Digital Communities Blog

Hi lovelies! My name is Belle and I'm studying media & communications at university, majoring in Advertising and Social Media. The content I create on this blog is part of my on-going project for MDA20009 Digital Communities.

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Digital Communities Reflection post & thank you!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to quickly pop on here and say thank you to everyone who has kindly taken the time to read my discussion posts and comment. I hope you discovered some interesting resources and media through these posts. 

I’ve also enjoyed consciously curating an aesthetic for my Tumblr blog over time hehe, which is hopefully reflected in my posts and accompanying visuals and graphics. I also have my own style, beauty & lifestyle blog called Daisy Chain Daydreams which I’ve drawn some inspiration from when creating this ‘digital presence’. 

I’ve found this a fun and interactive form of assessment and a creative way of applying what we’ve learnt in this unit as part of the social media major. It’s also been fun to connect with other students through this digital community we’ve created (no pun intended haha), particularly since we’re in social isolation. Hope you see some of you in future units! 

A little note for marking... I thought I’d let you know that each week I’ve posted 2 separate blog posts - the one labelled “[topic] (week number)” is my written analysis and then the second post labelled “[topic] #number...” is a curated edit of resources and further details about the examples mentioned in my blog posts. I hope this makes sense :)

Take care everyone and enjoy the holidays! Belle xo

Image Source: 'Women Supporting Women’ by carlallanos prints

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The Effects of Social Media Conflict on Mental Health (#11)...

Continuing on from my previous blog post about social media conflict, online harassment and trolling, I thought I would provide some examples of how social media conflict can have a serious impact on individual’s mental health. Perhaps the most documented examples of this is through online content creators who are in the public eye, whether it be on YouTube, blogging or Instagram. 

This article by Independent UK called “Six Ways Social Media Negatively Affect Your Mental Health” explores a list of reasons why social media platforms can create negative mindsets and have a serious impact on user’s mental health, including self-esteem, anxiety, depression and body image amongst other things. You can read the full article online here. 

Image Source: Jess Rachel Sharp via Instagram

Finally, I thought I’d also include a little quote from one of my favourite YouTuber’s who has shared her honest thoughts and experiences on how social media and negative comments on YouTube and Instagram have impacted her mental health throughout the ten years she has pioneered her career in the digital sphere... 

“It’s important to give you an insight into the goings ons, and the behind the scenes, and how things really work. I think the best thing in life we can do in any situation or circumstance we can’t relate to or understand is to learn. There’s no point being ignorant and just deciding something is a certain way because we’re not well-informed on it.”

If you’re interested in watching the full video, you can find it on Alix’s YouTube channel.

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Social Media Conflict & Trolling (week 11)

Digital communities have facilitated a plethora of incredible activism and social movements and opportunities, including connecting with likeminded people, innovative forms of media entertainment and exciting career prospects as bloggers, YouTubers and influencers. However, like anything, there’s also a negative side to social media and digital communities, which will be explored in this week’s blog post. Social media conflict is a broad umbrella term covering trolling, cyber-bullying, cancel culture; hate speech and other forms of online harassment. For context, online abuse, harassment and cyber trolling costs Australia approximately $3.7 billion annually in terms of medical bills and loss of income (Burnside & Roy 2019).

Social media conflict can be directly linked to digital communities, because trolling and other forms of online harassment are typically “networked, coordinated and organised acts” (Marwick & Caplan 2018, p. 543). Similarly, media and communication experts, Alice E. Marwick and Robyn Caplan contend that finding an overarching and all-inclusive definition of harassment is “difficult, since it is a constellation of ever-evolving behaviours” (Marwick & Caplan 2018, p. 545). Continuing on, Marwick and Caplan contend that while popular discourse often frames online harassment as “an issue of individual people engaged in abhorrent behaviour”, in reality, cyber-bullying typically involves “systemic networked harassment behaviour [in groups] against their targets” (Marwick & Caplan 2018, p. 544). Therefore, because cyber-bullying efforts are often achieved through online groups, they are often referred to as ‘cyber-mobs’ who create a hostile environment for users and essentially turn the Internet into a battlefield.

Gaslighting is another form of online harassment that has received much media coverage in recent years. Although the terminology may be new, social studies researcher, Jessamy Gleeson, contends that it is used to describe a “relatively old set of behaviours” (Gleeson 2018). Gaslighting covers a range of inappropriate behaviours, however the central practice is “the psychological manipulation of a person in order to erode their sense of self and sanity”(Gleeson 2018). Some common strategies include denial of the gaslightee’s experience, escalation, trivialization and countering. Unfortunately, gaslighting has also been used to dismiss a number of #MeToo confessions of victims of abuse and domestic violence cases. However, on a more societal scale, gaslighting has been used to reframe a common (and toxic) set of female stereotypes, including the “crazy ex-girlfriend” and the “hysterical woman”, challenging the motivations of the accuser instead of fueling the idea that women are crazy (Gleeson 2018).

Anita Sarkeesian is a feminist media critic and showcases the serious implications of online harassment in her TEDxWomen talk. Sarkeesian outlines the severe online misogyny she has experienced first-hand within the video game community and the online harassment she has received due to her field of work. When Sarkeesian founded the ‘Feminist Frequency’, a video web-series exploring the representations of women in pop-culture narratives, she was immediately met with an overwhelmingly negative response from the male-dominated online gaming community. Sarkeesian was publicly humiliated and subjected to abhorrent hate speech, including rape and death threats, a bomb scare and a violent video game, which allowed players to punch an image of her face (Erica Webber 2017). Therefore, Anita Sarrkeensian’s experiences with online harassment epitomize the notion that women, in particular women of colour and queer women, “are more susceptible to online harassment, to the point where [some] young women may see it as a normal part of online experience” (Lenhart et al. 2016).

The legal implications and consequences of online harassment are murky waters, with divided opinions regarding the most appropriate and effective methods for curving online harassment (Milne 2020, lecture slide 15). At present, there is no single piece of legislation against bullying in Australia. However, the sex discrimination act 1984 and criminal code act 1995 are acts offering protection to Australians in the online sphere. Another way of attempting to reduce social media conflict is to go directly to the source – the social media platforms themselves – and urge them to enforce stricter moderating protocols and algorithms to eradicate inappropriate behaviour online. The urge for tighter regulation of the digital sphere is further emphasised by assistant professor of communication and journalism, Glen Fuller. Fuller contends that the reason for insisting on distinctions between individual online social situations is because “each technology and technological change requires due consideration and a measured policy response” (Fuller 2014). Anita Sarkeesian argues that social media platforms need to be the agents of change in order to eliminate online harassment. Sarkeesian believes that their current attempts to regulate cyber-hate are “like Band-Aids on a fundamentally flawed structure” (Erica Webber 2017). Continuing on, advocacy and advice are alternative options to legal remedies, which the eSafety Commissioner is responsible for in Australia. Lastly, on a lighter note, some people have turned to humour to raise awareness about online harassment, including the well-known comedians Hannah Gadsby and Amy Schumer.

Therefore, it is evident that there is an urgent need for well-researched and effective new media legislation regarding online harassment, trolling and cyber-bullying, not simply in Australia, but on a global scale. Furthermore, associate professor of media and communication, Dr Anthony McCosker, contends that the central question for ensuring cyber safety through digital citizenship is “how to account for and promote critical and creative literacies while accounting for conflict, harassment and the wellbeing interests of young people.” Therefore, this week’s topic has highlighted that whilst there are many positive and empowering aspects of digital citizenship and digital communities, there is also a darker side to the Internet and social media, which should not be dismissed, and can unfortunately have a serious, harmful and sometimes irreversible impact on members of society.

Image Source: ‘unknown’ via Pinterest

References

Burnside, N & Roy, T 2019, ‘Online abuse, harassment, cyber trolling costing Australians $3.7 billion’, ABC News, 28 January, viewed 28 May 2020, <https:// www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-28/online-abuse-harassment-costing-australians-3.7-billion/10754196>.

Erica Webber, J 2017, ‘Anita Sarkeesian: ‘It’s frustrating to be known as the woman who survived #Gamergate’’, The Guardian, 17 October, viewed 28 May 2020, <https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/16/anita-sarkeesian-its-frustrating-to-be-known-as-the-woman-who-survived-gamergate>.

Fuller, G 2014, ‘Cyber-safety’: what are we actually talking about?’, The Conversation, 27 February, viewed 29 May 2020, <https://theconversation.com/cyber-safety-what-are-we-actually-talking-about-23505>.

Gleeson, J 2018, ‘Explainer: what does ‘gaslighting’ mean?’, The Conversation, 6 December, viewed 28 May 2020, <https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-gaslighting-mean-107888>.

Hopkins, S & Ostini, J 2015, ‘Online harassment is a form of violence’, The Conversation, 8 April, viewed 29 May 2020, <https://theconversation.com/online-harassment-is-a-form-of-violence-38846>.

Lenhart, A, Ybarra, M, Zickuhr, K & Price-Feeney, M 2016, ‘Online Harassment, Digital Abuse, and Cyberstalking in America’, Data & Society Research Institute, 21 November, viewed 30 May 2020, <https://www.datasociety.net/pubs/oh/Online_Harassment_ 2016.pdf>.

Marwick, A E. & Caplan, R 2018, 'Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment', Feminist Media Studies, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 543-559.

McCosker, A 2016, ‘Managing digital citizenship: cyber safety as three layers of control’, in McCosker, A, Vivienne, S & Johns, A (eds), Negotiating Digital Citizenship, Rowman & Littlefield International, Maryland, pp. 1-15.

Milne, E 2020, ‘Lecture 11. Digital communities and trolls – understanding social media conflict’, MDA20009 Digital communities, Learning materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 27 May, viewed 27 May 2020.

TEDx Talks 2012, Anita Sarkeesian at TEDxWomen 2012, 5 December, viewed 28 May 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZAxwsg9J9Q>.

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Alone but Together: ‘Animal Crossing’ creating togetherness during social isolation (#10)...

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is arguably the most talked about topic (and video game) trending across all social media platforms at the moment… why? The world is in the midst of a stressful and uncertain time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why a cute, innocent and cheerful fantasy cartoon video game like Animal Crossing has quickly gained such popularity and is thriving during social isolation.

The game’s purpose is to give players a feeling of empowerment and community, visualized through an adorable and pastel aesthetic. This “warm-hug” environment is particularly appealing and important during times like this, when a global pandemic has dramatically altered everyone’s day-to-day lives.

Therefore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an excellent example of social gaming, interactivity and illustrates the power of video games to connect people. 

Some key quotes from Imad Khan’s article for The New York Times include… 

“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. Upbeat acoustic jams or bossa nova synths play in the background.” 

“Dr. Ramzan posits that the opportunities Animal Crossing affords players contribute to its wide appeal. For children, being able to engage in adultlike chores, like building and decorating a house, gives them power often out of reach.” 

“For adults, especially millennials who have lived through the Great Recession and current coronavirus-induced economic stress, it offers the white picket fence often associated with the American dream that’s increasingly elusive. Debt, which can accumulate quickly in Animal Crossing, can also be paid off easily. Goals feel attainable and within reach.”

You can read the full article on The New York Times website.

References

Buchanan, K 2020, ‘Animal Crossing is the perfect way to spend quarantine’, The New York Times, 31 March, viewed 23 May 2020, <https://www.nytimes.com/ 2020/03/31/arts/animal-crossingvirus.html?action=click&module= RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>. 

Khan, I 2020, ‘Why Animal Crossing is the game for the Coronavirus moment’, The New York Times, 7 April, viewed 23 May 2020, <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/arts/animal-crossing-covid-coronavirus-popularity-millennials.html>.

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Creating Communities through Gaming & Social Gaming (week 10)

Admittedly, I don’t have very much experience or prior knowledge of the gaming world, so I found this week’s lecture and readings quite intriguing to learn more about the ways in which gaming fosters digital communities. Taylor Hardwick researches inclusion within video game communities, and gave a fascinating presentation featuring a range of definitions of social gaming and deconstructed a number of common myths surrounding gaming.

According to Taylor Hardwick, whilst the notion of playing games is most commonly associated with young children, “play transcends age, gender and cultural boundaries” and can be considered an essential aspect of the human condition (Hardwick 2020). Similarly, philosopher Bernard Suits, describes playing games as “the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles” (Suits 1978, p. 41). Gaming is often perceived as a world of its own, with myriads of intense gamers, typically anti-social men, commonly referred to as ‘the lone gamer’, who play violent video games and troll each other online.

A key element of games is that they’re “inherently social” (Hardwick 2020) because they always involve people in some shape or form, and are based around interaction and engagement. Taylor Hardwick describes social gaming as a “genre of games that revolves around social networking sites”, which became popularized in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Social games are played online and utilize existing social networks to foster interactivity and connection (Hardwick 2020). For instance, well-established game producers ‘Zynga’ (Farmville) and ‘King’ (Candy Crush) were arguably the first to tap into the user-base and networked structure of social networking sites. Whilst Facebook, and now Facebook Gaming, is a well-known social media platform, it is only one example of social network and mobile games. Some other popular platforms include ‘Gillespie’, ‘Steam’ and ‘Discord’, which is an extremely popular communications platform created by gamers for gamers as a way to communicate with friends while playing games online. Therefore, social games has ultimately led to the diversification of the demographics of people who play video games, and formed a participatory culture involving active social communities based on particular games, as well as an “assemblage of smaller communities that players flow between” (Hardwick 2020).

Continuing on from the idea of the formation of digital communities through games, American media scholar, Henry Jenkins, proposes the concept of “knowledge communities” (Jenkins 2006, p.25). Jenkins believes “knowledge communities” are “held together through the mutual production and reciprocal exchange of knowledge” (Jenkins 2006, p.136). Put simply, this is when players and game developers create external spaces to post additional gaming-related information and content, which can be shared through wikis, blogs, forums, fan-pages and walk-throughs. Ultimately, Hardwick contends that “knowledge communities” allow players to experience games in a multitude of ways and “grow the game world into something that is external to the game itself” (Hardwick 2020).

‘Modding’ is another aspect of the video gaming community that further highlights the interactive and collaborative nature of gaming. ‘Mod’ is short for the modification of a video game, and is a form of player production that involves top-tier gamers experimenting with games to create a ‘modified’ version of the game. Therefore, ‘modding’ is an example of Axel Bruns notion of the ‘prosumer’ (Bruns 2009), whereby commercial operators (gaming developers and companies) are allowing ‘produsage communities’ (gamers) to participate in the production process and contribute their skills and talents to develop innovative games (Bruns 2012, p. 817).

Prior to the advent of modern video games such as Xbox, console, interactive apps and virtual reality headsets; social games can be traced back to arcade games, which reintroduced the idea that adults could ‘play’, local multiplayer, and the online multiplayer; which ultimately developed to include social media, mobile games and the online streaming platforms many people know and love today. Fast-forward to the present day, where there are now a number of video game streaming platforms used by gamers focused around spectatorship, including ‘Twitch’, YouTube, Facebook Gaming and Microsoft Mixer. ‘Twitch’ is arguably one of the most popular of these platforms, and is focused on the “rhetoric around community and creating a space for fun” (Hardwick 2020). Whereas, YouTube Gaming has recently made the decision to focus their platform on investing in creators, such as the incredibly famous Swedish YouTuber, ‘PewDiePie’, and intends to make itself a strong streaming platform competition to ‘Twitch’.

Therefore, it is evident that video games aren’t simply a fun pass-time for bored and anti-social teenage boys. In fact, the gaming industry, particularly social gaming, is much more complex and multi-faceted, and a cutting-edge digital landscape which continues to create online spaces for everyday people, in the form of gamers, to express themselves, interact and engage with others, and work together to develop the games they enjoy playing even further.

Image Source: Unknown via Pinterest

References

Bruns, A 2012, ‘Reconciling community and commerce?’, Information, Communication & Society, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 815-835.

Gialouris, C 2017, ‘Social gaming: It’s bigger than you think’, The Drop, 6 November, viewed 23 May 2020, <https://the-drop.com.au/social-gaming-its-bigger-than-you-think/>.

Hardwick, T 2020, ‘Lecture 10. Gaming communities, social gaming and live streaming’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning material via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 20 May, viewed 20 May 2020.

Jenkins, H 2006, Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide, New York University Press, New York.

Sinha, R 2018, ’15 biggest Fortnite controversies that shocked players (maybe)’, Gaming Bolt, 27 September, viewed 23 May 2020, <https://gamingbolt.com/15-biggest-fortnite-controversies-that-shocked-players-maybe>.

Suits, B 1978, The Grasshopper: Games, life and utopia, University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Taylor, TL 2018, Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming, Princeton University Press, Princeton.

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Examples of Hashtag Activism Promoting Gender Equality (#9)...

Continuing on from my previous blog post on political engagement, platform publics, ‘clicktavism’ and hashtag activism, I thought I would feature some more detail on a couple of the hashtag activism movements that were mentioned in my last post...

#HeForShe - this campaign was initiated by the United Nations in June 2014, with the main goal to achieve equality by encouraging both genders to partake as agents of change and dismantle toxic and demeaning gender stereotypes and behaviours. The campaign includes Emma Watson and Justin Trudeau as spokespeople. 

You can read more about the #HeForShe movement here: https://www.heforshe.org/en

#MeToo - Tarana Burke was the first person to use this hashtag in 2006 to ‘promote empowerment through empathy’, however the hashtag truly reached viral status in 2017 when famous Hollywood actresses began encouraging other women to share their experiences with sexual harassment and assault on Twitter. The #MeToo movement continues today, with the overall aim of significantly reducing the stigma around speaking about sexual assault and to ultimately end the violence inflicted upon women from the patriarchy. 

You can read more about the #MeToo movement here: https://metoomvmt.org/

#DressLikeAWoman - this hashtag activism movement was instigated after a report alleged that President Trump preferred women to “dress like women”. Women took to Twitter to turn this phrase on its head, posting photos of themselves wearing their interpretation of the dress code and to promote an empowering message - that women are equal to men, nothing less. 

You can read more about the #DressLikeAWoman movement here:

https://www.bustle.com/p/dress-like-a-woman-twitter-hashtag-nails-the-absurdity-of-dress-code-double-standards-35341

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Political Engagement, Platform Publics, ‘Clicktavism’ & Hashtag Activism (week 9)

A core aspect of digital citizenship is political engagement, such as voting, as well as “engagement outside the election process” (Stickels 2020), including activism and campaigning. According to Luke Stickels, a campaigner, communication consultant and community organiser, a campaign can be defined as a “project of linked actions organised towards achieving a particular goal”, whether this be political, social, business or marketing (Stickels 2020). According to The Change Agency, a theory of change can “help guide campaigners, their teams and communities” (Whelan 2020). The Change Agency propose a three part format to train campaigners to clarify their theory of change and ensure it will have their desired impact on society. This strategy includes – “if” (we implement these tactics and activities), “then” (this will create change or lead to a political outcome), and “because” (some persuasive causal logic, such as why).

Due to the enormous reach afforded by social media platforms, campaigns can quickly develop online, particularly through hashtags such as #WomensMarch, #BlackLivesMatter, #BringBackOurGirls and #HeForShe. Amongst many others, these campaigns originated from hashtag activism. Brooke Foucault Welles, assistant professor of online activism, explains her perspective on hashtag activism, as where people “use hashtags in order to denote things or issues of political or personal meaning in order to gain traction in the mainstream” (SAGE publications 2019). Continuing on, Welles notes that “hashtag publics capture mainstream news attention”, which is perhaps what makes them so powerful (SAGE publications 2019). Therefore, these aforementioned examples of hashtag activism have been developed to bring people together on a global scale through the power and reach of social media networks. It’s also worth noting that the majority of these campaigns have also been promoted and backed by well-known celebrities and spokespeople in this field, including Emma Watson and Michelle Obama, which helps the campaign’s messages reach more people.

Another key aspect of digital communities relating to political engagement and activism are platform publics, which are facilitated through social media channels, including Tumblr, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For example, writer and media expert, Luke Stickels analyses the platform publics formed on Twitter in this week’s lecture, describing the platform as a place with users create strong and defined identities, ‘hashtag battlefronts’, and accessible archives of their thoughts and opinions on various topics (Stickels 2020). Another important point Brooke Foucault Welles raised is the idea of networked counterpublics, which Welles believes “essentially fill a gap in our understanding of how people communication online (SAGE publications 2019). Therefore, the term counterpublics has been coined to describe the way that people considered on the margins of society, who aren’t necessarily included in mainstream conversations, particularly in the news and other media, can come together and form their own online communities (SAGE publications 2019). Ultimately, Welles explains, these online interactivity is intended to advance their counterpublics by “pushing them into these mainstream publics” in order to have their voices and stories heard by a wider audience.

In a similar vein to platform publics and hashtag activism, ‘clicktavism’ is another term used to describe the rise of political engagement, especially online activism. However, this terminology has been met with mixed opinions from media scholars and activists. For instance, in an interview with The Guardian, Larissa Ocampo, online community manager at ‘One Girl’ and specialist in the not-for-profit space, describes ‘clicktavism’ as a step towards activism, arguing in favour of this new movement. Ocampo explains that “the ease and convenience of online actions (clicks, likes, tweets and shares)” is an innovative and game-changing way of introducing more people to activism in ways that aren’t intimidating and are accessible for the majority of people (Banning-Lover 2014). Whereas, Micah White, the original creator of the Occupy Wall Street protests, believes ‘clicktavism’ is “fatally flawed”, reducing this new wave of activism to “meme wars” and “propagat[ing] a false theory of social change” (Banning-Lover 2014).

Therefore, it is clear that terminology relating to online activism has created polarizing perspectives on the validity and effectiveness of the increasing popularity of digital activism. However, despite these varied opinions as to the benefits and consequences of online activism, digital communities formed on these social media platforms are evidently helping pave the wave for change in society. This can be in the form of incremental or huge ways, including raising awareness, helping reduce stigma around particular issues or raising significant funds for their associated charities.

Image Credit: ‘For All Womankind’ Illustration Poster by Deva Pardue 2016.

References

Alvarez, N, Lauzon, C & Zaiontz, K 2019, ‘On sustainable tools for precarious times: An introduction’, in N Alvarez, C, Lauzon & K, Zaiontz (eds), Sustainable tools for precarious times, Palgrave Macmillian, Switzerland, pp. 1-25.

Banning-Lover, R 2014, ‘How to campaign online: 15 dos and don’ts’, The Guardian, 15 July, viewed 14 May 2020, <https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/jul/15/16-dos-and-donts-of-online-campaigning-clicktivism-digital-activism-kony>.

Foucault Welles, B 2019, Researching online activism using social network analysis, SAGE Publications Ltd, London, viewed 14 May 2020, <https://methods-sagepub-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/video/researching-online-activism-using-social-network-analysis>.

Hitchings-Hales, J & Calderwood, I 2017, ‘8 massive moments hashtag activism really, really worked’, Global Citizen, 23 August, viewed 16 May 2020, <https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hashtag-activism-hashtag10-twitter-trends-dresslik/>.

One Girl 2020, Why girls?, One Girl, viewed 15 May 2020, <https://www.onegirl.org.au/our-impact/why-girls>.

Stickels, L 2020, ‘Week 9. Digital activism and campaigning’, MDA20009 Digital communities, Learning materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 13 May, viewed 13 May 2020.

Whelan, J 2020, ‘Theories of change’, The Change Agency, 21 April, viewed 15 May 2020, <http://www.thechangeagency.org/theories-of-change/>.

White, M, Alvarez, N & Zaiontz, K 2019, ‘Protest after Occupy: Rethinking the repertoires of left activism’, in N Alvarez, C, Lauzon & K, Zaiontz (eds), Sustainable tools for precarious times, Palgrave Macmillian, Switzerland, pp. 27-40.

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Interesting Article about ‘Instagram Face’ (#8)...

‘I tried ‘Instagram face’ for a week and here’s what happened…’ 

This article written by Alexandra Jones explores the rise of selfie make-up and social media user’s quest for hyper-perfection. You can read the full article on the BBC online. 

“Search the make-up hashtag on any social media site and you’ll come across it. The unique flaws that make us who we are, that make humans so attractive, have been replaced by one face. The Face.” 

“My brain is dopamine-drunk; the neurochemical is released whenever we have a positive social interaction, it makes us feel good and reinforces our desire to do whatever we just did again (the same physical response that causes addiction.)” 

“The face is a by-product of our selfie-obsession – it’s a make-up created for selfies, right down to re-shaping our noses so that they’re “daintier” – spawned specifically for social media above real life.”

References

Jones, A 2018, ‘I tried ‘Instagram face’ for a week and here’s what happened…’, BBC, 17 August, viewed 10 May 2020, <https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/5c237a34-7a47-4deb-a5b4-a23e77cc88f7>.

[lavieestbellebelle]

Body Image & Self Love... (#8)

“In a world that profits from your insecurity, loving yourself is a rebellious act.” (Caroline Caldwell)

“If tomorrow, women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think how many industries would go out of business.” (Dr. Gail Dines)

This is a very interesting perspective on body image and something that encourages on-going discussion and debate on this incredibly diverse topic. There are countless industries that are sending audiences and potential customers messages that if they had ‘this cream they’d look more youthful’, these ‘jeans will flatter your figure’, this ‘concealer will cover up your blemishes and imperfections’, and subliminal messages inferring that this ‘cosmetic surgery will make you look beautiful and happy’, the list goes on and on... 

Since these industries are showing no signs of disappearing anytime soon, Caroline Caldwell encourages society to take matters into their own hands, and realise that they’re perfect the way they. 

Image Source: Etsy

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Aesthetic Templates on Social Media & Impacts on Body Image (week 8)

Aesthetic templates can be defined as the deliberate aesthetic choices made by content creators, which typically involves “morphing yourself into an online brand”, and are considered a “necessary component of Internet participation” (Mavroudis 2020). The mainstream popularity of aesthetic templates is arguably led by the Kardashians, who are famous for their provocative poses and posts. This has also led to the rise of social media influencers and microcelebrities, who emulate the Kardashians through their own content, poses and product placements. Theresa Senft, author and researcher on Internet culture and self-branding, defines microcelebrities as a “new form of identity linked almost exclusively to online spaces” (Senft 2012). These performances of self involve “creating and maintaining an online identity that resembles a branded good in order to gain status through visibility online” (Marwich 2013; Senft 2012). Therefore, in the digital context, many women are presenting a highly sexualized version of themselves online (Mavroudis, 2020). Popular poses include serious ‘model’ type facial expressions and pouting to accentuate full lips, and sensual positions that emphasis a woman’s hips, bottom and breasts. In a similar vein, in recent years, heavily contoured and bronzed makeup is also popular and full-face of makeup selfies tend to receive lots of likes on social media.

Digital media and identity scholar, Dr Jonathan Mavroudis, describes these girls as looking essentially “like porn stars” (Mavroudis 2020). Within Western societies, is has become normalized and common-place for women to display sexuality which reflects the aesthetics of commercial pornography (Drenten & Gurrieri 2019). To clarify the meaning of this movement of pornification and suggestive poses, pornification can be defined as “portraying a heteronormative display of sexuality or ‘porn chic’ aesthetic orientated towards a male audience” (Drenten & Gurrieri 2019). This ‘porn chic’ aesthetic is evident through the way female influencers pose alongside the products they’re promoting, as objects themselves, illustrated through common gestures and body language that accentuates bodily curves (Mavroudis 2020). Some famous examples include brands like ‘Skims’, a shape enhancing undergarments line created by Kim Kardashian West and ‘Fashion Nova’, a popular online women’s fashion store specializing in cheap club dresses, bodysuits and other tight-fitting clothes. Both these brands exemplify the mainstream aesthetic templates that portray women as a commodity and sexual objects, and promote one specific body type – typically curvy figure, accentuated hips, large bottom and large-breasted.

Many of these microcelebrities and influencers have formed hugely popular digital communities with the public through social media platforms, particularly on Instagram and YouTube. However, these aesthetic templates can also be incredibly damaging and harmful for their audience’s mental health and self-esteem. In particular, many public ‘health campaigns’ promoting aesthetic templates are often unachievable and unhealthy, on a physical, emotional and social level. This is because they’re enforcing potentially damaging heteronormative ideals which perpetuate patriarchal ideals and strict gender roles” (Mavroudis 2020). The popularity of aesthetic templates on social media is also closely linked to Body Dysmorphic Disorder, as many young people struggle to “manage the tensions between their offline bodies and who they aspire to be on social media” (Mavroudis 2020). This is why microcelebrity-endorsed products relating to restrictive diets and detox teas, shape-wear and meal-supplements, can have very serious implications on vulnerable audiences and followers who would try anything to recreate the idolized body types they’re incessantly exposed to on social media.

Secondly, aesthetic templates has also led to greater cosmetic seeking behaviours, particularly amongst women who are dissatisfied with their personal image and are desperate to look like the digital microcelebrities they idolize. Visual social media platforms, particularly Instagram and YouTube have become popular platforms for people to search for reviews of procedures and ‘before and after’ photos of cosmetic surgery. However, this can be dangerous, as cosmetic surgery related content online is “predominantly framed… in a positive manner” and may include experiences that patients have been paid to share; and therefore aren’t always unbiased and trustworthy (Wen et al. 2015). Consequently, “the Internet and social media have become ubiquitous in the world of plastic surgery” (Dorfman et al. 2018, p. 332).

Therefore, body satisfaction levels, in both women and men, have been significantly impacted by the one-size-fits-all approach to body image, facilitated through popular aesthetic types, which are promoted in the digital sphere. This also highlights the deeply intertwined connection between aesthetic templates and public ‘health’ campaigns. Therefore, raising concerns about the problematic nature of these aesthetic templates, and the many negative repercussions these can have on an individual’s self-worth and body satisfaction, and society as a whole.

References

Dorfman, R G., Vaca, E E., Mahmood, E, Fine, N A. & Schierle, C 2018, ‘Plastic surgery-related hashtag utilization on Instagram: Implications for education and marketing’, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 332-338.

Drenten, J, Gurrieri, L & Tyler, M 2019, ‘Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention’, Gender Work Organ, vol. 27, pp. 41-66.

Mavroudis, J 2020, ‘Lecture 8. Public health campaigns and social media influence’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 6 May, viewed 6 May 2020.

Senft, T M. 2012, ‘Micro-celebrity and the branded self’, in J Burgess & A Bruns (eds), A companion to new media dynamics, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 1-9.

Wen, N, Chia, S C., Hao, X 2015, ‘What do social media say about makeovers? A content analysis of cosmetic surgery videos and viewers’ responses on YouTube’, Health Communication, vol. 30, no. 9, pp. 933-942.

[lavieestbellebelle]

Slow Fashion Influencers, Podcasters & Speakers... (#7)

This blog post is a continuation of my previous blog post on the slow fashion movement, providing a more in-depth feature of a diverse range of Instagrammers, podcasters and other online activists and thought-leaders within this space teaching their audiences about the slow fashion movement, sustainable fashion and conscious consumerism…

Hannah Heading is an Australian content creator focusing on a sustainable approach to fashion, featuring second-hand finds and styling tips through her beautifully curated Instagram page. She also recently launched her own podcast called ‘Well Worn Pod’, which explores the joy of secondhand through fascinating interviews. 

Known as Unmaterial Girl on Instagram, Leah is a former fast fashion addict turned slow fashion activist and eco-stylist based in Melbourne. She also shares lots of beautiful and stylish crafty creations and DIY clothing projects.

Candice M Tay is a Toronto-based content creator who posts a mix of YouTube videos and Instagram content, curating a conscious slow fashion diary and sharing her sustainable living wisdom with her online community. 

Gabriella Smith is the founder of The Upcycle Project, a platform that raises awareness on the waste that the fashion industry creates by making hands on, circular solutions for design students. Their motto is “sustainability starts with the designer”. She is also a TEDX speaker.

Her TED talk I Broke up With Fast Fashion and You Should Too about her journey to an ethical closet is a fascinating listen and filled with pearls of wisdom. 

Clara Vuletich is an Australian sustainable fashion strategist, coach and adviser, TEDX speaker and also hosts group training and one-on-one coaching sessions about sustainable and slow fashion. 

In her TED talk How to Engage with Ethical Fashion, she shares actionable and achievable steps fashion lovers should be doing in order to work towards a more conscious, slow and sustainable fashion industry. Her perspective that  “we’re currently in a transition to a new type of fashion industry based on ecological and holistic principles of closing the loop on materials, that prioritises community, values, and respect of all the people in the supply chain” is particularly interesting. 

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Podcast: Australian Designer Charlotte Hicks on Sustainability in the Fashion Industry... (#7)

This is an insightful podcast interview featuring Charlotte Hicks, designer and founder of Esse Studios, an Australian clothing label creating conscious editions of refined and sustainable capsule wardrobes for the modern woman. 

Charlotte reflects on the role of businesses in this day and age, and their responsibility to design and produce sustainable clothing. She believes that everyone should be undergoing their own due diligence, and it’s ultimately “about working together to educate each other, staying nimble and reacting to what’s going on, constantly re-evaluate if there’s a better way of doing things…” 

Charlotte Hicks and Alison Rice also raise the interesting point that “what you wear becomes a statement of your own belief systems” and say something about you as an individual, which is ultimately a form of wearable activism, promoting the values of the clothing labels you wear.

If you’re interested in listening to the interview, search for Offline The Podcast on Apple podcasts or https://offline-thepodcast.com/

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The Intersection Between The Slow Fashion Movement & Digital Citizenship (week 7)

When referring to the online media landscape, digital citizenship encompasses a range of user behaviours, ranging from proactive and positive elements to more negative behaviour. In relation to the slow fashion movement, digital citizenship includes engaging respectfully with others as a good corporate citizen, and the responsibility of content creators to produce meaningful and entertaining content, whilst considering the potential impacts their habits and influence may have on others and the environment.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development defines sustainable fashion as “goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimising the use of natural resources, toxic materials, emissions of waste and pollutants over the life-cycle” (IISD 2015). This means that slow fashion is focused on promoting more eco-friendly and conscious shopping habits to reduce our impact on the planet. For instance, buying second hand or ‘thrifting’ and supporting fashion labels that are transparent about their ethical supply chains, using natural, recycled or up-cycled materials and supporting local designers and artists when developing and producing their clothing collections. Although the slow fashion movement has become more well known since it has reached #trending status on social media, this isn’t an entirely new movement, and can be traced back to the counter culture of the 1960s and anti-fur campaigns during the 1990s and early 2000s (Lai et al 2017, p. 81).

For the purpose of this analysis, I will refer to activism in the 21st century as the ‘second wave’ of the slow fashion movement. The collapse of the Rana Plaza, an eight-story building tragically killing 1,138 garment workers and in excess of 2,000 fatal injuries, in Dhaka in 2014 was a pivotal moment in the fashion industry (Parven 2014). This tragic incident emphasised the suffering of employees in the conventional textile industry, and raises the point that “compassion should play a significant role in sustainable fashion consumption” (Geiger & Keller 2017, p. 1124). Therefore, this was arguably one of the greatest public outcries for more transparency within fashion supply chains for security and ethical trading practices. Similarly, the release of ‘The True Cost’ documentary, directed by filmmaker Andrew Morgan in 2015 was another influential moment in the slow fashion movement. This shocking exposé of the dirty secrets of the global fashion industry highlights the true human cost of the fast-fashion retailers, and ultimately poses the question, who really pays the price for our clothing? This creates a fascinating juxtaposition between the extreme poverty and poor working conditions of the employees working for these big brands, in comparison to the glamorous models and advertising campaigns, which encourage wealthy consumers to invest in their luxury clothes. Interestingly, many activists and influencers in the slow fashion movement have described this groundbreaking documentary as a pivotal and significant catalyst towards their journey towards more ethical and conscious consumerism and overall approach to fashion.

Social media arguably has both positive and negative impacts on consumerism and the slow fashion movement. The most prominent damaging example are the extremely popular clothing ‘haul’ videos created by YouTubers and influencers, which promote regular shopping trips and materialism to their online audience. However, aside from the clear negative aspects, social media platforms, particularly YouTube and Instagram, have offered both consumers and producers of fashion a highly effective platform and exciting digital space to ‘spread the word’. This has ultimately fostered the development of digital communities that are passionate about and interested in the slow fashion movement, ethical labels and conscious consumerism. Some famous slow fashion activists and content creators include the well-known Tiffany Ferguson, Kirsten Leo, Venetia La Manna, and some of my personal favourites, Australian-based Hannah Heading, Clare Press and Unmaterial Girl. Other positive acts of digital citizenship encouraged by digital communities include the popular ‘capsule wardrobe’ movement, the ‘10x10 challenge’, originally created by style bloggers, Lee of Style Bee and Caroline of Un-Fancy; and the #createorrenew and #capsuleconversation hashtag publics created by Danice M Tay, a Toronto-based slow fashion and sustainable living blogger.

Therefore, it is clear that there is a powerful connection between the slow fashion movement and digital citizenship, which is highlighted through the influence of slow fashion online activists and the rise of digital communities within the eco-fashion space.

Illustration by Camila Gadotti, a Lisbon-based artist.

References

Geiger, S & Keller, J 2017, ‘Shopping for clothes and sensitivity to the suffering of others: the role of compassion and values in sustainable fashion consumption’, Environment and Behaviour, vol. 50, no. 10, pp. 1119-1144.

Henninger, C, Ryding, D, Alevizou, P & Goworek, H 2017, ‘Introduction to sustainability in fashion’, in Sustainability in fashion a cradle to upcycle approach, Palgrave, Manchester, pp. 1-10.

International Institute for Sustainable Development 2015, Definitions & concepts, IISD, viewed 1 May 2020 <http://www.iisd.org/susprod/principles .htm>.

Lai, Z, Henninger, C & Alevizou, P 2017, ‘An exploration of consumers’ perceptions towards sustainable fashion – a qualitative study in the UK’, in Sustainability in fashion a cradle to upcycle approach, Palgrave, Manchester, pp. 81-100.

Parveen, S 2014, ‘Rana Plaza factory collapse survivors struggle one year on’, BBC, viewed 29 April 2020, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27107860, accessed: 06/08/2014>.

The True Cost 2015 [DVD], Life is My Movie Entertainment.

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The Underestimated Power of Kindness... (#6)

This quote is inspired by the lessons I learnt from Ayishat Akanbi’s video mentioned in my previous post.

Illustration Credit: ‘Be Kind - Smiley Face Canvas Print’ designed by Libbie Bischoff

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Ayishat Akanbi on the problematic nature of ‘wokeness’... (#6)

This video in conversation with cultural commentator, writer and fashion stylist, Ayishat Akanbi, explores the radical power of kindness, empathy and understanding. Akanbi believes that these qualities are crucial in allowing us to move forward and create positive and meaningful change in society. 

Akanbi also discusses the problems with ‘wokeness’, explaining that it “runs the risk of reducing very complex societal issues, and tends to be quite reactionary instead of response” (Double Down News 2018).

Reference

Double Down News 2018, The problems with wokeness, 30 October, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-WimRb2jXs>.

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Defining Digital Citizenship (week 6)

Digital citizenship can be used to describe the complex and intricate ways in which people participate in society through digital technologies, such as social media platforms. According to the Australian eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant (2020), a model example of a digital citizen is someone with “the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital technologies in a positive way to participate in society, communicate with others, and create and consume digital content”. Therefore, digital citizenship can be described as the process through which digital communities are formed, which is discussed in further detail in the previous blog post. Platform studies is the study of how platforms dictate user’s online presence and activity, through constraining and enabling particular kinds of behaviours and interactions on their platforms. For instance, some social media platforms afford users the opportunity to remain anonymous, whilst others require formal identification when joining.

This leads onto the concept of platformisation, and the deconstruction of the term ‘platform’ itself, which Principle Research at Microsoft Research, Tarleton Gillespie defines as something “computational” (Gillespie 2010, p. 349). Gillespie contends that platforms are “something to build upon and innovate from”, in both a political and architectural sense (Gillespie 2010, p. 352). This means that platforms are a place where people can freely voice their opinions and be heard, and in a design sense, these social media platforms are ultimately, an “open-armed, egalitarian facilitation of expression” (Gillespie 2010, p. 352). At its core, platformisation is the connectivity between platforms, which is facilitated through their shared language, including coding and other technical features. Furthermore, Professor of New Media and Digital Culture, Anne Helmond defines platformisation as the “transformation of social network sites into social media publics” (Helmond 2015, p. 1).

The idea of social media platforms operating as digital spaces for public discussion and debate, is highlighted through the strategic ways Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump controlled their messages during the 2016 US Presidential Election, carefully constructing digital personal brands to emphasise their character and personality, with the intent of creating “trustworthiness as political leaders” (Enli 2017, p. 59). Both candidates placed significant emphasis on their social media presence and image during the election period, because they were aware that social media platforms are “increasingly used as direct sources of news, bypassing the editorial media” (Enli 2017, p. 50). Another prime example of social media platforms facilitating political discourse is #auspol, short for Australian politics, one of Australia’s most popular Twitter hashtags. Anyone with a Twitter account can use this hashtag to initiate political discussion, although the hashtag is primarily used for “commentary and rumour spreading about the machinations of the federal government” (Bogle 2016).

Another key component of digital citizenship and online communities is hashtag publics, which enable further connectivity through a range of stylistic features, including themes, keyword markers and trending online movements. Hashtag publics are enabled through the search bar function on the explore page on social media platforms, where users can narrow their search for particular online movements, specific topics, celebrities, politics and everything in between, through hashtags. Some famous examples include #AusPol, #MeToo, #athomeworkouts and #COVID_19. Therefore, hashtag publics provide a virtual space for people with similar (or opposing) opinions and interests to congregate and partake in discussion and debate. This can lead to hashtag activism, briefly outlined above, and cancel culture, the complete opposite, also known as shaming culture.

Cancel culture, also commonly referred to as online shaming, and call-out culture, is a form of online public shaming, typically involving ‘leaked’ or private information on the Internet. The ethics and regulation surrounding this virtual form of public humiliation are blurred and are a constant source of debate amongst media scholars. Cultural commentator, writer and fashion stylist, Ayishat Akanbi, has also raised some interesting points about the issues with cancel culture, particularly the speed at which people can change their ideas and opinions (Double Down News 2020). Therefore, Akanbi encourages people to consider this perspective when controversial tweets and comments resurface from famous celebrities and actors that they posted many years ago. This is reflection of their past self, and perhaps they have a more nuanced understanding and standpoint of these topics now. Furthermore, former President of the United States, Barack Obama made an interesting point about cancel culture, stating that many young people have adopted the mindset that we way they can “make change, is to be as judgmental as possible as other people”, which he believes is accelerated by social media platforms (Guardian News 2019). Therefore, it is clear that you can’t bring about change by simply casting stones.

References 

Bogle, A 2016, ‘#auspol: the Twitter hashtag Australia can’t live without’, Mashable Australia, 21 March, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://mashable.com/ 2016/03/21/twitter-australia-auspol/>. 

Double Down News 2020, The problem with cancel culture, 21 January, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ZjTg1OpIE>. 

Enli, G 2017, ‘Twitter as an arena for the authentic outsider: Exploring the social media campaigns of Trump and Clinton in the 2016 presidential election’, European Journal of Communication, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 50-61. 

eSaftey Commissioner 2020, eSaftey Commissioner, Australian Government, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://www.esafety.gov.au/>. 

Gillespie, T 2010, ‘The politics of ‘platforms’’, New Media & Society, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 347-364. 

Guardian News 2019, Barack Obama takes on ‘woke’ call-out culture: ‘That’s not activism’, 30 October, viewed 25 April 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qaHLd8de6nM>. 

Helmond, A 2015, ‘The platformization of the web: Making web data platform ready’, Social Media + Society, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 1-11.

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Blogging: Singular or Collaborative Experience... (#5)

“Blogging, naturally, is a one-to-many approach. An individual creates their post on their own page, and is not required to interact with other users. The work remains a singularity. However, Hyde (2012, pp. 53) suggests that “social media platforms can become collaborative when they add an additional layer of coordination”.  Tumblr becomes a many-to-many platform when its features such as hashtags and the ability to comment and re-blog allows for posts that were once a singularity to become a part of a new collective object.” 

I found this paragraph from @brookelevy​‘s blog fascinating and quite thought-provoking! It’s so true, blogging has the potential to lead to forming connections and networking with likeminded individuals and creatives, ultimately forming digital communities and hashtag publics, however it is entirely up to the user... 

If you don’t step out of your comfort zone by reaching out and engaging with other content creators in the blogopshere, it can a rather individual and independent experience... 

Illustration Credit: Nicola Jane Creative, Illustration & Graphic Design