alexandra-walther-blog

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Global Social Media Practice

Let's talk about the Great Firewall of China. Can you imagine what it would be like to live your life day by day without half let alone all of the globally known social media platforms you use at the moment? Here are just SOME of the platforms you probably use that people in China do not have access to or have even heard of: 

- Instagram

- Twitter

- WhatsApp

- Facebook

- Google

- Snapchat and the list goes on. 

Internet censorship bans the use of these platforms to limit any cross-border internet usage and allows the government to have more control over people. Although in a sense, a big part of China’s communism died with Mao Zedong, the communist party of China still has major political control which makes it hard to move from the historic ways.

That being said, China has the highest number of internet users as of 31st Mach 2019 with around 829 million users. For every social media platform that we have that is not available to them, they have their own version. There is absolutely no shortage of platforms that they can use.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/277586/number-of-social-network-users-in-china/

An example of this is, while we have WhatsApp they have WeChat. Although both apps serve the same purpose of connecting with other people through instant messaging and video or voice calls, they have completely different features. WeChat is a much larger app that allows you to do other things such as games, e-wallet, finding people nearby and so many other features. While WhatsApp has improved features and has added changes there has not been anything drastic. In comparison, WeChat is constantly finding new ways to adapt to the modern world and continues to be relevant. I grew up going to an international school, while I was still in school during summer or winter break my friends and I would travel and It would be hard to communicate because it was crazy expensive to send an international text. I used WhatsApp so much to communicate with my friends all over the world but with so many other ways of communicating now like Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, direct message on Instagram and Twitter, WhatsApp does not do that much for me and I do not use it half as much as I use to. Long story short, WhatsApp is not as appealing whereas WeChat adding so many other features keeps it relevant to all of their users and has been consistently popular. Essentially, while people think China is missing out, they really have a lot more than what we have.

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Social Gaming

What is a life without games, we all need that kind of entertainment or have had that kind of entertainment in our life, it is in our nature. From PlayStation, Nintendo switch, computer games, games on the phone to board games (the list could go on forever) there really is no shortage of games.

"Play is ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom. At its foundation, play is unproductive, contained, unreal, and optional. Caillois attempts to classify all forms of  play into games of competition, chance, simulation, and vertigo; each type spans the continuum from instinctive improvisation to calculated skill." (Robinson, 2007) 

First, let's look further into gaming communities and some popular examples:  

Roger Caillois was a French intellectual who broke up games into four categories.

- Agon: (competition on an artificially levelled playing field)

- Alea: (games of chance)

- Mimicry: 

(role-playing, or make pretend)

- Ilinx: (disorientating oneself, thrill-seeking and risk-taking) (Robison, 2007)

Just like any business nowadays social media can play a beneficial role. There are so many youtube channels dedicated to games or websites such as twitch that live stream games. “People can easily say what they think about new games via Twitter posts and Facebook feeds, but proactive gaming companies can also try to shape conversations by publishing social media content.” (Minguez, 2014)

Social Game, “a computer game that is played with or against other people, using the internet and social media: a social game involving interaction with players from around the world” (Cambridge University Press, 2019) If you had Facebook in 2009 you would have defiantly played games like FarmVille (or at least received an invitation to join it), but if you played then you were part of the social gaming community. Although it pretty much started with Facebook, social gaming kept growing and growing as game developers saw the way social media impacted it. “Competitive streaks came to the forefront. Game developers and social media representatives quickly discovered how players not only loved to play against one another but also liked the bragging rights that came with getting high scores or passing a particularly tough level.” We now have the ability to play all sorts of games online with friends or with a bunch of random people no matter where they are in the world.

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Public Health Campaigns & Communities

If anything my blog explains on a weekly base is how common social media is now and how easy it is to have a voice whether it is used for good or bad. In the case of public health, it has been an insanely useful source for information and support. Although many argue that the increase in mental health conditions is caused mainly by social media or how social media can make it worse, it has also been beneficial. "Given the frequency of depression symptom displays on public profiles, social networking sites could be an innovative avenue for combating stigma surrounding mental health conditions or for identifying students at risk for depression.” (Moreno, et al. 2011)

You often hear the term “social media is not real life”. People are often so caught up in the social media world and that can play a roll in someones mental health. Although there is a known perception that social media has a negative impact on peoples mental health, the role social media plays in terms of mental health also has so many benefits to it. The fact that mental health has become something that people talk about has allowed many to feel a lot more if not even slightly comfortable to speak out. Furthermore, it brings peace of mind to some people to know that they are not the only ones going or feeling a certain way and that they do not have to deal with it alone. There has been an increase in the amount of mental health support groups and campaigns online. Also, the fact that the younger generations may feel more comfortable online there are also now so many options for them to seek help through social network rather than having to deal with it in person.

An example of a non-profit organisation for mental health in Australia is Headspace. "headspace began in 2006 to address this critical gap, by providing tailored and holistic mental health support to 12 - 25 year olds. With a focus on early intervention, we work with young people to provide support at a crucial time in their lives – to help get them back on track and strengthen their ability to manage their mental health in the future.” (headspace.org.au).

Another example of the role social media plays in mental health is the non-profit organisation r u okay? "Our mission is to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and support anyone struggling with life.” (ruok.org.au)

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Crowd Sourcing In Times Of Crisis

With the number of people using social media, it isn’t uncommon for people to seek help online or to see people come together in times of crisis. Whenever something tragic happens like a terror attack you'll quickly see everyone coming together to show their support. When the terror attack happened in Manchester in 2017 posts were going around showing pictures of those who are missing. There were posts going around with locations of safe places people were able to go for shelter. 

Another example of how social media can play a huge roll in times of crisis is in 2010 when Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake. It was long after that many well-known artists recorded a charity single raising over $63 million. The song gained a lot of traffic after being uploaded on popular social media platform Youtube. The video currently has around 247 million views today. 

As I wrote on a previous post about Activism, social media has given it such people such a wide and easy platform to speak out. It is common for celebrities to use their large following base on social media as an easy way to get a message across to talk about specific issues.“Leo DiCaprio is probably one of Hollywood’s most enviable bachelors, but he’s also, and more importantly, one of its biggest activists. The self-proclaimed environmentalist almost exclusively uses his platform on social media to promote the causes he believes in” (Aquino, 2015) One of the biggest issues we face at the moment is global warming. I have been following Lewis Hamilton on social media for a while and ever so often do I see him talk and post about global warming, just like I’ve seen many other celebrities post about it on their social media or retweeting various articles or tweets. The internet and social media is an easy way for everyone to come together.

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Digital Citizenship: Trolling & Social Media Conflict

One of the biggest downsides of social media is the online trolling or social media conflict. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the term trolling but in case you are not then the direct definition is "the act of leaving an insulting message on the internet in order to annoy someone.” (Cambridge University Press, 2019) Trolling has become a major issue in our society, from celebrities getting trolled to more serious issues like children who go face cyberbullying.

Looking at the less serious and slightly funnier version of trolling, I think it is only right to use Chrissy Teigen as an example. She is known to have absolutely no filter on her social media platforms especially on Twitter, as you can see below. 

Another and a very talked about example that shows how much impact social media conflict can have and how fast it can have an impact is the Jordyn Woods scandal with Tristan Thompson. 

Jordyn expressed the backlash she got saying it went so far that her mom and siblings feared the public and could not even leave their home. It is so easy to attack a single person online and more so for a whole group of people doing it. 

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Digital Citizenship: Activism & Protest

As of March 2019, there are 4.3 billion people in the world that are internet users. Of those 4.3 billion 3.48 billion people are active on social media, that is almost 45% of our world population that is currently active on some form of social media. It is pretty rare nowadays that you come across someone who is no active on at least one social media platform. As horrible as it is my parents are now active on pretty much every well known social media platform, as I am sure is the same for other people my age. That being said with close to half our population on at least one social media platform, and that statistic increasing every day, there are no questions as to how easy it is to publicly speak out. “In 2009 and 2010, awareness and social activism campaigns flourished via various social media. They ranged from changes made to users’ online representation (posting suggestive Facebook statuses about the location of one’s purse in support of breast cancer awareness) to acts that extended beyond the online presence (wearing particular clothing on a particular day as a symbolic support of a cause)” (Rotman et al, 2011)  

It has become so common and so easy to organize protests."As social movement activists have become more sophisticated computer users, some of the resources once monopolized by the establishment are being utilized to improve communication among activists” (Signorile, 1993) Social media has provide us with tools and easier ways of spreading information for example by using the hashtag. Over the years we have seen many different social movement group use the hashtag to spread awareness and create a discussion. Some of the largest and most known groups include #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #TakeAKnee #ALSIceBucketChallenge and so on.  "Hashtags in particular continue the conversation beyond the originating dialogue by creating an identifier or tag for fellow activists, as well as a way to track multiple uses of the same phrase.” (L C. Stache, 2014)

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Digital Citizenship: Political Engagement

Social media can be a vital and influential tool when used wisely. I mean how else did one of the world’s most powerful leaders, Donald J. Trump, get elected as President? 

According to a survey on US adults, it highlighted that 44% of participants kept up to date and followed the presidential election through social media platforms (Bullock, 2016). Not surprisingly, the 2016 US election was rightfully labelled, “the first true social media election” (Bullock, 2016). The traditional broadcasts of the election can come across as mundane for the current tech-savvy generation. Having a stronger presence on social resonates easily with young people. Of course, there will always be the debate on whether your presence is portrayed in a good or bad way. Nonetheless, giving people a reason to voice- out, a reason to view online content, play a role in forming peoples opinions and feelings.

Of course, there will always be the debate on whether your presence is portrayed in a good or bad way. Nonetheless, giving people a reason to voice- out or a reason to view online content can play a role in forming peoples opinions and feelings. This is where Donald Trump had the edge over Hillary Clinton during the 2016 US Election. The polls may have shown that Hillary Clinton was ahead by a slight margin but, Trump was far ahead and winning in terms of the online “share of voice”. Trumps charismatic nature, the entertainment he provided through the likes of Twitter and Facebook streams, generated enough interest and an emotional connection to win people over.

The ability to directly interact with a politician online is also another way social media is used. Even attending virtual meetings and events can enable a person to interact with candidates and others in the political realm.

[alexandra-walther-blog]

Is Tumblr a blog or a social network site?

Looking further into the proper definition of a blog and a social network site we see that a blog is defined as "a regular record of your thoughts, opinions, or experiences that you put on the internet for other people to read: She writes a food blog in which she shares recipes, tips, and restaurant reviews." (Cambridge University Press, 2019) In comparison to that, a social network site is defined as " website that is designed to help people communicate and share information, photographs, etc. with a group: Politicians seek to reach young voters through social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace.” (Cambridge University Press, 2019)

Tumblr was created by American web designer David Karp and was launched on February 2007. It was created as a micro-blogging service, this means that it was intended to be a shorter form of a blog by using less text and more images or videos. The platform quickly became one of the most popular and most used social sites among the younger generation. Tumblr has many features allowing you to post text, photos, quotes, links, chat, GIFs, audio files and videos. Tumblr is a very mixed platform, other blogging sites have less social interaction compared to Tumblr, but at the same time, social networking sites have more social interaction than Tumblr does. (Chang, Tang, Inagaki, Liu, 2014)  A persons Tumblr is modified to each individuals interests, there is no specific way or style someones Tumblr page should be. It is a very personalised platform. Some people use Tumblr as a way to express themselves and their feelings, some use it as a way to entertain themselves or others, for example with funny posts, some use it to show a more artistic or aesthetic side. That being said, there is no right or wrong answer when asked if someone thinks Tumblr is a blog or social network site because everyone views and uses Tumblr in a different way. People who tend to use it as a way to express themselves and their feelings might view it as a blog while people who use it just for entertainment may view it as a social network site.