Phuong Dang

This is a blog created for educational purposes. #MDA20009

[for-study-purposes]

Online Harassment and Hate Speech against Transgender Community

Transgender people have counted on social media platforms to gather and develop a sense of belonging. Yet, the animosity and harassment that trans individuals frequently encounter on these platforms make them more hesitant to use them. According to a report by the anti-bullying organization Ditch the Label, approximately 15% of the 10 million transgender-related comments on social media platforms over a three and a half year period since 2016 were found to be transphobic (Haynes 2019). 

Trystan Reese, a transgender man and community advocate, shared a sentiment, stating that social media is “both the best thing that ever happened to the transgender community, and it’s also the worst. We’re able to provide immediate, real-time, lifesaving support to transgender people and their families, any time of the day or night, but we are also open to more scrutiny and direct one-on-one harassment and abuse than ever before.”. (Compton 2019)

According to the findings of Powell et al. (2018), transgender individuals are subjected to high rates of digital harassment and abuse. Any transgender person who obtains public attention, even for reasons unrelated to transgender issues, is likely to face a range of online abuses. Additionally, it is frequently orchestrated behind the scenes via anti-transgender forums and Facebook groups (Burns 2019).

Image: Vox 2019

According to Brennan Suen, the senior strategist at Media Matters, the development of anti-transgender sentiment online can be traced back to the UK right’s alliance with British anti-trans feminists. They formed a partnership to specifically harass and mislead transgender people online (Burns 2019). One particularly heinous hypothesis that trans-rights opponents have adopted is the concept of “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD). In 2018, Lisa Littman of Brown University published a study of prospective parents to determine whether transgender status in teenagers was the result of social contagion (Burns 2019). In essence, the hypothesis is that young individuals are misled into believing they are transgender by reading Tumblr blogs or viewing YouTube videos about transgender people (Littman 2018). Although Littman never interviewed transgender youngsters to develop her idea, she concludes that a new type of gender dysphoria is spreading via social media and peer pressure (Burns 2019). Littman’s study was heavily criticized by academics, and she was required to revise the findings (Keating 2019). Nonetheless, there is a profusion of misinformation supporting the concept of ROGD directed toward parents and clinicians, as well as the concept’s usage to justify laws in the United States that target the rights of transgender youth (CAAPS n.d.).

Image: Toronto Star 2021

The GLAAD Foundation has developed an online list of hate speech directed against the transgender community and the LGBTQ+ community in general. It is a continuing initiative to identify specific words and memes used on social media to harass, abuse, and disseminate disinformation about the group (GLAAD n.d.). This research illuminates the motivations and ideologies behind anti-LGBTQ+ toxic content and serves as a resource for social media platforms in identifying and removing such content and behaviour. It includes many examples of online anti-trans hate speech, such as Transvestigation and Transtrender, to demonstrate the reality of cyberbullying directed at the trans community.

Image: Open Democracy 2018

Hate speech and cyberbullying have a direct influence on transgender people and society as a whole. A report conducted by Luke Hubbard (2020) has studied the consequences of online hate crime, with survey respondents revealing the detrimental impacts of online harassment and hate speech. Victims have faced shame, social isolation, and even guilt about their gender identity. Many responders also shared their experiences with suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and suicide attempts after becoming their victims online. While these crimes take place online, many victims grow concerned about their physical safety offline, which is understandable considering the high number of online abuses involving threats to their physical safety.

The problem of online harassment and anti-trans hate speech endangers the safety of the transgender community in the virtual space as well as in real-life. To stop the spread of these actions, radical solutions are required, including legal remedies as well as practical efforts taken by the digital community, such as using humour to raise awareness and advocating for the rights of victims. Social media users can exert pressure on social media platforms by recommending and reporting to them, urging them to change their content moderation rules, terms of service policies, and initiatives to combat online abuse.

Reference List

Burns, K 2019, ‘The internet made trans people visible. It also left them more vulnerable.’, in Vox, 27th December, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/12/27/21028342/trans-visibility-backlash-internet-2010>.

CAAPS n.d., ‘CAAPS Position Statement on Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD)’, in Coalition for the Advancement & Application of Psychological Science, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.caaps.co/rogd-statement>.

Compton, J 2019, ‘'Frightening' online transphobia has real-life consequences, advocates say’, in NBC News, 22nd November, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/frightening-online-transphobia-has-real-life-consequences-advocates-say-n1089456>.

GLAAD n.d., Listing of Anti-LGBTQ Online Hate Speech, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.glaad.org/hate-speech-listing>.

Haynes, S 2019, ‘A Study Analyzed 10 Million Online Posts Over 3.5 Years. It Found a Torrent of Transphobic Abuse, in Time USA, 25th October, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://time.com/5710466/transphobic-abuse-online-study/>.

Hubbard, L 2020, Online Hate crime Report: Challenging online homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, London: Galop, the LGBT+ anti-violence charity.

Keating, S 2019, ‘Gender Dysphoria Isn’t A “Social Contagion,” According To A New Study’, in BuzzFeed News, 22nd April, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shannonkeating/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-flawed-methods-transgender>.

Littman, L 2018, ‘Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria, in PloS one, vol. 13 (8).

‘Online platforms have enabled ‘deluge of hatred against trans women’ in the UK’ [image], in Open Democracy 2018, Online platforms have enabled ‘deluge of hatred against trans women’ in the UK, Open Democracy, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/online-platforms-enable-deluge-hatred-against-trans-women-uk/>.

Powell, A, Scott, AJ & Henry, N 2018, ‘Digital harassment and abuse: Experiences of sexuality and gender minority adults’, in European Journal of Criminology, vol. 17 (2), pp. 199-223.

‘The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained‘ [image], in Vox 2019, The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained, Vox, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/9/5/20840101/terfs-radical-feminists-gender-critical>.

‘The Saturday Debate: Does the proposed new hate speech law go too far?’ [image], in Toronto Star 2021, The Saturday Debate: Does the proposed new hate speech law go too far?, Toronto Star, viewed 22nd March 2022, <https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/the-saturday-debate/2021/07/31/the-saturday-debate-does-the-proposed-new-hate-speech-law-go-too-far.html>.

[for-study-purposes]

The Rise of Slow Fashion Movement

Fast-fashion industry

The fashion industry used to be fairly slow-moving in the not-too-distant past. Clothing was a costly investment due to the lengthy process of procuring wool, weaving textiles, and hand-sewing outfits. While the development of the sewing machine during the Industrial Revolution and the 1960s counterculture movement spurred young people to utilize personal style as a means of self-expression, fast fashion did not reach its peak until the late 1990s and early 2000s (Chen 2020).

Image: The Pretty Planeteer 2020

The dark side

Fast-fashion giants like Zara, H&M, Uniqlo and Topshop have become some of the industry’s most profitable corporations by democratizing access to the current trends. Fast fashion’s emergence over the last two decades has accompanied the advent of social media, where influencer culture has imprinted a no-repeat mentality toward consumer sartorial choices, with a retail model marked by rapid turnover of cheaply products (Chen 2020). This model results in the exploitation of cheap labor in developing countries, all for the purpose of producing garments that are destroyed after seven to ten wears on average (Ellen MacArthur Foundation n.d.). A highly polluting production process is a part of the agile supply chain. Every year, the fashion industry produces between 100 and 150 billion garments. It consumes a lot of raw materials and energy, and every year it causes 100 million tons of waste, with 80 percent of it ending up in landfills (The Plain Simple Life 2022).

Slow fashion

Slow fashion - not a new term

Slow fashion is not a new movement; it has roots in 1960s protest culture, anti-fur movements in the 1980s, and demonstrations against unethical working conditions in the 1990s and early 1990s. Slow fashion is closely associated with the movement for sustainable consumption. It is based on the essential notions of sustainable values, ethical working conditions, and pollution reduction in order to achieve long-term development.

Slow fashion practices In every aspect, slow fashion is the polar opposite of fast fashion. It is about responsible sourcing, taking care of the manufacturing, the quality of the materials, and the longevity of the garment for those firms that are sustainable. Vendors are eager to learn about the origins of their inventory and guarantee that things are meticulously created, resulting in long-lasting clothes made from natural materials with a lower environmental impact (Birkbeck 2020).

Customers’ purchasing decisions are deliberate and not hurried. It takes time to investigate the finest solutions. Consideration is paid to how an item will compliment an existing wardrobe. This frequently results in the purchase of investment products, which may be more expensive, but whose quality is built to withstand wear and tear. These items frequently have a timeless design that can transcend passing fashion fads and remain relevant for years to come, to the point where they can become heirlooms passed down through generations.

The rise of Slow Fashion Movement

The slow fashion movement has emerged as a result of rising awareness of the negative effects of fast fashion. In 2019, the term “slow fashion” received more than 90 million social media impressions as the shift in buying behavior began to take hold (Birkbeck 2020). Many initiatives based on the Slow fashion principle have been launched to raise public awareness and resist the fast fashion industry’s whirlpool.

Image: Fashion Revolution n.d.

The Fashion Revolution, a nonprofit movement led by The Fashion Revolution Foundation and Fashion Revolution CIC with teams in over 100 countries, is one notable example. Fashion designers, professors, students, press professionals, and customers are all part of this trend. Its mission is to raise awareness about the true cost of clothing while simultaneously seeking long-term solutions for the fashion industry’s future.

Image: Russh 2020

Fashion Revolution has run a number of successful projects, including the #Whomademyclothes hashtag movement. The hashtag symbolizes for workers’ rights. This campaign encourages customers to influence the fashion industry by keeping corporations accountable and boosting supply chain transparency. People were involved by posting photographs on social media, showing clothing labels, and questioning about the companies responsible for the item and their working conditions (Moveme n.d.). In 2016, the hashtag was the no.1 global trend on Twitter. The campaign encourages customers to influence the fashion industry by keeping corporations accountable and boosting supply chain transparency. It corresponds to people’s present attitudes for a more sustainable future and increasing individual activism.

There are still many issues that need to be addressed in the world, and one of them is the dark side of fast-fashion industry. Slow Fashion Movement is a significant initiative that raises public awareness while also providing practical answers to slow down the pace of fast fashion and advance toward a more sustainable future.

Reference List

‘30+ Fast Fashion Brands To Avoid For A More Sustainable Future’ [image], in The Pretty Planeteer 2020, 30+ Fast Fashion Brands To Avoid For A More Sustainable Future, The Pretty Planeteer, viewed 16th March,  <https://theprettyplaneteer.com/fast-fashion-brands-to-avoid/>.

‘ABOUT‘ [image], in Fashion Revolution n.d., ABOUT, Fashion Revolution, viewed 16th March, <https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/>.

Birkbeck P 2020, ‘What is ‘Slow Fashion’ and why is it on the rise?’, in Scottish Field, 13th November, viewed 16th March,<https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/fashion-beauty/fashion/what-is-slow-fashion-and-why-is-it-on-the-rise/>.

Chen, M 2020, ‘The Fast Rise of Slow Fashion’, in Jump Start Map, 22nd June, viewed 16th March, <https://www.jumpstartmag.com/the-fast-rise-of-slow-fashion/>.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation n.d., Fashion and the Circular Economy, viewed 16th March, <https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/fashion-and-the-circular-economy>.

Fashion Revolution n.d., ‘ABOUT’, in Fashion Revolution, viewed 16th March, <https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/>.

‘Fashion Revolution Week 2020: #WhoMadeMyClothes?’ [image], in Russh 2020, Fashion Revolution Week 2020: #WhoMadeMyClothes?, Russh, 20th April viewed 16th March, <https://www.russh.com/fashion-revolution-week-2020/>.

Moveme n.d., ‘#WHOMADEMYCLOTHES’, in #MoveMe: A Guide to Social Movements and Social Media, viewed 16th March, <https://moveme.berkeley.edu/project/whomademyclothes/>.

The Plain Simple Life 2022, ‘Fast Fashion vs Slow Fashion: The Rise of Sustainable Fashion’, in Sustainable Living, 1st February, viewed 16th March,  <https://www.theplainsimplelife.com/fast-fashion-vs-slow-fashion/>.

[for-study-purposes]

Gaming Industry and the LGBTQ+ Community

It is widely believed that the common ‘gamers’ are young Caucasian or East Asian males from middle-class background. This has resulted in a gaming culture that is masculine-dominated (Paaßen et al. 2016). People who are deemed to be ‘gamers’ are more welcome to engage in gaming communities than those who do not belong to this category of individuals. The question arises as to whether or not minority groups like LGBTQ+ are welcome in the gaming community, as well as how the gaming industry is now including the representation of LGBTQ+ people.

Image: The Washington Post 2021

The LGBTQ+ community has fought to be adequately represented in the gaming industry since queer characters first debuted in video games in the 1980s (Ortiz 2020). In recent years, a number of digital spaces have evolved to unite and empower queer people in the gaming community, such as Transmission Gaming and Gayming Magazine (Ortiz 2020). According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, 35% of LGBTQ+ players in the United States have experienced online harassment as a result of their identity. With 2.5 billion gamers worldwide, the gaming industry must finally confront gender bias and harassment. 

Over the years, games developers have attempted to reflect the LGBTQ+ community as closely as possible. Yet, queer characters are still a rarity in video games nowadays. Many of them are cast in minor and frequently unplayable roles (Adetunji 2021). At times, these characters’ portrayals even promote misconceptions about LGBTQ+ people. One noteworthy example is the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Despite being one of the most popular video games of all time, the franchise has a handful of negative characters. Trevor Philips, the game’s protagonist, is said to be bisexual, has aggressive personality traits, and is described as engaging in “unconventional sexual practices” (LGBTQ Video Game Archive 2015).

Image: JSTOR Daily 2021

On the other hand, there are some promising games, such as “Stardew Valley” and “LongStory”, which enable players to pursue queer relationships or use non-binary pronouns (Brooks 2021). Life simulators and role-playing games are continuing to diversify their avatars and relationships. These games have given LGBTQ+ gamers a sense of belonging and freedom to express themselves, which can help them feel more confident in real life.

It is worth noting that LGBTQ+ people have been using gaming platforms to perform and discuss their queer identities since the dawn of the Internet (Fiorellini 2021). The digital realm, like any LGBTQ+ venue in the physical world, has long provided the opportunity to debate sexuality and gender identity. The game's representation is improving; it is no longer centred on stereotypical avatars, and more LGBTQ+ characters are being added. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of creating a safe and inclusive workplace for minorities in the gaming industry.

Reference List

Adetunji, J 2021, ‘The ‘gay button’ in gaming: LGBTQ+ representation in videogames is often hidden – it shouldn’t be’, in The Conversation, 10th March, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://theconversation.com/the-gay-button-in-gaming-lgbtq-representation-in-videogames-is-often-hidden-it-shouldnt-be-156694>.

Anti-Defamation League 2019, ‘Free to Play? Hate, Harassment, and Positive Social Experiences in Online Games’, in ADL, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://www.adl.org/free-to-play>.

Brooks, L 2021, ‘How video games can help LGBTQ+ players feel like themselves’, in The Washington Post, 23rd March, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/03/23/lgbtq-representation-video-games/>.

Fiorellini, N 2021, ‘Venn Diagram of LGBTQ+ and Gaming Communities Goes Here’, in JSTOR Daily, 2nd June, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://daily.jstor.org/venn-diagram-of-lgbtq-and-gaming-communities-goes-here/>.

‘How video games can help LGBTQ+ players feel like themselves’ [image], in The Washington Post 2021, How video games can help LGBTQ+ players feel like themselves, The Washington Post, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/03/23/lgbtq-representation-video-games/>.

LGBTQ Video Game Archive 2015, Trevor Philips in Grand Theft Auto V, 18th September, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://lgbtqgamearchive.com/2015/09/18/trevor-philips-in-grand-theft-auto-v/>.

Ortiz, R 2020, ‘LGBTQ+ Gamers on the Need for Proper Representation in Today’s Gaming World’, in Hypebae, viewed 8th March 2022,<https://hypebae.com/2020/8/lgbtq-representation-in-video-games-gaming-diversity-inclusivity-ea-the-sims-bioware-dragon-age-veronica-nikatine-ripley-interview>.

Paaßen, B, Morgenroth, T & Stratemeyer, M 2017, ‘What is a True Gamer? The Male Gamer Stereotype and Marginalization of Women in Video Game Culture’, in Sex Roles, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, vol. 76 (7-8), pp. 421-435.

‘Venn Diagram of LGBTQ+ and Gaming Communities Goes Here’ [image], in JSTOR Daily 2021, Venn Diagram of LGBTQ+ and Gaming Communities Goes Here, JSTOR Daily 2021, viewed 8th March 2022, <https://daily.jstor.org/venn-diagram-of-lgbtq-and-gaming-communities-goes-here/>.

[for-study-purposes]

How Instagram Filters Affect Human’ Psychology

Currently, it can not be denied that social media has become an indispensable part of our modern daily lives. Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, brings a lot of benefits to people’s lives. To be specific, these social networking sites make it easier for their users to connect with friends that are far away, expand their relationship circle, and share their feelings and beautiful moments. However, in addition to the benefits mentioned above, social networks also have bad effects on human psychology. This blog will discuss the impacts of social media on human psychology, especially Instagram filters. 

Image: Women’s Health 2020

The appearance of Instagram filters has brought significant changes to beauty lovers. Instagram AR filters are designed to produce something that people will want to interact with and share (Adquadrant 2020). The first benefit is that photos using filters, especially those that are trending, will often have higher interactions than usual. Furthermore, thanks to these filters, Instagram users will easily have more satisfactory photos, thereby saving time on photo editing (Moran n.d.). Instagram filters help the taken photos with more attractive light and colour parameters than actual photos with little to no effort and even help users put on makeup when they do not have time to prepare. Moreover, when looking at these beautiful shimmering photos, Instagram users’ confidence also increases because they get to see their most complete image (Kizilaslan 2021).

On the other hand, the presence of too attractive and well-organized images on social networks has a detrimental impact on user psychology. For users who share photos using filters, having selfie images that are too shimmery makes them feel shy when they do not really put on makeup or dress well when they go out in public. Furthermore, in fact, there are many people who post over-edited photos, making the pictures too different from those in real life. Because of that, they often have an insecure mentality and avoid meeting people they only know online because of their inferiority complex. According to Charles (2019), a psychological condition called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a widespread psychological illness that is widely encountered on social media. People suffering from BDD experience emotional distress as a result of over real or perceived problems with their appearance (Charles 2019). Social media users might develop a lack of confidence in their real-life appearance if they are constantly exposed to online images that are too gorgeous to be realistic. They often have a tendency to compare themselves to stereotyped role models that are perceived as ‘ideal’ online. Consequently, many people nowadays are more likely to abandon their natural ‘unique’ look and pursue unrealistic beauty standards.

To summarize, social media has both positive and negative aspects; however, whether it has a positive or negative impact on users is dependent on how people interact with social media. Users of social media should only regard the pictures and information on these platforms as a source of entertainment, and should avoid spending too much time on the platform or comparing oneself to other people’s images.

Reference List

AdQuadrant 2020, ‘The Power of AR Filters and How It Drives Organic Traffic’, in AdQuadrant, 29th May, viewed 20th February 2022, <https://www.adquadrant.com/blog/power-ar-filters-drives-organic-traffic>.

Charles, S 2019, ‘The Trouble With Snapchat Filters and Selfies’, in drslack, 2nd August, viewed 20th February 2022, <https://drslack.net/selfie-dysmorphia/>.

‘It’s Easier Than Ever To Make A New Face On Social Media. But Is It Killing Your Confidence?’ [image], in Women’s Health 2020, It’s Easier Than Ever To Make A New Face On Social Media. But Is It Killing Your Confidence?, Women’s Health, viewed 20th February 2022,<https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/a33264141/face-filters-mental-health-effect/>.

Kizilaslan, M 2021, ‘How Snapchat and Instagram beauty filters destroy our self-confidence’, in trtworld, 17th December, viewed 20th February 2022, <https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/how-snapchat-and-instagram-beauty-filters-destroy-our-self-confidence-52740>.

Moran, D n.d., ‘How to Use Instagram filters’, in Recurpost, viewed 20th February 2022, <https://recurpost.com/blog/how-to-use-instagram-filters/>. 

[for-study-purposes]

Hashtag Activism on Twitter

Twitter was established in 2006 as a microblogging site based on the popularity of the activist tool TxtMob (Costanza-Chock et al. 2020). The site has over 330 million active users as of 2019 (Statista Research Department 2022). Twitter is well-known for its hashtags, which allow users to post information and opinions on social issues in a way that enables others to interact and participate as part of a larger discourse with the prospect of change.

Hashtags, which are distinctive and user-generated, have become the de facto standard for expressing collective thoughts, ideas, arguments, and experiences that may stand alone or be instantly integrated into Twitter’s fast-paced environment (Jackson et al. 2020). They allow users to connect with people all around the world and quickly share information. The hashtag itself contains a word or phrase associated with a social or political problem and creates a forum for discussion. For historically marginalized populations, Twitter serves as a vital platform, where these groups can communicate and advocate for less prevalent matters by using hashtags (Maples 2008). This contributes to the emergence of hashtag activism, which is the practice of using Twitter’s hashtags for Internet activism as one of the many ways that social media helps civic engagement and social movements (Humphreys 2016).

The evolution of the #hashtag

In the late 1990s, the “hash sign”, as it was referred to in Internet forums, was used to combine items in online chat rooms and chat streams (Jackson et al. 2020). In 2007, Chris Messina, a Twitter user, asked his followers what they thought of the sign being used to denote groups on the fledgling platform. His tweets would serve as a catalyst for the hashtag’s continued expansion as a tool for connecting conversations, people, and movements (Jackson et al. 2020). Since this handy discovery in 2007, hashtags have become so ingrained in the culture of Twitter users that their use has expanded outside the network and into other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr (Humphreys 2016).

Image: Pew Research Center 2018

Notable examples of hashtag activism

#Kony2012

In the spring of 2012, the NGO Invisible Children launched a hashtag campaign dubbed #Kony2012. The documentary-based activity’s purpose is to raise awareness of human rights violations in Central Africa. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda, led by Joseph Kony, is the subject of the documentary; Kony, a Ugandan war criminal and military leader, is notorious for kidnapping children and converting them to soldiers and sex slaves for his army. The #Kony2012 campaign was created primarily to raise awareness of the “Stop Kony” movement around the world. The video fiercely advocated that African militia leader Joseph Kony be apprehended and tried in the International Criminal Court (Goswami 2018). 

Image: Baylor Lariat 2012

The campaign based on the #Kony2012 documentary that went viral on social media is unique in that it suffered a flood of support, reaction, and a swift retreat after it was released. The documentary created to promote the cause drew rapid attention from around the world. Several celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Ryan Seacrest, have endorsed the initiative and encouraged their Twitter followers to use the hashtag #Kony2012 in their tweets (Raine et al. 2012). Invisible Children had over 3,800,000 Twitter followers and over 2.5 million Facebook fans on the fifth day of the campaign, and over 100 million people watched the documentary on Youtube and Vimeo (Goswami 2018). As early March 2012, less than a month after its inception, the #Kony2012 campaign had received more than 2.4 million tweets from the U.S. public alone (Goswami 2018). 

#NoBanNoWall

#NoBanNoWall is a hashtag and social media campaign started in response to Donald Trump's alleged “Muslim ban” and his 2016 presidential campaign promise to build a physical border wall between the United States and Mexico (Harvard 2017). Several executive orders issued by President Donald Trump in 2017 threatened to tear up families and turn away refugees. 

Image: Cosmopolitan 2017

#NoBanNoWall was founded by Saki Barzinji and Imraan Siddiqi in an effort to unite Muslim, Latino, and other communities in opposition to xenophobic immigration policies. Protesters gathered at Washington Square Park on January 25, 2017, and chanted, “No ban; no wall”, sparking the Twitter hashtag #NoBanNoWall in response to Trump’s travel ban (Signore 2017). Shortly after the hashtag began trending, the influence of this movement could be noticed in airports as a judge in New York granted the ACLU’s plea for a prohibition on deportation at airports (George 2017). The movement has evolved into a platform for people to tell personal stories about themselves or their families who have immigrated to the United States, as well as a means of combating the public’s rising mistrust of foreigners (Malpert et al. 2017).

The implications of hashtag activism

Enabling hashtags has strong implications in both the digital and physical worlds. Activists of historically marginalized communities have had a demonstrable impact on political discussions, social policy, and public consciousness in recent years. These hashtag activists are sometimes referred to as "slacktivists" or "armchair activists" due to the perception that digital engagement is less legitimate and effective than in-person action (Jackson et al. 2021). Nonetheless, hashtags allow users to communicate with one another and mobilize efforts without requiring supporters to be physically present or at the same time of day. More people would join in the movement as it takes less effort to create a hashtag or view postings related to one. This can help to increase awareness by associating it with personal stories, experiences, emotions, and opinions (Yang 2016). By defining common experiences, expressive connections can be created between strangers, enable hashtag users to encourage and validate one another, and contribute to broadening and enriching awareness by offering access to multiple stories.

Image: FIRE 2016

Digital technology and social media have been critical to maintaining a counterpublic space. Twitter represents an extremely real chance to effect change by reintroducing and reframing problems that have been distorted or ignored in the mainstream public sphere. By and large, these hashtags succeed in establishing recognizably narratives that address far broader concerns. Yet, they must be paired with real-world actions to be considered practical and meaningful.

Reference List

‘17 Powerful Tweets in Support of #NoBanNoWall’ [image], in Cosmopolitan 2017, 17 Powerful Tweets in Support of #NoBanNoWall, Cosmopolitan, 26th January, viewed 3rd March 2022,<https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a8640690/no-ban-no-wall-tweets/>.

‘Activism in the Social Media Age’ [image], in Pew Research Center 2018, Activism in the Social Media Age, Pew Research Center, 11th July, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/activism-in-the-social-media-age/>.

Costanza-Chock, S, Hirsch, T & Childs, Q 2020, ‘In the open: TXTmob and Twitter’, in Common Place, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://commonplace.knowledgefutures.org/pub/zw0ja7r2/release/4>.

‘FIRE Debates at Penn: Does Hashtag Activism Work?’ [image], in FIRE 2016, FIRE Debates at Penn: Does Hashtag Activism Work, FIRE, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://www.thefire.org/fire-debates-at-penn-does-hashtag-activism-work/>

George, M 2017, ‘After Daylong Protests, Judge Blocks Deportation of Immigrants Detained at US Airports’, in NBC New York, 28th January, viewed 3rd March 2022,<https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/following-detainment-refugees-welcome-protest-erupts-at-jfk-airport/261395/>.

Goswami, M 2018, ‘Social Media and Hashtag Activism’, in Liberty Dignity and Change in Journalism, Kanishka Publisher, pp. 252-262.

Harvard, SA 2017, ‘#NoBanNoWall is a heartbreaking rallying cry against Donald Trump's Muslim ban and border wall’, in MIC, 25th January, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://www.mic.com/articles/166577/nobannowall-is-a-heartbreaking-rallying-cry-against-donald-trumps-muslim-ban-and-border-wall>.

Humphreys, A 2016, Social Media: Enduring Principles, Oxford: New York, Oxford University Press.

Jackson, SJ, Bailey, M, Welles, BF 2020, #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice, The MIT Press, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/4597/HashtagActivismNetworks-of-Race-and-Gender-Justice>.

Malpert, L, Mahbubani, R, Bhattacharjee, R & Greenway, R 2017, ‘We’re All Humans: Immigrants Speak Out at #NoBanNoWall Rally in San Francisco’, in NBC Bay Area, 4th February, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/anti-trump-rallies-to-draw-thousands-to-san-francisco/37676/>.

Maples, C 2008, Giving voice: the use of interactive theatre as professional development in higher education to reduce alienation of marginalized groups (Thesis), University of Missouri Libraries.

Raine, L, Jurkowitz, M, Dimock, M & Neidorf, S, ‘The Viral Kony 2012 Video’, in Pew Research Center, 15th March, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/03/15/the-viral-kony-2012-video/>.

Signore, JD 2017, ‘Washington Square Park Is Packed With New Yorkers Responding To Trump's Attack On Immigrants’, in Gothamist, 25th January, viewed 3rd March 2022, <http://gothamist.com/2017/01/25/immigrant_muslim_rally.php>.

Statista Research Department 2022, ‘Number of monthly active Twitter users worldwide from 1st quarter 2010 to 1st quarter 2019’, in Statista, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-of-monthly-active-twitter-users/>.

‘Students plan KONY 2012 poster campaign’ [image], in Baylor Lariat 2012, Students plan KONY 2012 poster campaign, Baylor Lariat, 18th April, viewed 3rd March 2022, <https://baylorlariat.com/2012/04/18/students-plan-kony-2012-poster-campaign/>.

Yang, G 2016, ‘Narrative Agency in Hashtag Activism: The Case of #BlackLivesMatter’, in Media and Communication, vol. (4), pp. 13-17.

[for-study-purposes]

Reality TV in the Age of Social Media

Reality TV has entered a new era thanks to social media. Paradoxically, reality TV is becoming less and less reliant on television as social media opens up new markets and audiences. Drama can now happen on multiple platforms other than just TV screens. So, what changes has social media brought to reality TV, in terms of more opportunities or challenges?

Image: Geeks 2017

Reality TV shows now rely heavily on social media to increase viewership and ratings (McBride 2015). Directly tied to broadcast ratings, social media users provide marketers with a wealth of information about their usage, habits, and perspectives. According to Benedict (2013), broadcasters have gleaned a wealth of information from social media data, including responses to advertising campaign events, audience behaviour, social sentiment and accurately forecasting of weekly or seasonal viewership fueled by social media buzz prior to the show’s airing. This is particularly advantageous for producers, as it enables them to change show content in response to audience consumption trends. When paired with standard internal strategy and performance criteria, substantial insights can be achieved that can result in powerful decisions on shows (Benedict 2013).

Image: Farris Marketing 2013

Social media facilitates cross-platform interaction, allowing reality stars and fans to connect across the social media landscape. Additionally, it helps broaden the market by allowing audience members to participate in reality television shows as guests or voters. The majority of shows now have associated applications that enable spectators to vote for their favourite (Newman 2018). Rather than dialling in to vote on who should be evicted, anyone can simply tap their smartphone and their vote is recorded. Reality TV shows foster a sense of community, which makes viewers feel included, and social media is a critical conduit for this.

Image: The Gate with Brian Cohen 2017

Along with the exciting prospects, social media poses numerous obstacles for reality TV shows. Prior to the introduction of social media, audiences needed only to turn on the television each night to observe how their favourite television star developed. Now, spoilers are ubiquitous. Footages from reality television series now can be found on social media platforms (Newman 2018). Networks frequently use catchy bits on their Facebook page and Instagram feeds to entice viewers to continue watching the episode, which is a simple but effective strategy. However, this endangers the program’s credibility when the audience’s attention is diverted away from the whole content on TV. Many viewers find it distasteful to be exposed to pre-reveals and spoilers. In addition, concerns have been raised about copyright rights, as leaks and shortcuts of episodes are common on social media and are frequently shared by spoilers themselves, who are indirectly benefiting from this.

To summarize, social media has created many new chances and prospects for reality television, yet it has also created some new obstacles for the industry. Producers must exercise caution when integrating cross-platform content development with data mining for reality shows in order to ensure that both the production team and the audience reap the benefits of the convergence in an equivalent measure.

Reference List

Benedict, JP 2013, ‘Embracing the Power of Social Media for Broadcast Business Insight’, in Cognizant 20-20 Insights, viewed 12th February 2022, <http://www.cognizant.com/InsightsWhitepapers/Embracing-the-Power-of-Social-Media-forBroadcast-Business-Insight.pdf>.

‘How to Add Spoilers to FlyerTalk and InsideFlyer’ [image], in The Gate with Brian Cohen 2017, How to Add Spoilers to FlyerTalk and InsideFlyer, The Gate with Brian Cohen, 14th February, <https://thegate.boardingarea.com/how-to-add-spoilers-to-flyertalk-and-insideflyer/>.

‘How Reality Shows Changed Television’ [image], in Greeks 2017, How Reality Shows Changed Television, Greeks, viewed 12th February 2022, <https://vocal.media/geeks/how-reality-shows-changed-television>.

McBride, JM 2015, ‘Social Media & Audience Participation in Regard to Television’, in Honors Research Projects, The University of Akron, vol. 6.

Newman, O 2018, ‘Social Media and Reality Television’, in Giraffe Social Media, 4th July, viewed 12th February 2022,<https://www.giraffesocialmedia.co.uk/social-media-and-reality-television/>.

‘The Best Reality TV Shows Sell Hope and Happiness’ [image], in Farris Marketing, The Best Reality TV Shows Sell Hope and Happiness, Farris Marketing, viewed 12th February 2022, <https://www.farrismarketing.com/2013/10/the-best-reality-tv-shows-sell-hope-and-happiness/>.

[for-study-purposes]

The Complicated Truth Concerning Social Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders

In today’s society, the expansion of social media use can have a variety of repercussions on body image and the later development of eating disorders in many people. According to research, media exposure contributes to body dissatisfaction and eating problems (Morris & Katzman 2003). Unfortunately, social media is influencing our perception of beauty. With so much exposure to online images, it is evident that there is a correlation between how people compare themselves and perceive their own bodies.

According to studies, 88% of women compare themselves to images they see on social media, with more than half describing the comparison as unfavourable (Meghan 2020). The figure was 65% among men, with 37% believing the comparison was unfavourable (Meghan 2020). 

Image: Florida House Experience 2020

This is a very severe issue because it can lead to low self-esteem, a harmful lifestyle, and an unhealthy diet.

Social media’s influence on body image

Research in 2018 (Aparicio-Martinez et. al) demonstrates that there is a link between time spent on social media and negative body image. This link was notably strong when participants scroll through appearance-related content on Instagram, such as a fitness trainer’s or model’s account (Fleps 2021). The majority of social media platforms allow users to like content created by others. In fact, popular diets and ideal body shapes receive a lot of attention, indicating that these materials are more appealing. This promotes the objectification of bodies, in which bodies seen on social media are seen as objects rather than persons (The Emotions Matter 2018). 

Because individuals have a common need to be approved by others and to avoid their displeasure, societal standards might influence how they regard their bodies. As a result, it may correspond to appearance norms and unrealistic standards. Social media can then harm a person’s body image by frequently referring to images on social media as ideal body types, causing them to constantly compare themselves to unattainable benchmarks. Furthermore, photoshop tools and filters on social media are available for users to generate unrealistic physique images.

The #Fitspiration and Healthy Eating Movement

Instagram’s #Fitspiration tag is used to display photographs of slim and toned body types (The Emotions Matter 2018). While the goal of this tag is to motivate you to become healthier and more beautiful, research on the #Fitspiration tag on Instagram suggests that these disagreeable physical traits have a detrimental impact on body image (Prichard et al. 2020; Devereaux & McGrew 2021).

Image: The Irish Times 2017

The Healthy Eating Movement has also gained popularity on Instagram. While this may appear to be well-intentioned on the surface, it might have a severe impact on ones’ physical health (The Emotions Matter 2018). Some influencers may not present scientific evidence when encouraging their followers to avoid certain food groups or follow a specific diet in order to reach ideal bodies. Thereby, their followers may develop ignorant and unhealthy dietary habits.

Social media and eating disorders

The number of teens hospitalized for eating disorders has risen dramatically, with health professionals identifying increasing time spent on social media as a contributing reason (Wilksch et al. 2020). Much digital content about dieting and what it means to be physically fit exacerbates users’ concerns and leads them down perilous roads. To take things a step further, many social media users have been steered to harmful eating disorder groups, areas of the Internet where people actively promote and humiliate one another about unhealthy weight loss.

YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and others have come under fire in recent years for neglecting to address eating disorder-specific content and search phrases on their platforms. On Twitter, Discord, and Snapchat, for example, there are communities of eating disorder enthusiasts (Lai 2022).

Image: The City Journal 2020

While social media platforms are not completely responsible for the spread of eating disorders, they do play a role in amplifying their impact. Young people are increasingly turning to the Internet for solutions and following misleading or even deadly advice from influencers and peers. Platforms rely on machine learning algorithms to filter material based on user preferences and to discover new audiences for various types of information, with the goal of increasing ad revenue. For users who already struggle with body image, looking for a video on healthy or fitness recipes can help to populate their feed with similar videos. Individuals who continue to consume similar content may easily be directed to material that obviously promotes an eating disorder. Such repeated exposure has the potential to cause or intensify the user’s disordered eating practices (Lai 2022).

To summarize, social media platforms can have a detrimental effect on users’ body image and lifestyles as a result of their inclination to emulate and glorify ideal models and unrealistic appearance standards. Additionally, the fitness or healthy eating movement pushed on these platforms may provide a number of hazards, including possible exposure to unhealthy habits or detrimental effects on people’s self-esteem. Use of social media on a regular basis, as well as frequent exposure to content about appearance or fitness, can result in a self-destructive lifestyle or eating disorders. This is a very serious issue that requires rapid attention. To avoid being negatively affected in this way, social media users should exercise caution and create healthy social networking habits, as well as take steps to maintain their physical and mental well-being.

Reference List

Aparicio-Martinez P, Perea-Moreno AJ, Martinez-Jimenez MP, Redel-Macías MD, Pagliari C, Vaquero-Abellan M 2019, ‘Social Media, Thin-Ideal, Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes: An Exploratory Analysis’, in Int J Environ Res Public Health, vol. 16 (21): 4177, published 29th October.

Devereaux, C & McGrew, G 2021, ‘The Effects of Instagram’s Fitspiration on the Health and Well-Being of Women’, in Inquiry Journal, The University of New Hampshire, view 10th March 2022, <https://www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal/spring-2021/effects-instagram%E2%80%99s-fitspiration-health-and-well-being-women>.

Fleps, B 2021, ‘Social media effects on body image and eating disorders’, in Illinois State University News, 21st April, view 10th March 2022, <https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2021/04/social-media-effects-on-body-image-and-eating-disorders/>.

Lai, S 2022, ‘How do we solve social media’s eating disorder problem?’, in Brookings, 24th February, view 10th March 2022, <https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2022/02/24/how-do-we-solve-social-medias-eating-disorder-problem/>.

Meghan 2020, ‘Body Image and Social Media Questionnaire’, in Florida House Experience, 30th November, view 10th March 2022, <https://fherehab.com/news/bodypositive/>.

Morris, AM &Katzman, DK, ‘The impact of the media on eating disorders in children and adolescents’, in Paediatr Child Health, May-June, vol. 8 (5), pp. 287–289.

Prichard, I, Kavanagh, E, Mulgrew, KE, Lim, MSC & Tiggemann, M 2020, ‘The effect of Instagram #fitspiration images on young women's mood, body image, and exercise behaviour’, Body Image, June, 33:1-6.

The Emotions Matter 2018, ‘How does social media influence body image?’, in EmotionMattersUK, 4th October, view 10th March 2022, <https://emotionmatters.co.uk/2018/10/04/how-does-social-media-influence-body-image/>.

‘The impact of social media on eating disorders’ [image], in The City Journal 2020, The impact of social media on eating disorders, The City Journal, view 10th March 2022, <http://thecityjournal.net/data-journalism-2021/the-impact-of-social-media-on-eating-disorders/>.

‘Those ‘fitspiration’ photos make me feel inadequate’ [image], in The Irish Times 2017, Those ‘fitspiration’ photos make me feel inadequate, The Irish Times, view 10th March 2022, <https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/those-fitspiration-photos-make-me-feel-inadequate-1.3053844>.

Wilksch, SM, O'Shea, A, Ho, P & Wade, TD 2020, ‘The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents’, in International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 53 (1), pp. 96-106.

[for-study-purposes]

How does Tumblr Function as a Digital Community?

Tumblr is a social networking platform for multimedia microblogging launched in 2007 by David Karp. Users can use the service to publish multimedia and other types of content to a short-form blog. Tumblr enabled users to simply and quickly disseminate and recontextualize a wide variety of material types, including short and long format text, image-based memes, GIF animations, audio, videos and so on. 

Tumblr allows users to fully customize the style of their blog, unlike other social media of the time. Tumblr users prefer image-based communication and act more as content curators by sharing both original and reblogged content (Cho 2015). In this regard, Tumblr may be characterized as a platform that places a premium on aesthetics and reflects the company’s original positioning as a creative community (McCracken 2020). Tumblr’s magic is that it allows users to put anything in and get it out in whatever way they want (Davis n.d.). Notably, Tumblr did not impose any limits on adult content in its early years, regardless of whether or not the content contained explicit language or pornographic elements. This combination of multimedia versatility, aesthetic emphasis, and laid-back content distinguished it from other popular platforms at the time, such as Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress (McCracken et al. 2020, p. 5). As a result, users on Tumblr have a higher sense of control, autonomy and freedom when it comes to generating content.

Image: PCMag 2021

Tumblr functions as a digital community

Tumblr’s outstanding and distinctive features have contributed to making this platform become a digital community. A digital community, also known as a virtual community, is an aggregation of individuals who engage around a common interest, where the interaction is enabled or mediated in part by technology, and is governed by some protocols or standards (Porter 2006). Tumblr’s goal, like that of other social media platforms, is to bring people together who share common interests. Tumblr stands out since it acts as a platform in which participants actively contribute ideas and help one another overcome feelings of marginalization by giving emotional support and sociability in an anonymous online space (Keller 2019). How is Tumblr able to do so? Let’s look at the features that contribute to Tumblr’s ability to create a digital community.

Hashtags

Hashtags play a critical role as early collective tools. Rather than using hashtags in the way that traditional indexers do, users utilize hashtags to communicate activity across many of the communal Tumblr networks (McCracken et al. 2020, p. 8). Users can use # to search for posts on topics of interest or to target specific groups of audience. Communities with similar concerns can thus collaborate more easily to share ideas, join collective initiatives, and strengthen their voices.

Reblogging

Reblogging is a unique feature of Tumblr culture, any user can repost anything from another Tumblr and add their own comments. As the message goes through the network’s feed, all of these likes, responses, and comments collect as notes added to the original post (Reeve 2016). This system places a premium on fluid collaborative authorship and various creative communities over individual uniqueness and intellectual property ownership. Tumblr’s reblogging convention ensures that each piece of content has a single creator. Once published, a creative work might spread through many user groups and communities via reblogs, expressing a sense of widespread community and mutual support. Thus, the digital community is sustained through its members’ interactions, which contribute to its growth and continuity.

High anonymity

Image: Unwrapping Tumblr 2013

It can be difficult to determine the identity of people on Tumblr because users are not required to show their real name unless they choose to. Tumblr does not necessitate users to input personal information that can identify them. The anonymity is one of the reasons people come to Tumblr to search for and express their opinions on sensitive and debatable topics (Byron et al. 2019).

Democracy and Inclusivity

Tumblr’s Dashboards were sorted in reverse chronological order rather than based on an algorithmic hierarchy. This has a democratizing effect since posts with a high number of notes or even promoted posts appear to have the same weight as posts with a few notes. Because of Tumblr’s feed structure and pseudonym, individual users’ voices are not automatically marginalized or rejected as less popular or radical. Others are unable to view the user’s identity or list of followers. Therefore, Tumblr rarely mirrors real-world cultural structures or power brokers (McCracken et al. 2020, p. 7).

Image: The Mary Sue 2021

The platform’s opacity, combined with Tumblr’s liberal and progressive branding and reliance on pseudonyms, aided the emergence of counterpublics on the platform, groups that are frequently marginalized in the public sphere or ideologically oppose it. Tumblr has became the home and hub for many socially and politically disenfranchised individuals (McCracken et al. 2020, p. 3). This demonstrates how Tumblr has helped underprivileged groups discover their community and thrive in a “secure and anonymous” cyberspace by providing democracy, inclusivity and a sense of belonging (Keller 2019).

Activism

Image: Mashable 2018

Tumblr facilitated a transition from reality to virtuality, not as an escapism through an unrestricted social medium, but as an easily accessible distinction between social identities in the interest of activists (Keller 2019). Because of its inclusivity, Tumblr became a platform for the development of Black feminist theory, LGBTQ+/nonbinary identity formation, disability and chronic pain communities, critical media culture, along with alternative body erotica and pornography during the course of its first decade (McCracken et al. 2020). The increased demand for social justice in the 2010s, particularly among youth, led The New York Times to declare in 2014 that the platform’s youth subcultures had heralded the beginning of the age of Tumblr activism (Safronova 2014).

Overall, Tumblr is more than just a blogging site; it also serves as a digital community where users can communicate using network-specific features.

Reference List

‘Anonymous Icon Avatar’ [image], in Unwrapping Tumblr 2013, Anonymous Icon Avata, Unwrapping Tumblr, 1st August, viewed 10th February 2022, <https://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/57117302957/anonymous-icon-avatar-roy-orbison>.

Barton, J 2020, ‘Screaming into the Void: Reconceptualizing Privacy, the Personal, and the Public through the Perspectives of Young Tumblr Users’, in A McCracken, A Cho, S Louisa & IN Hoch (eds), a tumblr book: platform and cultures, University of Michigan Press, pp. 112-113.

Byron, P, Robards, R, Hanckel, B, Vivienne, S & Churchill, B 2019, ‘“Hey, I’m Having These Experiences”: Tumblr Use and Young People’s Queer (Dis)connections’, in International Journal of Communication, pp. 2239-2259.

Cho, A 2015, ‘Queer reverb: Tumblr, affect, time’, in K. Hillis, S.  Paasonen,  &  M.  Petit  (ed.),  Networked  Affect, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Davis, S n.d., ‘So What Do You Do, David Karp, Founder of Tumblr?’, in Media Bistro, viewed 10th February 2022, <https://www.mediabistro.com/interviews/so-what-do-you-do-david-karp-founder-of-tumblr/>.

‘How to Deal With the Spike of Disingenuous Inclusivity This Pride Month’ [image], in The Mary Sue 2021, How to Deal With the Spike of Disingenuous Inclusivity This Pride Month, The Mary Sue, 5th May, viewed 10th February 2022, <https://www.themarysue.com/disingenuous-inclusivity-pride/>.

Keller, J 2019, ‘“Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, in Social Media + Society, July-September, pp. 1-11.

McCracken, A 2020, ‘Going Down the Rabbit Hole: An Interview with Amanda Brennan, Head of Content Insights and Social, Tumblr’, in A McCracken, A Cho, S Louisa & IN Hoch (eds), a tumblr book: platform and cultures, University of Michigan Press.

McCracken, A, Cho, A Louisa, S & Hoch, IN 2020, ‘You Must Be New Here: An Introduction’, in a tumblr book: platform and cultures, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press.

Porter, CE 2006, ‘A Typology of Virtual Communities: A Multi-Disciplinary Foundation for Future Research’, in Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 10 (1).

Reeve, E 2016, ‘The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens’, in New Republic, viewed 10th February 2022, <https://newrepublic.com/article/129002/secret-lives-tumblr-teens>.

Safronova, V 2014, ‘Millennials and the Age of Tumblr Activism’, in New York Times, 19th December, viewed 10th February 2022,<https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/style/millennials-and-the-age-of-tumblr-activism.html>.

‘Tumblr Explains Why 'Sensitive Content' Is Being Hidden on iOS’ [image], in PCMag 2021, Tumblr Explains Why 'Sensitive Content' Is Being Hidden on iOS, PCMag, viewed 10th February 2022, <https://www.pcmag.com/news/tumblr-explains-why-sensitive-content-is-being-hidden-on-ios>.

‘Tumblr has a game plan for 2018: Keep handing the mic to activists’ [image], in Mashable 2018, Tumblr has a game plan for 2018: Keep handing the mic to activists, Mashable, 11th February, viewed 10th February 2022, <https://mashable.com/article/tumblr-activists-social-justice>.