in that is verified information. It’s powerful features of collecting data, managing data and analysing data in the form of data visualisation have become important in public knowledge response and recovery in crowdsourcing in times of crisis.

On 25thApril, 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck Nepal killing more than 9,000 and injuring over 23,000 more people. The earthquake damaged most of Nepal’s infrastructure leaving hundreds of thousands without shelter or basic necessities. Ushahidi was used to collect reports from the ground which helped direct relief efforts, which involved the deployment of 700 helicopters in the week after the earthquake to rescue people. As there were no formal channels for reporting urgent needs, the Nepalese Army directed people to the Quakemap on the Ushahidi platform which allowed agencies to see what was happening, what kind of relief was needed, where it was needed and was able to verify reports to confirm that aid was being delivered. Crowdsourcing was used as an effective method in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake to aid rescue and relief and without Ushahidi the death toll would have been a lot more with survivors struggling to recover.

The images below show the quake maps during the Nepal earthquake with the second image showing pins where aid is needed.

With its election monitoring, crisis response and advocacy and human rights change Ushahidi makes the future of global crisis look brighter.

[digitaltia-blog]

Trolling and Social Media Conflict Presentation

Below is the link to my group presentation on Trolling and Social Media Conflict. We discuss definitions, theories, a case study on AFLW star Tayla Harrris and the eSafety Commissioner.

https://prezi.com/p/y9horrqgkw_u/trolling/ 

[goldfishangie]

Beth finds out what Rio really thinks of her....Rio gonna write a Facebook post about his feelings.

[digitaltia-blog]

Stop the Trolls

One in three Australians say that they have been the victim of trolling online. Read on to find out about the introduction of the eSafety commissioner by the Australian government in response to trolls. 

Trolling refers to the action of posting malicious comments online exclusively to create chaos or get an emotional reaction out of a particular individual or group. Whilst they are majorically males who are heavy internet users and like to demonstrate other antisocial or sadistic behaviour online. Trolling occurs in the form of online harassment, cyber hate or general abusive behaviour. Danah Boyd (2013) says that social media has not radically altered the dynamics of bullying, but it has made these dynamics more visable which lends to the idea that a regulator or a governmental body is needed to make social media a safer space; especially for children and women are more likely to be targets of trolling.

In 2014, Peter Fletcher, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, announced the appointment of Alastair MacGibbon, former AFP agent and eBay head of trust and safety, as its first Children’s e-Safety Commissioner. The Australian government believes a national leadership role, which has been established to effectively deal with complains and which has been backed by legislation, would get harmful cyberbullying material down fast from large social media services.  

The eSafety Commissioner has since grown to incorporate a women’s commissioner; with a mission to empower women to take control online. This shows that the Australian government is rightly acting against trolls and making society feel better and safer. However, the role of the eSafety Commissioner raises questions surrounding the responsibilities of existing social media in dealing with trolling; either they just don’t care or they’re not trying hard enough to tackle trolling. The eSafety Commissioner also acts as a regulator against trolls, but does that take away from a citizen’s right to freedom of speech in that their content may be removed for not sharing the same opinion and voicing this in what is interpreted as an aggressive way.

[huffpost]

Capitol Hill Lawmakers Meet The ‘Malala Of Africa’

WASHINGTON – One year ago, a girl named Saa jumped from a truck in Nigeria, not knowing if she would survive the landing.

Saa was one of the hundreds of girls abducted last April from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria, by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Saa – who uses a pseudonym to protect her Christian family in Nigeria – explained that “when the terrorists attacked my school and took all of us in a truck, when we were going in the forest I decided to jump out of the truck.”

[digitaltia-blog]

#BringBackOurGirls

I am firm believer that you’re quality of life (education, health and safety) should not be determined by your location. Over 60 years ago, my grandparents packed up and moved to the United Kingdom in search of a better quality of life for our family. However, there are billions of people who aren’t as lucky. So, what do we do when a mass abduction takes place of school girls over women being educated?

On the 14thApril 2014, Islamic militant group, Boko Haram, abducted 274 girls from a secondary school in the Chibok region of Nigeria. The mass kidnapping against girls and women being educated prompted protests and marches in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, as well as in London, Paris and New York. Social media played a big part in organising these protests, but it was the power of global leaders like Michelle Obama, humanitarian Malala Yousafzai and model influencers like Cara Delevingne who turned this into a social media campaign by tweeting an image of themselves holding the words #BringBackOurGirls, or BBOG. There were over one million tweets worldwide which shows just how connected the world was in creating an online public attempting to find these girls.

In a society like Nigeria’s where social causes are a lower priority; a women-led movement and protest was less likely to succeed in a patriarchal, male dominated society. Social media is the most shareable, durable and global collection of voices the world has ever seen and allowed minorities and marginalised voices to circumvent traditional media (Smith.C, 2015) which is what I believe attributed to the success of this campaign.

Social media allows for networked publics, defined by Sigal and Biddle (2015) as communities of individuals for whom an overlay of telecommunications and internet connectivity facilities multiple, diverse links across time and space’. Bring Back Our Girls has created a global networked public by connecting people worldwide to organise marches in protest for the release of the girls. The online public for the Bring Back Our Girls campaign remains and is getting larger by the day with annual marches taking place as a reminder of those girls who have not yet returned home. This has made BBOG into a movement with a prolonged message and cause.

The Bring Back Our Girls movement used culture jamming techniques to create a global awareness by sharing the names and images of the Chibok girls in attempt to create a connection and empathetic response to the abduction. However, this back-fired as the Chibok girls who have been rescued have not been allowed to return home in fear that that they will be re-abducted from their new-found fame. In attempting to bring the girls home, we have made celebrities of them and have risked their safety. This is just one of many problems associated with social media activism.

BBOG isn’t the only social media activism campaign and I guarantee that there will be many more to come in the future. As people become more aware of global social, economic and environmental problems, social media for activism will increase as a way of connecting people around the world to solve problems as a collective. 

[digitaltia-blog]

Brexit, The People’s Vote

On the 23rd June 2016, Britain voted to leave the EU. Nearly 3 years later and the world is still reeling from Brexit. I wonder what the effect of social media had on the referendum for leaving the EU. 

Described as the first ‘digital referendum’, both the Leave and Remain campaign relied heavily on social media as a way of gaining momentum in the months leading up to the final vote. For the Remain party, this meant targeting the youth who were less likely to be on the electoral register but were more likely vote remain. Social media is the perfect medium for targeting and engaging young people in political conversation. However, the majority of posts on social media outlets was done by politicians themselves rather than a dedicated page or influencers who this target group look up to and admire and aspire to be.  Therefore, failing to reach the audience and the general public were major problems with the remain campaign.

The Leave campaign was much more active and motivated on social media. Whilst most, like myself, just assumed Britain would naturally vote to remain a part of the EU, the leave campaign had a much harder job in convincing the country why we should leave. On Twitter, this meant that were 29 million tweets surrounding the leave campaign and data analytics, which can be used in political votes to tailor and target messages, show that #brexit and pro-brexit related tweets were more common than #stongerin or #votein. These hashtags, in particular allowed for participatory media participation by the general public, who used and continue to use the #brexit marker as a way of communicating their thoughts and opinions regarding all things leave the EU.

Mainstream media also played a huge influence in swaying votes, this conforms to Habermas’ theory on the public sphere as having ‘institutional influence’. The political echo chamber was re-told in the social chamber with senior MP’s relaying messages about immigration rates with Boris Johnsons announcement of £350 million that is paid to the EU going directly to the NHS. Whilst this message was not true, it definitely played a part in manipulating audiences into voting leave at the thought of having better health care.  These messages were also re-told by mass communications broadcasting channels in television, radio and print which solidified them and made the social media story surrounding #brexit seem more real.

In the end, the Leave campaign were much more successful at targeting voters and so we will just have to see what the effect of Brexit carries for young people globally in the coming years.

[digitaltia-blog]

Tumblr, a Blog or a Social Network Site?

Defined by Google as a social networking site. But by Techopedia as a microblogging platform. I wonder what type of social media platform Tumblr comes under. 

A Blog

Evolved from the word ‘web log’, Walker Rettberg (2013) defines a blog as a frequently updated website consisting of dated entries arranged in reverse chronological order that the most recent post appears first. Tumblr certainly does this by having the newest post at the forefront of each blog page, with a time-stamp

Blogs, traditionally, are accessible technological extensions of the personal home page, a personalised self-expression or themed content, asynchronous and usually long-form and are predominantly public and openly accessible. Therefore, blogs can be said to be used as a way of expressing one’s feelings and thoughts whilst having the option to remain anonymous from your audience. This brings Goffman’s (1959) work on Dramaturgy into play as blogs, including Tumblr, have the ability to create impressions of one’s self; through the front of stage where we post blogs and backstage where we rally our thoughts in our private spaces ready to create new content. This opens up blogging to the idea of online performance whilst creating digital versions of ourselves.

So how does this make Tumblr a blog you ask? Well Tumblr has a main homepage dedicated to all things you and an explore page where you can follow pages or blogs that you are interested in. Most importantly, Tumblr consists of text posts which are often written in first person and therefore pay homage to the traditional blogging experience.

A social network site

Boyd and Ellison (2007) define a social network site as a web‐based service that allows individuals to (1) construct a public or semi‐public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The ability for bloggers to customise their own page within Tumblr is a step in the direction of a social network site as bloggers have the ability to tailor their own pages to match how they want to be perceived by the Tumblr public.

Having never used Tumblr before, scrolling through for the first time I noticed that Tumblr definitely shares features with other social networks. Its visual like Instagram, has plenty of social interaction (likes, comments, tags etc.) like Facebook and it’s short, but not as short, like Twitter.  There is a definite sense of community on Tumblr with audiences having the option to follow particular bloggers, re-post blogs and even use the tags to find blogs of similar themes. This helps to bring like-minded people together creating digital communities and online publics. I believe that this has contributed to what we Habermas (2006) know perceives to be the modern-day public sphere; known as speech communities. Speech communities are a group of people who share similar ideas, uses and norms of languages which are definite characteristics of Tumblr’s social nature. Tumblr is a virtual community and increases sociality amongst society by allowing people globally to converse with one another; which is the purpose of a social network site. 

So....I believe Tumblr to be a hybrid of the two. Just because it shares qualities from both doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be defined as just one. I’m calling it a social microblogging site.

[oliviafitmomof3]