Alice Karn

Social media is positively used by the world, for connecting with old friends, protesting for change and sharing photos just to name a few. However as social media increasingly influences everyday life, the negative impacts can sometimes seem to outweigh the good. Online harassment, a term commonly used when discussing social media conflict, covers an abundance of terms for wrongdoing online. According to Lenhart et al., being called offensive names, embarrassed online, physically threatened online, sexually harassed online, impersonated are just some of the ten behaviours that constitute to online harassment (Lenhart et al. cited in Marwick & Robyn Caplan. 2018). Digital citizenship, essentially acquired by anyone with a social media account, is by definition someone with skill and knowledge to appropriately and responsibly participate in society at an online level (Office of the eSafety Commissioner, NSW Department of Education). However, with increased numbers of online harassment, these users of social media clearly do not abide by this definition. So you must ask the question, do these online platforms need further regulation and governance, in order to keep them safe for all users? All social media websites have a review system and a report system, where users are able to report content, they don’t think is appropriate. Content posted to social media is also often reviewed by the platform even if it is not reporting, which relatively effectively removes inappropriate or sensitive content.

Trolling is a term that seems to be constantly changing as the internet and social media develops, however it is currently defined as “the act of leaving an insulting message on the internet in order to annoy someone” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020). Trolling has unfortunately become common practice on social media, especially in regard to public figures. In 2016, Instagram introduced the feature enabling users to disable comments. This has been widely used by celebrities to stop trolling on their photos, as Taylor Swift has done since 2019 (O’Brien 2016).  

Research conducted by Amnesty International on the effects of online harassment on Australian women, found that 59% of women interviewed said had felt stressed, anxious or suffered panic attacks after being abused or harassed online. Of these women, just 20% felt that social media companies responded fairly, very or completely adequate to their incidents (Amnesty International, 2018).  

References:

Anon, 2018, ‘Australia: Poll Reveals Alarming Impact of Online Abuse Against Women’, Amnesty International Australia, viewed 7 June 2020, <https://www.amnesty.org.au/australia-poll-reveals-alarming-impact-online-abuse-women/>

Digital Citizenship c. 2020, Digital Citizenship, NSW Department of Education, viewed 3 June 2020, <https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au>

Dictionary.cambridge.org 2020, Trolling, viewed 7 June 2020, <https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trolling>

Marwick, A & Caplan, R 2018, ‘Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment’, Feminist Media studies, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 543-559.

Video gaming is not something I partake in, aside from owning a Nintendo DS about 13 years ago. My gaming knowledge is extremely small; however, it is a subject that interests me as the gaming world continues to evolve and build an even larger fan base. The evolution of gaming has been dominated by the evolution of technology. A gamer must adapt to new ways of playing and new devices, otherwise forget gaming. Video games have become more affordable to the wider community, allowing more people to play and hence raking in huge profits to the economy of gaming. Traditionally, gaming attracted a much more male audience due however an increasing amount of women are becoming gamers. The reasoning behind this is the availability of app-based games such as Candy Crush and Words with Friends. Statista accounted that female gamers account for 46% of gamers worldwide (Gough, 2019). Yet the stereotype still seems to stick that gaming is a male dominated field.

A sector of gaming that has hugely developed in more recent years is professional gaming, also known as Esports. So what makes someone a professional gamer? It’s someone who is paid to play video games full time (Techni Sport,2020). Usually they are paid by teams or sponsors who pay them to compete in various Esports tournaments around the world, competing for huge cash prizes. The International Dota 2 Championships offers the biggest prize pool in Esports competition, with the winning team taking home a whopping $25,532,200 AUD (JD Sports, 2018). 26 year old Danish pro-gamer Johan Sundstein is currently the highest overall earner in Esports worldwide, earning nearly 7 million USD throughout his career (Esports Earnings, 2020). Gaming has traditionally received a lot of negative press for increasing aggressive behaviour and increased social isolation, however with more games being played as multiplayer games and Esport tournaments being housed in arenas as opposed to on individual computers in homes (Faust et al. 2013), professional gaming is making its case as a social sport. However there are concerns for the affects that prolonged gaming can have on the body physically and mentally, with studies being undertaken to determine implications and ways to avoid them.

References:

Anon, 2020, ‘How to become a pro gamer in 2020 (Updated), Techni Sport, April 3, viewed 7 June 2020, <https://technisportusa.com/blogs/news/how-to-become-a-pro-gamer>

Anon, 2020, ‘Top 100 Highest Overall Earnings’, Esports Earnings, viewed 7 June 2020,

<https://www.esportsearnings.com/players>

Gough, C 2019, ‘Global gamer share worldwide in 2017, by age and gender’, Statista, viewed 7 June 2020,  <https://www.statista.com/statistics/722259/world-gamers-by-age-and-gender/>

As discussed in my week 6 post about digital citizenship, social media has greatly changed the way politicians and leaders engage with voters. The possibility for both targeted and widespread publicity for campaigns has been successfully used through social media.

This system of online advertising and campaigning has been successfully used by the world of activism. The power of digital activism is the traction it can gain on a worldwide level. By the simple use of a hashtag, people can encourage discussion, gain leaders and promote their social issue all for free. In this modern world, using a mobile phone for your social media means you can post anywhere, anytime as long as you have an internet connection. Take the #MeToo movement for example. One of the strongest digital movements to date, the #MeToo hashtag was created by actress Alyssa Milano, in which she asked women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted to use the hashtag to gage the magnitude of the problem. The hashtag went globally viral. On Facebook, within 24 hours the hashtag had engaged 4.7 million people worldwide in #MeToo conversation (Khomami, 2017).

The scale in which you can publish is increased by every social media platform you use, and the ability for storytelling allows you to build a following. In turn, political leaders can then endorse their support for various social causes by using the hashtag or reposting at a quicker speed, potentially increasing or decreasing their support numbers. However as efficient as digital activism may seem, Alex White states that it’s important to keep some separation in regard to your online campaign and real-world campaign (Alex White, 2014). Not everything that a campaign needs can be performed and executed online, there still needs to be face value. The future of digital activism remains a hopeful one, as social media continues to grow reaching more demographics particularly age. It’s important to remember that digital activism is still activism, fighting for necessary social changes in which people will never stop protesting for (Sivitanides, 2011).

References:

Khomami, N 2017, ‘#MeToo: how a hashtag became a rallying cry against sexual harassment’, The Guardian, viewed 27 May 2020, <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/20/women-worldwide-use-hashtag-metoo-against-sexual-harassment>

Sivitanides, M 2011, ‘The Era of Digital Activism’, Conference for Information Systems Applied Research Wilmington North Carolina, USA.

To me, social media has the ability to promote positive body image, however it seems to cause enormous negative effect on body image, particularly on girls aged 13-25. Whilst social media should promote positive body image (range of ethnicities, body shapes, hair colours etc.), our feeds are constantly made up of the same ‘Instagram aesthetic’ kind of girl. White, skinny but curvaceous in all the right places, flawless skin, big lips, perfectly styled hair, perfectly posed photos. But the truth of these girls is that without the makeup, fake tan, hair stylists, expensive wardrobe, cosmetic surgery and photoshop, these girls don’t appear this way in real life.

The social media guide to becoming a ‘microcelebrity’ involves fitting to the feminine aesthetic template as well as sexualising your brand known as ‘pornification’. Sexualised images are common practice on social media, reflecting an online nature that endorses “the aesthetics of commercial pornography within western societies” (cited in Drenten at al. 2018). These sexualised images gain more attention than other photos, giving the social media user more validation when it comes to posting and hence creating a cycle. Followers are constantly comparing themselves to these social media influencers and celebrities, simply by following them, or scrolling their feed. This causes huge implications on mental and physical health. Recent years have seen a rise in plastic surgery such as fillers, breast implants and butt lifts, all signs of the perfect feminine social media aesthetic. This plastic surgery increase saw the Victorian government release a campaign in 2019, underlining the importance of safe cosmetic procedures, as a new trend cheap deals at unlicensed facilities were targeting vulnerable Victorians, seeing a surge in health complaints due to infection, disfigurement and in rare cases death (Minister for Health, 2019). As well as physical health, the constant exposure to unattainable body types causes a huge effect on mental health. A study showed that casual social media use had do determined effect on young girls drive for a thin body, however more focused social media use such as searches for ‘fitspo’ influencers and focused ‘stalking’ on influencers and celebrities were seen to be significantly correlated with both female and male drive for a skinny or muscular body, respectively (Kim et al. 2015).

References:

Drenten, J Gurrieri, L Tyler, M 2018, ‘Sexualized lavour in digital culture: Instagra, influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention’, Gender Work Organ, vol. 41, pp. 41-66.

Kim, JW, Chock TM, 2015, ‘Body image 2.0: Associations between social grooming on Facebook and body image concerns’, Computers in Human Behaviour, vol. 48, pp. 331-339.

Lai, Z Henninger, CE Alevizou, PJ 2017, ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’, Sustainability in Fashion: A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, pp. 81-101.

The fashion industry is now the second biggest polluter in the world, thanks to fast fashion. Fast fashion is defined as “clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020). Slow Fashion in comparison is “goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring better quality of life, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life-cycle, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations” (cited in Lai et al. 2017). Whilst the movement and activism for ’slow fashion’ is not new, it has been growing in recent times not only in relation to human rights, but environment effects. The rising of activism has been driven by digital citizenship and social media. The world is spending more money than ever on clothing, whilst the number of times an item of clothing is worn is decreasing significantly, meaning more clothes are being used as landfill (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). There is now a call for digital citizenship to bring this issue further to light, and for people to abandon the fast fashion industry. However, this is not easy considering how materialistic the world is becoming. I myself enjoy shopping, buying a new outfit for a weekend or more realistically, buying a new tracksuit so I can lounge at home more ‘comfortably’. We as a society have a responsibility to change our ways and support the slow fashion industry, calling upon major retailers to change in order for a better world. The Iconic, a major online shopping platform for Australians has recently introduced a “considered” edit, in which products that are made “using a material or process that benefits humans, animals or the environment, or made by a brand that is positively contributing to the community” (The Iconic, 2020), and featured in the considered collection, making it easy for consumers to identify sustainable and fair items. Studies have shown that human compassion has the ability to change the fashion industry, but more education on the dangers of fast fashion are required (Geiger et al. 2018). Organisations and major companies have a social responsibility to bring more awareness to the movement of slow fashion.

References:

Anon 2017, A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion's future – download the report infographics, viewed 11 May, 2020, <https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/a-new-textiles-economy-redesigning-fashions-future-download-the-report-infographics>.

Anon 2018, Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc, viewed 11 May, 2020, <https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/recycling-and-waste-minimisation/fast-fashion-quick-cause-environmental-havoc>.

Dictionary.cambridge.org 2020, Cambridge Dictionary, viewed 11 May 2020, <https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fast-fashion>

Geiger, SM Keller, J 2018, ‘Shopping for Clothes and Sensitivity to the Suffering of Others: The Role of Compassion and Values in Sustainable Fashion Consumption’, Environment and Behaviour, vol. 50, no. 10, pp. 1119-1144.

Digital Citizenship defined by the NSW Department of Education, is “as person with the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital technologies to participate in society, communicate with other and create and consumer digital content” (Office of the eSafety Commissioner, NSW Department of Education). While the evolution of digital citizenship has had an effect on many parts of life, there is no bigger effect than that of the political landscape. Digital citizenship has reshaped the way political leaders engage with the public, as well as political activism, campaigning and publicity and political discussion. The 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama was the first campaign to harness the potential of social media (Enli, 2017).

In 2008, Obama did not personally publish anything on social media, all accounts were controlled by his campaign managers. Subsequently in his 2012 campaign, only 1% of published tweets were written by Obama, using his signature ‘b.o.’ to let his followers know he has written the tweet (Enli, 2017). The way social media is used in politics has increased significantly since 2008, with Twitter emerging as the leading social media for political discussion and engagement from political leaders. In the 2016 presidential campaign, both Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump were active twitter users. Clinton’s were mostly written by her campaign managers, making her tweets come across as planned as opposed to Trump’s tweets, almost all written by him (Enli, 2017). Though Trump’s tweets were often seen as controversial and outlandish, there’s no doubt he gained more popularity on Twitter than Clinton. The increased use of social media by politicians also led to more platform interactions with the public. These interactions also lead to promotion of political leaders on social media, as well as discussion and praise from voters, leading to more publicity for the politicians (Nelimarkka et al. 2020). The use of social media by the public as they contribute to society at an online level has been elevated by politics. People now have the ability participate as a digital citizen using online platforms.

References:

Digital Citizenship c. 2020, Digital Citizenship, NSW Department of Education, viewed 3 June 2020, <https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au>

Enli, G 2017, ‘Twitter as arena or the authentic outsider: exploring the social media campaigns of Trump and Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election’, European Journal of Communication, vol. 32, no. 1, pp 50-61.

Tumblr describes itself as a place “where your interests connect you with your people” (Tumblr, 2020). It operates as an online platform for ‘microblogs’ where users can effortlessly share posts such as text, photos, quotes, links, music and videos of their interests. Posts can then be re-posted and liked by other Tumblr users, hence creating a digital community. For avid Tumblr users, this digital community has provided them with great opportunities. Tumblr can also be described as a ‘public sphere’, meaning it opens opportunity for distinct and diverse content to mediated communication open for discussion and opinions (Bruns et al, 2016). Through changing digital times, the internet has become the most accessible public sphere, realistically you only need an internet connection and email address to access a social media account (Kruse et al. 2018). Tumblr functions as a digital community through definition of a public sphere. It gives people a platform to voice opinions, share interests, and connect with others, sharing thoughts on those similar interests. Tumblr has become the digital community it is today from its users, who have expanded Tumblr to be bigger than just a social media for blogging.

With 69% of monthly users identifying as millennials, Tumblr is an important social media platform for young people (Keller, 2019). Unlike Twitter which runs as more prominently as a political public sphere, Tumblr draws attention to a more creative community, who enjoy the ability to remain anonymous and let their Tumblr page do the talking. Though some users enjoy the anonymity of Tumblr, this does not take away from the digital community aspect, it in fact gives them the courage to contribute online and voice their interests. These hidden identities on Tumblr often allow for discussion of more marginalised topics like sexuality and sexism (Keller, 2019).  These reasons are what made Tumblr the perfect platform for teenage feminists to voice opinions and stories, because unlike Twitter, she felt her stories could remain anonymous (Keller, 2019).

Although some could argue that political movements need names and faces in order to succeed, I disagree. Tumblr has provided a digital community for those not ready to show their face or give their name, yet they are still able to make a difference, and publish their stories as a means of change to the issue. These people have found a public sphere where they can connect with others through a mutually shared interest whether it be political or creative.

References

Bruns, A & Highfield, T 2016. Is Habermas on Twitter? Social media and the public sphere. In A Bruns, G Enli, E Skogerbø, AO Larsson, & Christensen, C (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics. Routledge, New York, pp. 56-73

Kruse, L.M Norris, D.R & Flinchum, J.R 2018, ‘Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media’, The Sociological Quarterly, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 1-84.

Keller, J 2019, ‘”Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, Social Media + Society,vol. 5 no. 3, pp. 1-11.