Digital Communities Blog

My Digital Communities blog for my Bachelor of Media and Communications course

[rosezarucky]

I’m Player One

Online gaming is pretty much unavoidable in the game world these days. It is hard to even play PS4 without having to hook it up to the wifi and register your games online. The majority of games now come with the option to verse opponents online, whether it’s Call of Duty, Fortnite, NBA, FIFA, even Super Smash Bros. People can choose whether to communicate with their online friends through speaking or typing, or can just play alongside them.

The use of smartphones has also expanded the online gaming world, with millions of games being playable on your phone. Games like Words with Friends and Draw Something allow turn taking and prolonged games with your opponent, rather than playing in one session.

Platforms like Club Penguin and Runescape allow for younger players to get a taste of the online environment, but play under pseudonyms and with stricter monitoring of the platform. Similar to the other readings, with anonymity and freedom comes harassment and bullying, even during gaming. Players might abuse you for losing, making you a noob, for winning, or just for the sake of being a troll. This is something that should be kept in mind when allowing younger children and teenagers play online games. I have noticed particularly in shooting games, people tend to get more aggressive and start verbally abusing online players.  

I remember how excited I got using pictochat on my Nintendo DS, as I could talk to my brothers even though they were in the next room and verse them in Mario Kart. It seems lame now but the notion of connecting through games is enjoyable and exciting for many. It gives you a chance to play against different people and entertain yourself and friends. This used to only be possible if you were in the same room and had enough controllers.

[annagpellegrino]

Crowdsourcing in times of crisis

In week 8 we discussed the concept of crowdsourcing in times of crisis such as natural disasters, war or terrorist attacks. Technology nowadays allows for quick and effective communication no matter the distance between the sender and receiver, thus during times of crisis is heavily relied on. 

Crowdsourcing can be defined as “obtaining work, information or opinions from a large group of people who submit their data via the Internet, social media and smartphone apps. People involved in crowdsourcing sometimes work as paid freelancers, while others perform small tasks on a voluntary basis” (Kenton, W. 2018).

Simply, crowdsourcing aims to bring people together to work towards a common goal whether it be a campaign, project, or a current crisis that’s in need of help and safety. Most people actually participate in crowdsourcing on a day to day basis without even realising. Crowdsourcing includes fundraising which is common across social media platforms. For example, on Facebook, there are plenty of groups or pages that are seeking funds for their organisation or cause. Individuals will also tend to use GoFundMe which crowdsources across the internet in order to earn money for a particular reason or cause. 

Crowdsourcing is a tool that’s used most commonly during times of crisis, for example, a terrorist attack. during the 2015 Paris terrorist attack, social media platforms were used to communicate individuals locations and status allowing live updates of the event. Facebook has its own ‘safety check’ feature which allows people to mark themselves as safe and away from danger for their friends and families to see. 

“this marked the first time the tool was enabled for violent attacks”(Deepa, 2015)

The Paris attack was the first time this tool was used for a crisis like this and allowed for individuals to keep track of their friends and families movements, without social media this type of crowdsourcing wouldn’t be possible.

References:

Kenton, W. 2018. Crowdsourcing, Investopedia, viewed 22 January 2019 <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/crowdsourcing.asp>.

Deepa, S. (2015). The Attacks in Paris: Social-Media Tools Allow For Quick Global Reaction. The Wall Street Journal. [online] Available at: https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/docview/1732921320/fulltext/512869495A4C4400PQ/1?acc ountid=14205 [Accessed 22 Jan. 2019]

[rosezarucky]

I’m all about they safety check, I think it’s a surefire way to spread a message that you’re safe, especially now when the majority of our loved ones are on Facebook, as well as those that may be worrying about us from afar. I have also witnessed the rise of texts from the SES in Victoria, one for a fire warning and one for a flood warning (typical Melbourne). These alerts sent straight to my phone were short and succinct, but at least I could go online to research further information. I never thought as fundraising as a crowdsourcing effort, but you are absolutely right. With everyone contributing to the same cause, they are raising money and awareness for a cause. 

[memoirsofaunistudent-blog]

The politicians are coming!

Whether or not you follow politics, it follows you. Politics good or bad finds a way into your life. The current president of the United States of America tweet absolute nonsense and the world is still trying to work out confeve.

(Twitter, 2017)

Its not hard to see why many politicians have jumped on the social media bandwagon. Do it right will can create free promotion and marketing for your campaign but doing wrong creates media hype and apparently you can still even will an election, just like Donald Trump. Social media allows politicians to get engage with their followers and promoting themselves during elections. I personally don’t care much for politics. I hate it when it seeps into my personal life. I like to remove or mute people off my Facebook who preach politics, life if too short and there are already so many things trying to get my attention. I don’t need this extra distraction.

Twice our Prime Minster, surviving a back stab from his own party. Kevin Rudd’s had an amazing campaign back in 2007 with Kevin 07. Seriously someone from marketing needs a promotion. Kevin Rudd not only engaged with followers on Facebook, but he even joined Reddit (Foster 2017). 

Close to an election voting become the new food pictures on Instagram, political engagement and involvement on social media can be easily seen, users use hashtags like #auspol #politics, #vote, #metoo and more. One of the great things about social media that politics takes advantage of is that every engagement is that it affects the everyone around like a spreading virus – even users who are not purposely engaging in politics are exposed to politics on social media even when they are not looking for it (Bode 2017). Being political engaged on social media for both the politicians and for the end user takes minimal effort and skill, all most zero costs and everyone and anyone can engage just by following, liking, sharing or commenting political content. These simple actions can cause huge ripple effects even though they seem non-influential actions by individual however they continue to transcend into the individual’s network, with the result of me blocking you off my feed.

There is no question that social media is holding a growing power and the sense of being digital citizen has become a force in the life of people. Social media has a great became a medium for people to voice out their opinions, share their thoughts, if their opinions are unwanted. I’m looking at you flat earthers. The use of social media is no longer just creating content, socializing with friends, it has extended to posting about politics and sharing one’s political agenda. Sharing on social media can be very public, therefore it is important to understand its subtle yet monumental effects.

References

Bode, L 2017, ‘Gateway political behaviours: the frequency and consequences of low-cost political engagement on social media’, Social Media + Society, 25 November, viewed 12 January, 2019, <doi: 10.1177/2056305117743349>. Foster, A 2017, Kevin Rudd proves he is the handball king, viewed 20 January, 2019, <https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/kevin-rudd-lives-up-to-his-title-of-handball-king/news-story/c023263aa12f64aa3bc38740850a88dd>. Twitter 2017, Screenshot, [image], viewed 12 January, 2019, <https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?lang=en&lang=en>.

[rosezarucky]

It’s true that when people begin spamming political agendas, they spread to those that don’t even follow politics. I wonder how much attention that gains however, as you said you ignore posts that don’t apply to you! People think that reblogging and sharing their opinions about politics will make a change, but really who is listening? Social media is best used for politicians to get their agenda out, but I doubt they will listen to public opinion coming from social media, where anyone can comment whether they are informed or not.  It is very easy to become engaged with politics on social media, you barely need to have an opinion as long as you have a good meme. 

[summerchlo-blog]

Visual Communities & Social Imaging

Throughout the semester, we have learned of the exponential growth of social media platforms. Within this, we have learned of the importance of visuals to social media. All the photographs and videos. At just a click of record button, we can put a photo or video on the internet, where it will be there forever. What we have also learned, particularly in week 9, the high level of anxiety and the difficult ethical and legal issues regarding control that can come over our photos and videos.

YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram. I use all of them on a daily basis. Something that has always been drilled into me is about how I’m using them. Luckily for me (or unluckily? I’m not sure), I rarely post on my social media accounts. Not because I choose not to it’s just I’ve never had real interest in doing so. I do however feel inspired by the people who can use social media to express, share and communicate.

The advancement of technology in recent times has seriously contributed to the way in which we are taking these photos and videos. A lot of the times, these photos are barely planned (like they used to be) and within the press of one button or one swipe, we can take a photo. It’s amazing.

“Changes in media technologies have engendered changes in how we capture, remember and communicate personal images of everyday and family life” (Vivienne & Burgess 2013 p. 3).

The camera function on our smartphones allow us to share our expressions and communications all within one snap of ourselves (do we have Kim Kardashian to thank???). One word; selfie.

Defined as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website” (Oxford English Dictionary 2019). What comes with this advancement in technology comes the filters that we can add to our selfie, making our smiles grow, puppy ears appear and love hearts float above our heads. It’s great. And so entertaining (for some).

What comes with visual communities is obviously the risk of what we can share and WHO we are sharing it with. The use of these images and videos has increased the level of legal and ethical issues which surround privacy. It can leave us vulnerable. It also encourages problems surrounding body image issues as people are using particular Apps, like Photoshop and Facetune, to edit their photos, sending a really powerful message to their followers as people can be posting images that aren’t realistic.

References

Oxford English Dictionary 2013, ‘Word of the Year 2013′,  Oxford University Press, viewed 22 January 2019, <https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2013>

[rosezarucky]

It’s amazing to see what Instagram Influencers look like without photoshop and filters! I applaud you for not posting much on social media, I have far too many selfies on my instagram and am one of those people who takes photos everywhere I go.  It is upsetting to see that a tool so revolutionary has become the catalyst for so many self-esteem and mental health issues. As social media becomes a forum for cyber-bullying and trolls, people’s appearances are fair game if they chose to share their photos. Even if they edit them, people will comment on how they are edited and accuse them of being fake. This happens to everyone, even Kim Kardashian, the queen of selfies herself.  Seems you can’t win either way!

[rosezarucky]

But first… Let me take a selfie

Since the arrival of smartphones, sharing photos online has never been easier. Quickly snap and post, it is that easy. More and more people are using photos as a form of communication, rather than self expression. With the rise of the app Snapchat, this is the main form of communication (Herrman 2014). The main fear around the ease of sharing is privacy. They say once you share something on the internet, it is there forever, so what are you posting and who can see it? 

Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and any other photo sharing platform state very clearly that they won’t use your posts without your permission, but your permission is basically signing up for an account. In those terms and conditions you probably didn’t read, there would be some legal terms about what they can use, see or share. This is why people are warned not to post or send anything that they would not like shared. Snapchat encourages spontaneity among users with the promise of self-destroying images. Snapchat does this in the hopes that people will be less self-conscious about what they post, but there is also a chance they will send something they will regret later. The idea of permanence is usually the rationale behind a post, so the idea of instant self-destruction of a photo seems harmless.  Snapchat can also track your location using snap maps. While you do not have to have your maps turned on for others to see, the Snapchat app still has the ability to track your phone while you use the app. This is why we can use location filters wherever we go. 

Selfies have been around since the invention of the handheld camera, and often depict a photo of yourself at arms length in a certain place or feeling good about a certain look. This is great for expressing yourself or showing yourself in new and exciting locations, however it leaves the door open for bullies and trolls to attack you in a very personal matter. If your personal photos get shared around, there is more of a chance that someone will find it and post something negative about it, especially if they are outside your circle of friends or followers. Children are encouraged now to not post photos of themselves on social media for safety reasons. As fast as ubiquitous photography has exploded, it is now being discouraged just as fast (eSafety Commissioner 2019).

References: eSafety Commissioner, 2019 ‘Instagram’, Office of the eSafety Commissioner, the Australian Government <https://www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/games-apps-and-social-networking/instagram>

Herrman, J 2014, ‘Meet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’, BuzzFeed, 28 January, viewed 26 September 2018, <http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch#3dlvjg2>.

[rosezarucky]

I Am Safe

Crowdsourcing is getting a big group of people to contribute to one idea or form of content. This can be useful when trying to catch criminals, as the police can source information from anywhere in the world. The issue with this is people can give false information, as not everybody can be a verified, trusted source. Letting large crowds of people know what is going on is difficult, but through the use of social media, companies are doing what they can to get the message out. 

During the 2011 Queensland floods, the ABC used their influence over many platforms and accounts to give vital information and updates to the general public. They also established a new account called “ABC Emergency” especially for the crisis. They used crowdsourced information and key messages to deliver succinct and credible updates to the public during the floods. The ABC noted that the phone lines are in meltdown when disaster strikes with many people calling in tips, so they agreed that a social media approach would allow for a greater influx of crowdsourcing. They adhered to the social media conventions of tailoring their content to each platform so that users could access the information comfortably no matter where they were reading (Bruns, Burgess, Crawford & Shaw 2012).

Through innovations for crisis’ such as these, the crowdsourcing tool ‘Ushahidi’ has become a powerful platform. It combines real time SMS, social media posts and photos to show an event unfolding on a single map  (Ford 2012, p. 35). This is most useful when a crisis covers a large geographical area or the exact geographical location are unknown. 

A simple example of crowdsourcing is Facebook’s ‘safety check’ app. This tool essentially means Facebook users in a certain area affected can mark themselves ‘safe’ so that family or friends that are concerned are updated. If the person cannot mark themselves as safe, there is more cause for concern and services can focus searches to a more narrow list of people. This limits the amount of resources used, the amount of stress on loved ones and is effective.

References: Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, #qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods, Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, pp. 7-10, viewed 26 September 2018, <http://www.cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf>. Ford, H 2012, 'Crowd Wisdom', Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39.

[summerchlo-blog]

Trolling & Social Media Conflict

Over recent times, I feel like ‘trolling’ has become part of my vocabulary and something that has become all too familiar. It is because like never before, we have more and more access to forms of public communication whereby users of social media can practically voice whatever opinion and comments that they may have.

In week 7, we delved into the world of trolling and conflict on social media platforms, and the impact that it can have on our everyday lives. By definition according to Urban Dictionary, trolling refers to:

“The deliberate act of making some unsolicited and/or controversial comments on various internet platforms with the intent to provoke an emotional knee jerk reaction from unsuspecting readers to engage in a fight or argument.” (Urban Dictionary, 2014)

Honestly to me, trolling can be summed up in one word: nuisance. Actually, I could throw in a couple more but you get my point. I think it’s safe to say that it’s not condonable, nor is it funny. It’s just plain annoying. I simply can’t fathom the keyboard warriors who would get a kick out of misusing their social media accounts to what? Potentially harm somebody’s feelings? Better yet their life. It’s just cruel.

One of the biggest names in the music industry, Ed Sheeran, recently left the Twittersphere due to trolling, saying:

“I’ve actually come off Twitter completely. I can’t read it. I go on it and there’s nothing but people saying mean things. One comment ruins your day. The head**** for me has been trying to work out why people dislike me so much.” (Beaumont-Thomas, 2017)

And he is so right. It’s shameful and embarrassing that these trolls will say whatever they feel like saying just to publicly embarrass someone. The effects from cyber-bullying as we all should know can be extreme. It is so important for people to know that they shouldn’t feel protected behind their keyboards and screens. Sure, they can throw (or should I say, type) their words at anybody they wish but they should be aware of the serious consequences that can come with trolling and causing social media conflict.

  References

Beaumont-Thomas, B. (2017). Ed Sheeran quits Twitter after abuse from trolls. The Guardian, viewed 10 January 2019 <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/04/ed-sheeran-twitter-abuse-trolls>

Urban Dictionary. (2014). Urban Dictionary: Trolling, viewed 10 January 2019. <https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Trolling>.

[rosezarucky]

I completely agree with the term ‘nuisance’ when describing trolls, they are only entertaining themselves at the expense of others, it is just plain annoying. They must be pretty unhappy with their own lives to dedicate their time to upsetting others just for a laugh.  Celebrities are among the main targets of trolls, with Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber have all taken hiatuses from social media because of media scrutiny that leads to trolling on their accounts.  https://www.thisisinsider.com/celebrities-who-quit-social-media-twitter-2018-8#daisy-ridley-deleted-instagram-after-posting-a-photo-in-support-of-gun-control-14 

Unfortunately celebrities get used to the hate, others who are not used to being in the public eye don’t deal as well with internet trolls. 

[rosezarucky]

Who may I ask is calling?

Bullying isn’t new. It has been around ever since kids and teenagers have been. The only differences now is that you can do it without people knowing that it’s you. The dramas are the same but this new virtual world is leaving young people open to online harassment (Boyd 2014). Boyd essentially warns people that minimising or restricting the use of technology will not fix an age old problem. The drama will still be there, it just needs to be understood and have people educated on how to handle these new situations.

Troll is a term that has entered mainstream vocabulary, and in the broadest terms, it means to prank someone. It can vary from ‘you sent me the wrong link, you’re such a troll!’ to ‘the trolls are telling me to kill myself’. Either way, it means to be a nuisance of some varying degree, and when the trolls come out, they are either looking to harm someone else or bring attention to themselves (Dahlberg 2001). They’ll usually comment the opposite opinion on a one-sided post, or say something extreme to gain a negative reaction (Wilson et al (Eds) 2013). Most of the time, unless you are being directly targeted, you can read the post, laugh and move on. Now that children that used to be physically abused are being mentally tormented online, the time has come for the strategies to change.

The internet is supposed to be a safe space where people can share things they do not feel comfortable sharing in person. Not everyone has the guts to share their opinions, art or accomplishments face-to-face. Any famous person will tell you ‘don’t read the comments’ and for a child with only a few, this is hard advice to follow. What they mean is it is not worth listening to all the people who have gone out of their way to tell you how terrible you are at something you felt proud of posting.

How can you stop trolling? There does not seem to be a clear cut solution at the moment, as if you block someone’s account, they can easily start another within a few seconds. The easiest option would be to keep off social media, but why should we have to deprive ourselves of all the good the internet has to offer just because some people want to stir the pot? There will be more investigation into stopping trolls and policies in place to prevent this epidemic, but in the meantime there is not much that can be done. Hopefully children and people affected by trolls can learn to ignore them, as they would a rude person in the street.

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

Dahlberg L 2001, ‘Computer–Mediated Communication and the Public Sphere: A critical analysis’. Journal of Computer Mediated–Communication, vol. 7, no. 1, viewed 26 September 2018, <http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol7/issue1/dahlberg.html>.

Wilson, J, Fuller, G & McCrea, C (eds) 2013, Trolls and the negative space of the internet, Fibreculture Journal, Issue 22, viewed 26 September 2018, <http://twentytwo.fibreculturejournal.org>.

[rosezarucky]

#metoo Wait, I wrote the hashtag, why has nothing changed?

With an increase of social media use all over the globe, it was only a matter of time before people started using their presence for activism and protesting. People have the ability to spread their anger, frustrations and hate all the way across the world with just the click of a button s (Youmans & York 2012). It’s so easy, why wouldn’t you do it?

As well as using the internet for sharing, there are few who use the internet to find out what is not being said. The term hacktivism refers to groups of activists dedicated to finding out secrets about the government and big corporations (Dery 2010). They do this by hacking into computers and systems that are not available for public viewing and share what they know online. They also try and ‘troll’ the people they hack by posting unwanted content on their accounts. Anonymous, a well known hacktivism group, believes they are doing a public service by exposing the lies and using the reliance on internet news to their own advantage.

As well as using the internet for sharing, there are few who use the internet to find out what is not being said. The term hacktivism refers to groups of activists dedicated to finding out secrets about the government and big corporations (Dery 2010). They do this by hacking into computers and systems that are not available for public viewing and share what they know online. They also try and ‘troll’ the people they hack by posting unwanted content on their accounts. Anonymous, a well known hacktivism group, believes they are doing a public service by exposing the lies and using the reliance on internet news to their own advantage.

Adbusters on the other hand, use their sharing power to try and convince the internet of a certain lifestyle. This lifestyle includes protesting banks, politics, big business, advertising, consumerism and basically any system that stops people from ‘living their dream’ (Adbusters 2018). They organise a series of protests through advertisements, marketing and action. Similar to Anonymous, Adbusters use the very thing they are trying to destroy to promote their cause. It is hard to change what already works so well, and if internet marketing reaches your demographic, there is not really much else you can do.

So what comes of online activism? You’ve all seen the hashtags, share if you’ve been, donate now, the list is endless. Similar to last week, do people think they’re contributing by sharing a post? Yes. Do they think their civic duty is done? Yes. It has become so commonplace in everyday society that people forget how big issues can be. Just because your newsfeed is flooded with the same stories does not mean it is not urgent, and just because you can click a button does not mean you are really helping anybody. No one is obligated to help one another, but don’t pretend that liking content on social media makes you a hero. Backup your actions with protesting, donating money and helping those that really need it. 

References: 

Adbusters 2018, Manifesto, Adbusters, viewed 6 December 2018, .

Dery, M 2010, Culture jamming: hacking,slashing, and sniping in the empire of signs, Shovelware, viewed 6 December 2018

Youmans, WL & York, JC 2012, ‘Social media and the activist toolkit: user agreements, corporate interests, and the information infrastructure of modern social movements’, Journal of Communication, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 315-329.

[rosezarucky]

Every Little Bit Counts...

The use of media is becoming increasingly prominent in the political culture, it is almost necessary to be noticed. Politicians use social media and online presence not only to get noticed, but to connect to the digital world and users.  This not only increases their exposure, but gives people the ability to respond and feel like they are contributing and liaising with politicians. Jodi Dean suggests that by having this ease of contact, the action of democracy and debate becomes less powerful (Dean 2013). The more people that have access, regardless of class, status, race etc. is appealing to audiences, however it gives a false sense of responsibility and action. People use hashtags and share posts to give support, then their part is done. Instead of actually contributing to a cause, they are using the fastest option to satisfy their political opportunities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ABPuNQ6IU There is also the issue of what is actually provided on the internet. What is called journalism these days can often be fake, or just click bait. Unfortunately, many people will take them for what they are without checking a source or sometimes, relying on just the headline. If they see a headline about a corrupt politician, this will influence their vote. This is more likely in people who are not interested in politics, as they are less likely to do any further research. In a survey conducted over 2007-2008, it was found that 55% of internet users did not use news sites for election news (Young 2010).  Whatever political news that occurs in their media will not be sought after, it will just appear. It is then more likely for them to take whatever they see as the truth.

In terms of politicians who might need to keep off social media, look no further than the president of the United States. Donald Trump is a notorious Twitter user, his claims to ‘fake news’ becoming a sort of catchphrase. This essentially means that he addresses ‘rumours’ about himself in order to give his side of the story. To non-Trump supporters, his twitter feed is a sense of entertainment. There has not really been a politician that has taken such a prominent position on social media before, so the proper etiquette may not be established yet. In any case, Trump’s attempt to connect with his followers by posting and reacting to every rumour makes him look silly, desperate and most of all, unprofessional. The purpose of politics is to be professional, but sometimes this needs to be more relaxed to connect with people. Going too far the other way however, can make you the world’s source of entertainment. Is social media really the best place for Trump?

References: DCU School of Communication 2013, IAMCR 2013 Plenary No. 3 - Jodi Dean, 3 July, viewed 26 September 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ABPuNQ6IU>.

Young, S 2010, 'News, political reporting and the internet', in How Australia Decides, Cambridge University Press, Victoria, Australia.

[annagpellegrino]

Microblogging

In week four we looked at the world of blogging and microblogging with a clear focus on ‘publics’. Publics can be defined as “a concrete audience, a crowd witnessing itself in visible space, as with a theatrical public” (M, Warner 2002). Publics form around events and can be most associated with the concept of online blogging as they are “engaging with shared culture and knowledge” (M, Ito 2008, pp. 2-3). There is also the term counterpublics we should familiarise ourselves with, counterpublics can be similar to publics but on a much smaller scale. Counterpublics are actively counter dominant towards social norms and structures. An example of this could be social media sites or pages that actively push against a social norm in aims of inclusion and exclusion.

We are all somewhat familiar with the concept of ‘blogging’. Blogging is a means of expression about virtually anything an individual seeks to discuss. Blogging usually occurs online through digital communities quite like Tumblr itself. This post is actually considered to be a form of blogging. Microblogging, on the other hand, is a fairly new concept born through the use of social media. Microblogging can be thought of like a combination of blogging and instant messaging (Nations, D 2018). This is a much easier and quicker way of communicating one’s ideas and can come in various forms including text, photos, GIFs, and videos. What separates microblogging from regular blogging is its length, speed, and efficiency. A clear example of microblogging would be the social media platform Twitter which gives its users a 280 character limit when making posts. Users are forced to create quick, snappy posts usually about current events. People will tweet about what’s around them and even in a crisis, they’ll turn to Twitter to spread a message and send help.

The world of blogging and microblogging is rapidly expanding overtime with introductions to new platforms like Instagram. My favourite Instagram blogs are the accounts dedicated to dogs or even cows, what are everyone else’s?

References

M, Warner 2002, ‘Publics and Counterpublics’ in Public Culture, ed.14, no.1, pp. 49-90.

M, Ito 2008 ‘Introduction’ in Vamelis, K (ed), Networked Publics, MIT Press, Cambridge, pp. 1-14.

[rosezarucky]

My favourite version of microblogging definitely comes in Kardashian form. Whether it is on twitter, snapchat or instagram, the Kardashian Klan posts nearly every aspect of their life throughout the day, giving fans updates on their day-to-day activities, as well as a bit of self promoting. It usually just features a video of them saying their thoughts, similar to a twitter post, and gives people a greater insight into their lives. I find it interesting because its so interesting to see the ins and outs of someones life who lives so differently to you or I. With limited editing and posting in real time, it’s like getting a raw behind the scenes view of their activities, which are different every day! 

[summerchlo-blog]

Introduction to Digital Communities and Social Media Platforms

Week one introduced us to the world of digital communities and social media platforms. Both of these concepts feel quite familiar to me because;

a)       I can honestly say that I am using social media way too often; and

b)      It feels like we are surrounded by social media platforms within a very digital community.

As we delve into this topic, it is important to understand some of the very concepts including:

·       Virtual communities: a collaboration of people who share common interests, ideas and feelings and pursue similar goals over the Internet or any other combined network.

·       Digital community: communities that rely on digital technologies like mobile phones, the Internet and e-mail to communicate, network and circulate information.

·       Social network: Facebook and LinkedIn are amongst many other social network sites whereby they can be defined as web services which enable users to ‘public or semi-public profile within a bounded system’ (Boyd, p. 211) and through which they can ‘articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection’ (Murthy, 2013, p. 7).

This brings me back to a).

There are countless times where I am looking at more than one screen. There are also countless times where I’ve scrolled through the same feed and feel hungry to find something new to gawk at, whether it be via Instagram and the latest fashion trend from a certain ‘influencer’ or scrolling my thumb up and down my iPhone screen down the Facebook feed to find a new interesting post.

Connected, but alone?

One scary thought is that we have now adapted to being so connected with our phones and interestingly enough makes us question whether we are in fact being more social or are we disconnecting ourselves from any real kind of conversation. It seems that via every social media network we are able to connect and communicate with others, and also locate people at almost any given time. In Sherry Turkle’s TED talk, she explores the concerns of connecting only through technology means causing a disconnection from our inner and outer lives and real-world contexts.

“Our little devices… are so psychologically powerful that they don’t only change what we do, they change who we are” (Turkle, 2013)

This statement from Turkle got me thinking about the type of person that I become when I have my little device in my hand, particularly when I am surrounded by company and how this effects my psychological state. She ironically suggests that we are all seeking to connect with one another, however, in doing so, we ultimately disconnect ourselves from any real conversation and actually demonstrate senses of loneliness.

After watching her talk on TED, Turkle has made me realise that it is “time to talk” and to reconsider the most appropriate way for me to belong within a digital community whilst still sharing my own kind of real connectedness to my inner and the other world.

References

Boyd, D 2012, ‘Participating in the always on lifestyle’, in M Mandiberg (ed), The social media reader, New York University Press, ProQuest Ebook Central, pp. 211.

Murthy, D, 2013, Twitter: Social Communication in the Twitter Age, Oxford: Wiley, pp. 7.

S, Turkle (2013), Connected, but alone? <http://bit.ly/VhYg6X>

[rosezarucky]

Its so difficult to disconnect from phones even when you're out with friends. As soon as my phones buzzes, I want to check it to make sure I'm not missing anything, which is ironic as i'm missing what is right in front of me. I can also identify with using social media too often! Between at least 6 different apps, there is always something to distract me from the real world.

[georxgina]

Week Two

Sociality is known as the “social nature or tendencies as shown in the assembling of individuals in communities.” (Dictionary.com, 2018)

Sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies distinguished this as two forms (Tönnies 1887): 

Community (Gemeinschaft): Formed around an organic, natural will.

Society (Gesellschaft): Formed through a rational will.

As Siapera (2012) states:

’….virtual communities represent a shift towards a new kind of community, based not merely on proximity and relations made possible by sharing a given space, but common ideas, beliefs, experiences’ (Siapera 2012, p.194)

So…

What holds a society together when most of us are strangers to each other?

I believe that today’s society is held together through technology and social media. With a mobile, you get information in an instant. Whether its breaking news or what your friend is eating for lunch. Social media is the key to connectivity in the 21st century. 

Because of social media, I can connect with people across the world. A strong friendship can be maintained with people I’ve never met in person. But this has a harming effect on some of my real life connections. You can’t go anywhere without seeing someone glued to their phone, ignoring the person in front of them.

I went out to dinner last week and at the table next to me was a child staring at his iPad. This child was young enough to still in be in a pram yet could master the use of an iPad. I was shocked. But then when I looked over at his father, he was doing the exact same thing. We are creating a world of technology-obsessed robots. People would rather step into the world of cyberspace than enjoy real-life interactions that one day they will take for granted.

Does social media have an impact on our lives?

A case study on female university students by Joshua Ebere Chukwuere and Precious Chibuike Chukwuere from North-West University, South Africa found that  57 (82.6%) of the females participants suggested that social media has impacted on their social lifestyle (Chukwuere 2017, p. 9932)

The findings also show that the presence of social media impacts female students behavior which can lead to a change in social behavior, life opinion (opinion in life), social position,  interest,  thought,  belief, culture, behavioral orientation  (group and individual), action, association, and norms (Chukwuere 2017, p. 9933) 

References:

Chukwuere, J & Chukwuere, P, 2017, Gender & Behaviour, The Impact of Social Media On Social Lifestyle: A Case Study of University Female Students, North-West University, South Africa, p. 9928 - 9940 

Dictionary.com, 2018, Sociality | Define Sociality, viewed 13 November 2018 <https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sociality> 

Saipera, E 2012, Understanding New Media, SAGE, London

Tönnies, F, 1887, ‘Lecture 2.2 Reforming communities digitally’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, viewed 13 November 2018, 

[rosezarucky]

Great overview! It's great how easy it is to stay connected with friends, but there is also the negative aspect of people become too obsessed. I babysit part time, and it is becoming extremely difficult to entertain children without them begging for TV or their iPad. They find everything else 'boring' but can sit watching Lego tutorials on Youtube for hours on end. I wonder what the correct balance is so that we can use social media for good without experiencing the bad. 

[kastojan-blog]

Blog 1A Part 2

Faceless Bodies: Negotiating Technological and Cultural Codes on Reddit Gonewild

Hiding behind a computer screen encourages people to speak and do things they wouldn’t do in person (Guardian 2018). ‘Faceless Bodies’ by Emily Van Der Nagel discusses the impacts of anonymity on social media and the technological and cultural codes it crosses.

Van Der Nagel highlights two conflicting points:

1)    That anonymity makes us hard to trust as we are all stranger online, this creates negative Impacts such as abuse bully and harassment (Van Der Nagel 2013).

2)    That anonymity is valuable even when negative rudeness occurs. Anonymity gives people freedom of being judged, freedom of speech (Van Der Nagel 2013).

I have personally experienced the negative impacts of anonymity through online bullying and harassment as a teenager and a adult.

When I was in my early teens I received anonymous abusive comments about the way I looked on a website I created. I was a manager of social media and marketing at last job at Paloma retail store. Throughout this time I received offensive anonymous reviews on Yelp and Google. These negative comments were hurtful and unnecessary and most of the time described untrue events. I believe these people would not have made these comments if they were held accountable by stating their real names.  

I decided to read ‘Faceless Bodies’ for the second time. Which made me curious about other peoples opinions of social media anonymity.

A Guardian reporter asks: what about the undercover journalist who joins social media platforms to expose wrongdoing? And the children in a self-help chatroom, or a religious gay person that needs to talk to someone but fears their community will find out? (Guardian 2018).

This made me think of other cultures and sub cultures of people. Cultures that I don’t understand but rely on anonymity to speak to others without the fear of being judged.  

Anonymity has its pros and cons. After reading ‘Faceless Bodies’ for the second time and reading the article by the Guardian, I believe the pros out way the cons.

Without the freedom to discuss matters openly and confidently, our social and technological politics will become even more stilted, this is something our world does not need (Guardian 2018).

There is no way that anonymous social media could be monitored at all times. To deal with the negatives, I believe children should be educated about trolling and dealing with online abuse at school. It is important that adults can educate children to deal with bullies in person and online. It is more likely if children are educated about online safety from a young age that they will continue to be respectful of others throughout their adult life.

References:

The Guardian. 2018. Should anonymous social media accounts be banned?. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/sep/30/social-media-anonymity-ban-debate-trolls-abuse–jess-phillips-jamie-bartlett. [Accessed 2 December 2018].

Van der Negal 2013, ‘Faceless Bodies: Negotiating Technological and Cultural Codes on reddit gonewild’, Scan Journal of Media Arts Culture, vol. 10, no. 2, Macquarie University.

Image 1: 

Make use of, (2018), Anonymous [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2-anonymous-web-browsers-completely-private-secure/ [Accessed 2 December 2018].

[maverickdiculous-blog]

It’s quite a shame at how many of us have been bullied before… I’m sure there’s probably a few of us here that have (myself included), either through the internet or face-to-face or even both. Regardless whether it’s anonymous or not, it’s totally wrong… but I do see the positive sides of the ability to be anonymous through the internet and social media. 

For example, there are a lot of Facebook groups and internet forums that ask personal questions on topics such as depression, anxiety, suicide and family violence. Many websites are also devoted to helping people in these hard situations and usually allow for people to be anonymous which I think is great as it encourages more people to seek help without the fear of being personally identified or judged. 

I believe every aspect in social life can be used for good or bad, such as remaining anonymous online when sharing one’s views on subjects, but it is up to each individual whether they want to use it to create something positive, or negative. #HeroOrVillian

[rosezarucky]

Being faceless on the internet definitely has its perks, but do they outweigh the cons? It is so easy to talk in the heat of the moment or say things you would not normally say just because no one knows its you. People send before they think, especially about others feelings and beliefs. The truth is, if these people were happy with themselves, they probably would not feel the need to tear strangers or friends down anonymously. They can always be caught out in serious situations, as no one is really anonymous on the internet. Some people become fearless once their identity is changed, or by the fact that they’re sitting on the other side of the screen. It makes them feel safe to comment freely, but why do these comments need to be negative? Its a shame that we can’t use anonymity to reassure others that we care, without people feeling the need to bring each other down. 

[christophernolan]

I think one of the most universal human experiences is feeling alone. You’d never know it, but there’s most likely tons of people feeling the exact same way.

[moviewhorexo-blog]

[afilmadaykeepsthepsychosisaway]

“- Christof, let me ask you, why do you think that Truman has never come close to discovering the true nature of his world until now?

- We accept the reality of the world with which we’re presented. It’s as simple as that.”

The Truman Show (1998), Peter Weir