Digital Communities @generatextrapolatexplore - Tumblr Blog

Having firsthand experience of the Internet world and China, things look as though there has been little change occurring since 2012. The latest happenings with media control looks to only include VPN’s and the western influence in universities. The new government leader appears to…

eatsleep-blogrepeat-blog-bl-blog

great read, I honestly didn’t know much about this topic until I read the journals. surprised the government can control such a large country. also interesting too the equivalent to our twitter, Facebook etc to compare how they keep connected.

generatextrapolatexplore

Interesting read, it's great to get a deeper understanding from someone with firsthand experience. Still boggles my mind

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(Image: Trinity News, 2013)

I must have been put into a bubble the last decade and a half to not know much about the Great Firewall of China. Maybe in passing conversation but I may have missed the key element of what is happening outside of Australia and how China’s government are…

explorelearnunderstand-blog

I felt the same when I started on the Week 11 Learning Materials, no idea how comprehensive the Great Firewall of China was! The graph you posted showing comparative usage of social media across the various platforms globally is very interesting. Although the original intention of the Chinese government was to control and censor information on the net, it seems it has inadvertently been a great economic decision to keep all their population using homegrown platforms!

generatextrapolatexplore

It seems it wasn't just me in the dark about the comprehensive nature of the Great Firewall of China. It truly fascinated me reading through week 11 materials, the ability that China has to overcome such obstacles is a testament to them. I too agree that the China government has inadvertedly created a monumental economic tool, great insight!

swindigicomms

Absolutely fascinating is the only way I can begin to describe the online gaming world. A world that I am a part of, but only on the fringes. Of all the topics we have studied in the last few months, this is the one I find the most mind-bending, interesting and disturbing. Disturbing because...

generatextrapolatexplore

A really interesting insight into a world that is foreign to me, it truly highlights the slurs and challenges presented in social gaming. I was completely unaware of the processes undergone to block a fellow gamer that inflicts any unwanted acts your way, thats comforting atleast. I was under the impression it was a longer process of contacting higher officials.

GamerGate can and should act as the tipping point: a reminder for gamers that if they want their beloved pastime to survive, they have to work to embrace diversity rather than violently eschew it.

An interesting read, obtained by my fellow peer. Cruel gaming world out there.

Blog Post 8- Global Social Media: Case Study China

After engaging with material regarding China and their social media use, I truly must be living under a rock or am simply oblivious to my surroundings to not have been informed about The Great Firewall.

I have learnt that not only are the digital citizens of China not permitted to access worldwide social media platforms such as Facebook for governing factors, but they themselves have developed their own copycat forms that are proving to be largely successful in their own nation. I most definitely agree with Chiu, Lin and Silverman’s claim that ‘Social media is exploding worldwide, and China is leading the way” (2013, p.1). I find it incredible that though they are denied access to the social media permeating the world, they have established successful copycat forms that have the potential to be monumental. It is clear from their population size and Internet habits, that the number of social media users in China truly has the potential to exceed other areas of the globe (The Great Firewall of China 2013).

With a recent study indicating that 95 percent of China’s population living in Tier 1,2 and 3 cities are all registered on a social-media site, it is no wonder this claim was stated (Chiu et al. 2012; Crampton 2011). Among other studies conducted, it is clear that China far exceeds other countries in their daily social media usage and thus it is essential that companies learn the rope of Chinese consumers social media use and subsequently capitalise on the marketing opportunities presented (Crampton 2011).

With all this being apparent, it displays the immense capability that the nation has in terms of expanding social media and overcoming communication obstacles, along with their enormous population. It is no doubt that china is leading the way.

Althought the governmental decision was intended for censorship purposes, it has inadvertently become a monumental economic tool.

References:

The Great Firewall of China 2013, Open Democracy viewed 1 February 2015, <https://www.opendemocracy.net/china-correspondent/great-firewall-of-china>.

Chiu, C, Lin, D & Silverman, A 2012, China's social-media boom, McKinsey & Company, viewed 1 Feburary 2015, <http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/chinas_social-media_boom>.

Crampton, T 2011, 'Social media in China: The same, but differen't, China Business Review, Vol. 38, no. 1, pp 28-31, viewed 1 Feburary 2015, <http://www.thomascrampton.com/china/social-media-china-business-review/>.

Blog Post 7- Social Gaming: Playing the Crowd

Social gaming is yet another communication platform utilized by many digital citizens. Much like the various other platforms, there are downfalls that come with the communication in the mystical realms of gaming. There are however, methods employed to combat such downfalls, those of which typically pertain to public breakdown around gender and racial slurs.

Seeing as social factors are the backbone of most social gaming, setting the games apart, social aspects are indeed an important factor to tend to, especially in times of discomfort and distress. In an article describing the antics of ‘Call of Duty’ players, it was stated that not only were cyberbullets exchanged during fights, many gamers also exchange hate speech, including racial and homophobic slurs which is partly fueled by the anonymity of cyberspace- emphasizing the need of intervention (Geraniois 2010).

The intervention methods employed, created by developers, intersect and overlap with socially created rules and cultural norms established within the gaming environment (de Zwart et al. 2014). Though, there are strict rules stating that ‘You may not abuse, harass or threaten another player’, the codes of conduct are typically breached for tactical purposes. Therefore, in an attempt to control and govern the gaming environment, in particular within the infamous new social game EVE, a Council of Stellar Management was established, whereby gamers can report any incidences to be dealt with (de Zwart et al. 2014). Though this is a rather effective intervention tool, the processes are slow, and the unrest continues.

Another negative aspect of social gaming, is the rise of addiction due to the computer and Internet being a staple of everyday life in this modern technological age. Along with alcohol and other substance addictions, Internet addiction has also been known to lead to negative consequences such as violent and erratic behavior and the failing of schooling (Wiemer-Hastings et al. 2005). Further research has been conducted into online gaming and its relationship with personality factors, concluding that five main traits were associated; neuroticism, sensation seeking, trait anxiety, state anxiety, and aggression (Mehrood et al. 2010).

I myself, simply can not fathom the craze of social gaming and how it can quite literally takeover peoples lives, but I’m not ignorant and obviously understand the fixation on things that you enjoy, just not to the point of self-destruction.

References:

de Zwart, M & Humphreys, S 2014,' The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space: Code as Law in EVE Online', Cultural Studies Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 77-99.

Geraniois, N 2010, ‘Hate Speech Corrodes Online Games’, Technology & Science, vol. 1, pp. 1-2.

Mehroof, M, & Griffiths, M 2010, ‘Online Gaming Addiction: The Role of Sensation Seeking, Self-Control, Neuroticism, Agression, State Anxiety, and Trait Anxiety, Cyberpsychology, Bheavior and Social Networking, vol.13, Issue 3, pp. 313-316.

Wiemer-Hastings, P, & Brian, M 2005, ‘Addiction to the Internet and Online Gaming’, Cyberpsychology & Behavior, vol.8, Issue 2, pp. 110-113.

Blog Post 6- Visual Communities and Social Imaging

Now, this is most definitely a topic that this generation can relate to, with the likes of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and other social media platforms gracing our Internet, its almost impossible to escape. These forms of visual communities and social imaging provide new forms of networked publics and with this, networked visuality.

These visual communities provide limitless platforms for a variety of communication purposes, among these are marketing strategies. In my experience, Instagram has been the marketing platform used by most companies to promote, engage and create awareness, and why not, they’d be crazy not to, what with over 80 million users worldwide and all. A simple video upload or image post promotes customer engagement at a low cost, reaching wider audiences, driving sales and aids in distinguishing a business from its competitors, whilst simultaneously establishing connections by treating consumers as individuals (Rohrs 2014). Again, like I said, crazy not to utilize this resource.

In regards to snapchat, this visual community distinguishes itself from other platforms by employing a refusal of image permanence. The nature of this visual community and its fleeting images provides not only a communication channel but a chance to overcome self-consciousness that many people feel as a result of the unrealistic body image and beauty expectations enforced by society. Along with this, another benefit is the overcoming of the discomfort that many may feel regarding personal images being stored or shared without knowledge or consent (Herman 2014). The fleeting image provides avenues of humor and a form of interconnectedness that no other app or social media provide, thus its appeal.

Drawing off these points, it would be rather illogical not to mention the selfie phenomenon that has swept up society, with people of all social classes embracing it wholeheartedly. The arms-length photo self-portrait has made its way into visual communities in a variety of ways, whether it be celebrity promotion, trolling, or marketing efforts. If you’re not aware of this phenomenon, you must truly live under a rock, it is honestly everywhere, painfully so.

As mentioned in previous posts, social media, in particular visual communities, have their downsides, trolling and cyberbullying do come into play, even privacy issues may arise- bar Snapchat of course. Tagging has proved to be the main cause of such privacy anxiety. I recall a time before the option to approve tagging on Facebook existed, it was a time of anxiety for most seeing as it was my and my peers teenage years. This also corresponds with the self-conscious nature of society due to unrealistic notions of beauty and body image. Not even just that, my parents and extended family would then have access to my private life and thus ask endless questions and lead to being subject to ridicule and punishment depending on what was seen.

In saying this, though visual communities have their downfalls they also have significant positive impacts as they also assist in facilitating protest movements, acts of activism and even crowdsourcing at times. It’s not all bad, its actually rather beneficial.

References:

Herrman, J 2014, ‘Meet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’, BuzzFeed, 28 January, viewed 20 January 2015, <http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch#3dlvjg2>.

Rohrs, J 2014, ‘Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans and Followers’,John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New Jersey.

Blog Post 5- Crowdsourcing in Time of Crisis

Crowdsourcing is broadly defined as the practice of attaining required services or content by requesting contributions from the public, mainly those of the online community. Though this concept was originally formulated for marketing and commercial purposes, it has also been a significant tool in reaching out in times of crisis.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube play a significant role in crisis communication, due to the fact that during a crisis, communication systems often breakdown, leaving the inexpensive and highly effective social media platforms. A prime example of this was the South East Queensland floods and the role Twitter played in disseminating crisis information (Bruns et al. 2012). The information disseminated was timely and precise, providing not only updates, but organizing action.

Another example of crowdsourcing that not only disseminated information but requested data in return, was the hunt for Boston Marathon Bomber suspects in 2013 via the means of the police department spokesperson calling for images taken at the time of the bombing and any other useful information using Twitter. Though it was not necessarily a crisis, rather an attempt to catch criminals, the foundations are still the same, as are the mediums used to share information (Swinburne Online 2015)

The rising value of amateur video footage and photography has contributed largely to public knowledge, response and recovery, with social media providing platforms for the public to assist in crisis situations by posting and uploading relevant data (Ford 2012). There are various tools apparent that make it possible for the public to disseminate and post information that is publicly accessible. The most infamous tool being Ushahidi, developed during the civil conflict in Kenya. The only real issue and potential problem that this concept of information gather poses is the challenges associated with misinformation, which as Ford states, ‘can be just as damaging to no information at all’ (2012).

In terms of Australia’s future in crowdsourcing, there has been potential use in recent disasters such as the 2011 Queensland Floods and the 2009 Saturday Bushfires. Though this might be so, Australia has been slow in adopting and generating strategies that capatilise on crowdsourced information. Ping Lo stated that when a crisis occurs in Australia, phone lines of significant media stations are in meltdown and thus the loss of potential crowdsourcing occurs. It is therefore essential to develop effective means of communication in anticipation of any upcoming emergencies (Posetti et al. 2012).

Understandably, there are challenges that present themselves in crisis communication, it is therefore simple to deduce the monumental impact that crowdsourcing and the mediums used to do so, have on the overall effectiveness of communication.

References:

Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, #qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods, Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, pp 7-10, viewed 17 September 2014, <http://www.cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf>.

Ford, H 2012, 'Crowd Wisdom', Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39.

Postetti, J & Lo, P 2012, The Twitterisation of ABCs Emergency & Disaster Communication, Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 34-39.

Swinburne Online 2015, ‘Week 8: Crowdsouring in Time of Crisis, MDA20009 Digital Communications, learning materials on Blackboard, Swinburne Online, July, viewed 25 December 2014.

Ushahidi 2014, viewed 27 December 2014, <http://www.ushahidi.com/>.

#crowdsourcing

Bullying statistics show that cyber bullying is a serious problem among teens. By being more aware of cyber bullying, teens and adults can help to fight it.

Though social media is not the sole reasoning behind the dynamics of teen bullying, it is still intriguing to read up on the statistics of cyberbullying. I can't imagine how many new platforms there will be once my children experience their teen years.

#cyberbullying

Blog Post 4- Digital Citizenship: Trolling and Social Media Conflict

Trolling and social media conflict gives a broader meaning to digital citizenship, in the sense that it takes on a broader set of behaviors and norms in society, and even within social institutions such as schools. Hence, the reasoning behind the governance of the Internet- social networking sites in particular.

The raising and continuing debate surrounding cyber bullying and drama, especially within the younger generations, argues that the rise of social networking and digital citizenship has facilitated bullying practices. Though this may hold some truth, I agree with Boyd’s analysis, whereby it is stated that though social media provides “new forms of drama, teens behaviors have not significantly changed’ nor have the dynamics of bullying significantly altered, social media merely provides visibility of these dynamics (Boyd 2014). Instead of placing blame on social media, society should use the visibility to assist youth by creating useful interventions.

My opinions regarding the current governance of online behavior and social media practice are mainly that the approaches are ineffective and sometimes counteractive. Many schools are approaching cyber bullying from a punish-oriented perspective, as they are legally required to do so, this is my opinion is ineffective. The fundamental issue with this approach is that many situations are circumstantial and should be dealt with case by case, also the fact that there is a significant generational gap between the enforcers of the policies and the youth does not help the situation. The generational gap signifies the misunderstanding or lack of knowledge that parents or policy enforcers have in regards to a childhood mediated through online interactions, hence the need for further analysis.

In other instances of trolling and bullying such as racism, is in my belief that a ground-up approach should be taken in order to combat or identify successful interventions (Boyd 2014; Gil 2014). This entails the simple act of uploading a video displaying a real life situation where racism has occurred, thus providing a platform for thousands of people to view the content and become aware of the reality, as well as providing the opportunity for those to publicly speak up about the issue (Checkpoint Media 2012). This crosses over perfectly with last week’s topic of activism and the essential opportunities that social media platforms provide in order to raise awareness and support.

In regards to other forms of trolling, those with harmless intent, the effects are not entirely negative, rather generating humorous banter amongst friends. Though, this is a subjective outlook, and thus reiterates my point about the need for case by case analysis, as people, especially youth, have differing views and definitions of bullying.

References:

Boyd, D 2014, 'Bullying: Is the Media Amplifying Meanness and Cruelty?', It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, Yale University Press, New Haven, USA, pp 128-52.

Gil, P 2014, ‘What is an internet troll? How should I deal with trolls?, About tech, June, viewed 27 December 2014, <http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/weirdwebculture/f/what-is-an-internet-troll.htm>

#trolling

Last Thursday Israel rounded up 25 Palestinian activists because of their social media postings on Facebook, and it didn't warrant a blurp in the mainstream press. The activists were hauled off af...

An interesting article entailing the negative consequences of supporting a good cause through activism

#palestine

#activismsocialmediaplatforms

the-real-eye-to-see

Everyone is trying to look innocent in our country.

generatextrapolatexplore

A prime example of how digital citizenship facilitates activism and protesting efforts that permeate social media. A political post regarding the Ferguson conflict.

#ferguson

Blog Post 3- Digital Citizenship: Activism and Protest

The benefits and platforms that digitalcitizenship provides are truly astounding, it gives way to a multitude of opportunities that would otherwise be significantly harder to achieve or nonexistent. A perfect example of such opportunities and platforms it provides is the activism and protesting that is disseminated, encouraged and supported through social media. This growing media tool is significantly beneficial due to its inexpensive nature and potential reach (Lievrouw 2011).

An ideal instance that displays activism via this new platform is the KONY campaigns, an activist campaign created by Save the Children Foundation that was disseminated into the public in 2012 via social media platforms with the main objective being to make Joseph Kony, the Ugandan warlord famous, and thus have him arrested (Shirky 2008). As I am sure you are all aware, the KONY campaign was spread professionally through social media platforms via a video, it was largely successful in reaching a vast population base and empowering them, however the actual objective of the campaign was not met, the warlord was not arrested. I myself, like many other digital citizens engaged in this campaign by clicking like, commenting or sharing.

This brings me to my next argument regarding clicktivism, a notion that represents easy activism that has no real lasting effect on the intended cause. I feel that I, among many others were regarded as clicktivists in the KONY campaign, as our intentions were indeed good, but we contributed merely by clicking a button, nothing else but a superficial, minimal effort (Gladwell, 2010). Thus, I do indeed agree that the negative connotations regarding clicktivism are justified, though activism through social media has enormous reach it also ignores the deeper meaning and objectives behind the campaigns, and thus render them virtually useless (Anderson 2011). Another example that truly represents this is the ‘No Makeup Selfie’ used to raise support and funding for Breast Cancer, along with the ‘Ice Bucket challenge’, where majority of the participants merely assisted in awareness for socially constructed reasoning rather than funding the important cause.

Another intriguing topic is the idea of culture jamming and where rules and regulations leave culture jammers; are they defined as vandals or activists? Culture jamming is a type of resistance to the hegemonic views of popular culture and is defined by the act of using existing media to comment or critique on these views (Dery, 2010; Marshall 2004). To consider culture jammers as vandals is a rather far stretch in my opinion, as they are merely not adhering to the rules and regulations imposed on social media platforms- majority of the time, for a good cause- to increase awareness. The future in social media regarding activism has significant potential, the social media companies merely need to reconsider their terms and conditions so as to aid and cater to a larger public, thus facilitating these activists. An example of policy change in light of an activist agenda is found in a YouTube video that was taken down due to the graphic images and violence prohibited on the platform (Youmann 2012; Melber 2011). The video was a display of the Arab Spring uprisings in Syria, and though graphic, it was uploaded to increase awareness as there was an absence of professional journalists covering the events. Subsequently after Youtube was alerted, a clause in their community guidelines was produced stating that exceptions are made for videos that are educational, documentary or of scientific nature (Plesser 2011). A positive change for the platform in regards to activism.

References:

Dery, M 2010, Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing, and Sniping in the Empire of Signs, Shovelware, viewed 29 November 2014, <http://markdery.com/?page_id=154>.

Lievrouw, L 2011, Alternative & Activist New Media, Polity, Cambridge, U.K, p. 2.

Melber, A 2011, ‘YouTube reinstates blocked video of child allegedly tortured in Syria’, The Nation <http://www.thenation.com/blog/161050/youtubereinstates-blocked-video-child-allegedly-tortured-syria>.

Plesser, A 2011, ‘YouTube is managing graphic, violent videos from the Middle East with community help’, Business Insider, <http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-05-06/entertainment/30063062_1_videos-youtube-beettv>.

Youmans, W, & York, J 2012, 'Social Media and the Activist Toolkit: User Agreements, Corporate Interests, and the Information Infrastructure of Modern Social Movements', Journal Of Communication, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 315-329.

srid23-blog

As we grow ever more into an age of Digital Media, the symbols above are all we seem to see. Tell me, do you like the direction in which the world journeys to? Or would a thumbs up by your own hand lead to a better place.

thesocialworldthrougmyeyes-deac

Why must social media rule our lives? Why is it that everything in this thumbs up makes a person truly happy now and feel more connected than in the earlier years.

technicallyfreetimetravel-deact

Why must social media rule our lives? Is it because we know no other way?

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