oh. okay.

[mlekomlekomleko]

11/14 (late)

How do online communities serve as safe spaces?

This seems like an easy question, but I argue that creating a comfortable space is one of the most difficult things you can do. There is an ideal image of a community that aims to be inclusive to all. However, in every space, there are certain people who inevitably do need to be excluded, removed, banned, or managed in some way in order to promote comfort and safety. For example, if you want to create a place that feels safe for queer and trans people, you cannot allow people into these spaces who are openly bigoted against them. I think that’s a struggle I have seen in a lot of online spaces. They say that everyone is allowed, trans people are welcome, and they have no rules that exclude them in any way. But if there are even a handful of people who are allowed to be in that space, who can openly insult and tear down queer and trans people, it means that it isn’t a space that is truly meant to be comfortable for them.

What are my experiences with online communities that feel safe?

This blog post will consist only of these two questions this week. I believe this is an important enough topic for me to expand on my experience in significant detail. I have had relatively unrestricted internet access as a kid, and I chose to spend a lot of that time just hiding in communities, seeing what people would talk about, but remaining relatively quiet in these spaces. For a while, it was just because I didn’t really have an interest in engaging. As I got older and as I continued to form a stronger sense of identity, my reason for staying silent in these communities began to lean towards fear and discomfort. I may not have had the vocabulary to ever voice it when I was younger, but I think I figured out that I was queer and nonbinary when I was a kid still. That would be a really important factor when trying to find communities I felt comfortable in. I remember joining random chat groups and Discord servers. I remember being stunned by the way people spoke in general chats. More often than not, people in these communities would shout slurs, openly be homophobic, openly be racist, and no one seemed to mind all that much. I was rarely in these spaces for more than a few days. Eventually, I found an online community that I joined because it was centered around one of my interests. It was really nice, and I was active within it for around a year. However, while it may have been more welcoming in regards to aspects of my identity, it suffered from another really big problem: cliques and member conflicts. It was a pretty big community, I think cliques were unavoidable; however, it reached a point where I found out that apparently there were people who began to dislike me PURELY because I unknowingly befriended someone who was part of a specific clique. I didn’t last much longer in that community. Currently, I’m only active in one online community. It started off as a rather big community, managed by this artist I had followed. However, it imploded, and a friend of mine started a much smaller group with people who were much closer to us. I didn’t expect it to last, but the community has been wonderful. There’s unfortunately some cliquey behavior at times, but I think there is only so much that can be done about that. I think what made that community work so well was the way it was moderated. It was a lot different than what I’ve seen before. The moderator’s goals were to “need to moderate” as little as possible. They were open, and they tried to gather community input for every little change to the rules or environment. They were constantly checking in on individual members. It was nice. I wish more communities were like this. Despite an extremely diverse group of people, wildly different beliefs, there's never really disrespect. At worst, misunderstandings? But even those have been minimal. I wish I could describe what makes it work so well, but unfortunately, I think it might be luck. The members are all united by a common interest, people stay involved with one another, the mods don’t really feel “above anyone,” but I don’t know if those are even the things that make this place seem so secure.

[mlekomlekomleko]

11/7

What was the Occupy Wall Street Movement, and What Did it mean for Online Social Movements?

The Occupy Wall Street Movement was a 2011 protest movement that took place in Zuccotti Park. During this time, there was a lot of dissatisfaction with the economic state of things; people were upset with capitalism, corporations, their greed, and their influence in politics. The documentary, “The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem,” also describes the role of Anonymous in this movement. While Anonymous did not initiate this movement, they did bring a significant amount of attention to the movement. This was an emerging form of activism. This blend of digital and offline action showed a lot of promise and got people engaged on a massive scale.

What was different about the Black Lives Matter Movement compared to other social movements online and offline?

The biggest difference about the BLM movement was the sheer scale of it. While the movement actually has its origins way back in 2013, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman after shooting Trayvon Martin, the movement was revitalized in 2020 after the death of George Floyd. Another unique thing about this movement was the time it took place. 2020, the COVID-era, was entirely unprecedented. This was a time when the digital space dominated due to factors such as social distancing and quarantine. This was a time when digital activism was truly able to thrive, and as things transitioned back to “normal,” the activism didn’t just switch to being offline; rather, the Black Lives Matter Movement embraced the digital and offline aspects of the movement, gathering widespread engagement and physical, visible, tangible activism. 

How has this blend of digital and offline activism affected social movements today?

I think it is often very difficult to keep track of the success of social movements today. Something I have noticed is that often social movements will extend far past what social media seems to imply. Social media, and traditional media for that matter, tend to dwindle in coverage of social movements after a rather short period of time, no matter how long they truly carry on for. It gives this feeling that social movements are constantly fading in and out of existence with no real meaning or impact. However, these movements have so much significance, far past what you can see just based on social media alone.

Have digital spaces harmed social activism?

I wouldn’t say it in such black and white terms, but I think a huge part of internet culture is this thing where there are a million people who are on similar sides of an issue, but there are minuscule differences in how to achieve those goals. Internet culture feels heavily polarized; there’s no hiding out in the middle, and it’s a constant pull to be on one side of the issue or the other. I think this restricts proper and effective discourse and discussion. I think it inhibits people’s ability to not just compromise, but to collaborate on an issue and work together to bring change. Change cannot occur if people are not willing to give an inch to make things better, just because it’s not the exact image of what they had in mind.

References

Angelini, G., & Jones, A. (Directors). (2024). The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem [Film]. Ryder Picture Company; Winklevoss Pictures. 

HUSL Library: A brief history of civil rights in the United States: The black lives matter movement. The Black Lives Matter Movement - A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States - HUSL Library at Howard University School of Law. (n.d.). https://library.law.howard.edu/civilrightshistory/BLM 

[mlekomlekomleko]

10/31

Why has social media gotten more and more political?

Social media has gotten more political for I think several reasons. One, it feels as though the culture, both online and offline, has become one that is more willing to engage in political discourse. Although often, it's not done productively—at its worst, it feels as though people are forced to pick a side on every possible issue; people don’t really have a choice but to have some kind of opinion on the government. Furthermore, I think the issues within our government and the world of politics have gotten more complex than they ever have before. The government is now engaged in ruling on things that go far beyond what the Constitution ever expected. Issues like transgender rights, abortion, what kind of content can be taught in schools, and so on. There is probably nothing in this world that is unaffected now by the government and politics.

Has social media ever not been political?

I don’t think it’s exactly possible for anything to fully avoid being political. Because in the beginning, when technology was restricted to those who could afford it, there was an equity issue in who had access to the technology. Or, with sites like 4chan, those sites gathered heavy interest for the ability to exercise their freedom of speech under the guise of anonymity, and that quickly turned into political movements, such as Occupy Wall Street. And today, the way we see politics creep into social media is through the sheer amount of information (and disinformation and misinformation) that is pumped out widespread across every social media platform. Social Media has always been an avenue for political expression, whether it be from the manufacturers of the technology, to the CEOs who run social media sites, or the users of those platforms.

How is the political content on social media controlled

There are a lot of ways political content is controlled, some of it is algorithmic. Some content is effectively and systematically censored and hidden away from people discovering it. However, the other way that content is controlled is by influencers and celebrities, people who have a large following and can persuade their followers to lean one way or the other. A lot of celebrities get criticized when they don’t take an active or public stance on a widespread issue. While, personally, I don’t exactly feel that it is their responsibility, I do agree that it is almost irresponsible not to take note of that level of influence, and that the actions they take, or the inaction that they display

[mlekomlekomleko]

10/17

How did Silent Hill 3 explore the struggles of womanhood successfully?

The Silent Hill franchise of games falls under the survival horror genre. Which, at first glance, feels like an odd game genre to search for themes of womanhood, feminism, or any form of female empowerment. Silent Hill 3, released in 2003, focuses on the protagonist, Heather Mason, a 17-year-old girl. 

Heather is depicted as looking ordinary; she’s not conventionally attractive. She has short hair, she has freckles, no makeup, and a sense of fashion that, even for the time, comes across as a little awkward. As O’Riordan (2022) describes, the way that women are portrayed in digital art forms, such as games, is generally reflective of societal views, for better or for worse. Typically, in video games, the way that women are portrayed is hypersexualized and unrealistic—with large breasts and small waists, with a specific kind of face, and a specific kind of personality.

Heather encounters and describes numerous struggles as the game progresses. Some of her struggles are rooted in reality. Heather is a teenage girl, undergoing puberty, and looking for a sense of personal identity. And while, for the most part, the characters in the game treat her as an equal, Heather still has to fight against the traditional gender roles that are forced upon her. She has to endure stalking, and being sexualized for just being a woman. Many of her other struggles are supernatural—monsters, the otherworld, and most notably, she discovers is the reincarnation of Alessa, the woman originally fated to give birth to a cult’s god. That burden is now forced upon Heather by the cult, who seeks to avoid that fate at all costs. However, despite the supernatural circumstances that surround Heather’s pregnancy, the cult looking at Heather as nothing more than a vessel for childbirth is far from a supernatural struggle. Similar struggles can be found in today’s society. In which traditional, religious, and patriarchal values reduce women to their bodies, and typically praise the role of women as a strictly maternal one.

Finally, just by being a female protagonist in a horror game, Heather subverts the expectations of the genre. She isn’t a strong, muscular male lead. She’s a victim of circumstance, but not depicted in a way that makes her a damsel in distress. She doesn’t rely on anyone else to fix her problems, even learning of the fate that the cult wishes to bring to fruition, Heather remains determined to remain in control of her own autonomy. She wants to have control over her own life and her freedom, and she takes hold of it all on her own.

Does Silent Hill 3 still succumb to catering to the male audience? 

Silent Hill 3 was made in 2003. While now, gaming is still a very male-dominated hobby, women playing video games isn’t seen nearly as odd as it was back then. In the early development of Silent Hill 3, Heather’s appearance was meant to be more tomboyish to fit with her personality. That original outfit was composed of pants and a more boyish shirt. However, the developers pushed back against this, and the original vision became available as an alternative outfit, while her default outfit was created to depict her wearing a skirt, along with giving her curlier hair. While this doesn’t de-legitimize her as being a “tomboy,” it shows that even in the development side of things, trying to maintain norms of femininity was still a pressure in creating the game.

How is gaming moving away from the male gaze?

The kinds of games available today are very different from the ones in the past. There are games like The Sims, Animal Crossing, and Unpacking that aren’t the typical action-packed, violence-filled shooters and beat-em-ups. Rather, they don’t exactly cater to any particular gender demographic. They are calming and build upon interacting with the game in ways that either attempt to avoid or subvert the male fantasy, or the game may simply have gameplay that doesn’t require it at all.

Furthermore, the games that are action-packed, violent, and typical “male” games are now being created for a broader audience in mind. Games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring have a protagonist whose appearance is inconsequential to the story. These games often show male characters of power as being grotesque and supernaturally deformed into demons and monsters, as a result of their greed. These games have a gameplay loop centered almost entirely around combat, and a nebulous plot that is secondary to the gameplay.

In other words, some of the most popular games today are games that emphasize gameplay, fun, or provide some kind of benefit, such as being relaxing. People aren’t looking for games that mindlessly cater to the male fantasy.

References O’Riordan, K. (2022). Chapter 21 gender, technology, and visual cyberculture: Virtually women. Critical Cyberculture Studies, 243–254. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814708903.003.0025

[mlekomlekomleko]

10/10

Do people separate parts of their identity on the social media from real life?

I think the internet, and more specifically, social media, has given a new dimension to identity. I think there is an argument to be made that people aren’t the same they are online as they are in person, and I am not exactly disputing that argument. However, I think that with social media and the internet becoming a more integral part of everyday life, I don’t think that we can say that those are quite separate identities. People have their interests, and those aren’t really divided from the online space and the real world. Same thing is true with their beliefs. If you believe something and endorse it on the internet, that doesn’t just go away in real life. A person’s biases, their way of thinking, their background, their history—both online and offline, all shape a person, no matter where they are. All that is to say, there’s no “separation” of identity from online to offline, rather, I think it’s more like the context brings out certain parts of your behaviors and your beliefs.

Should there be a separation between a person’s life online versus offline?

In my opinion, I think there are a lot of times in which there should be a divide between these things. We are told often that we need to be cautious about what we post online, because it never goes away. We are told that any specks on our online history can impact our hireability. There are many cases in which I believe that is reasonable, such as if a person is known to be part of hate groups, or actively engages in communication that involves hate speech, discriminatory, etc. However, I do think that privacy is important, and while public behavior is something that absolutely can be a cause of concern, I don’t think that it is reasonable to expect any person to be a perfect shining example of professionalism in every space they occupy. I think at best, it means people have to put up a never-ending mask. At worst, it forces people to lost individuality and become a caricature for the sake of professionalism.

Are people as hateful as the internet appears to be?

First off, I want to expand upon this question. The internet is full of discourse, and full of both passive and active forms of discrimination and hate speech. There are constant memes that play upon stereotypes. There are memes that throw out slurs for some comedic effect when it truly is not needed. Is this a reflection of how the world is? I don’t think so. I think that the internet has a very loud few, who do believe the hate that is spewed online. However, the majority of people are likely not interacting with that kind of content, either they are not being exposed to it, or when they do see it, it’s an instant click-away. I think that the world, its systems, and the people in it are full of biases that they are not fully in control of. I think on the internet, those loud few have a place where they can express their hate and their biases in a way that makes them feel powerful and in control, when in real life, they know their sentiments of hate and discrimination would likely not be met with any kind of endorsement from anyone. 

What does my avatar say about me?

I will be referring to the profile picture I used for my tumblr account for this class. It’s a small human creature thing on all fours, crying and shaking in a puddle of its own tears. I honestly don’t know what it says about me, if I am going to be 100% honest. I chose it on a whim because I found it to be a silly image. However, there’s also some of my own personal experience that plays into it. For one, I have a few mental health conditions, and that is as specific as I will be about it. However, I also like to draw. Usually, its a painting, or a study of some kind. However, when I am trying to really enjoy myself, I tend to draw little… cartoonish creatures. I try to make them as expressive as I can, usually comically so, because I think it’s a nice way to just distract my brain for a bit. As a result, I tend to be drawn to images that convey similar feelings for me.

[mlekomlekomleko]

10/3

How do corporations take advantage of people’s participation within digital spaces?

There are no real digital spaces that are free of labor. In some way or another, everyone contributes to the systems that generate revenue for companies simply by using the internet and social media. Most social media platforms are filled with advertisements, whether it be official ones, paid to be shown to consumers, or unofficial advertisements created by influencers promoting these companies’ products. Fuchs describes that digital spaces, including all the forms of social media we have presently, were shaped by the political economy. It is profit-driven, and participation in digital spaces requires interacting with the goods and services of corporations.

What control do participants have over their unwitting labor in digital spaces?

Digital labor is more than just ads and watching ads. The sheer act of being on a social media platform is “labor” desired by the companies that run these platforms. We can see it with Instagram and TikTok, for example. Hiding posts and profiles that have links that take participants out of the social media platform and onto a different site. As long as someone chooses to have social media and engage with it, it is essentially impossible to avoid generating free labor for someone. I think the Black Mirror episode “Nosedive” was a really good allegory for that constant, unwitting labor. Everyone was part of this massive system in which there was a constant need for manufactured social interaction, in which you become a sanitized caricature of a “good, civilized person.” They had no real control; acting out meant sacrificing social and economic benefits. There was no real living in that society without performing for it.

Is there digital labor that benefits the consumer?

There are many examples of how the intentional labor and content creation of consumers on social media platforms help them to grow their brand. For example, artists on social media platforms with larger followings can get more commissions. Moreover, with increased online presence, people are generally more willing to pay for these commissions. But that growth cannot happen without putting in the work of engaging in social media algorithms. Following trends, being consistent with posting, and so on, are all essential requirements to achieve that goal.

Is there a separation between the political economy and social media?

Fuchs (2014) argues no, there is no real separation. Because every single aspect of social media, and the technology involved, are the direct result of capitalistic ventures. It begins with our technology, the exploited workers in factories who create the devices we use to access digital spaces, and the workers who gather the resources for that production. There are all the people working to design the algorithms and code to run social media platforms. The list goes on, and ultimately, the digital world as we currently have it is impossible without the exploitation of workers, and it continues to be a machine that exploits workers and consumers on a massive scale.

References

Fuchs, C. (2014). The Power and Political Economy of Social Media. Social Media: A Critical Introduction, 97–125. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446270066.n5 Wright, J. (Director), &

Schur, M., & Jones, R. (Writers). (2016, October 21). Nosedive (Season 3, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In Black Mirror. Netflix.

[mlekomlekomleko]

9/19

What are the ways in which culture online is shared and spread?

There are tons of different avenues in which people can convey culture on a mass scale; that’s the main draw of online social media. There are very explicit forms of conveying a message on the internet, think of tweets or blogs. These are ways in which people can share all kinds of information, from political messages to just the little things within a person’s day. However, more implicit ways of sharing information, especially memes, I feel, are more revealing of the current culture around communication and general attitudes. Memes have gone through many, many trends throughout the years. Today, they are often full of crass or, at times, even nonsensical humor. A change that I’ve noticed more in recent years is the way that meme culture involves politics so heavily today. It seems like most memes I come across today are mocking the current political system, or at the very least making light of the people who are within it.

How do memes reveal prejudices and biases?

Memes are generally thought of as lighthearted or as jokes; however, I think, as a whole, people online are getting desensitized to certain kinds of speech. Benjamin (2019) explains that most social media platforms, as privatized, profit-driven corporations, perpetuate that trend by allowing all kinds of hateful, discriminatory speech under the guise of “free speech.” Hateful messages, sexist remarks, and derogatory speech all run rampant on these digital spaces. Memes are an important avenue through which we see this. From memes that stereotype black people and culture, to memes that joke about lynching and deportation, we can see that there are all kinds of hateful messages that have been turned into jokes and memes.

What digital patterns can we examine to analyze online culture?

Most of the ways that digital culture is revealed aren’t in what people are directly saying, but rather, in the patterns that are shown amongst users of the internet. Fetishization is dehumanizing, and it tends to take hold of those belonging to groups that have historically been discriminated against. Safiya (2018) shows that in 2011, the top search result for “black girls” showed a pornography site. Today, despite all the hate being shown to transgender people. One of the most popular genres of pornography today involves trans men, trans women, “femboys,” etc.

How are people using social media as a defensive tool?

Social media is often used as an open forum for discourse. As previously stated, it’s also been used as a space to share humor, memes, and culture; however, an important use of social media is that of a mass-scale communication medium. Recently, I’ve come across a few social media accounts that are dedicated to tracking down ICE agents and vehicles and notifying people on TikTok that they are in the area. Or accounts devoted to sharing information people may not know about law enforcement and what they are legally allowed to do, and what things they are absolutely not allowed to do. I think it’s important, not only to recognize the harms of social media, but also to recognize its strengths, and the positive effects it has on society.

[mlekomlekomleko]

9/12

Q1: What effect does online discourse truly have on the existing forms of discrimination and marginalization of vulnerable groups?

As Daniels (2009) describes, the effect is difficult to quantify; the immense variation in viewpoints means that while for many, engaging online is a haven of free speech, and the ability to identify freely, there is still often conflict between that variety of views.. For example, with “cyberfeminism,” which Daniels (2009) describes as a collection of multiple forms and theories of feminism expressed through digital methods, there are multiple perspectives of feminism that appear to be at odds with each other. Many cyberfeminist arguments come from perspectives that center around a white, middle-class viewpoint. When advocating for a marginalized group, it is essential to recognize that identity is multidimensional. Focusing on just one aspect of a person's identity, such as gender, without acknowledging other facets, can inadvertently reinforce existing dominant systems.

Q2: How do existing institutional discrimination practices affect future ones?

There are endless examples of institutional discrimination, so I will focus on technology. People are discriminated against on the basis of multiple facets of their identities. Race, gender, and religion are just a few examples. The discriminatory practices enacted by institutions and the people within them are affecting the way technology is being used and developed. For example, when companies experimented with using AI to sort through resumes, its hiring behavior was based on existing hiring practices, which were often discriminatory. Another example was described by Eubanks (2018) regarding how technological surveillance targeting marginalized groups has seeped its way into all aspects of life. From subtle forms of surveillance, such as online data collection that targets vulnerable populations, to fraud detection algorithms within the healthcare system, and more overt forms like police drones monitoring protests, no institution is devoid of discrimination. Each technological advancement, particularly with the rise of the internet, builds upon society's existing frameworks, none of which are exempt from discriminatory practices.

Q3: How do dominant powers online exert influence over media consumption?

Social media algorithms are fairly nebulous to those who try to decipher them. For many, the biggest issue is understanding what actions influence engagement on posts. However, some people may have more pressing concerns, especially if their content focuses on topics that are political or sensitive. For example, recently, on social media platforms owned by Meta, the #democrat hashtag was reported by many as being blocked or suppressed. Results for that hashtag would turn up with zero results or an error message, whereas the #republican hashtag had no error. This is no longer the case, however, for the period of time that this apparent hashtag suppression was in effect, it meant there was a huge disparity between what political information people were capable of seeking out. 

Q4: What are the first steps to making changes to the digital systems perpetuating dominant powers and discriminatory practices?

As Brown (2020) describes, a vital part of addressing the discrimination in the digital world is to acknowledge the discrimination in the “analog.” The digital world, the foundations of all the technology, and digital algorithms that are rooted in discriminatory practices began with the institutionalization of discriminatory practices in the real world. There needs to be a ground-up approach to taking down the barriers put into place by our institutions.

[mlekomlekomleko]

Yay! Technology!

I don't usually have errors with technology in any personal matters? At least, not any that feels like it messes with my whole day or anything. When I do have frustrating times that feel as though technology has failed me, it usually has to do with things like my education, or with my healthcare. There's an example really recently, in which the way that my healthcare communicates with my insurance seems to be flawed in some way. Constantly when they are submitting their claims to my insurance it isn't going through their system properly, and claims are being rejected automatically when they shouldn't be. This leads me to having to call my healthcare provider, and/or my insurance provider to sort things out. This is a constant thing I seem to have to do, and neither my healthcare provider, nor my insurance seems to really understand what specific thing in their system is leading to this issue.