SHANNON WAPPET MDA20009 Digital Communities @shanrosew-blog - Tumblr Blog

Wk 10: The responsibility of virtual reality

There is nothing I hate more than getting a Facebook notification inviting me to play some silly game. Firstly, I don’t have enough storage on my phone for that crap and secondly, I don’t got the time to play ‘Candy Crush’ or ‘Zombie Farm’.

Candy Crushers out there, don’t take this the wrong way! My guilty habit is watching back to back episodes of ‘KUWTK’ and if you don’t know what I’m abbreviating, we’re not going to get along.

To be honest, my knowledge of online gaming is next to zero despite a short stint of owning some Sims. What I’ve found so intriguing since doing the readings is the laws and responsibilities that apply to some of these online collaborative games. The incident of the unpaid bill that caused $300,000 worth of damage in multiplayer game EVE Online fascinated me and made me wonder whether these games are helping with life lessons or removing players from reality into a fictional landscape that may seem real enough (de Zwart & Humphreys 2014). The language troubles me...

“He wasn’t scheduled to work in real life Monday... it was set up for auto- pay like any other bill in real life”, (de Zwart & Humphreys 2014).

The fact that these games make it possible for players to convert real life money into virtual money is dangerous and becomes a question of whether the game becomes a form of gambling. I imagine the argument from gamers would be that the game is a living, breathing virtual world and their practices in the game are no different to those in real life (de Zwart & Humphreys 2014). With the money only able to be exchanged from real to virtual, that’s not a gamble I want to take. I’ll stick to my half- arsed attempt at keeping my ‘Sims’ alive and ‘KUWTK’.

REFERENCES

de Zwart, M & Humphreys, S 2014,' The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space: Code as Law in EVE Online', Cultural Studies Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 77-99.

Week 9: I am, whoever my perfect selfie profile picture say I am

I was listening to Triple J tonight and they were covering the topic of online dating and they had this idiot on there who has made a business of helping people create their online dating profiles. One of the points she made really infuriated me and I think it’s because it emphasises a problem we naturally already need to overcome in the world of networked visuality, not encourage. She said that girls need to have pictures on their profiles that are ‘fun, bright and flirty’ because ‘men seek with their eye’ and that pictures studying or eating Tim Tams on the lounge were not acceptable. Now obviously she’s a narrow minded idiot but it also had me thinking about whether our online visual identity is a true representation of ourselves or just an attempt at what we think people want to see.

When considering the new forms of ‘networked publics’ created by social media, I consider myself someone who remakes and redistributes content on social media not for my gain but usually for the gain of others through recognition and just simply creative pleasure. I actually pride myself on being particularly bad at taking a selfie. I never seem to look in the right direction, which seems impossible when it involves looking straight ahead, but in the nature of being committed to digital communities study and guilty of being late at blogging, here is an example:

... why my eyes can’t find the camera, I have no idea but it’s a recurring theme. I think my lack of ‘selfie’ game comes from a sense of awkwardness and an overall uncomfortable feeling in front of the camera. I’m an amateur photographer so I spend most of my time taking photos of other people and I like it that way.

My ‘selfie’ game on Snapchat however is a different story and I think the Buzzfeed article discusses this idea of this in such a way that it makes so much sense. The idea that social media has been operating primarily as a tool for self- expression when it ‘s most successful operation is that of communication (Herrman 2014). My experience with Snapchat is a tool for instant visual contact with my friends and the ability for that contact to be circumstantial and momentary (unless they manage to sneak a screenshot).

REFERENCES

Herrman, J 2014, ‘Meet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’, BuzzFeed, 28 January, viewed 24 September 2015, <http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch#3dlvjg2>

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

Week 8: Filtering information in a sea of many

When I think of crowdsourcing, I think of the various social media posts I have come across people sharing on my Facebook feed that relate to local news events such as- missing persons, missing property, suspect investigating etc. It’s as if all my friends on Facebook have not on become my source of local news but also given me the ability to police and investigate crime. Sound ridiculous? With authorities using their social media platforms to post information that may deliver relevant responses from online users, it means anybody can collectively discuss criminal events, submit what they believe to be evidence and call for social action (Trottier 2014). I find it interesting the amount of feedback these posts get on my feed. I must admit I do find them very interesting, not only to find out what is happening with said news event but also to read the comments by users who don’t hesitate to tag ‘friends’ as suspects as what I assume is a joke most of the time... but who knows.

EMERGENCY!!!

Often natural disasters and significant emergencies are experienced by many through what is posted on social media by users in affected areas or touched by the events. Hashtags such as #nswfires allows for users to post their experience with the disaster but also for emergency services to communicate instantly and continuously with users in affected areas to advise, inform and document (onMedia 2014).

My experience with this is one of curiosity so far but I would hope that in the unfortunate case that I am affected by an event, that these opportunities for new lines of communication would be of great benefit. I am going to Bali at the end of March and looking forward to a lot of relaxing and drinking but I’d be lying if I didn’t mention I was a tad nervous.

I’m someone who would like to say: “I’m not afraid of terrorism and I won’t let it affect what I do and where I go”, but with the travel warning high in Indonesia over Easter, it has got me thinking about the role of crowdsourcing as a way to collectively monitor the whereabouts and safety of people you care about when it’s neccessory. Despite what the GIF above suggests, I don’t intend to use this tool to source my whereabouts after a night on the drink.

Social media has provided the largest population platform we’ve ever had access to and there will always be new and innovative ways to use crowdsourcing towards the greater good of society.

REFERENCES

Trottier, D 2014, ‘Police and user-led investigation on social media’, Journal of Law, Information and Science, vol. 23, no. 1, viewed 3 February 2016, <http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/JlLawInfoSci/2014/4.html#Heading42>

onMedia 2014, Interactive and Social Media Documenting Australian Bushfires, viewed 22 September 2015, <http://onmedia.dw-akademie.de/english/?p=13759>.

Week 7: Age of the cowardly meanies

Social media= platform for endless amounts of mindless scrolling/envying other peoples lives and also access to communication between the biggest public ever, which brings with it nasty, bored arseholes!

Trolling is often referred to as the ultimate bullying of our era and as we broaden civic participation and engagement through social media platforms, it is no surprise that with this broadening comes conflict and misuse (Swinburne Online 2015). What fascinates me is trying to understand the motives behind those who insist on inflicting their nasty opinion on every post the newest Masterchef champion posts.

John Gabriel’s Greater Internet D-wad Theory (2012) <http://bit.ly/1rLHLPD>

This image above is from the Learning Materials for this week but I really find it so spot on in working out why trolls are trolling and the factors that only have to change ever so slightly from the playground bully to become a global nasty monster. I think of cases of trolling I witness on my social media threads and I find it astonishing how cruel people can be, even in times of genuine vulnerability being shown by their targets. That void of online space between parties really does allow for the average troll to disconnect from any compassion they may possess.

THE BULLY THAT FOLLOWS YOU HOME FROM SCHOOL

I’m a born and bred ‘ranga’ so just stop and consider that for a second...

... and I can promise you I wasn’t as pretty as Ariel, although I always thought that was my win at life. I could refer to myself as The Little Mermaid. But when I look back at school, any bullying that did take place was harmless lessons learned in growing up, being nice and finding your place of belonging. What I can’t wrap my head around is what this means for today’s youth and how they cope with having no escape from their torment which has escalated so significantly from the days of my schooling where MSN was our only communication line... when we could get the dial up to work.

With social media being the tool for the main platform for ongoing harassment, sites such as Facebook should be acting to take responsibility for the actions taking place by some users. Cassie Whitehill, who lost her sister to suicide last year after ongoing abuse, found Facebook to deny that the actions of her tormentors breached their community standards. There is a lot of work to do to monitor the actions of users against other users on social media platforms while still maintaining the idea of free speech.

REFERENCES

Swinburne Online 2015, ‘Week 7: Digital citizenship 3: trolling and social media conflict’, MDA20009: Digital Communities, Swinburne Online, viewed 6 Februaury 2016.

Law Report 2014, Can A Cyber-Bullying Commissioner Protect Our Kids?, Radio National, 27 February, viewed 22 September 2015, <http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/5286036>.

Week 6: Bringing communities together on a stage that sometimes works against them

http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2015/05/05/4229923.htm>So as my first post before the next four, I will admit I’m way behind and staying up all night to finish these... arghhhhh!!!!!!! It’s been a really rough trimester, my first time of struggling this hard to get work done with what life as thrown at me in the meantime. But onward to better trimesters ahead & onward to some sleep...ZzzZZzzzzzzzZZ

IN terms of the week 6 topic of digital citizenship: activism and protest, I find it to be such a growing part of the role social media is playing in our modern world and I try and engage with digital campaigns I feel passionate about. I find the method of engaging with these online campaigns slightly frustrating and a bit time consuming- which sounds so lazy and bratty I know. I find myself wanting to sign petitions but failing in following through with the action/share/repost. But I think that’s a reflection of my overall social media use. I’m more of an observer than a contributor. I signed up to GetUp.org but rarely engage with their emails. I feel like giving myself a slap on the wrist for that.

An example of a campaign that I find quite surprising based on assumptions I had made about social media and youth is a 2015 Youth Activity week activity where young people in the Hunter were asked to photograph and post on Instagram pictures of their community and hashtag ‘IBelongLakeMac’. The campaign was launched by residential care organisation based in Newcastle that house troubled youth and strives to give them a sense of belonging. They see social media as an effective tool for that (Virtue 2015).

Sophia Laurie’s stunning image of Lake Macquarie. [ann_laurie instagram]

There is also the approach to online activism that can be seen as the ‘easy option’ for believing in or supporting a cause. I have to say I’m guilty of this. Sometimes the impact of online activism is exaggerated and can result in encouraging ‘slacktivism’ or what can be called superficial effort in the support of causes (Youmans & York 2012, p. 316). GUILTY!!!

If nothing else, the existence of these online protests and activism campaigns raise awareness for the issues at hand but it does beg the question about the lack of physical support that was once the strength in action prior to social media.

REFERENCES

Virtue, R 2015, ‘Fostering a sense of belonging for youths via social media’, 1233 ABC Newcastle, 5 May, viewed 6 February 2016, <http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2015/05/05/4229923.htm>

Youmans, W, & York, J 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.

melje-digital-comms-deactivated

#6 Crowdsourcing in times of crisis

In many situations of crisis and disaster, our media and communication technologies are vital in the delivery of precise and timely information, as well as planning and preparing for natural disasters, and organising action and the process of recovery. During this time we also see a great deal of innovation in use of communication tools, particularly social media (Learning materials, 2015).

Crowdsourcing is increasingly becoming a vital and reliable source of information as it not only assists emergency services and the media during times of crisis, but it can educate, keep records, produce powerful sources of information, act as a communication tool, and alleviate further destruction and even save lives in a crisis situation or emergency (Ford, 2012).

(YouTube, 2010)

The two main platforms that are used for crowdsourcing include Twitter and Ushahidi, and are used for communication, raising awareness, tracking/mapping affected areas and raising funds. Communication is very important in a crisis and using an online platform increases the speed that information is available (Ford, 2012).

In 2012, a year after the Queensland floods, it was noted that the Queensland Police Media Twitter feed was the most visible presence in the information being distributed throughout the crisis (Posetti, 2012). By using social media, particularly twitter as a form of communication, emergency services were able to successfully inform both residence of the Queensland community and the Australian public about what was happening and the specific measures being taken to ensure everyone’s safety.

(Kerschberg, 2014)

References

Ford, H (2012) Crowd Wisdom, Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39.

Kerschberg, B (2014) How Strategic CMOs Use Crowdsourcing to Win [image] available at: http://www.forbes.com - accessed 15 January 2016

Posetti, J (2012) The twitterisation of ABC’s emergency and disaster communication, The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 27(1), pp.34-39

YouTube (2010) [Video] available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buyub6vIG3Q - accessed 16 January 2016

shanrosew-blog

I’m going to Bali for the first time in March & I have to be honest that I’m a bit nervous with all the heat on Indonesia at the moment in relation to terrorism. I know there’s most likely nothing to worry about but the way social media is being used to track peoples safety is incredible. I like your reference to the QLD floods because I follow NSWpolice and other emergency services online for that reason, to stay in touch with the state of a situation. Thanks for your post!

melje-digital-comms-deactivated

#7 Visual communities and social imaging

As well as posting updates and statuses about what is going on in our lives, social media has evolved to allow us to engage and connect with others through sharing images and videos with those we choose to connect with.

From YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, imaging and videos have become an integral part of the formation of social networks as they enable new visual modes of expression, sharing and communication (Learning Materials, 2016).

A ‘selfie’ is a photograph taken of oneself by oneself but usually not for oneself (Menaker, 2013). Selfies have altered the aspects of social interaction, self-awareness, body language, privacy and humour, altering temporality, irony, and public behaviour (Selfie City 2014).

(Twitter, 2014)

The development of the photo and video has led to the conception of social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, which facilitate and encourage this evolution.

Instagram being described as a breeding ground for many people’s narcissistic tendencies, whilst the term ‘Selfies’ has been called a symptom of social media-driven narcissism (Titlow, 2013).

Reference

Menaker, D (2013) ‘Taking Our Selfies Seriously’, New York Times, 23 November, viewed 24 January 2016, Academic OneFile, Swinburne University Online library

Selfie City (2014) viewed 24 January 2016, http://selfiecity.net/

Titlow, J (2013) #Me: Instagram Narcissism And The Scourge Of The Selfie [online] Readwrite.com, available at: http://readwrite.com/2013/01/31/instagram-selfies-narcissism, accessed 24 January 2016

Twitter (2014) Ellen DeGeneres on Twitter [online] available at: https://twitter.com/theellenshow/status/440322224407314432, accessed 23 January 2016

shanrosew-blog

Thanks for featuring the best selfie ever taken! Great post!

studentbridget

Week 6: Digital Citizenship 2: Activism and protest

There is no question that activism and protests have been heavily influenced by the development of the web. These days instead of physically signing a petition on a clipboard, people can simply click a link and accept some terms and conditions and be on their merry way. This process shows the reach of the internet through its technological advancements and globalisation and the effect this can have on community awareness campaigns. In addition to this, social movements and organised protests have benefitted from the development of the web as Gerbaudo (2012) explains. Gerbaudo (2012) writes that social media networks have created a new way in which politics is done, suggesting that power is also given to the people to promote social change through online activism.

Change.org is an online petition website that facilitates activism and protests (Swinburne Online 2016) using social media platforms such as Facebook, twitter and Instgram to spread its messaging. One if its most notable campaigns was celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s plight to introduce a global sugar tax and clearer labelling on sugary drinks (Elgot 2015). The online petition reached over a million people and has currently has 1,669,768 online signatures (Change.org 2016). When signing the online petition there is an automatic default to ‘share’ the information on your personal Facebook page which increases the reach of the message. In addition to this, Oliver’s own celebrity status and cult following on his personal Facebook and Instagram pages meant that his message was distributed to even more people. Interestingly, online activism sites such as Change.org have an age restriction of 13 and users must accept a serious of prompts and set up an account before they can submit a response to a petition or campaign (Change.org). While this is similar to Facebook and other social media sites where the sign-up age is 13, it seems unusual that children who are unable to vote or drink alcohol in reality can submit a response to a social issue using an online personality. There is no validation process so anyone can sign up and multiple accounts could be made to vote continuously on certain petitions.

References

Elgot, J 2015, ‘Jamie Oliver ‘expects kicking’ over sugar tax’, The Guardian, 15 October 2015, viewed 24 January 2016, < http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/22/jamie-oliver-expects-kicking-sugar-tax-sweetened-drinks>

Gerbaudo, P 2012, Tweets and the Streets : Social Media and Contemporary Activism, Pluto, London.

Jamie Oliver needs your help fighting for food education #FoodRevolutionDay 2016, Change.org, viewed 2 February 2016, <https://www.change.org/p/jamie-oliver-needs-your-help-fighting-for-food-education-foodrevolutionday>

Swinburne Online 2016, ‘Week6: Digital Citizenship 2: Activisim and protest’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, teaching period 3, viewed 3 February 2016.

shanrosew-blog

I think when considering my use of online media to engage with activism and campaigns, I hope it has a long way to come and improve. At the moment, I don’t use the web in that way but I see a lot of value in the way online campaigns are changing the world in a variety of crazy ways. Thanks for your post!

studentbridget

Week 7: Digital Citizenship 3: Trolling and social media conflict

Trolling and social media conflict can result in detrimental effects especially in vulnerable young people. There have been many instances in the past years of young people committing or attempting suicide as a result of online trolling and cyber-bullying (boyd 2014, p. 130). It is difficult to police people’s online behaviour as the web is accessible to anyone who has an internet connection and a device to connect with and often people hide behind an online persona to send malicious and menacing messages to others (Swinburne Online 2016). While attempts have been made by various governments to kerb cyberbullying and trolling using overarching anti-bullying laws it seems that as the internet becomes more accessible to more people (particularly young people) the instances of cyberbullying become more and more frequent (Australian Human Rights Commission 2016).

Social media accounts have gone to some length to prevent and discourage trolling and bullying by adding reporting and abuse functions to their sites (Instagram 2016). Often though, reporting someone’s behaviour you deem offensive or abusive will merely delete it from your news feed but allow others’ to still view it. Blocking functions enable people to permanently block a person who is harassing them however this just removing the problem and the person could create a new account and try to add them on the other account.

Young people are not the only ones immune to nasty and malicious online commentary. Celebrities receive an incredible amount of online abuse on their social media accounts which can be seen by scrolling through the comments on the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner. In 2014 the then 18 year old Jenner created a parody to a scene from the film, Mean Girls, which saw her reading entries from a book inclusive of abusive commentary on her. Interestingly, the comments Jenner read out where taken directly from her Instagram account and included sentiments such as “Kendall Jenner is a fugly slut” and “Kendall Jenner is a self-absorbed white bitch with millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing, so don’t fucking tell me to like her” (Filip 2014). While the parody was created in good humour, it highlights the nasty trolling commentary by some people online that seem to hide behind their computer screens. These kinds of comments would not be tolerated on accounts that are not owned by celebrities and it seems that trolls get away with this type of behaviour because their victim is a celebrity.

References

Abuse & Spam 2016, Instagram 2016, viewed 3 February 2016, <https://help.instagram.com/165828726894770/>

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.

Filip 2014, ‘You Have Got To See This Mean Girls-Inspired Video of Kendall Jenner Making a Burn Book’, The Gloss, viewed 2 February 2016, <http://www.thegloss.com/2014/11/29/beauty/models/kendall-jenner-reads-burn-book-mean-girls-inspired-video/#ixzz3zD2kkgvz>

Swinburne Online 2016, ‘Week 7: Digital citizenship 3: Trolling and social media conflict’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, teaching period 3, viewed 3 February 2016.

shanrosew-blog

The world that online media has created for young people is really scary. Thanks so much for your post!

studentbridget

Dazed cover star Kendall Jenner addresses ALL U H8ERS in our exclusive Burn Book video. Read the full article here: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/artic...

Kendall Jenner addressing online trolls with a Mean Girls parody

shanrosew-blog

This is soooooo good

ka88ee-blog

But First, Let Me Take A Selfie!

We now live in an era where everything ends up on social media. Remember that night you partied a bit too hard? Well, you probably don’t, but guess what? Facebook is about to remind you! And that photo of you and your friends where you look like you have 3 chins, well that’s just been posted on Instagram! Nothing stays private anymore, with more and more information filling up our news feeds, available for visible publics to consume and make use of.

Selfies are extremely popular within our society today, but sadly what seems like a bit of fun, actually creates narcissists to become involved. Studies have been conducted to show that there is a correlation between narcissism and selfie-posting among men (Seidman 2015). The study measured narcissism and selfie-posting behavior in two groups (one group had 748 adults, and the other had 548 adults) (Seidman 2015). The results showed women post more selfies than men (no surprise there!). In terms of narcissistic behavior, different facets of narcissism were examined:

Self-sufficiency

Vanity

Leadership

Admiration Demand

The study concluded that in general people are good at detecting narcissists from their profiles, mainly in selfies that actually indicate narcissism, but there was a small yet consistent correlation between narcissism and selfie-posting (Seidman 2015).

Social Imaging

We all have connections with other human beings, and these patterns of connections are always changing, and part of that change is due to the role of technology. This is a great video that explains why looking at online social data is only a small part of the picture.

https://vimeo.com/70534716

Social imaging is basically a technology that is used to represent and identify social behaviors (social imaging 2014). These are technologies that are able to visualize the biological functions and behaviors that can not be seen from the outside, also known as imaging (social imaging 2014).

Privacy, a thing of the past?

With people constantly uploading to social media, and being able to ‘check in’, there are concerns for the continuing lack of privacy on people’s lives. While this mostly comes as choice for people, the Australian Government has issued a page to help people use social media safely. The Australian Government (2015) recommends the following to stay safe when using social media:

Read and understand social networking privacy settings, be aware of what you share and who you are sharing it with.

Ensure you read and understand any terms and conditions before accepting and agreeing to them.

Protect your accounts with strong passwords.

Think before you post—people other than your friends and family may see what you post online.

Think before you click—remember that it can be difficult or impossible to remove posted photos or information after the event.

Be careful posting information that could compromise your or others the security, such as:

date of birth

address

information about your daily routine

holiday plans

your children’s schools.

Consider turning off geolocation features in social networking apps.

Don’t post inappropriate photos of you or your family and friends, and always seek permission before posting a picture of someone else.

Never click on suspicious links, even if they are from your friends, as their social media account may have been hacked.

Be wary of strangers as people are not always who they say they are.

Never access social networking by clicking a link in an email or other website.

Don’t use social networking sites that do not offer any privacy settings or that enable users to contact each other anonymously.

References

Seidman (2015) What is the Real Link Between Selfies and Narcissism? [online] Available at https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/close-encounters/201508/what-is-the-real-link-between-selfies-and-narcissism

Social Imaging (2014) Welcome to Social Imaging [online] Available at http://socialimaging.blogspot.com.au/

Social Imaging (2014) What is Social Imaging? [online] Available at http://social-imaging.org/crest/english/social-imaging/

Australian Government (2015). Socializing [online] Available at https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/internet/stay-smart-online/socialising

shanrosew-blog

Our lack of privacy scares me & the lack of knowledge & awareness I have for my online privacy scares me even more. Thanks for your post! I especially like the addition of the KimK image... who could do a post about selfies without her being involved right? haha

elisabeth-mitchell-blog-deactiv

Trolling and cyberbullying (week 7)

Trolling and Cyberbullying. Both words we now unfortunately hear frequently. Sometimes it’s on the news in worst case scenarios and sometimes it a “harmless” joke gone viral unintentionally. Unlike other forms of bullying, it is far easier to remain anonymous when trolling online or cyberbullying. This is where the laws and actions from those impacted become more complicated.

“Cyber bullying can be a crime under either South Australian or national law when it involves:

· Using the internet or a phone in a threatening, harassing or offensive way

· Threats

· Stalking (including messaging someone to harm or scare them)

· Accessing internet accounts without permission

· Defamation (spreading lies to intentionally hurt someone’s reputation)

· Encouraging suicide” (Lawstuff Australia 2015)

In 2016, with such great access to the internet, so many smartphones around and too many cases resulting in suicide and serious mental health issues it is important that there are laws around cyberbullying and trolling. Society needs to take this issue seriously. Our digital citizenship should upheld with as much honour as our day to day interactions with people.

Trolling comes in many forms and actions can impact people in different ways. In 2013, Lindy West, an American writer, activist, and film criticism editor, was very active on Twitter and a dedicated feminist (to the outrage of many). Lindy often received a lot of hate online from both public and anonymous Twitter accounts. She spoke regularly about her feelings towards this and debated the best way to handle such scenarios. One day Lindy received a message online from a Twitter account that had been setup posing as her recently decent father. This account proceeded interact with her negatively and make personal remarks about her life. The person behind the account had gone to a lot of effort to learn about Lindy and her family. Lindy went on to write an article about the interaction and the troll reached out to her after reading this. From here they communicated on the phone about the entire engagement, in order for Lindy gain some understanding, the troll then being very sympathetic and apologetic (This American Life 2015). The questions raised about the amount of time gone in to harassing someone and in such a personal way are outstanding. The entire story can be found on episode 545 of This American Life podcast.

Each scenario is different, will impact the victim or victims differently and warrant different repercussions. Technology being in the hands of teenagers, however, is necessarily entirely to blame. Bullying didn’t start when Apple released the first iPhone. The greatest difference is that bullying is now not just taking place at the oval at the back of the school, out of view of the teacher’s office it’s taking place for many to see online. This visibility, however, isn’t necessarily a negative aspect but can also be seen as aid for resolution and to help for those who are victimised or bullying themselves. Understanding this behaviour is an important part of the situation (boyd 2014, p. 152).

REFERENCES

doyd, 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.

Lawstuff 2015, Cyber Bullying, Lawstuff Australia, viewed 9 January 2016, http://www.lawstuff.org.au/sa_law/topics/bullying/cyber-bullying#icb

This American Life 2015, If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, SAY IT IN ALL CAPS, This American Life, viewed 9 January 2016, http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radioarchives/episode/545/transcript

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shanrosew-blog

I’ve read so many horrible stories of the impact of trolling on the people receiving the abuse and devastating outcomes of suicide etc among young people and even celebrities. It troubles me to think of my time at school and what it would have been like if bullying could extend from the playground to home via the internet. Thanks so much for the post!

elisabeth-mitchell-blog-deactiv

Connected in a time of crisis (week 8)

Whether it’s telling a loved one that you are safe, getting up to date information about issues you might face or understanding how an event happened, social media has changed the way we stay connected in a time of crisis.

Communication during a crisis is important. The first thing you think of when you hear about an event is who you know that might be affected. In October 2014, Facebook launched ‘Safety Check’. This idea came after the devastating 2011 earthquake in Japan where more than 12.5 million people were impacted and over 400,000 people were evacuated. Facebook noticed how those affected utilised social media to update others of their situation. This feature is now activated when a natural disaster or more recently in Paris during the shootings occurs. Those in the area will receive a notification on Facebook allowing them to check in and let their friends to know they are safe (Facebook Newsroom 2014). This is a quick and effective form of communication during a critical situation.

Staying informed in any situation is the easiest way to avoid issues. Ensuring you have all the information during a disaster, even more so. Real-time updates can be the difference between life and death. During the 2011 Queensland floods, there were between 14,000 and 16,000 tweets per hour using the #qldfloods. From this information, updates were formed and communicated from The Queensland Police Service account, along with several media accounts including @ABCNews, @612brisbane feed and the Courier Mail account (Sykes 2011). Through the public generated information, lead account and media outlets those impacted were regularly updated and those who were able to prepare had the knowledge to do so.

After anything that causes great impact, it’s important to reflect and understand maybe what went wrong and what could have been differently. With the amount of technology available today, capturing moments, be them good or bad, is almost second nature. With these images, videos etc comes knowledge. Crowdsourcing after a disasters or a noteworthy event is becoming more and more popular. People want to share their experience and if possible assist in understanding any wrongdoing. In 2007, after the Kenyan presidential elections, Ushahidi was formed by an international citizen journalist and software developers. Since then, the tool has been used by many to map their experiences (Ford 2012). It is debated as to whether due to the lack of ability to verify information the tool should be heavily relied upon, however, the fact that entire events can be mapped through crowdsourcing can only become more and more powerful.

REFERENCES

Facebook Newsroom 2014, Introducing Safety Check, Facebook Newsroom, viewed 9 January 2016, http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/10/introducing-safety-check/

Ford, H 2012, ‘Crowd Wisdom’, Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39.

Sykes, E 2011, Emergency 2.0: How Social Media proved itself in the Queensland Floods, 612 ABC Brisbane, viewed 9 January 2016, http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/04/05/3182906.htm

shanrosew-blog

Such an interesting post and this role of connectivity that social media plays is such an amazing part of where technology has taken us. Crazy to think where it might take us in the near future. Thanks for the post!

sammmiemc50

Blog # 7 (Week 9) ‘A Picture Paints a Thousand Words’ - Networked Visuality

The focus of social media has shifted from the written to the pictorial modes of expression and identity construction: the use of visual modes of communication is increasingly used in both user-generated and professional contexts.

Visual modes of communication - video, photographs, graphics - have been revolutionised in the digital age and the development of social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Flickr and the ubiquitous Facebook have shifted social media users focus from text to pictures. Where blogs turned into tweets, and business and personal communication turned to stunning visual design and photography to sell and communicate, the old maxim ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ is very applicable to social media (Blackboard 2015).

The old family photo album has been cast up into the attic, with most people now, multiple times a day, reaching for their mobile device to check out the latest visual update, to get ideas, and immediately grasp news through visuals, from friends, family, celebrities, companies, bloggers, and a plethora of other social media users.

Social media allows for immediate connection visually, and intimately connecting with one’s ‘networked communities’. ‘Networked visuality’, that ‘visual chit-chat’, changes the meaning, content and context of social media postings and “notions of cultural transmission, memory, remembering and forgetting are actively transmitted through perceived material worlds” (Blackboard 2015: Vivienne & Burgess 2013). Identities are shaped through how we construct ourselves through visual modes of expression, and our biographies are captured through those images. Photographic expression and dissemination through social media is now as much about communicating ideas as recording a biographical and historical record (Lang 2009).

Self-portraits - the phenomena of the ‘Selfie”

No matter where one is, and alone or in company, the development of the forward facing mobile phone camera gave rise to the mania of the ‘selfie’. Immediately your image can be shared - even astronauts have go the urge to take selfies.

So what is the appeal, that can even lead to addiction, for people to take photographs of themselves, leaving an indelible digital mark on their social media history? According to recent research, the ‘selfie’ provides a channel to show others how we want to be seen. With both ‘active online identities’ and ‘passive online identities’ With an active online identity, the social media user chooses what is presented ‘something about which you have control over’: conversely one’s passive online identity is that one which can be constructed by others posting comments and pictures about you, without the individual’s control (BBC 2013).

However, taking a selfie can be a dangerous, even fatal, activity. According to the Daily Telegraph, in 2015 there were 12 reported deaths from ‘selfies’ making it more likely you would die taking a selfie than getting eaten by a shark (for which there were 8 recorded deaths!). In Russia a guide has been produced to prevent the increasing number of deaths by selfie.

References

BBC 2013, Self Portraits and Social Media: The Rise of the ‘selfie, accessed online 21 January 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22511650

Blackboard 2015, Week 9, Visual Communities and Social Imaging, accessed online 15 January 2015, https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-5190914-dt-content-rid-26655219_2/courses/2015-SO3-MDA20009-210404/UnitLearningMaterials/week-09.htm

Gurr, T, A picture is worth a thousand words, accessed online 21 January 2016, https://allthingslearning.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/a-picture-paints-a-thousand-words/

Lang, P 2009, Videos of Affinity on YouTube, The YouTube Reader, National Library of Stockholm, http://onlineres.swin.edu.au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/99333066111.pdf

Limbu, M 2014, Emerging Pedagogies in the Networked Knowledge Society: Practices Integrating Social Media and Globalisation, accessed online 21 January 2016 https://books.google.com.au/books?id=b-iWBQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

The Daily Telegraph, More people have died by taking selfies this year than by shark attacks, accessed online 21 January 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/11881900/More-people-have-died-by-taking-selfies-this-year-than-by-shark-attacks.html

Vivienne, S and Burgess, G 2013, The remediation of the personal photograph and the politics of self-representation in digital storytelling, Journal of Material Culture, SAGE

Walter, E 2015, The Rise of Visual Social Media, accessed online 21 January 2016, http://www.fastcompany.com/3000794/rise-visual-social-media

Images

BBC, The Dangerous art of the Ultimate Selfie, http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34466322

BBC, The First Selfie in outer space, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22511650

Managing Crisis with Visual content, https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi49sCb3NLKAhVkJKYKHYosBrYQjB0IBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmelissaagnes.com%2Fmanaging-crises-visual-content%2F&psig=AFQjCNGCa5hcI_9q9_jdFsDucVgxt4U2Xg&ust=1454283916280601

Socially Sorted, http://sociallysorted.com.au/shift-to-visual-social-media-6-tips-for-business-infographic/

prprincess-blog

I love how this blog looks at comparing a verbal post to that of a visual one - words just don’t do any justice sometimes!

shanrosew-blog

I have such mixed feelings about selfies, this post really explores every aspect of the new portrait. I have to say I’m guilty of the odd selfie but I also hold a lot of respect for the point and shoot style that you need to talk to strangers to achieve. Thanks for your post!

ljt245

Week 10 - Social Gaming

Blog post 8

Gaming communities are diverse forms of sociality where individuals interact with each other in and around games (Swinburne Online 2015). With smartphones and app platforms, social gaming leverages access to popular social platforms such as Facebook, recruiting users through friends lists (Lenhart 2015). Populating these platforms with viral content effects membership and creates profits for developers. At the other end of the spectrum are Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG’s) such as world of Warcraft and Destiny where players pay for software to access a gaming space shared with other individuals, creating a unique and interactive experience very different from the solo ‘on rails’ campaigns.

Starting young – ‘Kids playing candy crush’ (Caceres, R 2015).

I’ve never been an online gamer. I get little satisfaction from playing the everpresent kids online (not bitter)! Hsu & Lu (2014, pp. 854-858) however, say the take-up of online gaming comes from an individuals social norms, the degree of technological critical mass present and the individuals desire to achieve a flow state, derived from an immersive world that overcomes the senses to both entertain and occupy. I recognise this ‘flow state’ from my preference for solo gaming adventures. Give me complex interactive stories that take me outside of the rules of my own life any day (Perreault 2014)!

World of Warcraft Fail (Epicfail 2009).

Like other online spaces, there are anxieties. Social games such as Farmville and Candy Crush have been accused of putting minors on these platforms at risk. The psychological factors of completion, competition and engagement enrol players before progress is ransomed for payment as the game goes on. The compulsiveness involved, the weighing of outcomes and fund creep acting as gateways to gambling (Gardner 2014). EVE online’s controversies demonstrate privacy and safety concerns as well, with players real life identities leaked, developers interventions failing to comprehend the dynamic social norms of the gaming space (de Zwart and Humphreys 2014, p. 86).

Gambling starts with games (Salter 2013).

The interests of users, developers and legislators mediate these spaces. Thus, acceptable behaviour and governance is subject to real life law, the social norms of the user community, rules expressed through the spaces’ architecture and market forces (de Zwart and Humphreys 2014, p. 79). While convenient, the idea that such negotiated spaces can be regulated by a terms and conditions document rarely read and easily avoided is as fallacious as the idea of users governing themselves. Real governance requires that developers and legislators recognise the differences between each space and gain consent from the user base on what is acceptable according to accepted norms (Suzor and Woodford 2013, p. 11). This is an ongoing and difficult process but by sourcing governance from cultural constructs, promises a real chance at creating democratic digital communities.

References.

Caceres, R 2015, Kids playing candy crush, 10 May, viewed 13 January 2016, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJrcScRTVyk>.

de Zwart, M & Humphreys, S 2014,’ The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space: Code as Law in EVE Online’, Cultural Studies Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 77-99.

Epicfail 2009, World of Warcraft Fail, 7 April, viewed 13 January 2016, < http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9rquv_world-of-warcraft-fail_fun>.

Gardner, J 2014, Could Candy Crush Saga be a gateway to gambling?, SMH, viewed 13 January 2016, <http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/could-candy-crush-saga-be-a-gateway-to-gambling-20140424-zqyj7.html>.

Hsu, C & Lu, H 2004, ‘Why do people play on line games? An extended TAM with social influences and flow experience’, Information Management, vol. 41, no. 7, pp. 853-868.

Lenhart, A 2015, Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015, Pew Research Centre, viewed 13 January 2016, <http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/>.

Perrault, G 2014, Why do we love video games?, Huffington Post, viewed 13 January 2016, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-perreault/why-do-we-love-video-game_b_4740425.html?ir=Australia>.

Salter, B 2013, Gambling starts with games [Image], MMGN, viewed 13 January 2016, < http://mmgn.com/ps4/news–gambling-starts-with-games-sa-government-warn>.

Suzor, N & Woodford, D 2013, ‘Evaluating consent and legitimacy amongst shifting community norms: An EVE Online case study’, Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1-14.

Swinburne Online 2015, ‘Week 10: Social Gaming: Playing the Crowd’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, viewed 10 January 2016.

prprincess-blog

Interesting to hear that games such as candy crush can cause anxiety for youngsters - I play that game, as well as online assaults, and I can’t say I get too anxious! I actually get anxiety in social situations, but gaming is more of a release for me, so it’s interesting to see a different perspective!

shanrosew-blog

I steer completely clear of phone games so I enjoy this post a lot! Thank you!

cameronmda20009-blog

Week 10: Social gaming: playing the crowd

I play online games, mostly ddo (Dungeons & Dragons Online) although my connection speed makes it a painful experience on occasion.

I have also introduced the kids to a collaborative online came called Arcane Legends to try and get them used to the concept of working together instead of alone, so far so good, although they still prefer Minecraft (which is fine, it is a good platform for demonstrating expression through construction). They also think it is funny to say that their dad kicks ass on Lego Play Station games that I play with them.

One of the things that they are developing through their guided journey in a MMORPG with my assistance, is when to spot trolling and time wasters, and who to respond to and who to ignore. If anyone contacts the littlest one (who is 7) she gives me the ipad to read the comment and I decide if it needs blocking etc, and I explain what and why I have decided to either allow communication or block it. I hope that this is helping them to develop their own sense of how to navigate an online environment.

Humphries and de Zwart cite an argument of Pargman and Jakobsson (2014 p. 5) where gamers move between frames while communicating, from an individual player, to an embodied person (that has physical needs) to being ‘in character’ as a role playing toon or avatar. This is the case, however, the individuals doing so are not born knowing how to socialise through these scenarios, they are socialised into an online gaming paradigm, through learning and experience, different and separate from face to face physical reality.

This is an argument that I have made pretty much the entire unit duration (sorry if I am boring my public!), that socialisation, dealing with trolls and bullies online, crowdsourcing information and participation in providing data are learned social activities that require guidance and experience to navigate, not government regulation or protection.

A reinforcing point that seems to be lacking in discourse surrounding other online behaviour is the identification of the fact that individuals bring their own ethnocentric ideals and behaviour to the games and online interaction as well as “their cultural background, their education levels, their gender, their age and their own individual moral compass.” (de Zwart & Humphries 2014, p. 17).

Here is an interesting twist on RPG that has, I believe, just been released.

Online games provide a brilliant resource for other online fields to study established communities that have already experienced the problems that mainstream networked communities are only just starting to experience. Funnily though, up until recently gamers were ignored or thought of as aberrant due to their commitment to the gaming worlds.

References de Zwart, M & Humphreys, S 2014,’ The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space: Code as Law in EVE Online’, Cultural Studies Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 77-99.

Suzor, N & Woodford, D 2013, ‘Evaluating consent and legitimacy amongst shifting community norms: An EVE Online case study’, Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1-14.

prprincess-blog

I found it funny that your kids play Lego video games - I can remember the Indiana Jones one that I used to play and I was about 19 at the time! In saying that, I think your blog shows that online gaming communities are open to all ages. Whenever I’m playing online I seem to get a vast spread of ages, which is great! I don’t see online gaming as a problem and I think it teaches kids (especially) to notice/value the skills of others, especially when they’re working as part of a team!

shanrosew-blog

Such an effective use of meme there, I’ve witnessed many a meltdown of my fiance fighting with our internet connection. I personally have little experience with digital games but I find it really interesting to here how you interact with gaming and introduce your kids to it. I have friends whose kids are obsessed with Minecraft and other games but I can say I have absolutely no idea how I’ll approach gaming with my kids but thank you for a great read!

prprincess-blog

When you take a sickie and your mate tags you playing beer pong...

Learning materials week 9.

Yep, true story. I can’t even begin to explain the level of cringe that took place between the moment of seeing the tag, telling my friend to delete it and cracking the next beer. Well, maybe not too much – thankfully my boss is listed as an “acquaintance” on Facebook, making them completely blind to my posts [and those I’m tagged in].

However, I’ve also been in awkward social situations. The kind where you’re hanging out with someone right after you’ve told someone else you’re busy, and this person is disliked by the other. #awkies

It’s becoming quite the debate; to tag or not to tag. Would Shakespeare be proud?

Videos, selfies, images – they’re all increasingly used throughout social media platforms to build connections with users across different cultures (Lange 2009). Short videos [aka vines] are strewn throughout my Facebook feed and I am both tagged and tagging others in the comments of vines at least four times a day. In tagging a particular person in a vine, I am looking at it in two ways:

Does this video remind me of this person; and/or

Will this person find this video as funny as I do.

There’s not much method to my madness.

However, lately my mam decided to join Facebook land – resulting in self-monitoring my comments and tags. It would seem I’m not the only one to experience this, with most young people expressing ‘degrees of anxiety, concern and fascination with the visual landscapes encountered through Facebook’ (Hand 2012, p. 175).

I know I say this every week; but technology, the internet and the way we use it is all forever changing. Social media protocol in general is a liquid thing (Demetriades 2015), so as much as we want there to be some kind of socially-acceptable protocol to tagging, there isn’t and there never can be. Fortunately, for my generation, we are ‘the first to grow up and proceed into adulthood having mastered how and when and why’ to use social media platforms (Demetriades 2015).

REFERENCES

Demetriades, D 2015, “Facebook Photos: To Tag Or Not To Tag”, The Odyssey, viewed 4 January 2016, <http://theodysseyonline.com/muhlenberg-college/to-tag-or-not-to-tag/219048>.

Hand, M 2012, Ubiquitous Photography, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Lange, P 2009, “Videos of Affinity on YouTube”, in P, Snickars & P, Vonderau (eds), The YouTube Reader, National Library of Sweden, Stockholm, p. 70-88.

shanrosew-blog

The heading had me here! Such a good opening and all too familiar! Such a great style of writing & to be honest, I hate being tagged unless I’m doing something really great I want everyone to be jealous about haha. Great post!

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