Digital Community College

What makes hatred and conflict on social media so easy? It’s the anonymity, but it’s also the distance between the parties is much further than the distance between the hater and the keyboard. Where hateful and demeaning words and phrases have minimal to no consequence. 

 There’s no exact definition for what occurs on these online platforms, but a recent study conducted by Lenhart, Ybarra, Zickuhr & Price-Feeney interviewed 3000 people and came up with these definitions for ‘online harassment’ “Being called offensive names, being embarrassed online, being physically threatened online, being sexually harassed online, being harassed over a long time, being hurt online by a romantic partner, being impersonated, spreading damaging rumors online, encouraging others to harass you online, and attempting to hurt the victim in person after online harassment“ (Lenhart et al. 2016). 

No one is safe from online hatred however. 

The most extensive, recent, out pour of online abuse I've seen was the hatred given to Abbie Chatfield, The Bachelor’s edited ‘villain’. Abbey received hundreds of messages, almost all relevant to the definitions of ‘online harassment’ above this Ninja Turtle here. Abbie was left “scared to be recognised in public, for fear of my safety” and that simply isn’t fair (Girlfriend, 2020). However, Chatfield was able to swing the momentum back onto her haters, posting on her Instagram story during her I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here run “ 'People on Twitter are so mad. They're like, "Get off our screens!" Babe, you trolled me... you made me!'“ (Friedlander, 2021). 

Online abuse has become a situation that has really no end in sight. Moderators for Facebook and Instagram are becoming a little more aware, but not enough to stop it. Sony have recently taken abuse on the front foot, telling users that they now have the right to record “party chats”, the space of which users can voice chat (Gatollari, 2020). Sony elaborated on this, that other users can record and report the chat, to be evaluated for harassment. 

Sony’s stance won’t completely stop harassment, but users reporting this type of behavior will eventually lead to moderators of all platforms eventually targeting and ceasing this toxic behavior. 

References

Friedlander, M 2021, I'm A Celeb's Abbie Chatfield slams trolls who call her annoying, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9109671/Abbie-Chatfield-lashes-online-trolls-labelled-annoying-attention-seeker.html>.

Gatollari, M 2020, Playstation Owners Are Miffed About the Latest Update That Records Parties, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://www.distractify.com/p/why-is-playstation-recording-parties>.

Giphy 2021, TMNT Gif, viewed 24 May, 2021, <http://gph.is/1g165rW>.

Girlfriend 2020, ‘The Bachelor’ star Abbie Chatfield just shared some of the horrendous abuse she gets in her DMs, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://www.girlfriend.com.au/the-bachelor-abbie-chatfield-online-abuse>.

Fast fashion is still a fast paced issue, new clothing companies pop up regularly and promise cheap clothing for cheap prices, with quick delivery. It’s an issue that is slowly being flipped however, with social media influencers slowly turning the tide, promoting against fast fashion. 

Fast fashion thrives on those that can’t afford quality sustainable clothing. The industry targets primarily students and lovers of hunting the deal, to create a cheap and extensive wardrobe for those looking to expand theirs. 

Fast fashion is extremely detrimental to the environment. According to 2015 documentary The True Cost, “The world now consumes about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This is 400% more than the amount we consumed just two decades ago” (The True Cost, 2015). This is an incredibly wasteful considering this is 80 billion pieces of clothing divided by the 7,867,840,000 strong population at the time of writing this according to WorldOMeter (WorldOMeter, 2021). 

However, the growing influence and popularity of Slow Fashion could help shift these horribly statistics, through the reusing and altering of preowned grails to create new styles and help reduce our carbon footprint. 

Social Influencers however are using forms of social media to shift the tide. Instagramers Kathleen Elie and Marielle Elizabeth with their combined 70,000+ Instagram followers are doing their part to turn back the scale of which we as a planet absorb and ultimately discard clothing (Instagram, 2021). These influencers are doing their part to advertise and encourage slow fashion, through showing how they do it, and allowing followers to replicate their styles and looks. Highlighting that social media and the digital citizenship that these individuals possess can be used to help impact more than just political scenarios (Reference Week 5′s post for more on digital citizenship). 

Brands are starting to help make the difference as well. Levi’s new ‘Buy better, wear longer’ campaign focuses on encouraging consumers to invest on “quality clothing that lasts for generations”, endorsed by celebreties such as Jaden Smith, Xiye Bastida, and Marcus Rashford (Joe, 2021), who as a company have become a staple of the slow fashion industry. 

The environment is a limited resource, but the power of social media to help reverse the damage done by fast fashion by promoting slow fashion and help turn the tide on climate change?

That isn’t. 

References

Giphy 2021, Clothes Gif, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://gph.is/g/aRLLnWY>.

Instagram 2021, Instagram Home, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://www.instagram.com/>.

Joe, T 2021, Levi's Unveils Latest Campaign 'Buy Better, Wear Longer' To Encourage Sustainable Fashion Production Practices, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/levis-unveils-latest-campaign-buy-better-wear-longer-encourage-sustainable-fashion-production-practices/#:~:text=The%20multi%2Dplatform%20global%20ad,in%20alternative%20materials%20and%20technology.>.

The True Cost 2015, Environmental Impact, viewed 24 May, 2021, <https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/>.

Video games play such a significant role in my life personally. When I was younger I mainly focused on single player games, however the older I've gotten and the more internet and it’s relevant technologies have improved, I drift towards exclusively playing multiplayer games. 

This isn’t because I don’t enjoy single player games, because I do immensely. However, I now use multiplayer games not only to enjoy playing games but also as social interaction and to catch up with my friends. Playing Call of Duty Warzone or NBA 2k21 are both staples in my week, and playing these titles while chatting over headset means I can sink two birds with one stone and enjoy video games with the social aspect. 

Bryan Lufkin describes the current situation of video games perfectly “Even sitting alone for hours, gamers aren’t necessarily isolated “ (Lufkin, 2020). The advancement of internet speeds, creation of new exciting games and genres, as well as making new games more affordable and accessible for all. The best example of this is the hit game Among Us. Among Us is a “multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal!” as defined by production company InnerSloth. This game is cheap or free depending on your chosen platform, and can run of virtually any computer, removing the need to purchase a fast new computer. 

Games like Among us are almost more social media than game itself. The financial availability of the game, as well as it’s low requirements graphically, make it a terrific alternative to traditional social media as a way to communicate within friendship groups. 

If Covid-19 and the intensity of lockdown taught the world anything it’s that maybe losing ourselves in a screen, surrounded by friends isn’t a bad thing, but saying we all need once in a while. Nothing like 10+ people all screaming at each other over a microphone about who’s guilty playing video games with friends <3

Also it’s red, red’s the impostor.  

References

Giphy 2021, Among us Gif, viewed 23 May, 2021, <https://gph.is/g/4A1lrGD>.

Giphy 2021, Toad Gif, viewed 23 May, 2021, <http://gph.is/1hD9wBT>.

InnerSloth 2020, Among Us, viewed 23 May, 2021, <https://innersloth.com/gameAmongUs.php>.

The older we get the more we try to pretend we’re something we’re not, and as technology evolves, its easier than ever before to change what we look like, and broadcast this fake sense of self to our friends online. 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder has been an issue for a long time, however as media and social media use has skyrocket disorders like BDD are on the rise. But they’re also taking a different form. Digitized Dysmorphia “manifests through the digital image, as the altering of supposedly undesirable parts of the self through modifying and fixing the visual and virtual appearance of an individual’s self through various apps” (Coy-Dibley, 2016). Apps now make this easier and easier to accomplish, a selfie with a simple tap of a screen can see people almost completely change appearance.  

Instagram has always made editing photos a breeze, no matter the photo posted the use of Instagrams filters have been simple to manage for users of any age, choose a photo, choose a filter, choose a description, and post, simple as that.  Rettberg writes that “all the definitions and examples the Oxford English Dictionary lists for filter as a noun or as a verb emphasise the removal of unwanted content or impurities” (Rettberg, 2016). Rettberg’s findings really materialize the changing of the definition of the word “filter”, known mainly to be a word for removing, changing, or altering something that is cutting the extra or refining the product or process. This change highlights something critically wrong with society today. Users see filters as an important step in posting an image nowadays, that an image is unfinished without it. 

Social media apparently dictates what is beautiful, social media has just continued to dictate that filters are a beautiful part of social media has to offer. 

Will filters be beautiful forever? 

References

Coy-Dibley, I 2016, "“Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image", Palgrave Communications, vol. 2, no. 1.

Giphy 2021, Filter Gif, <http://gph.is/2hqOSM8>.

As social media continues to transform from a little understood new way of communication, into a full time job and lifestyle for many social media personalities, the line between realistic body expectations and what users encounter on these platforms on a daily basis is becoming blurred beyond recognition.

As social media use is beginning earlier than ever before, teens are being exposed to unrealistic body expectations via photo oriented platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. This becomes increasingly difficult for parents and communities to balance, as teens have never been impacted as much by social media, however for many “microcelebrities” these photos and uploads to their own social media is crucial to fund their income and lifestyle, it’s their jobs and careers to post photos. 

A 2018 study shows that 87.7% of female respondents to the Mission Australia Youth Survey Report were at least slightly concerned about their body image, meanwhile 63.3% of males were also at least slightly concerned about body image (reference here). 

Mavroudis writes of these microcelebrities “selecting and creating a branded version of self”, this branded version of self is what other users especially mid to late teens are seeing more than anything else (Mavroudis, 2020). These “influencers” as they are more commonly known as to the general populous are tasked with meeting aesthetic expectations and trends that are present in the “microcelebrity” community, but also are weighed by the expectations of the companies they advertise on behalf of. 

Body image positivity is becoming more and more scarce in this day and age, and the ongoing growth of social media is not going away anytime soon. But society, and both the media and fashion industries are beginning to see the harmfulness of this on the next generation. With enough influence from more companies and social media influencers, it may be possible to undo the damage that has been done by the industry. 

References

Carlisle, E, Fildes, J, Hall, S, Hicking, V, Perrens, B and Plummer, J 2018, Youth Survey Report 2018, Mission Australia

Giphy 2021, Body Expectations Gif, viewed 22 May, 2021, <http://gph.is/2zWDrnj>.

Giphy 2021, Love Yourself Gif, viewed 22 May, 2021, <https://gph.is/g/Zd8Mb81>.

Mavroudis, J 2020, "Am I Too Branded? Fame Labour and Microcelebrity Culture"

Digital Citizenship is something I had never heard of. 

A digital citizen is defined by NSW Education as “ A good digital citizen is a person with the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital technologies in a positive way to participate in society, communicate with others, and create and consume digital content “  (NSW Department of Education, 2021). 

Naturally, this would result in participation of political conversation, however, as financial technology and trends change, participation in conversation in relation to cryptocurrency’s can see significant changes in the market values of these coins. 

Dogecoin is the biggest example of a cryptocurrency that is heavily influenced by the digital citizenship that Elon Musk possesses. Elon Musk’s support of certain cryptocurrency’s is reflected in his social media posts, but also the news reports of his company, Tesla’s, involvements in cryptocurrency's. 

Enli writes that “voters are interested in knowing more about the candidates’ character and personality, in order to evaluate their trustworthiness as political leaders” (Enli, 2017). Enli’s statement is regarding political figures, however it is also relevant to Musk’s constant digital participation and citizenship having a direct market influence and effect on Dogecoin as well as other cryptocurrency. 

For example the image above features Elon Musk’s tweet “How much is that Doge in the window?”. This tweet was uploaded 20 hours ago, and saw a 22% rise in the value of Doge coin (News18, 2021). All because of a tweet of a successful businessmen that is ultimately regarding as trustworthy because of his reputation as a financial successful individual. This sees social media users trust his faith in the currency, and hence alter the value based on buying and selling trends. 

Imagine posting a 8 word tweet, and effecting a digital currency.

Doge to the moon!

References-

Enli, G 2017, "Twitter as arena for 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.

News18 2021, Dogecoin Value Jumped 22% after Elon Must Tweeted This Song from 1950s, viewed 21 May, 2021, <https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/dogecoin-value-jumped-22-after-elon-must-tweeted-this-song-from-1950s-3759944.html>.

Reality TV is entertaining. Not just for me personally, but for millions of those throughout the world that watch it regularly. 

Drama, is a massive part of what reality TV has become today, and recent findings have claimed that people believe there is too much reality TV on networks nowadays. 

But are Australians sick of reality TV? Or are they just tired of what reality tv has become? Sydney Morning Herald reported that the driving force behind Channel 9 winning the ratings race for the second straight year was indeed, two reality television shows... (Lallo & Quinn 2020) .

9 News reported that it was actually Masterchef that was the most tweeted television show of 2020 with the hashtag #masterchefau, followed by #mafs relating to 9′s Married at First Sight (Price, 2020). 

Hashtags create digital communities and forums, hashtags as seen above make finding the latest scripted moments in reality tv easy to find and easy to stir the pot, “ However, if you want to engage with your targeted audience, you need to be more specific” (Roy, 2020). These specified, and simple hashtags guide viewers straight to the content they’re looking for, without fault. Funneling the correct viewer to their desired content to engage and contribute. 

But is it reality TV that Aussies are sick of? or just dramatic crap? 

Arcy writes of the ability to “motivate star participation by putting them in competition with their cast mates” (Arcy, 2018). This is the main premise of reality television, but in recent years the competition has changed, and this is what Australia, and viewers are sick of. 

Reality TV has always been who makes the best dish, builds the nicest looking house, or who has the makings of the next music superstar. 

Not trying to swap wives on prime time television for 60 mins at a time but hey, the hashtag wouldn’t trend if no one was interested.  

References

Arcy, J 2018, "The digital money shot: Twitter wars,The Real Housewives, and transmedia storytelling", Celebrity Studies, vol. 9, no. 4.

Giphy 2021, Reality TV Gif, viewed 21 May, 2021, <https://media.giphy.com/media/igVPaeMGssCq8J3ASZ/giphy.gif>.

Lallo, M & Quinn, K 2020, Lego Masters the building block of ratings year win for Nine, viewed 21 May, 2021, <https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/lego-masters-the-building-block-of-ratings-year-win-for-nine-20201127-p56in1.html>.

Price, J 2020, What Australia was tweeting about in 2020, viewed 21 May, 2021, <https://www.9news.com.au/technology/what-australia-was-tweeting-about-in-2020-coronavirus-black-panther-bushfires-nintendo-switch/d4e827ef-711a-482d-8df2-b87ba8175018>.

First time blogger, first time tumblr-er? Sounds like a pirate fell over lol.

Tumblr functions effectively and efficiently as a digital community. However, the definition of a digital community needs to be investigated. A digital community runs parallel with the definition of the public sphere, a division into smaller sub spheres for “mediated political communication” (Habermas, 2006) but also a space for various individuals to communicate freely and openly on their own terms.

Tumblr functions as a space for individuals to express themselves freely and openly, with the choice of anonymity. It is a digital community that allows those that choose to, to expose private thoughts in a public forum, without the hate and judgement that Facebook and Twitter include, so much so that Tumblr has been described as a “virtual bedroom space” (McCracken, 2017, p. 154). This atmosphere, allows those that post to encounter support and comradery to topics and subjects that they can relate, sympathise and empathise with, further strengthening the description that Tumblr really has created an almost virtual bedroom allowing the privacy of choice of subject and delivering it to the virtual world of those that share in that subject.

Tumblr allows those to share that don’t want to do so with their name, photo, or personal life attached, a choice not given by other forms of social media such as Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter. Digital communities are places where individuals feel appreciated, supported, and reach like minds, “Users have also benefited from the active mentoring and support, often intergenerational, that is a hallmark of Tumblr interaction” (McCracken et al. 2020). This active support and mentoring throughout is a staple of what Tumblr creates as a community, encouraging positive interaction and minimizing negativity throughout. Tumblr allows anyone to interact with anyone, without the need for friend requests or follow buttons, allowing users to interact that may not share anything other than a single interest or experience between two or more users. Yet Tumblr makes this interaction more accessible than any other form of social media community can. 

In summary, I believe Tumblr functions as a digital community that through the use of anonymity encourages openness, difficult conversations, and topics that are stigmatized on other social platforms. Oxford dictionary defines a community as “a group of people living in the same place or having something in common”. Tumblr takes the latter part of that definition and creates an unlimited variety of different communities from those seeking to share their lives openly, or those that would rather type their experiences behind the face of anonymity, all are brought together to share interests, experiences, traumas, heartbreak, and happiness, you just have to choose your community.

References-

Habermas, J 2006, "Political Communication in Media Society: Does Democracy Still Enjoy an Epistemic Dimension? The Impact of Normative Theory on Empirical Research", Communication Theory, p. 416.

McCracken, A, Cho, A, Stein, L & Hoch, I 2020, A Tumblr book, University of Michigan Press, p. 279.

Mccracken, A 2017, "Tumblr Youth Subcultures and Media Engagement", Cinema Journal, vol. 57, no. 1, p. 154.