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DIGITAL COMMUNITIES, MDA20009. "Portions of this site and the works within it are being produced with the intention of critique and/or educational use under Australia's 'fair dealing' exceptions to copyright (Section 40 & 41). However, if you feel your IP is being infringed, please contact my service provider (tumblr) with the appropriate DMCA requests, as I, the single author take full responsibility for the content of this site.”

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Week10, Digital Citizenship and Conflict: Social Media Governance.

Social media is now something that can be said to have great power in a social life, whether it starts from things related to positive or negative things. We can access all the latest information and news easily and for free, but of course there are dangers that threaten this. Starting from the propaganda that is spread, things about power, control or giving a big influence on society and this can cause chaos such as spreading hoaxes, harassment, cases of racism, discrimination or triggering war conflicts. 

Online Harassment has become one of the serious cases lately, according to (Haslop, O'Rourke & Southern 2021, p. 1420) Within the context of this study, we adjust the definition of online harassment: 'Online harassment is defined as threats or other unpleasant undesired actions directed directly at individuals through new technology channels (e.g., Internet, text messaging) or put online for others to see that are likely to cause them damage, intentionally or inadvertently' (our italicisation).   One of the most common cases is the sexual harassment that occurs on social media. Many people cannot express themselves freely because of the harassment that occurs and this happens a lot to women. Any kind of online communication that is motivated by animosity or prejudice towards any person or group because of their real or perceived gender, sexuality, race, religion, and/or handicap, including advocating violence against them, is considered a form of online hate crime according to (Haslop, O'Rourke & Southern 2021, p. 1420). 

Harassment cases can start from sexual comments when a woman uploads a photo of herself wearing minimal clothing and even using closed clothes, harassment still occurs. Intimate relationship violence (47.1%), stalking (27.9%), and rape (37.4%) are all frequent forms of victimisation for women between the ages of 18 and 24 according to (Lindsay, Booth, Messing & Thaller 2016, p. 3177). Meanwhile, according to other data, females reported experiencing harassment more frequently than males, with 34% reporting being harassed at least once by someone they knew, 17% by someone they did not know, 21% by a significant other, and 31% after they had asked the person to stop according to (Lindsay, Booth, Messing & Thaller 2016, p. 3182). Of course, the existence of this case has traumatised many people and this problem must be addressed immediately by placing restrictions and penalties on the perpetrators of online harassment. In the current population numbers, it cannot be denied that the more time spent on social media, the more negative effects and negative energy you will experience. But with the general population's increasing tendency to focus on social issues, there are now several strategies for suppressing online victim abuse.

Reference :

Haslop, C, O’Rourke, F & Southern, R 2021, "NoSnowflakes: The toleration of harassment and an emergent gender-related digital divide, in a UK student online culture", Convergence (London, England), vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 1418–1438.

Lindsay, M, Booth, JM, Messing, JT & Thaller, J 2016, "Experiences of Online Harassment Among Emerging Adults: Emotional Reactions and the Mediating Role of Fear", Journal of interpersonal violence, vol. 31, no. 19, pp. 3174–3195.

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Week 9, Gaming Communities, Social Gaming & Live Streaming.

People with similar interests can meet and connect in gaming communities, which can act as a place for them to do so. Players typically join groups that share their interests, philosophies, and ways of playing the game, which is significant for both individuals and clans because players' incentives for gaming vary According to (Sun, Williams & Li 2021, p. 2). Friendships and in certain situations even love relationships might result from this. Not only about relationships, the other think of gaming community also can lead people to get knowledge and support from other gamers. However, some gaming communities can degenerate into hostile places where harassing or bullying online behavior occurs. This is especially true for games with intense competition, when participants may become too focused on winning and engage in dishonest or violent behavior towards others. 

Online gaming that emphasizes player interaction and social interaction is known as "social gaming." Through the use of social media platforms or gaming networks, players in social games can interact with one another, form alliances, and engage in competitive play. Social gaming's social component can be expressed in a number of ways, including forums, chat rooms, shared leaderboards, and texting. In addition, users may use social media to interact with other players and encourage their friends to play the game, for example like Minecraft, Candy Crush, Among us & Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Online gaming can use a lot of different devices like mobile phone, pc, play stations, nintendo or Wii.  

Gaming community and online gaming also have a connection with Live streaming. Live streaming is a real-time video or audio feed that is transmitted through the internet to a viewer or listener who is participating in the streaming of the content in the process known as live streaming. Due to the fact that it facilitates in-the-moment communication between users and content producers, it has become more and more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms. In other case some viewers love watching streamers not just for the content of the show but also for the personality of the streamer themselves because 70% of Twitch streams play a variety of games that are not exclusive to a genre (Gandhi, Cook, LaMastra & et al 2021, p. 2). Lots of platforms can be used for streaming like Twitch, Facebook, Instagram  or Youtube and this all platforms being the most used by the viewers. 

Referencing : 

Gandhi, R, Cook, CL, LaMastra, N, Uttarapong, J & Wohn, DY 2021, ‘An Exploration of Mental Health Discussions in Live Streaming Gaming Communities’, Frontiers in psychology, vol. 12, Frontiers Media S.A, Switzerland, pp. 575653–575653.

Sun, J, Williams, D & Li, Y 2021, "Let’s Bail!: The evolution of individual-group affiliation in an online gaming community", Computers in human behavior, vol. 121, Elsevier Ltd, Elmsford, pp. 106818. 

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Week 8, The Impact of Snapchats Filter to Young People.

Snapchat is a well-known social media that is now very popular among young people that allows users to send a picture or a video to their contacts. According to (Baker 2020, p. 208) Users can incorporate augmented reality into their daily clothing routines and self-presentation by using these filters to add virtual accessories and change facial characteristics. There are various types of filters provided and they can be fun to use, but on the other hand they have some negative consequences. 

These filters have several drawbacks, one of which is that they promote a limited and false beauty ideal. By taking a user's characteristics and altering them to conform to a stereotypical definition of beauty, Snapchat thins down the face, slims and shortens the nose, enlarges the eyes, plumps the lips, and evens out the skin (Baker 2020, p. 209). Users who feel they do not meet these standards may experience feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, especially among young people who may be more susceptible to these messages. There are some indications that young women use Snapchat filters and other photo editing tools in a particularly frightening way, altering their appearance in photos to the extent that their authentic selves are no longer acceptable (Habib, Ali, Nazir & Mahfooz 2022, p. 1). 

The effect of these filters on mental health is another issue of great concern. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America claims that these applications are causing people to have a distorted perception of who they are and to dwell on their imperfections, a condition known as body dysmorphic disorder (Uloop, Inc Carlsbad 2018 p. 1). It is important to understand how daily exposure to these finely edited and carefully filtered photos by this app causes everyday women to lose touch with reality because these depictions are less common than those seen in mainstream media according to (Habib, Ali, Nazir & Mahfooz 2022, p. 1).

This sentiment of dissatisfaction can be exacerbated by the frequent use of filters and the pressure to project the perfect image, which can be harmful to mental health. The importance of being able to control the use of filters in existing apps is an important factor in remaining self-accepting. Picking and choosing what is appropriate to have fun with these filters is a consideration that we must think about so that nothing happens that we don't want. 

Reference :

Baker, J 2020, "Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of snapchat", Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol. 7, no. 2 & 3, pp. 208-210

Habib, A, Ali, T, Nazir, Z & Mahfooz, A 2022, "Snapchat filters changing young women’s attitudes", Annals of medicine and surgery, vol. 82, Elsevier Ltd, pp. 104668–104668.

Snapchat filter plastic surgery: next big thing? 2018, Uloop, Inc, Carlsbad.

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Week 7, Body Modification On Social Media

Body modification has become very popular these days on social media platforms, both for business and personal use. With people posting photos and videos of their body changes on social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, it is easier for them to gain more fans and attract public attention. Even now, for content creators who want to be seen by the public, they not only have to look perfect by doing body modification but also have to follow an algorithm. 

There are concerns about how social media can influence body modification. To keep up with social media trends or to increase their likes and followers, some people may feel pressured to change their bodies. In addition, it has happened that people have shared risky and unrestricted body alteration practices on social media, which may be damaging and harmful. According to (Duffy & Meisner 2023, p. 301) Creators must orient themselves towards production and promotion tactics that will likely make them acceptable for mass consumption in order to surrender to the platform's perceived expectations and desires, as imposed by algorithms and other visibility mechanisms. As a result, many of these content creators have to undergo surgery on their body parts such as plastic surgery, botox, eyebrow embroidery or liposuction to cover up their flaws coupled with photo edits in order to have an attractive look. 

On the other hand, it does not only happen to the content creators but because of the existing social media, the community has been affected. Now many of the teenagers, especially women, want to look perfect because seeing influencers and content creators with modified bodies that look always perfect in front of the camera makes a negative thing. Because of excessive obsession, many of them try the "cheap way" which results in many problems with their bodies because they want to look perfect but with a limited budget and edit their entire body with editing applications. They found that, especially for girls who have a strong tendency to make social comparisons, exposure to digitally altered photos led to higher body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls compared to the original photos according to (Tiggemann 2022, p. 174). 

Due to the impact of social media and people wanting to look perfect, people who have the desire and thought of changing their body should do extensive research and look for a reliable and safe practitioner. The dangers and negative effects of the surgery they are thinking about should also be known in more detail. In addition, social media users should always be aware of what they consume and what they share to avoid supporting or encouraging harmful behaviors.

Reference :

Duffy, BE & Meisner, C 2022, "Platform governance at the margins: Social media creators" experiences with algorithmic (in)visibility’, Media, culture & society, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 1-17.

Tiggemann, M 2022, "Digital modification and body image on social media: Disclaimer labels, captions, hashtags, and comments", Body image, vol. 41, Elsevier Ltd, Netherlands, pp. 172–180.

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Week 6 Slow Fashion Movement

Of course we often hear the word fast fashion and slow fashion movement, fast fashion itself emphasizes more on fast production, use only a few times, low prices, and very high clothing turnover. Slow fashion, on the other hand, emphasizes quality, longevity, responsible production, and environmentally friendly consumption. The idea of slow fashion centers on sustainability in the fashion and design industry that uses high quality, small production, local products, and fair labor practices according to (Pookulangara, Shephard 2013, p. 201). With fast fashion being a problem, the slow fashion movement was created. 

This slow fashion movement emphasizes and encourages people to buy fewer clothes with high quality and last long.   Instead of buying a lot of clothes that are cheap, not of good quality and can only be used once. According to (Chi, Gerard, Yu & Wang 2021, p. 102) The goal of slow fashion is not to "not buy", but rather to "reduce the speed and amount of consumption" and choose high-quality goods that are sustainably made and intended to last. On the other hand, according to (Domingos, Teixeira Vale & Faria 2022, p. 11) Slow Fashion products are considered to have superior quality by its customers, which encourages people to buy them, feel good about buying them, and invest in more durable goods. Not only that, but this movement is also very influential in encouraging the use of recycled resources or organic materials and reducing fashion waste and pollution during production.

The movement also covers issues related to labor rights and fair trade, with the slow fashion movement hoping that businesses are able to ensure that the people responsible for creating clothes are treated ethically and paid their fair share. 

Overall, the slow fashion movement emphasises quality, sustainability, and social responsibility to encourage a more deliberate and mindful approach to fashion consumption in society.

Reference :

Chi, T, Gerard, J, Yu, Y & Wang, Y 2021, "A study of U.S. consumers" intention to purchase slow fashion apparel: understanding the key determinants’, International journal of fashion design, technology and education, vol. 14, no. 1, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon, pp. 101–112.

Domingos, M, Vale, VT & Faria, S 2022, "Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review", Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), vol. 14, no. 5, MDPI AG, Basel, pp. 2860.

Pookulangara, S & Shephard, A 2013, "Slow fashion movement: Understanding consumer perceptions—An exploratory study", Journal of retailing and consumer services, vol. 20, no. 2, Elsevier Ltd, pp. 200–206.

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Week 5, Digital Citizenship and Political Engagement

As time goes by and technology advances, there are many aspects that change. One of them is digital citizenship which has developed into an important component of political participation in this modern world. According to (Choi & Cristol 2021, p. 362) The idea of digital citizenship focuses on online participation and civic engagement (social, political, and/or cultural issues) at the micro and macro levels from the perspective of political communication and political science. Of course, with the existence of digital citizenship, this makes people today have more choices to be able to interact and access a political issue and voice their ideas about social or political issues.  

With digital citizenship, it can provoke political engagement by giving individuals access to information and wider resources to get information or news. Movements for change become more powerful and widespread as a result of the actions and involvement of individuals who are part of a larger process known as a social movement according to (Choi & Cristol 2021, p. 365). Digital citizenship can also help individuals to identify and engage with organizations and political campaigns that match their interests and values. With this, the impact that results from the relationship between digital citizenship and political engagement is divided into two, namely positive and negative. One of the negative examples is cyberbullying, privacy violations, and the spread of false information caused by these two aspects.

On the other hand, the positive impact brought by (Vromen 2016, p. 20) most of these studies make the assumption that people participate in politics because they want to see positive changes in the current democratic system and the status quo. However, this is where digital citizenship and political engagement have a strong connection and relationship as an impact. 

In conclusion, political engagement and digital citizenship are connected ideas that are necessary for effective participation in a contemporary political environment. Political participation is greatly aided by digital citizenship, which allows people to participate in politics in a more educated, active and responsible way by using online platforms to make their voices heard. People can participate in useful political discussions and make intelligent judgments about issues that affect them or their communities by encouraging responsible online behavior. 

Reference : 

Choi, M & Cristol, D 2021, “Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards Participatory Democracy Driven Digital Citizenship Education,” Theory Into Practice, vol. 60, no. 4, pp. 361–370. 

Vromen, A 2017, Digital Citizenship and political engagement: The Challenge from online campaigning and advocacy organisations, Palgrave Macmillan, London. 

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Week 4, A connection between Social Media and Reality TV Shows.

In today's modern media world, social media and reality television have a very close relationship. It can be said that for about the past 10 years, these two types of media have run simultaneously to become increasingly developed and popular. According to (Lovelock 2017, p. 9) Reality shows often show self-awareness of their own status as a constructed television environment, inviting viewers to judge which participants are "real" and who are "fake", and appear on camera through the relationship between authenticity and discursively formed mediation. Since there are many online social media platforms that have emerged, it has certainly had a significant influence on reality TV on how they can interact with the audience, which previously could only be enjoyed in person, can now be brought to a wider scope. 

Many of today's reality TV programs use social media to help advertise their material, interact or discuss with a wider range of viewers and create interesting or viral drama to spice things up. According to (Deller 2019, p. 155) Discussions about social, professional, and personal interests are much easier to coordinate among multiple social media platforms than across multiple forums and blogs. With the existence of social media such as twitter, facebook and tiktok, reality TV utilizes it to share some short snippets that may be the essence of tv scenes, behind-the-scenes photos and videos that are not included in the show or sometimes there is an exclusively created content that cannot be found on TV. 

The way people engage with reality shows has also changed thanks to social media. Reactions to an episode can now be tweeted directly by viewers, sparking a dialog about the show as it airs. This phenomenon has gained so much traction that some reality TV programs have started integrating tweets and comments from viewers into the show itself, either by displaying them on screen or by asking cast members to respond to them. While fans act for praise in the form of likes and shares, social media conversations about reality TV programs are full of puns, innuendos, animated gifs, memes, and snide comments According to (Deller 2019, p. 158). 

In general, both reality TV and social media platforms have a synergistic relationship. Reality TV has given social media users something to talk about and engage with, while social media users have helped keep reality TV fresh and entertaining for viewers. These two types of media will likely remain connected for years to come as long as they continue to evolve and adapt to shifting trends.

Reference :

Deller, RA 2019, “How reality TV changed the world,” Reality Television: The Television Phenomenon That Changed the World, pp. 153–175.

Lovelock, M 2016, “Catching a catfish,” Television & New Media, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 203–217.

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Week 3 MDA 20009, Why can Tumblr be useful as a forum for digital communities?

There are many digital online platforms that are very popular and can be used by the wider community to share opinions or news according to certain aspects such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and one of them is Tumblr. Tumblr is one of the digital media platforms that has existed since 2007, According to (Kelleher, Moreno & Wilt 2018 p. 2) A social media platform popular among young people is Tumblr, which allows the creation and display of profiles anonymously. On the other hand according to (Keller 2019, p.7) This platform differs from other social media in several ways, the most significant of which may be the absence of personal profiles or "friend" networks, which makes it difficult to identify the owners of many anonymously created "Tumblr". It is because of this that Tumblr has become a safe and comfortable environment to  and comfortable environment to give their opinion or post about something without invading privacy.  In connection with the reading topic in week 3 which discusses #bodypositivity, Tumblr is one solution for women who want to post or express themselves who feel insecure in accepting their body shape because Tumblr itself has an anonymous profile display so that privacy will be maintained because our profile is not displayed. This would be a different thing especially for women if we discuss body positivity in other online digital platforms because on the other hand, women who post sexually explicit images on social media sites such as Instagram or Facebook usually face greater reactions and become targets of "slut-shaming" and "victim-blaming" according to (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 2022, p. 6). This negative backlash has led to a finding called the popularity paradox, which states that many social media users are reluctant to share images that deviate from sociocultural norms or ideals for fear of negative responses from other users according to (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 2022, p. 4).  From the above, that is why Tumblr can be used as one of the places for digital communities to express themselves and be more courageous to voice their opinions and have a better opportunity to express their views.

Reference :

Reif, A, Miller, I & Taddicken, M 2022, “‘Love the skin you‘re in’: An analysis of women’s self-presentation and user reactions to selfies using the Tumblr hashtag #bodypositive,” Mass Communication and Society, pp. 1–24.

Kelleher, E, Moreno, M & Wilt, MP 2018, “Recruitment of participants and delivery of online mental health resources for depressed individuals using Tumblr: Pilot Randomized Control Trial,” JMIR Research Protocols, vol. 7, no. 4.

Keller, J 2019, “‘oh, she’s a Tumblr feminist’: Exploring the platform vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms,” Social Media + Society, vol. 5, no. 3, p. 205630511986744.