ojovivo
will byers stan first human second
izzy's playlists!
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Cosimo Galluzzi
🪼
KIROKAZE
Today's Document
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Jules of Nature
styofa doing anything
Sweet Seals For You, Always
we're not kids anymore.
JBB: An Artblog!
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Misplaced Lens Cap
taylor price
almost home
Game of Thrones Daily
pixel skylines
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Czechia
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from Honduras
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Singapore
seen from Türkiye
seen from Türkiye
seen from Vietnam
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
@hope-erinn
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed the process behind this assignment. I loved creating content which is instructive and engaging, as well as communicating with my peers to have in depth exchange of ideas. I hope you all enjoyed :))
PS. this might not be my last post, I may make a return, however it is now time to say goodbye to this assignment and hello to my essay :)
Image Source - https://gph.is/1agiEMa
(also signing off with my favourite fandom of all time )
How online ‘trolling’, ‘flaming’ and ‘gaslighting’ makes me feel
#ragingpotter
Trolling in a different sense
This type of interaction can be described as ‘kudos trolling’; meaning that the trolling is fun, humorous and elicits a clever witty response. This is the type of trolling which I think is very appropriate and amazing to see, complimenting our meme central social media environment very well. Spread humour not hate :)
Trolls aren’t just the stuff of fairy tales – Week 11
As smart phones, tablets and laptops advance in technology, they integrate services that allow users to perform more tasks than ever before, all with a singular device: receiving news, getting directions, paying for food, the list goes on. This has benefited society, making many services more accessible and turning the world into a place that is functioning and “on” 24/7. With this, bullying and violence have also been adopted into the cyber space. As Ostini and Hopkins put it, “power and control extend beyond the physical world to the online world and frequently produce real world effects” (2015).
There are so many facets to the negative dialogue and conflicting relationships on social media. It’s possible that anonymity, or simply just not having to physically speak to someone’s face, gives people a sort of self-appointed entitlement to say whatever they want. This often occurs in high school whereby teenagers put embarrassing information on social media to humiliate their peers or say mean things about someone (boyd 2014, p. 129). Gossip’s glamorisation in traditional media such as TV shows, movies and magazines may have certain connotations of being “cool” when being mean. Social media allows people to be anyone they want to be, including multiple people on multiple different accounts, which creates a certain degree of exciting attraction to actions like catfishing and trolling.
But situations of conflict can escalate way further than simple hate messages. Because everything is so accessible on our technological devices, it is easy to gain access to other’s personal information that goes beyond cyber bullying , going to extreme lengths such as stealing money and stalking.
Despite how accessible it is to start conflict on social media, it’s extremely hard to end and that’s where the a lot of these issues lie. Social media platforms don’t want to get involved in disputes and recommend blocking accounts and contacting law enforcement, but contacting police can lead to more abuse and the legal system is still fully catching up to the rapidly developing online world (Laville, Wong & Hunt 2016).
Navigating the world of social media conflict is difficult because every situation is difficult, and it’s easy to hide and provide false information. But it’s important that society recognises that trolls aren’t just the stuff of fairy tales, they can ruin real people’s lives in real ways that have lasting impacts.
^ not the kind of trolls I’m talking about
References:
boyd, d 2014, it’s complicated, Yale University Press, New Haven & London.
Laville, S, Wong, J.C & Hunt, E 2016, ‘The women abandoned to their online abusers’, The Guardian, 11 April, viewed 13 April 2020, <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/11/women-online-abuse-threat-racist>.
Ostini, J & Hopkins, S 2015, ‘Online harassment is a form of violence’, The Conversation, 8 April, viewed 13 April 2020, <https://theconversation.com/online-harassment-is-a-form-of-violence-38846>.
I really love your post :) you make great points when discussing why trolls engage negatively and spread hate. The anonymity aspect is certainly working in their favour, for they don’t receive any personal response back, as well as there anonymity shielding them, and empowering them to say and do whatever they please. This lack of guilt and willpower to stop spreading hate makes trolling so intense, obscene, abusive and chaotic.
I really enjoyed your post, you got me thinking about trolling in an entirely different manner than I wrote about in my own post. Good Job
Digital Communities and trolls: Understanding social media conflict
Week 11
Over time, the term ‘trolling’ and ‘trolls’, has observed many changes in definition and understanding. Over 18 years ago, the term trolling was coined as the catch all definition for anti-social behaviour on social media, however nowadays trolling is instead understood and defined as malicious abuse, with the intent to harm and or abuse the individual (March 2019).
Image Source - https://gph.is/1fWUUyL
In my experience on social media, trolling has been fairly prominent, though luckily not with me as the victim, instead finding myself observing the online abusive commentary. The comments section of Youtube, or even political pages on Facebook, can only be described as “like entering a literal match of words” (Hanson 2018). This goes much beyond general heated discussion, like what you find on twitter #auspol, but instead is filled with vitriol and intent to harm.
Trolling is a complex concept, with the definition and true meaning, becoming subject to “major discrepancies ranging from researcher to researcher”, as well as confused and varied definitions understood by the public (March 2019). To uncover the true meaning of trolling, a second piece of terminology is essential, “flaming”. Flaming is described as online behaviour with hostile intentions, including use of profanity, obscenity and insults which intend to inflict harm. Whereas, trolling in actuality has much more subtle implications, described as the act of posting inflammatory and digressive off topic messages, often with the goal of insult and most importantly chaos.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/joker-film-batman-F9yAvk7Xpr0c
Looking at these definitions, you can see quite clearly the difference, where flaming is extreme, offensive, obscene and quite frankly disgustingly abusive, whereas, trolling is more toned down, aiming to create chaos, through the means of inflammatory or humorous commentary. It’s not to say that trolling is acceptable or should encouraged, though its important to learn the overarching fundamental differences of social media terminology. It is interesting that the definitions have had such major shifts in meaning over the course of the social media landscape and time.
A term closely associated with flaming, is gaslighting; how appropriate that they both make reference to fire. Gaslighting is a technique of abuse, with the goal of total psychological manipulation. Gaslighting is a “new term, for a relatively old set of behaviours”, which have unfortunately or fortunatly had a major resurgence recently; meaning that there is either more frequent uses of this technique, or perhaps more positively, that there is a greater increase in awareness surrounding this form of abuse.
Gaslighting is more often than not synomous with obtaining power and control that can be held over women. This includes the demeaning and offensive stereotypes such as ‘bitches be crazy’, ‘pyshco bitch’, and many others. All of these strategies are used to belittle and demean through a manipulation of a woman’s psyche. Examples of gaslighting are very clear and present in today’s society, especially in any comment section online, as well as within national leadership (cough cough Trump), but there are also ancient examples. An Ancient Greek example is the story of Cassandra in mythology. Cassandra was cursed to foresee true prophecies that others would never believe. She was cursed for refusing Apollos advances, and as a result received a lifetime of gaslighting, doomed to have her mental stability slowly eroded (Gleeson 2018).
Image Source - https://gph.is/XMfetr
Whilst this ancient example, might seem like fantasy and perhaps far-fetched, very similar behaviours have been observed throughout the #MeToo movement, where women were continually dismissed and demeaned. They were questioned and told that they must have ‘misread the situation’ or even ‘imagined the abuse’, this is the text book definition of gaslighting, isolating the victim, and making them questioning their own sanity (Gleeson 2018). Gaslighting is very applicable to how women are received online today. Women are often labelled ‘villains’ by their male viewers, in order for them to gain the green light, a sense of justification for their continued harassment, abuse and adoption of ‘online misogyny’. (Marwick et al.)
Image Source - https://gph.is/2ecFHRl
Personally, I believe that the online and digital sphere would be a vastly more effective and positive space, if there was a greater level of censorship and monitoring of ‘flame-like’ behaviours which more often than not females become the victims off. It’s also interesting to see how the term trolling, continued to develop and morph into a new piece of social media terminology over the last 20 years.
References
Alice E. Marwick & Robyn Caplan, 'Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment' Feminist Media Studies Volume 18, 2018 - Issue 4: Pages 543-559
Gleeson, J 2018, ‘Explainer: what does ‘gaslighting’ mean?’, TheConversation, 6 December, viewed 29 May,< https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-gaslighting-mean-107888>
Hanson, J 2018, ‘Trolls and their impact on Social Media’, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, viewed 29 May, <https://unlcms.unl.edu/engineering/james-hanson/trolls-and-their-impact-social-media>
March, E 2019, ‘Online trolling used to be funny, but now the term refers to something far more sinister’, TheConversation, 4 February, viewed 29 May, <https://theconversation.com/online-trolling-used-to-be-funny-but-now-the-term-refers-to-something-far-more-sinister-110272>
Week 10: Gaming Communities, Social Gaming and Live Streaming
Everyone has had some experience with a game- mobile, console or board game. The games industry generated $134.9 billion (USD) in 2018 alone (newzoo, 2018). It has formed gaming communities around the world for those who enjoy games and want to interact in other ways. Sites like Twitch and Youtube allow for gamers to stream and upload content of their games while discord allows for chatting and social interaction of games.
There has been many explorations into what a “Gamer” is. The word is very broad as someone who plays angry birds religiously would not be compared to someone who plays Fortnite everyday. It can simply be described as someone who plays interactive games more likely video games for long periods of time. Some are competitive meaning they earn money for their gaming skills. It can be described as a hobby however it is also a profession for some such as the famous gamer PewDiePie. He is the second most subscribed YouTuber with 104 million subscribers (May 2020). He got his fame mainly from his video game videos. This further showing the strength of gaming communities.
However today I will be looking at 3 different games today and how they connect with social gaming.
Firstly, Pet Society was a game that could be played on early Facebook. If you had facebook in 2008-2011 I’m sure you are aware of this game! The aim of the game was to take care of your pet while also decorating your house and visiting friends. The game was one of the first popular online games to be featured on a social media. It was launched in 2008 and at it’s peak it had 50 million monthly players and as much as 5 million daily players (The Atlantic, 2013). Owners could buy their pets items or earn coins and it’s reported they made as much as $100,000 (USD) a day just by selling in game items. As other forms of gaming became more popular and it died out the game retired in 2013. These types of games are rarely found anymore- the type where you can interact with each other on a friend network while also on a social media. The social aspect of the game shows just how much gaming communities thrive even if it’s a social networking game. This game I believe paved the way for many other social networking games!
Now we should all know about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, possibly the most talked about game in this time of quarantine! I personally love this game because it’s so simple yet so fun. I love the idea of anthropomorphic animals and how you can do things like catch bugs and fish. This game overall is just very cute and Nintendo was extremely smart to release the game when they did, it allowed people to connect with their friends through visiting their “islands” and sending gifts. It’s a fun new way to feel connected. It similarly to pet society is a kind of social networking game however it also still has that “game” aspect to it. You can do things like complete your quest to renovate your island -it stretches more to than just a game with a chat room. I feel that animal crossing is one of a kind because it mixes social with fantasy gaming. The game is played at a relaxed pace, in which the player can do as much or as little as they want on any given day (New York Times, 2020). This overall has created content for many livestream gamers and has provided content for many in the gaming industry, it has a cult following and has created a new social network.
Last but not least -Habbo. Unlike Pet Society and Animal Crossing ,Habbo uses more human like traits for the avatars.The game is simple and was designed as a teen chat room. You look like a human and can buy furniture with real money and meet friends in different rooms. In 2012 over 273 million avatars had been reregistered (Sulake, 2012).The game however was met with controversy as it was being used by many pedofiles targeting young people. 90% of the users on Habbo are between 13-18 (Sulake 2012). Further enforcing critiques of the games chat freedom. In 2012 Channel 4 news launched a 2 month investigation into the game. A reporter posing as an 11-year-old girl claimed that explicit sex chats were common within minutes of logging on to the service (BBC,2012). It is very rare a game has to go into this “crisis mode” as games are normally well thought out and designed, however due to it’s clarity yet mystery of the game it allowed for this situation to occur. Habbo muted all chat basically suspending the whole purpose of the game. Virtual worlds and other online social spaces develop internal rules that govern how participants interact within the community (Fairfield, 2008a).
After this controversy the Habbo community hasn’t recovered. Up until isolation the games users have declined as much of the brands name has been tarnished. In comparison Club Penguin put safety at the top of its agenda by using filters that limit what can be discussed- unlike Habbo. (BBC,2012). In Habbo swear words are replaced by “Bobba” however many find ways around this. In recent years the site would hit less than 1 million unique visitors a month (Similar Web, 2020), due to COVID-19 many people have started using Habbo again as a social networking tool. It is also worth mentioning Habbo was available to play on facebook which helped them get get traffic- much like pet society.
All of these mix gaming with social media in one way or another which may attribute to their success. Unlike games such as GTA and Fornite which focus on a storyline or over arching goal. There is many different types of unique games out there but these are just some I had personal experience with over the years! Thanks for reading :)
Sources:
Editor, B., 2012. Habbo ‘Muted’ After Sex Claims. [online] BBC News. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18424400> [Accessed 20 May 2020].
2020. Habbo.Com Analytics. [online] Available at: <https://www.similarweb.com/website/habbo.com> [Accessed 20 May 2020].
Khan, I., 2020. Why Animal Crossing Is The Game For The Coronavirus Moment. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/arts/animal-crossing-covid-coronavirus-popularity-millennials.html> [Accessed 20 May 2020].
Maiberg, E., 2013. When A Cold-Hearted Corporation Takes Away Your Beloved (Virtual) Pet. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: <https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/when-a-cold-hearted-corporation-takes-away-your-beloved-virtual-pet/278588/> [Accessed 20 May 2020].
Newzoo. 2018. Newzoo’s Key Numbers | Games, Esports, Mobile. [online] Available at: <https://web.archive.org/web/20190509014637/https://newzoo.com/key-numbers/> [Accessed 20 May 2020].
Sivan, Y., 2013. Legal and Governance challenges. Virtual Worlds Research, Volume 6, Number 3 Legal and Governance Challenges.
Web.archive.org. 2012. Sulake :: Habbo Hotel - Where Else?. [online] Available at: <https://web.archive.org/web/20140719224200/http://www.sulake.com/habbo/> [Accessed 20 May 2020].
I love your section which talks about animal crossing. I wanted to play animal crossing sooo badly but unfortunately Nintendo switches went out of stock around Australia due to the pandemic. This alone shows the power that animal crossing has in terms of people craving connections and an aspect of positive interaction. I’ve seen those around me connecting and communicating through animal crossing, and it’s no nice to see such socialisation through technology in these socially deprived times.
You make such a good point when you say that animal crossing has that familiarity and social community aspect, contrasted with fantasy. I think that everyone enjoys a sense of disconnecting and role playing, and I think that is what makes animal crossing so successful. It is able to have these real and raw social interactions, yet still remain cute and somewhat anonymous through the creation of a fantasy character and island. Great post, can’t wait to see what you have to say next week 💫✨🌞
Hardcore gaming vs Mobile gaming
Gaming has experienced a major shift, where you have the two sides of the gaming community, the hardcore gamers who use pc and consoles, and those who are less serious who enjoy mobile gaming and hand held gaming devices. The world of mobile gaming is often stereotyped as feminine, and whilst this isn’t true, it isn’t solely inaccurate, for mobile gaming statistically resulted in many more females joining gaming culture. These two very distinct sides of the digital gaming community results in a complex and diverse group of people who enjoy and share the joys of the video games. 📱💻🎮✨💫
Gaming Communities: Social Gaming and Live Streaming
Week 10
Gaming has always been a part of my life, I wouldn’t consider myself a gamer by any means, but playing video games has been an interest of mine since my first Nintendo Gameboy in the noughties. This early indoctrination means that gaming has become a “familiar and resonant experience for me” (Taylor, 2018 p.2). Though recently the effect that video games has had on popular culture is more overt and noticeable than ever, with games like Pokémon Go and animal crossing, dominating the gaming sphere and social media culture, bringing a new “cultural legitimacy to the gaming industry” (Keogh 2016).
Image Source - https://gph.is/g/4L52KkR
The earliest incarnation of commercial video gaming emerged in 1967, called the “Brown Box” created by Ralph Baer, which allowed two users to control cubes, which chased each other across the screen; at this early stage, there was already a multiplayer aspect to gaming,. Fast forward to today in 2020, we see and massive variety of video gaming options, and a complex and establishing gaming culture, which is intertwined with popular culture, including live streaming to the masses though platforms such as twitch.
Demographics has always been a very important aspect to gaming, with your average gamer being envisioned as young, male and white. This perpetuated idea of white gamers is a direct result of the origins of gaming. Gaming consoles and gaming was limited to those who has the access and means, usually directly associated with economic and financial status, thus more often than not limited to the upper class; those who at the time were consequentially white. Though nowadays, the gaming community is diverse and complex, being inclusive to a variety of people from different religious backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, also accessible to those who have a disability.
However, with all good, there too is the bad, the negative and problematic side of gaming. Whilst inclusion and accessibility has improved massively over time, there are still very present and raw issues associated with representation within games.
Image Source - https://tenor.com/view/harry-potter-what-matters-the-part-we-choose-to-act-on-thats-who-we-really-are-gif-15432950
The gaming industry is very often “criticised for being misogynistic”, despite a large amount of the gaming community being made up of women (Sainsbury 2013). A high percentage of video gamers are women, with 40% of regular players being women, and yet women are often seeing the same repetitive and tired gendered tropes and archetypes, some of my favourites being, “the damsel in distress, the scantily clad adventurer, and the disempowered sex worker” (Hamilton 2019). Many of these same demeaning and repeated tropes are also a reality for people of colour as well, with much of black representation being either gang related or associated with villainy; these tropes are offensive and have detrimental effects on those who see themselves represented in distasteful ways.
Image Source - http://www.feedzig.com/top-seven-controversial-shows-mtv/
Another aspect of women’s portrayal in games, is they are more often than not “targets of violence, or victims” (Hamilton 2019). This glorification of grotesques violence against women, is problematic and quite frankly disgusting; a popular example of this is Grand Theft Auto, where you gain achievements and are rewarded for violently killing sex workers on the street.
I am not saying that violence doesn’t have its time of day in games, however the way in which it is portrayed is essential. For example, my favourite game at the moment, Assassins Creed Odyssey, of course has violence involved, being an assassin and all, however the violence isn’t gendered, obscenely gratuitous, or personal. In fact, Assassins Creed Odyssey includes an amazing platform that is inclusive, where you can play as a woman, man, and make decisions exactly the way you wish, you can even decide your sexual orientation. Though some claim this ‘inclusive revisionism’ to be false and forced, though I disagree. I believe that despite a lack of exact historical accuracy, the game is progressive and is a positive force, in a very male centric gaming industry.
Image Source - https://gph.is/2nANGsj
Another aspect of female representation is the unfair and unrealistic representation of the female body, where game developers “use provocative female characterisation to sell their games” (GameDesigning 2020). This is exampled by the evolution of Lara Croft’s character design over the years, coming far from your stereotypical portrayal of a barely dressed adventurer. The latest 3 part series of Tomb Raider games have revolutionised Lara Crofts portrayal, now we see a accurate female body, who actually looks like she could survive a trip to a jungle; This is also supported by Alicia Vikander’s portrayal in the latest movie, a portrayal which saw much negative attention her lack of curves, but instead tone and actual muscle (which lets be real, is what an actual female adventurer would look like). This hate that was received is just one example, of the ‘male gaze’ being shattered, instead men had to see what a real women looks like; such a refreshing portrayal to see on screen.
Image Source - https://gph.is/2eXQglp
I got a little carried away there, because the gaming community and industry is just an amazing reflection of society and todays culture. The gaming community is diverse and colourful, and I can’t wait to see more progress and development in terms of representation in the near future.
References
Chikhani, R 2015, ‘The History of Gaming: An Evolving Community’, techcrunch, 1 Novemebr, viewed 23 May, <https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/>
Game Designing, 2020, ‘How Gaming Culture Has Envolved’, GameDesigning, 5 April, viewed 23 May, <https://www.gamedesigning.org/gaming/culture/>
Hamilton, J 2019, ‘Female Representation in Video Games: How are we doing?’, gamasutra, 24 July, viewed 23 May, <https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoriHamilton/20190724/347246/Female_Representation_in_Video_Games_How_Are_We_Doing.php>
Keogh, B 2016, ‘You can’t ignore the cultural power of video games any longer’, ABC News, 6 April, viewed 23 May, <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-06/keogh-why-you-should-care-about-video-games/7303744>
Sainsbury, M 2013, ‘GTA V is realised, gets (rightfully) cristused for being misogynistic: fools throw tantrum’, DigitallyDownloaded, 17 September, viewed 23May, <http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2013/09/gta-v-is-released-gets-rightfully.html>
Taylor, TL 2018, ‘Broadcasting ourselves’, Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming, Princeton University Press, pp.1-23
Wunsch, S 2018, ‘How Lara Croft has evolved over the years’, dw, 15 March, viewed 23 May, <https://www.dw.com/en/how-lara-croft-has-evolved-over-the-years/a-42976395>
Online Activism through Social Media
Thanks to social media, practically everyone on the internet is able to have a voice and, if successful, create some sort of positive change. The features of social media platforms give users the opportunity to at the very least share their thoughts online with the world. If anyone feels it necessary to raise awareness on a certain topic or to try and make a difference by digitally informing people, then this is someone doing their part as a digital citizen. “Social media doesn’t just give you a voice to express your opinions”, it also empowers you to “share your beliefs, and rally around political figures who you believe support your causes” (Johansson 2018).
Though it is debatable, a large part of activism in today’s world is heavily reliant on social media. In order to get a message out into the discussion space and to rally enough supporters for a cause; the issue at hand needs to be publicised and well-known in order to “get a head start on being proactive amidst all the issues in the world” (Herron 2017). That said, online activism can cover a plethora of issues with an array of social importance. Online activism may range from something as publicised as Australian politics through the #auspol hashtag, to something as trivial as an online fan petition begging Warner Bros. to release an alternate cut of a film, to the recent #IDONTMIND trend which is “encouraging many teenagers to not be afraid to talk about their mental issues” (Herron 2017).
Yet there is arguably no recent example that summarises the power of online activism through social media quite as much as the #MeToo movement. Originally started by Alyssa Milano, this hashtag has encouraged and “allowed many women, including teenage girls, to open up about their experience with sexual assault” (Herron 2017). #MeToo “jumped from social media to every workplace” (Bowles 2018) in recent years, making a splash in Hollywood and countless industries. This rights movement was a revolution that potentially would never have grown to its scale if it weren’t for social media and the use of the hashtag in a single Twitter post on October 16, 2017.
As social media continues to rise in prevalence throughout society, other users will also continue to feel empowered to speak up about what they feel is important and “bring attention to the issue” (Herron 2017). With various examples out there to prove the success of online discussion and awareness, and what they have the potential to lead to, you never really know if the next hashtag or Twitter post will be the beginning of a new online revolution.
Sites:
Herron, B 2017, Social Media Empowers Adolescents, Gives Them A New Voice, The Panther Prints, viewed 13 May 2020, <https://www.peshprints.com/opinion/2017/11/06/social-media-empowers-adolescents-gives-them-a-new-voice/>.
Johansson, A 2018, Social Media Gives Everyone a Voice – Including the Crazies, Socialnomics, viewed 13 May 2020, <https://socialnomics.net/2018/09/03/social-media-gives-everyone-a-voice-including-the-crazies/>.
Article:
Bowles, N 2018, ‘The Mainstreaming of Political Memes Online’, New York Times, 9 February, viewed 13 May 2020, <https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/09/technology/political-memes-go-mainstream.html>.
Journal Articles:
Alvarez N, Lauzon, C & Zaiontz, K 2019, ‘On Sustainable Tools for Precarious Times: An Introduction’ in Alvarez N, Lauzon, C & Zaiontz K Sustainable Tools for Precarious Times (Contemporary Performance Interactions), Palgrave Macmillan, Switzerland, pp. 1-25.
Great post, you make such good point when you say that social media is empowering, allowing people to express themselves fully, and without the shame that they otherwise might face without the anonymity that social media platforms allow for. I also agree that social media is so essential to any form of activism nowadays, where all forms of protest or rallies for change begin on social media, and if successful transcends the platform to become physical protest or actual change.
Also please keep the marvel references coming, I love coming onto your page to see what your new post has attached to it haha. Signing off 👋🏼
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/bookofmormonldn-waving-baby-groot-26FmS8gU9TUMH4Byw
vote vote vote
Always remember to vote properly, and remain an active, responsible and informed citizen, both digitally and otherwise. (we don’t want a repeat of Scomo, if you know what I mean)
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/producthunt-vote-3oriO46SmwVG60KNXy
Political Engagement and Activism
Week 9
The majority of my experience with activism, has in actuality been through digital or online means. Only very rarely have I engaged with politics and activism outside of social media, limited purely to voting and perhaps small political acts such as beach clean ups and other volunteer work.
The ease that social media allows for, makes it so simple to share and repost political and activism related content. This relative ease is so overtly contrasted with in person activism, protest and campaigning, which can require immense effort, and time spent gaining awareness, engagement as well as relationships to be formed; sometimes only to gain the same or less engagement that online posting receives.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/easy-cartoons-adventure-time-N2JaONOG63aMM
Moving into the technological era, it was instinctual to move protest and activism online; this includes many politics pages, conversations, as well as movements which have distinctive and now well-known hashtags associated; including #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo. Activism through social media, undoubtedly gains more traction and engagement than other means, though its “overall effectiveness still remains unclear” (Suciu 2019).
Another important aspect to acknowledge, is the voice that social media activism has allowed people from underprivileged and underrepresented groups to gain. Roughly half of social media users of colour claim that social media has a crucial role in their lives in terms of having a platform where they are able to express their views and become engaged. This is a very important aspect to online digital citizenship, where in the past people of colour and underprivileged peoples were allowed little to no free speech, are however now able express themselves fully and in depth.
Whilst many adore the new form of online activism, it also has gained much negative attention, with James R. Bailey claiming that those who rely on social media to advocate are just “plain lazy, and self-righteous” (Suciu 2019). Bailey is not alone in this sentiment, with many others also questioning the validity of social media use for creating sustained social change.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/season-10-the-simpsons-10x6-l2Je5ct2sXKy2rivK
According to Malchik, whilst social media obtains instantaneous results and citizen engagement, it never truly translates into actual policy. He claims that these movements “lack the underlying resistance, often losing focus”, attention and engagement, resulting in fleeting and inconsequential social action (Malchik 2019).
Although I believe that this is only the case for movements that perhaps don’t have any real practically or mission, movements which are predictable, habitual, repetitive and consequentially, fleeting (2019, p.3).
My argument is substantiated through the 2019 example of the global climate strike. At the time of this strike there was a lack of action, response or acknowledgment from our government, regarding a climate plan or potential action (sadly there still isn’t). The roots of the activism begun online, with discussion and plans for activism discussed and shared on a large scale. The youth of the globe wanted a platform where they could “articulate a collective voice, and wield moral power”, free from patronising response and belittlement (Thew 2019).
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/aus-politics-U6kWg0EOV2PFgHhn4O
The global strike had an adaptable and responsive design, which focused on using social media to gain momentum and engagement, then being able to translate the response into actual physical action and protest. This practical, goal orientated and strong movement, resulted in over 4 million protesters leaving their classroom in over 100 countries.
Ignorantly labelling online activism, saying “with speed comes weakness”, is not only ill-informed but also plainly incorrect (Malchik 2019). It is important for social media to be used in the correct manner, in combination with other political and actionable elements, in order to initiate real action. The adaptability of political campaigns and movements is paramount to their success whilst present in our current global climate which sees an “episodic rise and fall of global movements”, continually, due to trends and other factors (Alvarez 2019).
References
Alvarez N., Lauzon C., Zaiontz K. (2019) 'On Sustainable Tools for Precarious Times: An Introduction'. In: Alvarez N., Lauzon C., Zaiontz K. (eds) Sustainable Tools for Precarious Times. Contemporary Performance InterActions. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-25.
Malchik, A 2019, ‘The Problem With Social-Media Protests’, The Atlantic, 6 May, viewed 17 May, < https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/05/in-person-protests-stronger-online-activism-a-walking-life/578905/>
Suciu, P 2019, ‘Is Posting on Social Media A Valid Form of Activism?’, Forbes, 1 November, viewed 17 May, < https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2019/11/01/is-posting-on-social-media-a-valid-form-of-activisim/#182caf1921cc>
Thew, H 2019, ‘Climate strikes: researcher explains how young people can keep up the momentum’, The Conversation, 18 March, viewed 16 May, < https://theconversation.com/climate-strikes-researcher-explains-how-young-people-can-keep-up-the-momentum-113594>
Week 8: Digital Health Campaigns: Body modification and Cosmetic Surgery on Visual Social Media
In our current world of social media it has become more prevalent that social media has deteriorated many peoples body image and self confidence. The app originally designed for casual photos to be shared between friends has become a marketing tool and has expanded to a platform larger than thought-out. While this has provided many with jobs and created business it is starting to also take a toxic effect on young peoples minds.
Much of these body image issues come from young girls (most often) looking at “Instagram models”. Instagram models are famous from simply posting pictures often on trend and have the ideal current body type (Large lips, slim jaw, refined nose, high cheek bones, large breasts, small waist, large buttocks). The original instagram model- supermodels got famous from their runway skills and professional photography. Supermodels since the 90′s have been the “It” girls that young women look up to. Heroin chic made famous by Kate Moss was looked down upon as it resembled dark eyes, sharp cheep bones and a very skinny frame. Among the current addictions is a nihilistic vision of beauty that mirrors the wasted silhouettes and pinched faces of drug addicts. (Robin Givhan, 1996). It could be argued the current trend in the mid 2010′s has become the opposite of “heroin chic” but still as toxic.
Instagram models are the new supermodels, providing the on trend makeup, hair and ideal body type. A BBC article revealed how instagram may be detrimental for mental health. One girl said “I fell into a deep depressive episode aged 16, which lasted for months and was utterly horrible. During this time social media made me feel worse, as I would constantly compare myself to other people and make myself feel bad” (BBC, 2017). It is human nature to have feelings of jealousy and compare ourselves to one another however It can generate unrealistic standards of beauty or success that are unlikely to be sustainable or healthy sources of motivation like “thinspiration”). (DR Juliana Breines, 2016)
However Instagram is a platform with thousands of girls who don’t look like the average girl. Many women on instagram have a following that allows them to work with personal trainers as they don’t have a “normal job”. They also have the funds to get things such as lip filler, botox and plastic surgery. This helps their image and their following but often many can lie about it and pass it off as their own natural body. Facetune is also used by not only instagram models but many other people on instagram. It is the new version of photoshop that can be used by anyone if they purchase the app. Removing acne, body fat and creating the photo to become “insta worthy”.This is when it can become toxic. It sets unrealistic goals for young women who think because the girl with millions of followers look like that-they have to as well. Often when girls are more transparent about their body modifications it can be met with praise as they are being honest. Many people I have interacted with actually don’t care for plastic surgery as many of us younger generations have the mindset of “Your body your choice”. But it is a different thing to preach a natural body if it’s not.
From the dark side of instagram can also be a good side. Instagram can be used as a tool for good. Going back to the BBC article mentioned above the report said Instagram, was found to have a positive effect on self-expression and self-identity. Sexual liberation can be a positive thing for many young men and women who want to embrace their sexuality. Instagram also recently removed likes so you can only you can see who has liked your photo but not how many people have liked it. “We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people’s well-being and health,” said Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri. There is also two instagram accounts called sainthoax and celebface. Sainthoax provides political and updates on news that dig deeper than the surface of instagram. Celebface is a account that almost “exposes” instagram models, celebrities and more on their image of photoshopping. While this may seem cruel it has provided a medium that helps break down the glitz and glam of instagram.
Overall I think instagram is a mix of good and bad. People need to realise that instagram is only what people want you to see, it’s all crafted to create “perfection”. Do whatever makes you happy- whether you get plastic surgery or not, or don’t post on instagram! Just be yourself.
(I did mainly talk about females as it’s what i can relate to but this is not to say males don’t have the same experience)
Sources:
Breines Ph.D., J 2016, The Perils of Comparing Ourselves to Others, viewed 7 May, 2020, <https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/in-love-and-war/201607/the-perils-comparing-ourselves-others>.
GIVHAN, R 1996, Why Dole Frowns On Fashion, viewed 7 May, 2020, <https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-08-ls-32243-story.html>.
Anon 2017, Instagram ‘worst for young mental health’, viewed 7 May, 2020, <https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39955295>.
Meisenzahl, M 2019, Here’s what your Instagram posts will look like without 'likes’, viewed 7 May, 2020, <https://www.businessinsider.com.au/instagram-removing-likes-what-it-will-look-like-2019-11?r=US&IR=T>.
Great post :)
The part of your post where you spoke about many of the women you see in Instagram who are perceived as normal and mainstream, are in fact so deeply fake and and contrived is so accurate to the current platform. It’s sad to think that natural beauty and just simple rawness has so long escaped popular Instagram, instead opting for a fakeness that is harmful to young girls (not to say you can’t engage with fakenessand plastic like ideals, if that’s what makes you happy, I’m just trying to communicate that it shouldn’t become the norm).
You also make a good point when you added at the end, that all of these ideologies and concepts being discussed are universal, because I too in my post naturally discussed females more (being something I can relate to). However whilst these issues are very gendered, and positioned towards females, it does not mean that these issues are not present in males lives; for we know very well that they are indeed issues that are detrimental to men’s health just the same.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/the-office-high-five-1GlDW1HBD3q2A
Sexuality and beauty’s expression through ancient sculpture - not as disparate to our modern expression seen on Instagram as some might originally think.
Digital Health Campaigns: Body Modification and Cosmetic Surgery on Social Media
Week 8
There is no denying that in the advent of social media, the communication and implication of societal beauty standards has changed dramatically. It’s unfair to say that, they have gotten dramatically worse, however increasing statistical analysis says otherwise, with a large rise in body dysmorphia and body image related diseases; as well as a worrying “42% of surgeons reporting that their patients are seeking aesthetic surgery to improve their appearance on Instagram” (Dorfman et al. 2018, p.332).
Image Source - https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/28217935140516156/
The health industry, whilst not commonly connected with social media, too has been affected by the introduction into the social media context. Many public health campaigns have had their time in the spotlight on social media platforms, such as the viral #IceBucketChallenge, raising funds for ALS, as well as #Movember, which brings awareness to men’s health issues. The social media element of their campaigns, assist in gaining a following and increasing engagement, ultimately teaching the general public about important health issues in an interactive manner. Another way that health has been aided by social media, is through technological educational services and platforms, which have “the ability to train and offer health care directly, to build sustainable healthcare globally” (Thompson, 2016).
Many criticise the ‘microcelebrity culture’, for being a formulaic aesthetic, and identity which relies on visibility tactics, which are synonymous with status as well as perceived influence. An unfortunate by-product of micro-celebrity culture is a transformation and morphing of their personality into the ‘ideal’, or similarity creating themselves a personal brand, which is sadly becoming a prerequisite for online influencer participation (Mavroudis 2020).
Many of these ‘microcelebrities’ endorse products and material which is harmful to the broad idea of public health, as well as very widely harmful to body image issues within society. Many doctors and professionals urge that social media companies need to ban “damaging celebrity endorsed social media ads, which promote weight loss aids” (Ives 2019).
Many celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, are irresponsible and take advantage of their loyal following, using their influence maliciously, aiming their promotion towards their vulnerable followers, many of which that are at “an impressionable stage in their lives” (Ives 2019). Not only do these celebrities communicate unrealistic and logic defining beauty ideals, perpetuated through image editing and surgery, but they further their toxic influence, by promoting appetite supressing lollipops unashamedly.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/filmeditor-mean-girls-movie-xT9KVgPvrda6FxPqnK
Femininity and Masculinity have had a major shift, since the advent of social media. Instagram perpetuates a “conformance to the heteronormative notion of attractiveness”, resulting in many men and women expressing their sexuality on the platform (Mavroudis 2020). Many criticise the expression of sexuality as ‘porn chic’ or ‘objectifying’, though these concepts are underlyingly sexist in their implication.
This view infers further objectification, by not taking into account the woman’s intent or agency. This ignorance surrounding sexuality and nudity is dangerous, exemplified by the sheer amount of people who label influencers on Instagram, as ‘sluts’ or deem their content as ‘soft porn’. This unfair labelling of their content on Instagram reveals a flaw in the audience, rather than a flaw in the women who are expressing themselves on the app.
Many women are empowered through the sharing of these images, which whilst some may be deem it inappropriate, many also perceive it as simply stunning photography and a beautiful expression of art, and human form. This choice, to share such vulnerability through creative photography of the human body, is being abused by so many on Instagram. Resulting in many women becoming subject to sexually aggressive comments, and objectifying messages; triggering an endless cycle of victim-blaming, with many influencers often deciding that these comments are simply “part of the job” (Ives 2019).
The ignorant and unfair label of ‘porn’ being applied by so many, leans into the sexist male gaze, encouraging a level of abuse and aggressive disrespectful behaviour to incur. This demonization of women’s self-expression and bodies needs to stop, instead realising that empowerment and expression is diverse, and a beautiful way for women to take control of their so often objectified bodies.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/game-of-thrones-iK5Y6SbleuyWVLrJZj
References
Dorfman, R.G, Vaca, E.E, Mahmood, E, Fine, N.A, Schierle, C.F 2018, ‘Plastic Surgery-Related Hashtag Utilisation on Instagram: Implications for Education and Marketing’, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, vol.38, no.3, pp. 332-338.
Ives, L 2019, ‘Celebrity ads for diet aids should be banned, says top doctor’, BBC News, 2 February, viewed 7 May 2020, <https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47090374>
Mavroudis, J 2020, ‘Public Health Campaigns and Social Media Influence’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Modules via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 6 May, viewed 7 May 2020.
Thompson, S 2016, 'How social media is transforming medical care in the developing world' Fast Company accessed 7 May 2020 https://www.fastcompany.com/3057869/how-social-media-is-transforming-medical-care-in-the-developing-world
Week 7: Post 3 Digital citizenship case study: Instagram, Influencers and the slow fashion movement.
Just last week I cleaned out my wardrobe and dropped two bags of clothes at the Salvos, and it really got me thinking about longevity and sustainability of my clothes. This prompted me to look into the life cycle of clothing and how it is influenced by digital citizens. I came across the concept of ‘slow fashion’ and how it can be impacted by influencers.
Slow fashion “seeks to slow down the pace of the current fashion life cycle” (Lai, Henninger,Panayiota 2017, p. 82) and therefore produces a maximum of four fashion lines annually. Likewise sustainable fashion can be defined as clothing and accessories that are manufactured using ecological and ethical principles. Slow fashion is sustainable and doesn’t see products as materials. A case study was undertaken to see how these fashion movements would ‘influence consumers’, the study settled on the idea that most of the participants said the garments “tend to be more expensive” than unsustainable products. I found it quite interesting that from the study, only one participant stated that the higher prices was a cause of higher quality clothes. The case study settled on the concept that consumers are price sensitive and are not willing to spend the extra money to be sustainable.It then got me thinking that sustainable fashion is predominately observed as a luxury commodity that lacks quality. In doing some research, I found that as a whole, consumers were still confused on what exactly sustainable fashion is. To fix this uncertainty, a clear outline needs to be made to allow consumers to have a greater understating of this particular fashion. I think this is the perfect segway in how the movement of slow and sustainable fashion is emerging through social media influencers getting the word out there.
Ana Fernanda Covarrubias Vera, the owner of the Australian brand @Fernanda_covarrubiasv, who make ethical clothes, bags, and accessories. She does this by using a wide variety of preloved and recycled materials to create her collections. Her aim is to share her love and passion for slow fashion and upcycling, as well as expressing her concerns about the impact that this has on our environment through her Instagram account and her blog. Her intentions are to teach more consumers about this fashion world. Influencers such as Ana display how people use their digital citizenship for good.
We are lucky enough to live in such a modern and changing world where the internet has made everything so accessible. This leads to infinite amount of online shopping options. Shopping has become fast and easy; by sitting in the comfort of your own home you can shop and buy an entire new wardrobe, finding cheap deals without leaving your home. As a result, there should be less and less confusion of what sustainable fashion is as there are so many different influencers promoting this and creating sustainable clothing. I’m also at fault of this, not really know about this fashion world. But when writing and researching this, I found so many social media accounts promoting sustainable fashion, ultimately helping me strive for a more sustainable life.
“the revolution will look fabulous” - Lucy Shea
References:
- Anon 2020, SECOND RUNWAY - Styling . Upcycling . Life, viewed 30 April, 2020, <http://secondrunway.co>.
- Kowalski, K 2020, What is Slow Fashion (vs Ethical & Sustainable Fashion)? | Sloww, viewed 30 April, 2020, <https://www.sloww.co/slow-fashion-101/>.
Zhen Lai, Claudia E. Henninger and Panayiota J. Alevizou ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’, in Sustainability in Fashion A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, edited by Henninger, C.E., Alevizou, P., Goworek, H., Ryding, D. (Palgrave: 2017).
A great and in-depth post, with so much insightful commentary. I definitely agree that sustainable fashion is linked with high-end and luxury products, that are often too expensive for the general public to engage with. This is why clothes sharing apps, and second-hand shopping is a great way to overcome this large accessibility issue.
I too, after researching am motivated to engage with more ethical choices; whether it be through the cheaper alternatives of clothes repurposing, or even an investment in a high-end sustainable product. Great post.
Image source - https://giphy.com/gifs/Friends-episode-1-season-9-friends-tv-mGK1g88HZRa2FlKGbz
Instagram, Influencers and the Slow Fashion Movement
Week 7
‘Eco fashion’ or ‘slow fashion’ isn’t a new concept, but in actuality is a movement which first gained momentum in the 1980s with the “anti-fur movement” (Alevizou et al. 2017, p. 81). Protests against unsafe and unethical working conditions were common in the 1990’s to 2000’s, as well as even a concept that was present in England, during the Industrial Revolution, objecting child labour practises in factories. Though these movements were present and gaining momentum, the ideas were often temporarily indulged, then disregarded as a fad (Alevizou et al. 2017, p. 81). However, today due to the modern era being increasingly more politically and environmentally aware as a result of social media communication, a disregard for humanitarian issues is now no longer as viable as it once was.
Social Media has revolutionised many aspects of society, including the awareness and coverage that the media can now bring to social issues, such as unsafe labour practises, and wastage in the fashion industry. “Fashion is inextricably woven with time”, and similarly with fast moving social trends, fashion to follows trends; resulting in fast fashion (Brewer, M.K. 2019).
Fashion begun as a niche, personalised, and very creative form of design in the year of 1826. Charles Frederick was believed to be the first fashion designer, who begun his practise by tailoring each garment perfectly for the individual, in a manner which was personal and specific to their needs and desires. Later, in the mid 20th Century, garments begun being mass-produced, kickstarting fast fashion, unsafe working conditions, trends, as well as wastage.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/SviJ9h5ifmoXMvPX4z
Fast fashion is a threat to our planet, and many users on Instagram have recognised this and have created content and platforms which promote mindfulness of purchase decision making. Many social media content creators promote ways to “shop consciously and ethically”, as well as emphasise problems with the current industry (Chan 2018). This new use of Instagram sees influencers promoting the reselling of clothes, through clothes share apps, such as Depop, Vinted and Thredup; sites which focus on sharing clothes, reusing and recycling clothes, encouraging sustainable and eco practices. Some accounts on Instagram that are promoting ethical resharing and recycling of garments are bigsisterswap, littlepineneedle, the_second_runway, and tullavintage, as well as some promoting slow fashion focused brands. Another great aspect of these clothes sharing apps, is the price range, these apps often resell and share clothes at much cheaper rates than an outright purchase, making these more ethical practises, more easily desirable as well as accessible to individuals who come from a lower SES; who can’t engage with slow fashion due to it typically being luxury and expensive.
A more negative aspect of Instagram and social medias interaction with the fast fashion movement is influencer promotion. Fast fashion products are often described as “low quality, and harmful”, and are repeatedly promoted by large Instagram content creators (Chan 2018). Both fast fashion and Instagram are synonymous with trends and trendsetting, and therefore quite as easily as Instagram can be successful in promoting ethical practises; it can also allow for an encouragement of unethical brands to a worryingly large number of viewers.
The mass production, and mass promotion of fashion, has a direct association with the creation of cheaper garments, that directly “contribute to a throw away culture” (Brewer, M.K. 2019). Social Media, mainly Instagram, has the ability to both promote healthy ethical purchase behaviour, as well as encourage unhealthy, and un-eco-friendly behaviours; again emphasising the importance be aware digital citizens, who make ethical, informed and intelligent decisions.
Image Source - https://giphy.com/gifs/philosophy-dwight-Cz1it5S65QGuA
References
Brewer, M. K. 2019, ‘Slow Fashion in a Fast Fashion World’, Promoting Sustainability and Responsibility, vol.2 no.24, pp. 1-9.
Chan, J 2018, ‘Ethical Clothing: Fast Fashion & Sustainability on Social Media’, Linkfluence, viewed 2 April 2020, < https://www.linkfluence.com/blog/ethical-clothing-fast-fashion-sustainability-on-social-media>
Lai, Z, Henninger, C. E, Alevizou, P, Goworek, H 2017, ‘An Exploration of Consumer’s Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’, edited by Lai, Z, Henninger, C. E, Alevizou, P, Goworek, H , Sustainability in Fashion: A Cradle to Upcycle Approach’, Palgrave MacMillan, CH, Swizerland, pp. 81-101.
Digital Citizenship
Given my previous comments about Tumblr being a platform amongst others that allow their users to share their opinions online with the click of a button, I think it is worth discussing the factors that may prevent this. Though it is quite easy to make a post about the latest blockbuster or a recent celebrity interaction; it is quite intimidating to put your political beliefs out there, for various reasons.
This comes down to the idea of a digital citizen “in a context of widespread connectivity” (Borges 2016, p. 258), who is out there on the internet utilising technology as a means of communicating their thoughts with others, and creating a presence. Mossberger et al. (2012, p. 2498) defines a ‘digital citizen’ as someone “who use(s) the internet regularly and effectively”, whilst it is believed that this “digital communication can facilitate cooperation and solidarity toward certain social initiatives that require active” support and interaction (del Carmen García Galera et al. 2017, p. 129).
Yet it seems that there are two primary obstacles preventing individuals from easily fitting into the common understanding of a digital citizen. The first of these is access, where the simple fact is that depending on individual situations; people will have varying degrees of access to social platforms, internet and even devices. “Given different modes of access, including home broadband, smartphone use, and public access” (Mossberger et al. 2012, p. 2492), it becomes difficult to contribute to the online conversation if you cannot physically access it.
Adorjan et al. (2019, p. 430) found that another boundary may be the concern of “cyber-safety” and the relative “sense of prudentialism and self-control” amongst other online participants. These findings highlight that many simply do not feel entirely safe when interacting online, and this is especially the case when it comes to politics. As an area of discussion that often brings out strong opinions, online political talk can be confronting for many and often results in harsh, negative criticism from users; as was seen throughout the Twitter hashtag of #auspol, which was dubbed a “political bloodbath” by Ariel Bogle.
So with such limitations, it is surprising that so many online users are still able to create a presence and fit within the definition of a ‘digital citizen’. A wide concept for many to enjoy, while it remains intimidating to some, or literally out of reach for others. But perhaps taking the first step into sharing your opinion will open a door into a wider world of communication, political debate and self-expression.
Sites:
Bogle, A 2016, #auspol: The Twitter hashtag Australia can’t live without, Mashable Australia, viewed 22 April 2020, <https://mashable.com/2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/#4tvfXtsZUEqV>.
Journal Articles:
Adorjan, M & Ricciardelli, R 2019, ‘Student perspectives towards school responses to cyber-risk and safety: the presumption of the prudent digital citizen’, Learning, Media & Technology, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 430-442.
Borges Júnior, E 2019, ‘Digital citizenship: a way out of the crisis of politics?’, Matriz, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 257-262.
del Carmen García Galera, M, Muñoz, C & Pedrosa, L 2017, ‘Youth empowerment through social networks. Creating participative digital citizenship’, Communication & Society, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 129-140
Mossberger, K, Tolbert, C & Hamilton, A 2012, ‘Measuring Digital Citizenship: Mobile Access and Broadband’, International Journal of Communication, vol. 6, pp. 2492-2528.
Great post, it is filled with so much knowedge and so many concepts.
It’s really interesting when you discussed access issues and limations to a persons participation as a digital citizen, and how this would effect their fulfilment of the concept and theory. I think another really important aspect of a lack of access is synonymous with a lower SES. The people who come from a low sociopath economic background will struggle to participate in online dicsussion, not only through a lack of physical connection with a device, but also through a lack of education. A lack of knowledge when it comes to political discussion, can really work against them, also putting into question if we can ever truly be a democratic society, considering access isn’t equal or communal.
I totally agree that twitter and other forums can be a breeding ground for intensity and passion, quite often leading to abuse and attack. This of course would be present in any society, digital or otherwise, its purely now society functions; of course that doesn’t make it right. I think you make a good point when you mention that perhaps it’s about purely taking it one step at a time, in order to sustain a position as an active digital citizen. (also I love the Tony Stark reference)
Image Source - https://gph.is/1hjppwZ
