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Are gaming communities becoming a toxic environment for certain people?

Introduction

The promise of fellowship shared passion, and collaboration often coexists with a darker underbelly: toxicity, in the vast digital expanse of gaming communities. While these communities provide opportunities for connection and entertainment, they have also become breeding grounds for toxicity, creating hostile environments for certain groups, particularly women, LGBTQ+ people, and marginalized gamers. Gaming has always been perceived to be played by males. According to Ambi et al (2020), They conduct a survey to collect data by surveying the respondents. The study included 476 respondents aged 18 to 37 years old and discovered that the majority of those who identify as gamers are men, white, and generally younger than those who do not. Except for the fact that they were white, the results were deemed significant. The study thus demonstrates that the general demographic and group of people who identify as gamers are young males, which is critical information for the respondents.

Getting toxic? Let's talk about it

Toxicity manifests itself in various ways within gaming communities, ranging from straightforward harassment to outright discrimination and exclusion. Misogyny, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination are common experiences for women navigating these spaces. Targeted abuse, derogatory language, and objectification all contribute to an environment in which female gamers feel unwelcome, anxious, and unsafe. This toxic environment discourages many women from freely expressing their love of gaming or participating in discussions, robbing these communities of diverse perspectives and talent.

A survey was conducted on 900 women gamers in the US, Germany, and China on their opinions and perceptions towards their behavior and how females are portrayed in video games. One said "A lot of the time I end up playing as male characters in MMORPGs so people don't realize I'm a girl," one woman explained. "We try to hide what we are so people don't flirt with us, send us stuff, send us messages we really don't want, or pictures." It has been reported that the women surveyed express their satisfaction to developers on how females are depicted but are rather disappointed with how they are treated by other gamers (Sinclair 2021). This implies that female audiences are facing quite a few adversaries to fully immersed in the gaming community due to this circumstance.

Minorities?

Representation matters in this age of moving forward as what society perceives hence why inclusion is very crucial in many aspects of life and gaming is definitely one of them. Despite these drawbacks, the number and variety of players is growing. African Americans, Latinx Americans, and Asian Americans are becoming more active in the gaming community. Similarly, these players of color are more likely to play than their white counterparts (Eng 2020). Representation doesn't mean you have to give up on catering to or shaping your player niche. These still remain and designers need to consider them throughout the process but so is cunning with player accessibility in mind. Representation helps us reach and recognize more and different players in our field. However, this desire did not arise without recognition of the negative aspects previously caused by the lack of expressiveness.

In addition to that, the LGBTQ+ community is not perceived well initially when integrating into the gaming communities. There are many political reasons as well as cultural reasons that this group has not been fully or openly represented. Although there are times when few game companies have been trying to push the representation of these minority groups to gain a wider audience, especially the gamers that are in the LGBTQ+ community

PERSONAL TAKE?

I personally think the minority group that is not feeling too comfortable in life gaming deserves the product that can be marketed towards them. I sense no harm in anyone playing a game as everyone should play the game as intended which is to enjoy and fulfill their time. Gaming should not contain the elements of sexism, racism, and overall hate. Gaming is supposedly available for everyone to enjoy. Thus the example of girl gamers should be a norm and not stir up conflicts as well as political issues.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, the toxicity prevalent in gaming communities, particularly towards women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and marginalized gamers, is a multifaceted problem that must be addressed collaboratively. Gaming communities can transform into spaces that celebrate diversity and provide a welcoming and enjoyable experience for all enthusiasts by cultivating a culture of inclusivity, respect, and accountability. Representation is critical in the fight against toxicity. In their creations, game developers should prioritise diverse and authentic representation of women, and other minority groups. Inclusive storytelling that celebrates diversity while avoiding harmful stereotypes not only empowers underrepresented groups but also fosters empathy and understanding among participants.

References

Amby, A., Caluscusan, D., Dublas, J.H., Medina, M. and Tuballa, G., 2020. Analysis of stereotypes: How non-gamers view gamers. Academia. viewed 26 November 2023, <https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/62301617/Analyss-of-Stereotypes-how-non-gamers-view-gamers20200307-128480-ha50k8-libre.pdf?1583646102=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DANALYSIS_OF_STEREOTYPES_HOW_NON_GAMERS_V.pdf&Expires=1701093819&Signature=B9eDz0AlblG9HzTMVzUOzCd9~Hqr~2c8anxPrrTY-s2A4J0kwWr57qBfYF38f~98ySQ49TdDPuLl8KAmey-VLUJw5ShSBwA-~I5xBz76w7yCiljVr2VW9x9UvxHGIQnz3qNJCaEGkiDJH1f3qhNIcTowqbjxawIqDVNjS5seLGSFnR-wrVN9OMEtvQUgmEXnlQM~-PeDbjxFpIQIkJ-W3fixh9b3c6lMQh42J8sdy3EPE-J0qS2pmDZvpZD143UCBnCelYCcoWtwlkAjYTMoLl~mFW4NSCOmpfkVVuYfRM72dUhELxk0N9Z9QJp4uBMsYQCOP3p~N45qShgT9RRp-g__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA>

Eng, D 2020, Representation in games, Medium, viewed 26 November, <https://medium.com/@davengdesign/representation-in-games-eccc9e59e36b>

Sinclair, b 2021, Survey says 59% of women hide gender to avoid harassment while gaming online, GamesIndustryBiz, viewed 26 November 2023, <https://www.gamesindustry.biz/survey-says-59-percent-of-women-hide-gender-to-avoid-harassment-while-gaming-online>

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The dark side of fandoms (Cyberbullying,

toxic fandoms, etc)

One vibrant and influential phenomenon stands out in the vast landscape of digital communities: fandom. These passionate communities, brought together by their love of a specific show, book series, movie franchise, or celebrity, have found a new home in the digital sphere. Fandom, which was once limited to fan clubs and conventions, has transcended physical barriers to become a global force via online platforms and social media, redefining how enthusiasts connect, engage, and celebrate their shared interests. The prevalence of toxicity and conflicts is one of the most serious ongoing issues in digital fandoms. Despite the sense of community that often characterizes fandoms, differences in opinions, interpretations, or preferences can lead to heated debates. These disagreements, whether over character arcs, storylines, or shipping preferences (favorite character relationships), frequently cause fandom division. Harassment, gatekeeping, and cyberbullying become more prevalent in online spaces, undermining the inclusive and supportive environment that fandoms strive to foster. Let us explore more deeply the dark side of fandom and why it is important to know about it.

1. Stereotype

getting stereotyped by people online can be a bit tad uncomfortable and offensive. One example would be according to Fenton (2023), there are several relevant literature that implies the existence of stereotypical views that football are not for woman and they lack the knowledge and only hop on the bandwagon due to popularity. There are numerous stereotypes in many various topics, themes, and fandoms and not only gender stereotyping is the main issue, but there could also be religion, culture, race, and others that are important as well.

2. Harassment

When an individual goes against the favorable side of other online users the chances of one getting harassed can vary from low to high depending on the degree and severity of the argument and debate sparks when communicating. Marginalized creators have faced growing harassment within their own communities, often for complicated and messy narratives that do not fit into shared notions of body positivity, sex positivity, and other concepts that are so taken for granted as a universal good that not suggesting to them can be seen as problematic (Bee 2018). These bad issues usually stem from toxic fans or fandoms. Toxic behavior in fandoms includes a variety of negative actions such as gatekeeping, exclusion, and hostility towards specific groups or individuals. Certain fans assert authority over others based on their perceived level of knowledge or dedication, excluding newcomers or those with opposing viewpoints. This behavior fosters an unwelcoming environment and undermines the inclusive nature that fandoms should exemplify.

Rising up to face the challenges

Despite the occurrences of cyberbullying, people have taken steps and actions to help mitigate and dispose of any elements of cyberbullying. In the end, fandoms are all about connection and community. They bring people from all walks of life together around a common interest or obsession, and they break down barriers that would normally separate these people. Fandoms provide a place for the outcast or underdog to be accepted, to have their voices heard, and to find meaning, allowing themselves to share what they stand for and advance the causes they believe in through fan-led movement (Wattpad Brand Partnerships 2021). When the positive values and elements are overpowering the negative elements it may help in not only reducing cyberbullying but also increasing the positivity of having a healthy fandom that brings communities together all around the world. Hence to concurrently combat these dark side fandoms, the way is to remove the roots of the problem completely by identifying the focal point of the cyberbullying and take actions such as enforcement of authorities and rules as well as instilling positive movements to spread among communities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while digital fandoms have grown into centers of creativity, passion, and community, ongoing problems continue to test the inclusive and supportive environment that defines an ideal fandom. Within these communities, toxicity, conflicts, tensions between fans and creators, representation issues, and gatekeeping persist. To address these ongoing issues, both fans and content creators must work together to create a more inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment for all enthusiasts to engage, celebrate, and express their shared love for the content they adore. These communities demonstrate the impact of shared passion, creativity, and connectivity on popular culture and industry. Fandoms continue to evolve, adapt, and thrive despite challenges, demonstrating the enduring strength of collective enthusiasm in the digital age.

Reference

Bee, A 2018, Fandom, Harassment, and mistaking criticism and creation, viewed 25 November 2023, <https://medium.com/@MammonMachine/fandom-harassment-and-mistaking-criticism-and-creation-613da4c7e0e5>

Dym, B. and Fiesler, C., 2020. Ethical and Privacy Considerations for Research Using Online Fandom Data. Transformative works and cultures, 33. viewed 25 November, <https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10184948>

Fenton, A., Gillooly, L. and Vasilica, C.M., 2023. Female fans and social media: Micro-communities and the formation of social capital. European Sport Management Quarterly, 23(2), pp.370-390.<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16184742.2020.1868546?casa_token=wjmZhdOHSyoAAAAA%3A4CmH-wgIn5XXKCir4YznebVLX4o6B7N9fg3fyNEuJhN4Kc_uC5Inn1MAe0YbYhntQ8K6suVyi0yvGA>

Miao, B., 2020. More Than an Entertainment—Cyberviolence in Digital Fandom Culture. Tilburg University. viewed 25 November 2023, <https://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=152652>

Wattpad Brand Partnership 2021, They're obsessed:How Fandome Brings Gen Z Together, Wattpad Brand Partnership, viewed 25 November 2023, <https://brands.wattpad.com/insights/obsessed-how-fandoms-bring-gen-z-together>

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The Evolution of Crowdsourcing: Intelligence for innovation and content creation.

Introduction

The digital landscape of our current age of technology has introduced many transformation and evolution that has helped society to move forward, gain financial assistance, and more. Decentralized network has reshaped the way information is accessed throughout the net worldwide. We will discuss how crowdsourcing has evolved throughout the times in terms of crowdsourced information and content creation and the aspects that play a big role.

What is crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing is a way of obtaining information, ideas, or content by inputs from a very large number of people via online platforms or other digital ways. This allows the maximum potential to gather and collect resources such as intelligence, and key pieces of information from various groups of people, hence the the word 'crowd' in crowdfunding. Crowdsourcing goes way back in the 18th century such as when the British government had invited people to develop a reliable method of calculating the longitude of a vessel while at sea with rewards of as much as 20, 000 pounds (Clickworker 2018). Another example of crowdsourcing in the age of the web is the introduction of Wikipedia. The birth of Wikipedia allows people who have access to the internet all over the world to edit and add information to the online encyclopedia which is Wikipedia and Wikipedia can be accessed by anyone or everyone as well. Furthermore, there is more than one type of crowdsourcing that is popularly used by communities such as open innovation and ideas, crowdfunding like starters, engagement, and charity such as "betterplace.org" and others.

Decentralized, centralized, and distributed networks (Why is it important)

Centralized Network

To put it simply centralized network is one in which a central authority controls the network. The authority may vary from an individual, a group of individuals, or even a corporation. centralized authority is the one that oversees all responsibilities and activities ongoing on their network. This also means that a centralized network, it consists of one server that handles and processes a whole lot of data as it is the one and only authority and main server. Central server usually contains a very large storage capacity and strong computing power thus they must have a very strong internet connection for high speed to handle a heavy number of users and data traffic(Deer 2022).

Decentralized Network

As opposed to a centralized network, a decentralized network does not operate on a central authority. There is no one main or single point of authority to command rather each individual user has equal capability and authority. One great example of the use of decentralization is the internet. As it is not commanded by a single authority and is used by many users. One advantage of a decentralized network is that in the case of one server failing, they can rely on another server to access data.

Distributed network

Both location and architecture can be referred to as distributed networks. Geographically distributed networks are common in digital-first businesses, with employees working remotely across the organization. There is no doubt that geographically distributed networks are becoming more prevalent. According to LiveAction (2022), distributed networks, like decentralized networks, provide more safety, stability, and scalability than centralized networks. Nonetheless, control is distributed evenly across each node, unlike decentralized networks that use clusters of smaller "centralized" servers.

How crowdsourcing is adopted in today's innovation.

Crowdsourcing plays a critical role in modern innovation, operating within the paradigms of centralized, decentralized, and distributed networks. Platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk efficiently manage tasks in a centralized model, channeling contributions through a controlled hub. Decentralized networks, such as blockchain-based systems, on the other hand, provide transparency and autonomy by allowing contributors to engage directly, eliminating intermediaries while ensuring traceability and trust. Furthermore, the rise of distributed networks, as seen in open-source software development or collaborative research initiatives, embodies a collective yet autonomous structure, allowing contributors from all over the world to seamlessly collaborate. Today's innovation landscape embraces these diverse models, leveraging centralized efficiency, decentralized transparency, and distributed collaboration to harness the vast potential of crowdsourcing, resulting in game-changing solutions across industries.

Conclusion

In conclusion, crowdsourcing has revolutionized the way people obtain information and connect with one another. The presence of a decentralized network leverages the means of crowdsourcing as the ability to gain access to the World Wide Web for crowdsourcing content means that society has integrated the digital way of crowdsourcing as an important medium. Things like citizen journals, crowdfunding, community-building, and others will have a huge impact. Centralized networks are those, especially of networking platform such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc, and are as crucial as they should be for crowdsourcing to curate content that are tailored to audiences.

References

Clickworker 2018, Crowdsourcing from its beginning to the present, Clickworker, viewed 24 November 2023, <https://clickworker.com/customer-blog/evolution-of-crowdsourcing/>

Deer, M 2022, Centralized vs decentralized digital networks: key differences, Cointelegraph, viewed 24 November 2023, <https://cointelegraph.com/explained/centralized-vs-decentralized-digital-networks-key-differences>

LiveAction 2022, centralized vs decentralized vs distributed networks (the history and future)

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How social media can aid in public health campaign

Introduction

This era of digitalization has introduced society to explore the digital world, connect with the World Wide Web, and access limitless information with the help of the Internet. The use of social media platforms has evolved more than just a normal social sphere as it now plays a crucial role in providing crucial information, especially health information. The question that arises would be "How social media can aid in public health campaigns". Now let's discuss how the dynamics and potential of social media actually impact the public health campaign and society itself.

Social media rises to the scene of public health

Social media has been known to gather communities and serve as a networking and communication medium for society to connect and share information. That is why in terms of health information social media can aid in improving one's sense of connectedness. hence social media and healthcare are being said to be powerful combinations. Moreover, almost 90% of adults use social media for health and sharing information (Saini 2020).

The use of social media for public health campaigns has become a pivotal tool for the dissemination of health information among communities. One of its great benefits is to be able to raise awareness. Social media is an effective way for patients to keep in touch with people who may suffer from the same disease which can help raise awareness by hoping the illnesses can be diagnosed in advance and fewer people will suffer (Bocas 2022).

The good and the bad

Example: Misinformation

The freedom to share and post content freely might stir up issues such as false information and false panic. One example would be the authenticity of active accounts which pose a problem of fake accounts that are not verified which indicates that some accounts are run by bots, or the same people with multiple accounts. According to statistics by Nicas (2021), he states "Facebook said it blocked 4.5 billion accounts in the first nine months of the year, and that it caught more than 99 percent of those accounts before users could flag them. That number of accounts equivalent to nearly 60 percent of the world’s population is mind-boggling." That is why it is an ongoing issue until now no matter the platform on the question of one's authenticity of their accounts. The ability to create an account and spread false information or unnecessary panic often occurs due to the reason of gaining more engagement or viewers which benefits the user who creates or shares the content. Nevertheless, the impact of this action can cause widespread misinformation of public health that will cause damage to society especially those who are easily manipulated, such as those who lack the ability to verify the truth or word of mouth amongst communities. The widespread of the disease named COVID-19 has been a hot take when it comes to public health. People all over the world are affected by the virus and the rise of misinformation has resulted in the hesitance to take vaccines, the unwillingness to go on lockdown and resistance, and resistance to use masks in public and other public health policies.

There are ways in which these issues that arise in public health campaigns can be mitigated. One of the effective ways to combat the issue mentioned is to educate others. One example is when Identika an INC.5000 communications agency helped the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to magnify the importance of vaccines for health especially adolescents compared to others. In addition, it has improved the courage of people to get vaccines for various diseases. Moreover, it also displays accurate information through official and social media (Hyder 2022). Therefore this action plan had helped to not only minimize the damage of misinformation but also help to encourage the ones who did not believe in the information initially.

CONCLUSION

In a nutshell, one example that is explained is issues relating to misinformation can be a crucial key takeaway to cause widespread panic that leads to irreparable damages. The use of social media in public health campaigns is definitely a pivotal choice in gaining leverage for users to obtain information. Aside from gaining information, social platforms that allow communities to blog and keep up with themselves are one way for public health to concurrently play a role in helping to raise awareness of certain illnesses. Hence That is why some precautions and measurements must be taken to resolve any issues that arise that may lead to negative impacts that bring no benefits whatsoever to communities and citizens.

References

Bocas, J 2022, The Benefits of Social Media for healthcare, DigitalSalutem, viewed 24 November 2023, <https://digitalsalutem.com/benefits-of-social-media-healthcare/>

Hyder, S 2022, How your company can fight misinformation on social media, INc, viewed 24 November 2023, <https://www.inc.com/shama-hyder/your-company-fight-misinformation-social-media.html>

Nicas, J 2020, Why can't the social networks stop fake accounts, The New York Times, viewed 24 November 2023, <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/technology/why-cant-the-social-networks-stop-fake-accounts.html>

Saini, P 2020, Top Benefits of social media in Healthcare, Webmedy, viewed 24 November 2023, <https://webmedy.com/blog/top-benefits-of-social-media-in-healthcare/>

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` Is blogging still relevant in today's age of TikTok and Instagram? ' Let's talk about it

Let's start by understanding what is exactly `blogging'.

'blogging' refers to when users create blog posts which are then published on a website (Indeed editorial team 2023). The blogs are usually long in terms of content and are focused on a specific topic. Blogs can be used for personal interest or professionally that highlight niche or specific topics whether in the form of articles or media that are posted for the community to read.

Let's discuss how blog is used why it is popular and how does it fare at different times. Firstly blog content is often updated which means its information is always up to date. Secondly, Blogs encourage engagement amongst communities who have a common interest in specific topics being said blogs allow more conversations and interaction than a typical website does (Duermyer 2022). This implies that communication can be maintained with the audience. Blogging helps to accelerate audiences when they are interested in such topics. Since blogging is all about long-form content it is known that blog content can be beneficial for marketing purposes and is well-known for enhancing or increasing search engine optimization (SEO) ( Blogger 2021). Finally, blogging is crucial when it comes to marketing and SEO as mentioned, examples are how blogs help create brand visibility. Another benefit would be how blogs can help grow brand awareness and build loyal and trust as the ability to discuss matters such as information, feedback, and advice is provided ( Hines 2022).

TikTok? Instagram?

Instagram launched in 2010 and has been reported to have gained around 3 million users in just 4 and half months after its launch. It was initially available to Apple users but in 2012 it was released for Android OS and thus gained 50 million users within the month of that release (Big 3 Media 2021). As time goes by Instagram offers appealing marketing tools as well as monetization such as sponsored posts and advertising which makes it an attractive social media platform.

Instagram or any other similar social media is easier to start than blogging as it requires a short-content form, provides excellent networking features, and tends to move faster than blogging. Throughout the year Instagram has been finding methods that are comparable to its competitors such as Snapchat or TikTok to sustain its core users in terms of retaining short-span attention and better communication forms (Big 3 Media 2021).

TikTok on the other hand is a uniquely different platform and is very opposite of how blogging works. TikTok is in a short-form video format with users who can add sounds and make videos of various contents that adhere to the restrictions and rules.

What is the history of TikTok and who uses it?

TikTok Was created by a Chinese company called Bytedance in 2016 and is named Douyin in China but is known as TikTok in other countries.

TikTok is focused on providing micro-entertainment and distractions for the market. The application also applies an algorithm in terms of whether users like that video thus making it appear more frequently in their 'for you' page. Educational and business-oriented content is also emerging and popular in the use of TikTok besides entertainment ( Daniel 2022).

Statistics!!!

TikTok had more than 3 billion downloads and more than 1 billion monthly users as of January 2022.

The most downloaded app internationally in 2020 and 2021 was TikTok.

TikTok users are mostly between the ages of 16 and 24 (60%)

The average age of TikTok's global viewership is under 34.

With users in more than 150 countries, the TikTok app is accessible worldwide.

On average, users of the TikTok app spend 52 minutes per day using it.

CONCLUSIONS?

Now is blogging dead and is no longer relevant with the appearing social media of right now especially popular ones like Instagram?

The answer is a definite

NO

In a nutshell, blogging is still relevant throughout the year until now. Report shows that blogs are on of many forms of content used within content strategy (Singla 2023). In fact it is the second most used form of primary content with videos being the first. Blogging platforms begin to evolve and move forward just as other social media platform to keep up with their competitors social platforms. Blogs will be everlasting in the unforeseen future as the format really emphasized on engagement and retention. According to Singla, statistics on blogs percentage usage shows out of estimated 1.7 billion websites out in the world, roughly 600 millions are in the shape of blogs. Thus we can say Blogs are still relevant even in this age where other social media platforms are popular.

My personal take

I think that blogs is uniquely different compare to other formats of content of social media. The idea of discussing a specific or niche topic in the form of long-content really brings out the passion or interest in communities or users. As the possibility to share or discuss information among selves brings out even more connectivity and networking for the audiences of blogs. Blogs are sure to last a while and continue to be effective in terms of gaining insights, information or marketing purposes.

LIST OF REFERENCES

Big 3 Media, 2021, A brief history of Instagram and its rise to popularity, Big 3 Media, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://www.big3.sg/blog/a-brief-history-of-instagram-and-its-rise-to-popularity>

CreativeEdge, 2021, Blogging vs social media: What's the difference and why blogging is beneficial, CreativeEdge, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://creativeedgemediagroup.com/blogging-vs-social-media-whats-the-difference-and-why-blogging-is-beneficial/>

Duermyer, R 2022, What is blogging?, Thebalance, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://www.thebalancemoney.com/blogging-what-is-it-1794405>

Hines, K 2022, 6 reasons why blogging is important for marketing and SEO, SearchEngineJournal, viewed 30 Septembet 2023, <https://www.searchenginejournal.com/7-reasons-why-blogging-is-still-important-in-2012/39225/>

Indeed Editorial Team 2023, What is blogging?(with definition, advantage and tips), Indeed, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-blogging>

Julson, E 2023, Blog vs social media :which one is the best?, The Unconventional RD, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://www.theunconventionalrd.com/social-media-vs-blogging/>

Singla, A 2023, Is blogging still worth it in 2023?(7 questions answered), Master blogging, viewed 1 October 2023, <https://masterblogging.com/is-blogging-still-worth-it/>