Social Media Musing

[socialmediamusing]

The Musing - Censorship in China

The humble meme holds more strength than we think. While China is known for censoring what its citizens can view online, that sneaky little picture and word combo may be getting one up on Chinese authorities.

It’s hard enough for Chinese censors to keep track of and block all search terms that directly reference taboo topics, it’s even harder to block the many variations of words and images that might only allude to controversy.

Well played memes.

[socialmediamusing]

The Musing - Sexism in Online Gaming

Anita Sarkeesian became the target of death threats and hates mail when the gamer spoke up about the misogynistic culture of the online gaming world (Time, 2015).

She voiced concern over the portrayal of female characters who more often than not were damsels in need of rescuing, prostitutes to be murdered or simply overtly sexualized females (Rollingstone, 2015) as well as the lack of female protagonists.

Now, I am no gamer but when I look back at times I have engaged in play, I’ve often had similar feelings before putting them in the ‘that’s just how it is’ basket. These games are targeted towards males and the characters are designed accordingly. When I think more about it though, I agree with Sarkeesian.

Grand Theft Auto was a favorite of mine growing up and although I never actually tried to complete any of the missions, I did enjoy finding an empty parking lot and seeing how many nice cars I could collect before I was arrested. During my time as a picky, fumbling car thief, it did bother me that I had no option but to be a ‘man’ and that I was constantly approached by scantly clad women asking if I wanted a good time.

Prostitutes are also regularly the targets of beatings from the protagonist player for no other reason than because they can. Does this reflect how people feel towards prostitutes in day-to-day life? Would they throw a virtual punch at a mother walking with a pram in Liberty City?

The series is also infamous for allowing you to have sex with a prostitute and then kill her to collect the money.

So are women being objectified?

1. Dragon’s Crown was released in 2013 with a character called ‘The Sorceress’, a name that conveys the image of a strong and powerful woman. This was how she was depicted:

So we get a strong and powerful woman from this picture? All i get from this is boobs.. ridiculously large boobs. And isn’t that what woman have been campaigning against for years, to be seen as more than a pair of breasts? Yes, gaming is ‘fantasy’ but that’s just it – who’s fantasy?

 2. Soulcalibur’s character Ivy:

When Meg Jayanth of the Guardian conducted a study of game users in 2014, it was discovered an astonishing 52% of gamers are female, a significant rise over recent years. Game design culture however is still a male dominated world and the games still being produced are a testament to that.

Game designers are doing amazing things with graphics, effects and plot lines today, surely we are nearing a time when the use of scantly clad women with ridiculously over sized lady parts are no longer needed to lure users in? A time for an even ratio of female to male protagonists and non-objectification of women?

These were questions posed by Sarkeesian amongst others, #Gamergate ensued:

With females making up over half of all gaming users, a shift is culture is going to happen, the question is, how much back and forth is it going to take to get there?

[socialmediamusing]

The musing - Selfies and Self Worth

Social Media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow us to share photo after photo in real time, helping us to engage with our peers who value visual imagery above text, a kind of, digital story-telling.

Through these channels we are able to connect with friends and family in a world where travel is accessible to most and many of us have family in another country. You can view photos from when Aunty Karen visited the Mausoleum, at the same time checking out your best friends Vegas pictures. However, there is also a downside to this photo sharing technology.

At a recent industry summit, Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel stated that “you are the sum of your published experience” in regards to people’s attitudes to social media platforms. He then went on to call the notion ‘radical and problematic.’

In my opinion, Spiegel is right.

Whether it be likes on Facebook or followers on Instagram, many of us use this data as a way to evaluate our popularity and self worth, which is a really scary thought.  Over the last few years we have seen a rise in self-harm and suicides as a direct result of social media use (Luxton et al 2012).

This need for external acknowledgment and praise has seemingly developed a society that breeds narcissism. In order to engage with others, people are over sharing aspects of their lives, which were once deemed private. We feel like everyone else wants to know what we are doing, thinking and feeling believing, to some extent and so we show them what we are having for breakfast and post a selfie for no apparent reason but so people don’t forget what we look like.

The word ‘Selfie’ is officially a part of the dictionary and while many people may list it’s definition as a ‘picture of ones self; a form of self expression’ I think that’s all a bit ridiculous. The definition for expression is ‘the action of making known one's thoughts or feelings’ and looking at a Facebook friend’s pouting selfie gives me absolutely no information on how they are feeling or what they are thinking other than to assume they just sucked on a lemon.

Now, I’m no selfie angel, I’ve posted a couple in my time (all non-pouting) and I can tell you now it was purely because I looked great in it. Being open to other people’s views, I would love to hear if anyone disagrees with my thoughts on the selfie purpose and welcome comments in regards to how you use your selfies for self-expression.

[socialmediamusing]

The musing - Crowd sourcing

[socialmediamusing]

 The newspaper, many of us wouldn’t pick one up once a week these days. Why bother when we have world-wide news, breaking or otherwise at the tips of our fingers at all times?

 An exuberant New York journalist announced in 1835 that books, theatre, even religion “has had their day” and the daily newspaper would become “the greatest organ of social life”(1).

And it did - for a good 180 years but now there are new kids in town and new methods in receiving our news - Social media and crowd sourcing.

Since 2000, the circulation of most UK national dailies has fallen between a third and a half. Pew Research Centre in the US reports that newspapers are the main source of news for only 26 percent of Americans compared with 45 percent in 2001(2) and statistics are similar here in Australia.

 In a society obsessed with instant gratification, where same day delivery service is a given and smartphone apps allow us never to wait for a cab or a date its no wonder we also won’t wait a whole 24 hours for another news update, around the world or locally, especially in times of crisis.

 In the good old days of the newspaper, journalists were taught to abide by 6 main guidelines when reporting and delivering the news: accuracy, fairness, balance, depth, breadth and speed(3). They gave us the most ‘important information’ every morning before breakfast and we were to believe and not question it. They were giving us the facts that we needed to know.

This is not to say the old newspaper didn’t give the public a chance to have a voice, it was just a lot more limited. Readers were able to write in with their opinions, statements and questions in the forms of ‘letters to the editor’ and the ever entertaining ‘Personals’ section.

Reflecting on those previous figures of declining newspaper popularity, we look at what has changed and why?

Well, in terms of times of crisis, when a big news story breaks, for traditional newspapers there is always going to be a delay in getting the news out to the people ASAP. The Sydney Siege for example began at 9.44am, well and truly after newspapers had gone to print and been delivered. Before the online revolution, we may have heard about this via word of mouth or on the news if we were around a TV or radio but online and social media avenues allowed us all to be informed from the beginning till the end. Step by step.

Mass media are generally become mediators, non-independent agents of social and political dynamics (4), especially when it comes to crisis situations.

Through the use of Social Media and online news sites, we are able to view what is occurring worldwide in real time - updates as they happen. 52% of Twitter users report they receive their news via the social networking site – up from 33% in 2012 (5). News is regularly crowd sourced, so we have more of a say in what is important to us to hear and we can voice our opinions on such matters.

Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent at BBC stated:

‘There is no question, if you are not on Facebook and Twitter you are not getting the full story’

Twitter has revolutionized newsrooms by speeding up the news gathering process and modern journalists keep an eye on their twitter pages for what is trending and what is considered news. Because that’s just it, in the 21st century, WE choose our news to a certain extent. If there is a wide community discussion about a certain topic, journalists will now source that info and report on it. This is as much about competitiveness between other newspapers as it is about competing with Social Media. Because of the drop in newspaper popularity it is perhaps most important for journalist to be first in with the most exciting story of the day.

Will Facebook and Twitter grow as the first port of call for us to receive our news with time? Will Twitter be widely accepted as an accurate representation of public opinion? Will journalists begin to rely more on Twitter for newsgathering? Will the rest of the world?

As New York Times journalist David Carr writes:

“The media is not the message, the messages are the media.(6)”

References:

(1) http://www.newstatesman.com/2014/02/how-newspapers-have-failed-us viewed 21.05.15

(3) http://www.rasaneh.org/Images/News/AtachFile/30-9-1390/FILE634600594129473750.pdf viewed 21.05.15

(4) New Technology and Changes in Mass Media. Considerations for Political Scientists. Miquel de Moragas. University of Barcelona, 1990.

(6) http://www.likeable.com/blog/2014/08/how-twitter-has-changed-journalism-forever. viewed 20.05.15

[socialmediamusing]

The musing - Activism and Protest

In ‘Tweet and the Streets’, Paolo Gerbaudo describes a powerful scene that took place at Tahrir square in central Cairo, Egypt. It was the 29th of July 2011 and troops were brutally evicting a protest camp through force with the use of wooden sticks. Gerbaudo tells of a young woman he notices nearby, pulling out her phone and taking a picture of the scene before typing something and quickly putting the phone back into her pocket.  He wonders what she was posting, to where and what was written?

Social Media has become a platform for citizens or ‘netizens’ (Kuebler 2011) to voice their opinions and stand up for what they believe is right. While this is true around the world, the Middle East has certainly experienced perhaps the biggest change via activism and protest through social media. The Internet has allowed large masses of Middle Easterners to solidify their efforts and organize protests in a short amount of time. "It also provided a platform for people to express their solidarity, both within...[their respective countries] and with others in the region and beyond" (The Arab Revolution and Social Media 2011).

While free speech and protesting is accepted in the Western world, it is not taken so lightly in Middle Eastern countries with serious consequences, sometimes jail time the reward for those willing to take a stand. The social media platform is perhaps less daunting for those wanting to make a change without risk to their own lives. Fatemeh Keshavarz, an Iranian professor and activist who runs a blog called "Windows on Iran," said that "social media made the Iranian citizens feel empowered and in some way in control of their lives. (2011)” 

That young Egyptian girl who Gerbaudo saw in Cairo that day was possibly tweeting the horrific image of violence they were both witnessing and if so, is now amongst a rising group of social media warriors - providing the world insight on what is really happening in real time. Such an image is the type that fuels activism and protests and is what makes social media such a powerful tool within our political world.

References:

Gerbaudo, P. Tweets and the Streets: Social Media and Contemporary Activism, Pluto Press, 2012, pg 1-2

Khamis, S & El-Nawawy, Political Activism 2.0: Comparing the Role of Social Media in Egypt’s “Facebook Revolution” and Iran’s “Twitter Uprising”, Vol. 6, Iss. 1, 2012 

Kuebler, J, The Arab Spring and the Role of ICTs, International Journal of Communication, European University Institute, 2011.

Youmans, W & York J, Social Media and the Activists Toolkit: User Agreements, Corporate Interests, and the Information Infrastructure of Social Media Movements, 2012 pg 2.

[socialmediamusing]

The musing: Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is a now widely used term that still doesn’t have a solid definition to back it up. One definition I think we can agree on is that it’s a horrible act that severely affects not only our youth but our society as a whole.

Swedish Psychologist Dan Owleus differentiated bullying from other forms of youth aggression by calling it out on its three components: aggression, repetition and imbalance of power (Boyd, 2014).

Bullying used to stay in the playground at school, while it has certainly always been around, young people could go home to a little relief from the nastiness that is sadly so common amongst the younger ages. Then came the introduction of MSN, and other messenger services designed for people to connect anytime anywhere. Should be a positive right?

I remember using MSN in the early 2000’s and for me it mainly have negative connotations and sad memories. The 3 way conversation application that allowed you to discuss what movie you and your friends were going to see that Friday was also what allowed others to add you into a conversation to berate you as a group. It was done and it was a common thing. I’ve been on the end of it and would cry myself to sleep after - as a teenager, your whole world is rocked.

I wish I could say I was solely on the receiving end of such bullying but unfortunately I was also a part of a group that probably made someone else very upset as well. I’m ashamed to say it and you’ll be glad to know I’m extremely repentant and still feel guilty to this day, well into my 20’s - unfortunately, many of us are idiots when we are pre-pubescent teens.

So that brings us to now. A world of Facebook and Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr… social networking far more advanced than MSN and certainly more engrossed in out daily lives. Almost every young person has a mobile phone and with it social media at the tips of their fingers day and night.

The problem with social media now is that it transcends platform and space. The early 00’s version of messenger allowed people to say horrible things to the username they clicked on, whose box then opened up. Bullying is now public domain. You see comments on trending pictures or articles in your news feed, read snide remarks on the wall of one of your 800 ‘friends’, 600 of them you have never even met. Bullies can be motivated and encouraged by other people commenting as well, some of them sitting half way across the globe.

 Its everywhere and there is no escaping, being on social media is widely accepted as being part of life and necessary to ‘stay in the loop’ .. and perhaps that’s the most troubling part.

[socialmediamusing]

The musing - An interesting read

http://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~vlaan107/ecis/files/ECIS2013-0331-paper.pdf

[socialmediamusing]

Next time, save this one for Therese.

[socialmediamusing]

The musing - Social Media in Politics

Barack Obama made history in 2008 when he became the first African American president of the United States and in doing so changed the way many politicians ran their campaigns. This presidential candidate utilized the platform in a way no other politician had, he reached out to the people, he was personable, and he was real.

 Obama’s people recognized the way technology and communication was changing and with his strong Twitter presence, demonstrated how up to date with American values and lives he was, simply by communicating with them through a medium they know and love.

Like JFK before him, the first president to really understand television, Obama is the first Social Media President (Rutledge, 2013). PBS news reported that Obama spent 10 times the amount on social media as Romney, coming in at a massive $47 million. But didn’t it pay off?

 By using hash tags and ‘tweeting’ daily, the presidential hopeful was able to engage with his audience and show them he really was a progressive president, a welcome change from the Bush administration.

Post-election, across the globe, another leadership hopeful had taken notice of Obama’s success. In 2013 Kevin Rudd was hoping to win back the Australian role of PM. He launched a Twitter and Instagram account and began connecting with people, it was two-way communication between a politician and the public that the Australian people hadn’t experienced before.

 Although we all know how things ended for Kev, to this day he still has over 1.5 million Twitter followers - three times that of the current Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The use of good social media tactics in politics is now undeniably important and even our local members ensure they keep on top of their Facebook posts. So what about the pitfalls of connecting so readily with your voters?

 Social media is more likely to hinder than help a campaign when politicians write a bad tweet or Facebook post, says Associate Professor Axel Bruns of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Yes, if you put yourself out there, there is certainly more room for error, just ask Republican Senator Chuck Grassley who posted this little gem on Twitter in 2014:

 ‘’Windsor Heights Dairy Queen is a good place for u kno what“

He later explained the ‘u know what’ meant eating Dairy Queen goods but the message was already misconstrued. Grammar aside, it was a pretty stupid thing to write on an online forum and his credibility took a hit. Understandably.

So while Social Media is a brilliant way to connect with the people, if not done correctly, it can cost votes for the politician and possibly a career as well as make them a down right laughing stock.

While I enjoy feeling like the people running my country are relatable, in touch and ‘on my level’, I’m not so sure it gives me a sense of confidence in their ability. They should be, to a certain degree, professional and poised. Seeing Kevin Rudd’s bathroom selfie after cutting himself with a razor while shaving doesn’t suggest to me he is putting forth meaningful ideas into improving Griffith, it suggests he has too much time on his hands and has not had much practice with a razor.

Get it together Kevin.

[socialmediamusing]

Social Media: A necessity to create a global community

[socialmediamusing]

The musing - A Natural Progression

German Sociologist Ferdinand Tonnies believed that a shift in society took place when we became industrialised, that is, moved from village to city life (Tonnies, 1957).

The world has shifted once again in the 21st century and has now become a technologically progressed and spread out community, and so, is it not natural our means of communicating with each other would alter once again?

Travel is attainable for most social classes and an expanding population causes us to cover more landmass, at times separating us from family and friends.

We are also a more socially inquisitive people, enjoying the opportunity to connect with those abroad and learn of different cultures and ways of thinking.

It’s a beautiful thing really.

So while Social Media is at times deemed impersonal, I would argue that it’s totally necessary given where we are geographically and technologically as a society. A natural progression.

[socialmediamusing]

The musing – Tumblr: A blog or social networking site?

 While starting off a piece of writing with a definition is a little cliché, for the purpose of understanding what a piece is about it is sometimes necessary.. and by explaining this to the reader you avoid starting off with a definition..

The Oxford dictionary describes social media as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

 A blog is defined as a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.

 So where does Tumblr fit between the two?

The site has qualities that fall between both these definitions.  While we post regularly to the website, some users in a formal style, others informal, there is no doubt that Tumblr is also used to engage with others.

By linking your blog with your existing Gmail, Twitter and Facebook accounts, its easy to find friends to follow and for them to find you. Much like other social media platforms, you garner more followers through your engagement with the site. Tumblr allows you to tag, re-blog, like posts and send private messages to other users proving it is not just for self-engagement.

This all being said, with the right ego and level of self-involvement, a blog could certainly be a one-sided affair. A user can choose to post about their own thoughts and feelings, opinions and ideas with no other act of interaction towards the wider online community.

Where it differs from more traditional social media like Twitter and Facebook is the lengths of posts. Twitter posts have a limit of 140 characters making it impossible for Tweeters to go off on too much of a tangent in one post. While it IS possible on Facebook, it is often frowned upon and if done regularly, users can be considered needy or annoying.  

When it comes to Tumblr – that’s what we are here for! It’s what people expect. Tell us all about your thoughts, feelings and knowledge on a certain subject or nothing in particular. Write interesting text on your chosen topic for others to read, this is the purpose of Tumblr and the virtual audience has arrived at your page because of it.

So this brings us back to the original question - Is Tumblr a blog or social media website?

Well, if you’re reading this blog post, you have an interest in the topic discussed and would like to commit the time and brain capacity to think about the ideas being explored, typical of qualities associated with blogs.

Lets take that engagement a step further and you choose to like it or even re-blog it. It’s a literary masterpiece and must be shown to the world.. or a total piece of crap that should be criticized and shamed. You may even like to private message me to elaborate on your disdain or heap praise on my obvious talents.. These are clear characteristics of a social media site.

 Could we then perhaps settle on the idea that while Tumblr has the ability to fall into both the blog and social media spheres.. HOW the users actually use the platform is going to determine its place between the two.

[socialmediamusing]

One student, many thoughts.