Discover Top Posts Tagged with #digitallywoke

Check out my Presentation on Crowdsourcing Digital Homies

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vS5lXfDaKrRFDafNnl-ID9Whw9a9t66FtLSjuSeQoobp4F7-aJ8SYR8mg2Ka8tM8oKJGEmf1MVrEn14/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

#iwokeuplikedis #digitallywoke

What’s Xi Jinping got Against Winnie the Pooh?

*Pooh’s crash landing after being catapulted over the Great Firewall of China*

The beloved, Hunny devouring bear from Hundred Acre Wood has been banished to the dark side of the Great Firewall of China, and honestly I feel for him.

Look, Xi Jinping, I s’pose I get it. No one likes being compared to an animated book character, but goodness me has the micro-management of China’s government-mediated media access not been taken a step too far this time?

I appreciate that meme culture can be a vessel for bandwagon bullying and often the meme’s can be disrespectful, but honestly, the comparison of Xi to Winnie the Pooh really appears to me like a bit of innocent humour.

Following the recognition of this meme trend, Chinese censors started banning the spread of these memes and comparisons of Xi to Pooh, whilst also banning the release of ‘Christopher Robin’ in 2013.

As much as this is a trivial example of the way in which China mediates their national media access, I think it serves as a metaphor for other more serious problems that underpin this kind of media control. The separation of Chinese Media from the rest of the world is a concept that I find difficult to wrap my head around. I cannot comprehend that a country with such an enormous population uses completely different social media platforms, completely different websites, and any other platforms/site variety that there is, to the rest of the world. It’s like a complete segregation of culture and society that the rest of the world are in no way privy to. And it goes both ways, there is so much going on in the world of social media across the world and so much information online that is all pooled and shared by different countries and cultures, but China is cut off from so much of that by the Golden Shield.

This kind of segregation i find honestly terrifying. I think global shared knowledge is one of the most powerful tools for all societies and cultures, and in the world’s ability to house us all harmoniously. But with such a huge segment of the global population being segregated in this way by differences in media access, i am left feeling honestly a little baffled and concerned.

Lastly, Pooh, just want to say, love your work. You are the cutest fictional character from my childhood. Secondly, Xi Jinping, you totally are not as cute as Pooh so i really do not get why this meme trend took off in the first place. I’M SORRY but its the truth. Love you Pooh.

#iwokeuplikedis #digitallywoke

I Forced My 12 Year Old Cousin to Teach Me to Play Fortnite

This is actually not a lie.

I’m not a gamer, but I kind of wish I was. I feel like gamers have this weird aura of superiority going on. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I want to be in the club.

And that’s what it kind of is really, a social club. Groups of people with one very niche aspect in common, whether that aspect be Fortnite or another video game (or even non-video game for that matter.) And I want to be a part of it. I’m speaking from absolutely no experience, but I’m assuming that if people who play Fortnite love it so obsessively to the point where they spend most of their spare time playing it and/or talking about playing it, then it must be for a reason right?

Well, I’m not a sidelines kind of a gal, so I set myself the task of becoming a gamer. This process involved forcing my 12 year old cousin into teaching me how to play via the means of bribery. This was no easy feat (as his teaching me took him away from his own gameplay) but I prevailed in the end.

Firstly, it was hard. I’m going to say my dismal lack of skill was a result of poor training rather than inherent inadequacy, as my cousin whipped through the endless controls and objectives with lightning speed and little to no enthusiasm.

So picture it, I’m sitting there with the controller in my hands, Harry (said cousin) has the headset on chatting to his mates who are playing as other shooters on the battlefield. This wasn’t my idea of a good time. I wanted to be a gamer so I could be in the club, and I still wasn’t in the bloody club. I was just sitting there with a controller that I don't know how to use turning my head whenever Harry would start speaking, only to realise he was speaking to his mates over the headset about how shit I was at playing the game after I kept getting killed within 60 seconds of every round.

This made me think, maybe in some instances it’s not only the game itself that is so fun, but rather the community and interaction that it can cultivate. This scenario actually gave me a pretty good insight into this concept of Digital Community, and how gaming is actually more than just solo play. In some circumstances it is, sure, but it’s also communities and networks of players, it’s team play, it’s social interaction, and so much more.

So, I’m sad to admit that I doubt I will be trying my hand at Fortnite ever again. Don’t get me wrong, I’d still like to be a gamer, but I think maybe WOW might be more my speed. The pressure of the Fortnite arena left me feeling a little rattled. But I am not giving up on my dream of being a gamer! I will find my club.

#iwokeuplikedis #digitallywoke

Yeah I’m a Gamer

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Insta’s Discover Page is the Cause of all my Insecurities

Anyone else with me here?

Being a 21 year old girl, I’m pretty privy to the damage that platforms like Instagram can have on people when it comes to body image, self confidence, and something I struggle with severely, the infamous FOMO (fear of missing out if you’ve been living under an Instagram sized rock and you haven’t experienced this phenomena.)

Most of us have heard the countless people preaching about the ‘highlight-real’ reality that Instagram portrays. Most of us are well aware that ‘face-tune’ has a lot to say when it comes to seemingly perfect airbrushed photos of people with the perfect skin, perfect bodies, perfect tans, and perfect hair. Most of us are pretty clear on the fact that the food blog’s endless stream of extremely healthy salad ideas are not the only thing that we are allowed to eat in order to not be revoltingly overweight. Albeit, I can guarantee that I am not the only one that ends up in a pit of self detriment after I’ve had a bit too much of a sticky beak on the Instagram discover page. When I’ve looked at photo after photo of various ‘perfect’ models and their ‘perfect’ photos of their ‘perfect’ vegan salad bowls and their ‘perfect’ birthday parties with the masses of ‘perfect’ friends that wanted to celebrate their ‘perfect’ life with them, I’m often left feeling rather inadequate.

There’s no doubt that this is an issue for many. unattainable perfectionism is one of the biggest epidemics that social media has played a role in, and I am no exception to its endless list of victims striving and failing to live up to unrealistic expectations. For me, this is something I can get over pretty much as soon as I step back into the reality of the physical world and go about my day. However, for some this can snowball into some pretty serious mental health issues.

Ironically, social media can also be used to cultivate positivity and bring people together who may be suffering from similar mental health problems and many other illnesses at that. Online support groups can play a huge role in people’s lives as they act as a place of belonging for many people whom otherwise might feel like an outsider. Social media can cultivate community, friendship, and support networks, and this is something that has served, and continues to serve, so many people that are going through the ringer.

So, I still think the Instagram Discover page sucks. But, fortunately I think the understanding that these portrayals of perfection are false is gaining more and more traction every day. And as much as social media can play a negative role when it comes to this issue, Social media can also bat on the other side and be a place of refuge from illness (both mental and physical) for so many, and that shouldn’t be overlooked either.

#iwokeuplikedis #digitallywoke

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#iwokeuplikedis #digitallywoke

Get Woke the World Needs You

Crowdsourcing. Anyone can do it.

Well, in a roundabout sort of way, yes. Crowdsourcing is one of the most incredible ways that social media can do some seriously impactful ‘good’ in this sometimes sodden world.

Natural disasters are no ones cup of tea, and the consequences of serious natural disasters can be detrimental and many people have died as a result of these events. Definitely no joking around when it comes to the tragedies that have taken place in the wake of some of these disasters. However, when it comes to the fallout of international disasters, social media has been awarded with a pretty solid handshake for some of the work it has facilitated in the assistance of aiding affected communities.

Crowdsourcing is a process wherein the knowledge of people across the world is pooled to combat obstacles that otherwise wouldn't be jumped over by the people facing them alone. Networks such as Ushahidi.com are the workhorses behind this crowdsourcing phenomena. It’s true, the process is a little more challenging than making a messenger group and having a yarn about everyone’s day before getting down to the nitty gritty of the task at hand. No. Programs like Ushahidi use the power of crowd sourcing in a much more methodical way.

An example of a method used for crowdsourcing (and adopted by Ushahidi) is crisis mapping. This involved the development of an online visual map with dots that mark locations that have been identified as crisis locations. The maps contain information detailing the type of crisis, the exact gps coordinates, and any other specifications that apply such as supplies that are required or whether or not people have died in the location etc. This information is received by the crisis mapping team via text message, usually, and if the message is in a foreign language it is then translated, before the data is loaded onto the crisis map. This network of inflowing and outflowing information is the process of crowdsourcing.

It may be slightly complicated, yes, but crowdsourcing is pretty wicked, and I don't think enough people know about it. These platforms have aided hugely in the management of deathly aftermath of countless natural disasters, and a lot of that can be attributed to the founders of these innovative programs, as well as the public who contribute information to form artefacts such as crisis maps.

So remember, folks. Social media is a very powerful weapon, and it’s power can be harnessed for much more than just group chats and photo sharing. Tell that to your parents next time they launch into a reverie about the good old days, before the inter-webs.