Who decides what counts as an “ethical” reputation?
Gentle notice: this is not hypnosis. Just thinking out loud.
✦ ᛉ ᚨ ᚷ ᛟ ✦
Or maybe we should step back even further: what is reputation, really?
A quick Google search defines reputation as consideration and esteem.
So far, so good.
In hypnosis, the more you trust the hypnotist and their inductions, the more likely it is to work.
Though it still might not. Life—and the mind—always take divergent paths.
So then… is it enough that no skeletons are known?
That there’s no Reddit thread, no cautionary tale, no moment where someone became an example of “when things went wrong”?
Because there are reputations that were once good, that slowly darkened, and then accusations surfaced.
We don’t always know whether those accusations are true—but sometimes doubt alone is enough to trigger a boycott.
Stars that began brightly and then collapsed like the foam of a warm beer.
Sometimes I wonder whether those people ever returned to a normal life, or whether they continued surrounded by their loyal followers.
And if nothing is said—does that mean someone is clean?
Because people take time to speak up.
For a complaint to turn into an accusation, or for accusations to leak out, many things usually have to happen:
a major falling-out, significant harm, a breaking point.
And that threshold is blurry.
There may be complaints we never hear.
Voices that never reach our ears or our eyes.
How many “clean” reputations are sustained by collective silence?
🌐 Week 10: Digital Citizenship and Conflict – Social Media Governance 🔍
This week’s theme dives into the power plays and complexities of social media governance - where freedom of expression, user safety, and community values collide. Social media isn’t just a digital playground; it’s a space where the rules we follow (or break) shape our experience, and sometimes, our real-world identities. Let’s explore why it’s so crucial for us to navigate these waters carefully and demand better governance from the platforms we use daily.
💥 Online Harassment: An Unseen Threat to Digital Citizenship
Ever felt the urge to delete a post or stay silent on an issue because you feared backlash? You’re not alone. Research shows that online harassment disproportionately targets women and marginalized groups, often silencing voices that challenge the status quo (Haslop et al. 2021). For many, logging in means risking exposure to abuse, trolls, and coordinated attacks that are more than just “words on a screen.” They are reminders of the deep-rooted biases that our digital spaces reflect - and amplify.
Watching comedians like Hannah Gadsby and Amy Schumer tackle online harassment through humor has been inspiring. It’s a powerful reminder that even in conflict, there are ways to reclaim the narrative and demand change. Their standup routines highlight an essential truth: social media governance shouldn’t be left to algorithms and vague community guidelines alone. It’s personal, it’s political, and it’s urgent.
🛡️ Social Media Governance: Who’s Responsible for Our Safety?
Platforms like Twitter and Instagram often claim to have our safety in mind, but are their efforts enough? Recent laws, such as Australia’s Online Safety Act, attempt to enforce accountability by mandating the removal of harmful content within 24 hours. However, enforcement is tricky - how do we ensure these measures protect us without infringing on freedom of expression? And how do platforms address the sheer volume of content they moderate daily?
This week, I found myself reflecting on the role of brands in supporting online safety. Tamara Littleton, CEO of The Social Element, advocates for brands to actively protect and support creators against harassment. When brands take a stand and back up creators, it sends a powerful message that online abuse is unacceptable, reinforcing that social responsibility is a shared duty across users, creators, and corporations.
Link to "Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act 2021":
🌐 Digital Citizenship: Our Role in Shaping the Internet We Want
As digital citizens, we have a role beyond just being consumers - we’re the ones who shape the culture and tone of these platforms. That means calling out harmful behavior, supporting each other, and pushing back against a culture that normalizes harassment. If we want social media to be a safe space, it requires active participation and responsibility from all of us.
References
Australian Government 2022, Online Safety Act, Australian Human Rights Commission, viewed 5 November 2024, <https://www.legislation.gov.au>.
Haslop, C, O’Rourke, F & Southern, R 2021, ‘#NoSnowflakes: The toleration of harassment and an emergent gender-related digital divide’, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 1418-1438.
Pew Research 2021, Public Attitudes Towards Social Media Harassment, viewed 5 November 2024, <https://www.pewresearch.org/>.
I expect next-to-nothing from this #oversightboard but I may or may have not referred to a certain someone as a "digital overlord". 🤷♀️ #amiwrong #wheresthelie #zucked #communitystandards #facebooksucks https://www.instagram.com/p/CbTTDxzPqYb/?utm_medium=tumblr
Well, #zuck nabbed me again for some playful banter between friends. I've seen so many awful things, legit bullying that somehow doesn't go against #communitystandards yet some sarcasm and humor gets ya #zucked 😑 Yes, I understand this place has the same owner. 🙄 #imissmyspace and still hold out hope for a decent #socialmedia alternative. 🤞 https://www.instagram.com/p/CbRtTfZO55k/?utm_medium=tumblr
