#more hashtag relatable to the tumblr youth

[stars-and-branches]

I want to run off and live in a cave as a hermit like some freak who wrote scriptures in 200ad

[rv2xlga]

sigh.

i realize i dont rant here enough like as much as i should. i should be drawing and not spending time being a fucking idiot ranting on TUMBLR at 2 am but shuake is just too serious for me

CUZ yall don’t understand my level of. crazy. my level of insane my level of obsession its been like 7 months of just straight up fixation and i always find the same things to feel the new feeling of love again for them. saw someone talking about their short film like a little summary on what its abt and the inspiration, a little love letter to their lover of sorts saying how the film is abt genuinely loving someone who is good to you for the first time, “This was the first time I would say "I love you" to someone, and it not come from a place of fear or a toxic one. This film is a celebration of vulnerability, and letting pure, secure love in without the constant impulse to self sabotage” I’ll quote and bc i cant think of love without immediately thinking of shuake (its a genuine problem lmao😭), i HAD to just think about them and yk what. idegaf their love is so beautiful to me. i think the idea of akechi having bpd and the same mental issues and disorders as me finding love in someone who is also very similar to him in some sense, like them both being autistic and such, just really speaks a lot to me.

im definitely not an opposites attract person, although they technically WOULD be opposites i think the whole troupe of “enemies” to lovers is the fact that they arent really enemies and actually have a lot more in common than first thought, at least when done well anyway so to me, they aren’t opposites when it comes to like. the things that matter like personality and the things that make people connect and become closer like the things u cant control ig lol but anywho, bc i hc (its basically canon) akechi having bpd i think thats why it means SO MUCH more to me and i love his character sm. he’s not my favorite, but bc that’s the first time i see a character like that be represented with something so similar to me and not be treated like a villain or just be really extreme like akechi is definitely. well. extreme but he’s not like, let’s say, like yuri level from ddlc like i wouldnt even consider that bpd she just straight up crazy😭 like idk, i just really relate to akechi so i really see him having bpd and bc ive always felt soo left out bc of my bpd even in spaces you would THINK would be safer, i always feel singled out somehow and although i still dont really know why, ig i see myself in akechi a lot and even akira too so the idea that parts of me could find that love and care like the fact that parts of me could find other parts of me, ig im not broken lmao like its all a little puzzle :)

okkk lore drop🔥🔥 got so hashtag emo there BUT that meant something i promise!!! that whole idea of feeling like ur missing something or theres just something wrong with u or ur unloveable or whatever, the idea that akechi felt that and FOUND it in akira makes my heart melt like a fucking fangirl i hate everything. i always think abt shuake and their love bc people always say how they are so toxic blah blah blah, and yk what, lemme not lie, that’s probably the truth! but i cant see them being soo toxic like that especially with how young they are like akechi was like. a few months of just turning 18, akira was 17 like they arent full grown adults even tho akechi was definitely aware enough to know what he was doing was wrong (even at 15 or however old he was when first helping shido i would say), you wouldnt understand the FULL severity of it like its a lot to explain but HOPEFULLY i make sense lol😭😭 and i think just being so young and growing through so much like im already. off. and i dont even live a life CLOSE to that EVER like of course he’s gonna be a little. off his rockets🤩 i mean what did yall expect😭 i keep using this phrase but yea!! so the idea of him meeting akira and finally being able to feel that youth and enjoy parts of life that typically teenagers get to live is si sweet to me.

mind u, im not saying that him living that “teenage life” is the way it HAS to be lived bc i think my life is better without those things as a teen myself and its most definitely not necessary but to me, akechi is just like. a very much stan twitter gay guy😭 he has his little bit of nerd (WHICH I LOVE^_^) but like anyone, of course he would want and need that friendship, that connection. do i believe he wouldn’t really care abt friends and shit? yea bc look, i dont really care for that myself but i wont lie to you and tell u i would love just ONE good connection in my life like yk, a friend i actually want but im not gonna be all friendless here so back to akechi!😊 he’s just very normal high schooler to me, ONE THING I LOVE ABT HIM AND SUMI ACTUALLY. i feel like with sumi, because ae doesn’t know like anything abt akechi’s past and what’s he’s done and stuff i feel like akechi just gets to live a “regular high schooler life” with sumi, yk? like everytime akechi and sumi would hang out (i like to believe they would hang out pre royal idgaf🥱) and akechi would complain or talk akira, sumi would just think “ah he’s on his crush thing again” like ae has NO CLUE he’s gonna shoot him in the head and yk what. that connection definitely means something bc that would be the first person akechi has ever met his age who ISNT involved in his “work life”?? like isn’t involved in his cases and shit like. a genuine healthy friendship🤯🤯🤯 and thats ANOTHWR reason i love sumigoro (make fun of me all u want but i seriously do not. gaf😜😝) bc i think akechi would really go and mess that up, he’d be like “wait. do i actually like sumi” all bc of the fact that they have a good connection and akechi isnt used to that

WHICH brings me to what i was GOING TO bring up (sorry for the crazy detour) but YEA, the whole idea of having a love and always feeling the need to self sabotage reminds me smm of shuake. akechi going and ruining their connection even though there was definitely ways he could’ve gone abt killing shido…. with the phantom thieves’ health possibly👀👀???? i feel like that was the prime explain of self sabotage, guilt and the fact that he wasnt even actually processing what he did and HAS done. like that one scene after 11/20 where he’s in the studio filming and their asking him abt the pts and he gets slient and thinks abt some shit like abt the pts and sorta feels guilty (idk if thats the undesirable child scene i think it is but im not sure lol) but yeah that, that is the PRIME explain of processing and guilt. after killing people and doing all that shit for so long i think that was the first time it actually hit him like “oh shit wait. i’ll never see these people again” like the idea that it hit so close to home, these were kids HIS age, even younger too and.. what EYE like to believe, people he thought probably deserved more life than even himself (like the after thought of it) bc u cannot convince me he really sent his ass over to shido’s palace just to tell joker some shit like girl. and getting himself killed too like naww that’s embarrassing as shit😭😭 like ik thats talked abt and thats what the whole scene is abt but like. EXACTLY he felt guilt for his actions and felt he needed to atone!! HE HADNT REALLT PROCESSED ANYTHING IF HE WAS FEELING THAT NOWW ofc he was going to get innocent people killed like. YEA😭😭 but he’s a fucking kid like what did u expect him to do, even if i had that power even with the current knowledge i have☝️🤓 i wouldnt even realize wtf im doing like yk ur doing something bad, but as a smart kid too.. its all abt competition lol, but in all seriousness tho and they show that in the game

ok sorry got off track again but yea, self sabotaging his love with akira all for the competition of it all, clearly i will never just flow into it naturally so ill state it plainly, self sabotaging his love and overall genuine connection with akira bc thats all he was ever thought to do, from his own mother and obviously, his own father. had to sabotage the love he had for his mother bc well. she ended up kwording herself😭😭 and had to sabotage the love for his father (which didnt exist to me idc) bc he had to kill him, i mean. he was awful😭😭 so having that constant battle between that, thats one thing i LOVE like ADORE ABOUT SHUAKE i love the idea that they could be vulnerable with each other i also love akira and his personality cuz he compliments akechi so well in SO MANY WAYS whoever wrote and made their characters and storylines personally ate with their yaoi deliverance😍😍 LMAO that was a joke but honestly. gave us such a good ship TY🙏 atlus at least for SOMETHING ur good at like like the thing i quoted said, THE WAY THAT IF ATLUS WOULDVE GAVE US AN I LOVE YOU BETWEEN THEM. aside from the fact i would’ve killed myself and died and then fell off a cliff and then kill myself again and killed myself a 3rd time just to make sure i also would’ve cried SO BAD, ik thats asking for WAYY TOO MUCHH but let a girl dream smh like IT WOULDVE MESNT SO MUCH AND HAD SM WEIGHT, it truly would’ve been akechi’s first ily that would’ve came from a genuine good place or would’ve been the first ily he ever heard that didnt try to manipulate or gain smth out of him!! which is. BEAUTIFUL ALL WAYS U LOOK AT IT like they definitely had their ups and downs (shuake i mesn) but the fact akira still wouldve loved him and seen him through everything is just so. something abt the unstable and the unstable but a little more stable dynamic😍😍 but seriously tho lol, i love their connection. again, it just speaks a lot to me SO PERSONALLY i hate everything

one thing i love abt royal is how we got to see akechi’s character a bit, i do like the royal writing a lot for this reason, some parts felt like aww yk lol and kinda reminiscent to the beginning of the game which felt a lot more genuine even tho royal’s writing felt more fanservicey, it had SOME sense of like, ok the characters arent written toooo bad here like the middle of persona so i appreciated it and u can tell atlus put a lot more work on the royal trio scenes (the fanservice was crazy in that part😭) so i also loved that too lol bc again, we got to see akechi’s character and the effect joker had on him and how like. less of an asshole he was like i wish we could’ve seen just a BIT more of him. again again i just LOVE dynamics like shuake and seeing characters grow and shit and shuake just does it so well UGH i hate them😭😭

[linhmeee]

WEEK 3: HOW TUMBLR IS USED BY DISENGAGED AND UNDERPRIVELEGED GROUPS?

Direct comparisons between Tumblr, Reddit, and Instagram may be difficult because each platform has an own user base and set of features. Based on the data at my disposal, Instagram has a greater user base than Tumblr and Reddit. But every platform has a particular function and supports various kinds of interactions and information. Tumblr is renowned for emphasizing creative expression and blogging.

The site is useful for communication study because it provides a large amount of room for users to add textual context to the selfies they submit. Hashtags are widely used to create communities, and shared blogs may be handled collaboratively with others (Renninger, 2015). The visibility of posts within these hashtags is independent of the number of followers, the user’s usual participation within the community, or the number of reactions to the post, thus allowing for a wider range of voices to be heard (Renninger, 2015). Users have the opportunity to like, comment, or reblog content to interact with the post and its creator. These interactions are summarized in a single notes number. Tumblr prevents trolling and bad replies by concealing the more detailed reactions below the summary (Cavalcante, 2018).

Tumblr, which was founded as a hybrid of social networking sites and conventional weblogs, creates the foundation for a vibrant and varied feminist community. Conversely, women who share sexually suggestive photographs on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram typically face backlash and become targets of victimization and "slut-shaming" (Miguel, 2016). Tumblr distinguished itself from these platforms until its policy change in 2018 due to its acceptance of NSFW (Not Safe for Work) content (Renninger, 2015; Tiidenberg & Cruz, 2015). Therefore, in light of earlier studies highlighting the drawbacks and hazards, the general concept of #bodypositive—creating diverse feminist spaces that enable women to discover their own beauty—had a lot of promise on Tumblr until 2018 (Cohen et al., 2019; Maddox, 2019; Sastre, 2014). Furthermore, Tumblr was seen as a platform for "emotional authenticity" and was utilized to create counterpublic spaces for progressive and underprivileged groups (Hart, 2015; Cavalcante, 2018).

Tumblr's role in activism and awareness cannot be overstated. Underprivileged groups leverage the platform to raise awareness about social issues, disseminate information, and mobilize support for various causes. It serves as a powerful tool for grassroots activism, enabling connections among like-minded individuals passionate about creating change. The visual nature of Tumblr makes it an ideal platform for artistic expression. Individuals from disengaged or underprivileged backgrounds can showcase their creative talents, whether through illustrations, photography, or writing. This not only provides an outlet for expression but also offers an opportunity for recognition within the community.

Identity exploration is another vital aspect, with users openly discussing and affirming their identities, including aspects related to gender, sexuality, and race. For marginalized groups, Tumblr becomes a space for self-discovery and acceptance, fostering conversations that may be stigmatized in mainstream society.

References

Cavalcante, A 2018, ‘Tumbling Into Queer Utopias and Vortexes: Experiences of LGBTQ Social Media Users on Tumblr���, Journal of Homosexuality, vol. 66, no. 12, pp. 1715–1735.

Cohen, R, Irwin, L, Newton-John, T & Slater, A 2019, ‘#bodypositivity: A content analysis of body positive accounts on Instagram’, Body Image, vol. 29, no. 29, pp. 47–57.

Hart, M 2015, ‘Youth Intimacy on Tumblr’, YOUNG, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 193–208.

Hillman, S, Procyk, J & Neustaedter, C 2014, ‘Tumblr fandoms, community & culture’, Proceedings of the companion publication of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing - CSCW Companion ’14.

Maddox, J 2019, ‘“Be a badass with a good ass”: race, freakery, and postfeminism in the #StrongIsTheNewSkinny beauty myth’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 1–22.

Miguel, C 2016, ‘Visual Intimacy on Social Media: From Selfies to the Co-Construction of Intimacies Through Shared Pictures’, Social Media + Society, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 205630511664170.

Renninger, BJ 2014, ‘“Where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind” : Networked counterpublics in a polymedia environment’, New Media & Society, vol. 17, no. 9, pp. 1513–1529.

Sastre, A 2014, ‘Towards a Radical Body Positive’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 929–943.

Tiidenberg, K & Gómez Cruz, E 2015, ‘Selfies, Image and the Re-making of the Body’, Body & Society, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 77–102.

[swinstudent]

Tumblr case study-the good and the bad...

I am here on Tumblr posting this today, because I know for a fact if I posted it on Facebook I would have my family on my back probably telling me i’m too woke…

Coincidentally, this post draws evidently to an analysis of Tumblr and the platform's distinct personality which I would personally analyse as a result of its long-lasting youth-based audience and lack of censorship in comparison to other platforms, like #Reddit.  

Due to Tumblr’s lack of personalised profiling, “many “Tumblrs” are anonymously created and owners are difficult to identify.” (Keller, 2019) - Ultimately, this aspect allows for, females in particular, to speak on and discuss certain topics that may be more difficult on other platforms. #feminism #sex & #bodyimage for example...

The highly discussed and controversial topic of Tumblr in its glory days #2014tumblr, is that of its stagnate prominence among some girls youths, facilitating the exploration of the more explicit and controversial topics, “the  girls’  discussions  of  Tumblr  in  relation  to  Facebook  and  Twitter  suggests  that  maintaining  some  social  privacy  is  necessary for teens to do feminism online.” (Keller, 2019) 

This time period of Tumblr, for me and peers I have spoken too, or seen discussing online, still gets brought up years later, in conjunction with our age at the time and the issue of what we were presented, with and how it was ultimately destructive. For example, the glorification of eating disorders.

Going further, one of the 'Public Spheres' qualifying points when discussing social media is to feel safe, and therefore comfortable posting, without this sense of safety, eventually platforms will decline. When analysing whether it is a negative or positive thing that Tumblr facilitates such discussions, it could therefore be argued that Tumblr still exists solely as such a result. After all, as mentioned by Keller, 2019 “Girls and women use digital platforms to explore their emerging femi-nist identities” and Tumblr lets them. 

How can this feminism and confidence be seen today on Tumblr? Through hashtags! For example: “One hashtag often occupied by feminists is #bodypositive, a movement that aims to reconnect people with their own body image.” (Reif et al., 2022)

References - 

Keller, J. (2019) “‘oh, she’s a Tumblr feminist’: Exploring the platform vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms,” Social Media & the Self: An Open Reader [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.32376/3f8575cb.30dbf3b9. 

Reif, A., Miller, I. and Taddicken, M. (2022) “‘Love the skin you‘re in’: An analysis of women’s self-presentation and user reactions to selfies using the Tumblr hashtag #bodypositive,” Mass Communication and Society, pp. 1–24. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2138442. 

[carryon-countdown]

❄️Carry On Countdown 2021 Prompt List❄️

Hello again to the lovely Carry On fandom! The COC admins are finally ready and excited to announce the 30 day prompt list for this year’s event. If you’re curious about what the Carry On Countdown is and want to learn more, please click here to visit our COC Introduction Post. 

Just as a reminder:

We encourage any and all fan-created content for this event. Fanfiction, fanart, songs, playlists, cosplay, memes, crafts, etc. are more than welcome in the Carry On Countdown.

The prompts are completely up to your own interpretation and can be used in your content however you like, but if you're confused or have any questions concerning the prompts, please send us an ask so we can try to help clarify. 

Completing every prompt for this event is not mandatory to participate, so please complete as many or as few of the COC prompts as you want :)

The hashtags we ask that you use when posting content for the Carry On Countdown and its daily prompts are: #Carry On Countdown and #COC 2021. You are welcome to @ us in your posts, but please be aware your mention might not always show up in our notifications. (Thanks tumblr.) Using the hashtags is the best way to make sure everyone can find and enjoy your content, and to make sure the admins can reblog your post to the COC page. 

Now, without further ado, we present to you the Carry On Countdown 2021 prompt list: 

Day 1, NOV 25: End of Autumn

Day 2, NOV 26: Wings

Day 3, NOV 27: Youth 

Day 4, NOV 28: Date Night

Day 5, NOV 29: Side Ships/Alternative Ships

Day 6, NOV 30: Reunion/Reconnect

Day 7, DEC 1: Any Way The Wind Blows

Day 8, DEC 2: Wayward Son

Day 9, DEC 3: Carry On

Day 10, DEC 4: Body Swap

Day 11, DEC 5: Family

Day 12, DEC 6: Hurt/Comfort

Day 13, DEC 7: Cooking/Baking

Day 14, DEC 8: Creatures

Day 15, DEC 9: Vacation/Travel

Day 16, DEC 10: AU's

Day 17, DEC 11: Decorating

Day 18, DEC 12: Angst

Day 19, DEC 13: Lyrics

Day 20, DEC 14: Bite

Day 21, DEC 15: Holiday

Day 22, DEC 16: Throwback

Day 23, DEC 17: Magic

Day 24, DEC 18: Side Characters

Day 25, DEC 19: Sleepover

Day 26, DEC 20: Grief

Day 27, DEC 21: Hope

Day 28, DEC 22: Prophecy

Day 29, DEC 23: Snow

Day 30, DEC 24: Flames

We sincerely hope you enjoy this year’s prompt list! The admins had fun coming up with it and we hope everyone has fun using it. Please do reblog this post to share your excitement. And of course, if you have any questions relating to the event or the prompts, feel free to send us an ask. (You’re also always welcome to send us an ask purely to share your excitement for the event, or to let us know if you plan to participate!)

And with that we wish everyone who plans to participate the best of luck with preparing your creations for this year’s countdown!

Much love,

The admins of the 2021 Carry On Countdown <3

[kyleoleary11]

How does Tumblr function as a digital community?

Digital communities are one of the main forms in how society connects with one another in this day and age, and people often find themselves in those virtual communities that have content that relates to them like on Facebook groups or Instagram and Tumblr pages. The main role of Tumblr is to serve as a platform where millions of people can share their own personal content in the form of blogs, memes, GIFs and quotes like any other social media platform but it is seen as more of an alternative and more popular for the youth where Allison McCracken states “for many youth, Tumblr has become an alternative, tuition-free classroom” (152, 2017) due to its ability to distribute political awareness and be a powerful source of “youth media literacy”.

Subcultures are formed on social media where the youth can express themselves in the virtual communities in their own way where there is no judgement from their parents and they have more of an opportunity perhaps to grow by using their own voice in social spaces with their friends or random people about issues or concepts that they’re passionate about and want to engage in conversation with. A prime example is the LGBTQ teenage community, having this online pace to be connected to one another and being able to have a stronger support network has been “vital” to them according to McCracken (153, 2017).

Through the use of blogging and tagging formats on Tumblr, it allows subcultures “to not only form but also thrive” (Oakley, 2016) as they can easily be connected by just using hashtags that relates to the issue they’re blogging about or the group of people that would relate to a specific meme. Tumblr offers people in these groups the crucial space to be able to express “social critique” (McCracken, 161, 2017) in a way that it can resonate with others and be seen mostly by people who are interested and engaged with the relevant topics.

References

McCracken, A. 2017, Tumblr Youth Subcultures and Media Engagement, Cinema Journal, vol. 57, pp. 151-161

Oakley, A, Disturbing Hegemonic Discourse: Nonbinary Gender and Sexual Orientation Labelling on Tumblr, vol. 2, August 17 2016, viewed 13 April 2020

[carolinesbookworld]

tagged by @kabeswaters and @swellwriting <3

on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now? 0

describe yourself in a hashtag? very similar to @fortisfiliae #stressedanddepressed

if you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be? Harrison Osterfield

if your life was a musical, what would the marquee say? prepare for disaster

what’s one thing people don’t know about you? um...idk my boyfriend knows basically everything about me sooooooo

what’s your wake up ritual? wake up, turn off alarm (bc with this at-home learning stuff i’ve been waking up like literally 1 min before my alarm goes off???), text good morning to my bf, snapchat, discord bc moonlit fam talks allll night, tumblr, get out of bed, wash face, get dressed, coffee and breakfast it’s very specific

what’s your go to bed ritual? wash glasses and face bc my skin is soo oily by the end of the day so you best believe my glasses be needing washing everyday, shower, say goodnight to fam, text bf for like 15 mins or until he says goodnight, turn alarm on, plug in phone, go to sleep

what’s your favorite time of day? morning but specifically from 7:30 until 9  

your go to for having a good laugh? FRIENDS as in the show

dream country to visit? Australia bc my dad once got to hold a baby koala there and i wanna do that so bad

what’s the biggest surprise you’ve ever had? so my family moved before my sophomore year so me and my bff started trying to surprise each other whenever one of us came to visit and the weekend of my birthday, she skypes me as she’s walking around what i thought was her house and then i start hearing an echo and next thing i know she’s standing in the doorway of my room and that was pretty much the best surprise ever

heels or flats/sneakers? sneakers converse

vintage or new? new but i love vintage aesthetic i just couldn’t live with it

who do you want to write your obituary? karli @swellwriting bc she is my brain twin and i would be mocking her horrible grammar and spelling from my grave and we would both get a good laugh about it in the afterlife

style icon? the mom i babysit for haha she’s like one of my best friends tho which sounds really weird but it’s true

what are three things you cannot live without? books, dogs, days that are exactly 65 degrees

what’s one ingredient you put in everything? um idk chocolate??

what 3 people living or dead would you want to make dinner for? Sarah J. Maas, Eddie Redmayne, my boyfriend bc i haven’t had dinner with him for 47 days

what’s your biggest fear in life? losing the people i love...and spiders

window or aisle seat? window bc aisle makes me anxious that i’m in people’s way

what’s your current tv obsession? the cw’s nancy drew it’s so good please go watch it

favorite app? instagram, discord, or tumblr, depends on my mood

secret talent? um idk i can draw very realistic portraits of people when i take the time to

most adventurous thing you’ve ever done in your life? okay so technically this wasn’t me who did it but i was part of the adventure. when me and my boyfriend were just “friends” ie. liked each other and knew we liked each other but were too scared to admit it. anyway, we had this elaborate plan to shave our youth group leader’s head if we were able to bring in a certain amount of food for the food drive during vbs week. so yeah we spent like three days planning the whole thing out and then decided to go price shopping at walmart with all of our younger siblings bc we needed supervision or something lol to see how many individual things of food we could buy with $20 each we ended up just getting like 20 huge boxes of ramen and then his sister ended up throwing up so we took her home and then went back to church where my car was parked but instead of turning to get to church my boyfriend decides to go straight through the stop light (it was green okay) and spontaneously drive up into the foothills. well we get to the top of the foothills and we’re at the lake and we all get out to look at the city and my boyfriend claims that we need to document this moment so he takes a selfie with all of us and we somehow ended up right next to each other in it and i only found this out like three months ago (this happened back in june) that he only took the picture because he wanted one of us together in case we didn’t start dating lol so sweet and yeah, that was a very long story but i needed context instead of just saying “yeah we drove up a mountain”

how would you define yourself in three words? loyal, anxious, passionate

favorite piece of clothing you own? this dark coral dress that makes my eyes and hair look really pretty

a must have clothing item that everyone should have? a hoodie

a superpower you would want? i want to be able to project my thoughts into someone else’s mind bc i’m so bad at explaining stuff sometimes especially when it comes to how i feel

what’s inspiring you in life right now? ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, highly recommend

best piece of advice you’ve received? opening up to more than one person is important because if you lose that person then you’ve lost all your support

best advice you’d give your teenage self? the friends who have stuck around this long are the ones you want to hang onto and the ones that you need are the ones you don’t always see

a book everyone should read? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

what would you like to be remembered for? being a crazy dog mama

how do you define beauty? confidence in yourself and not caring what others think about you

what do you love most about your body? my metabolism

best way to take a rest/decompress? open a window to feel the breeze and listen to Islands by Hey Ocean! which is so calming to me

favorite place to view art? nature or tumblr

if your life was a song, what would the title be? we’re going with a fob/p!atd theme here and calling it “depression screwed me over so i screwed it back and ended up worse off”

if you could master one instrument, what would it be? piano

if you had a tattoo, where would it be? probably on my forearm or by my left hip

dolphins or koalas? koalas did i mention that i want to hold a baby koala

what’s an animal that represents you? great dane puppy ie. very excitable but will also take a four hour nap when tired

best gift you’ve ever received? my best friend made this photo collage for me when i moved that is hanging in my room and it has a bunch of pictures of me and her over the years and i just love it

best gift you’ve given? for christmas i gave my boyfriend a hammock and the bookshelf addition of clue, two things he had no idea i would remember him mentioning and his face was priceless. also i made my mom a cake for her birthday this year and she was so happy and said it made her feel very special <3

what’s your favorite board game? clue or ticket to ride (specifically nordic countries)

what’s your favorite color? currently a pale turquoise

least favorite color? any shade of light brown

diamond or pearls? diamonds

drugstore makeup or designer? drugstore bc i don’t wear makeup enough to validate buying designer, also i don’t really care

pilates or yoga? yoga

coffee or tea? coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee cof-

what’s the weirdest word in the english language? palindrome is wild because it means a word spelled the same way forwards and backwards but it itself is not one such word

dark chocolate or milk chocolate? milk

stairs or elevators? stairs

summer or winter? summer but like, only june

you are stuck on an island, you can pick one food to eat forever without getting tired of it, what would you eat? panera mac n cheese

a dessert you don’t like? red velvet cake which btw is not red-colored chocolate cake as many would have you believe

a skill you’re working on mastering? writing

best thing to happen to you today? i got to put all of my new plants in my windowsill and i named one of them (its name is albert in case you were wondering)

worst thing to happen to you today? idk today’s been pretty good as far as quarantine goes

best compliment you’ve ever received? my boyfriend calls me beautiful all the time and he always reminds me that that is describing looks and personality

favorite smell? coffee or my boyfriend’s sweatshirt for the week after i steal it

hugs or kisses? can i choose both?? depends on my mood mostly but i guess hugs if i just had to pick one

if you made a documentary, would it be about? literally anything relating to the mcu

last piece of content you consumed that made you cry? a court of wings and ruin by sjm

lipstick or lipgloss? lipstick

sweet or savory? sweet

girl crush? literally any female in the teen wolf cast

how do you know you’re in love? hahahaha haha what's love

a song you can listen to on repeat? we fall apart by we as human or uma thurman by fob

if you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? idk my boyfriend probably, this is something we have discussed in depth

what are you most excited for/about this time in your life? for life to go back to normal

tagging @finnofamerica @woakiees @beskarjedi @outerlacy @swanimagines hahahahaha have funnnnn this took me an hour to answer

[digiroads]

What are White Hat SEO Services?

What are White Hat SEO Services?

White hat SEO services allude to SEO services that you convey to your customers from an expert SEO organization under your name. In these SEO services, practically everything is done under your company flag and the character of the SEO supplier stays covered up. 

It works like the standard SEO rehearses that work on a website's exhibition and help organizations acquire leads and traffic to their website. There are a few advantages of selecting white hat SEO services including confirmation of value work, upgraded results, no in-house group costs, fast and strong specialized help, and some more. Offering white hat SEO services is an extraordinary method to develop your business by aiding your customers. 

Tip To Rank on Top Without Violating Google Guidelines 

Positioning on top is simple in the event that you follow the inquiry rules appropriately and don't disregard any principles characterized by them. As there are a few factors that impact the chances of positioning in top positions. Notwithstanding, to get the most extreme out of your SEO endeavors, here are some presentation driven tips that you can utilize and acquire tip rankings without abusing Google rules. 

Distribute Quality Content 

The most ideal approach to get highest levels naturally, it's significant you offer quality content to your perusers. With Google's EAT update, it has gotten inescapable to keep up with top caliber in each content you distribute. To help your website's exhibition, you can likewise refresh the current content with refreshed data and furthermore check for copyright infringement. Guarantee the content that you're distributing is unique and no literary theft. 

Long-Tail Keywords 

Alongside zeroing in on short-tail high-contest catchphrases, you ought to likewise zero in on targeting long-tail watchwords as they will rank a lot quicker. Quest for long-tail catchphrases that are low on contest and have higher hunt volume. 

Get On-Page SEO Right 

Ensure the on-page enhancement has been done well on each page and blog entry of your website. Be it's anything but, a blog entry, or a recently made presentation page; improve each page. The on-page rehearses incorporate title labels creation, meta labels creation, advancing pictures, making a XML sitemap, and upgrading the Robots record. 

Website's Loading Speed 

Speed has become a significant positioning element and you need to guarantee that your website stacks quicker on both work area and versatile renditions. With versatile first ordering getting more into notoriety, your website should load and work consistently on every cell phone. A decent website loads inside three seconds and if it's requiring some investment, you need to improve the stacking speed. You can utilize Google's PageSpeed Insights to check how quick your website loads and furthermore work on the ideas given by this device. 

Follow White Hat SEO Services Strategy For Better Results 

For accomplishing higher rankings in natural query items, you need to follow white-hat SEO methodologies that will give you long haul benefits. The following are some exhibition driven white hat SEO techniques that you can follow to improve results: 

Right Keyword Research 

It's significant you pick the right catchphrases that will carry the targeted audience to your website. Alongside targeting short-tail catchphrases, likewise improve your content for LSIs and long-tail watchwords that your audience is looking to discover services or items. 

Content Optimization 

For boosting your website's positioning, you need to refresh the current content with the most recent realities, details, and data. With Google's RankBrain and E-A-T refreshes, it's gotten unavoidable to focus on excellent content and convey the best worth to your perusers. 

Inner Linking 

Inner connecting is among the most remarkable approaches to help traffic and fabricate space authority. Update all your blog entries with important interior connections and enhance the general perusing experience of clients. 

Website Speed 

Speed being a significant positioning variable in SEO, no entrepreneur can disregard it. Guarantee your website stacks quicker on both work area and portable renditions. A standard website loads inside three seconds and assuming your website is taking additional time, you need to advance your website for quicker stacking time. 

These are the white hat SEO tips that you can follow to help natural traffic on your website and rank higher on your ideal catchphrases. Need to find out about white hat SEO services for your business? Associate with the best digital marketing company in Jaipur to know more.

Social media assists you with associating with an assorted gathering of individuals. Consistently, a client shares some kind of content. As a brand, remaining predictable with your content conveyance on various social media stages assists work with marking mindfulness and dedication. 

About 90% with admittance to the web utilize social media. As an entrepreneur, social media marketing is perhaps the most financially savvy approaches to point out your image. You can answer little inquiries, lead fascinating hashtag challenges, or even draw in influencers to give feeling to your image. 

In this way, we have thought of top 10 social media types to develop your business: 

1)Blogging and Publishing Networks 

Publishing content to a blog is an ideal method to depict your business. Besides, it urges perusers to share their contemplations in the remarks segment. Writing about your image expands your SEO positioning, gives wise content and makes a space for perusers to add their assessments in the remark segment. 

Instances of publishing content to a blog organizations: 

Medium 

Tumblr 

Blogger 

A blog isn't just about hanging a couple of words. It alludes to curated content with a great deal of manners of thinking and examination included. In the event that you distribute connecting with and enlightening online journals, you can build up yourself as a thought chief about an industry. You can likewise share connects to your sites on your social media stages and increment your image mindfulness. 

2) Social Networks 

Social organizations are utilized broadly by the overall population. This aides clients and the brand to meet on a typical stage. A social media marketing organization would recommend that this is a standout amongst other B2C systems to embrace. You can even screen your online standing and make a drawing in persona as a brand. They are allowed to utilize and are called 'relationship stages' because of the availability of a wide scope of clients. They assist with building brand mindfulness and associations with people. 

Instances of Social organizations: 

LinkedIn 

Facebook 

Twitter 

Instagram 

Stages like Facebook and Instagram permit you to share company updates, connects and even make fun short surveys. On the off chance that you have a business account, you can get to amazing inside and out examination and plan your posts and advancements in like manner. You can design advertisement crusades where customers can impart a significant encounter to your image and fabricate fervor for another item dispatch. Facebook additionally gives paid missions that help you acquire prompts advance your business. There are endless social media marketing services, and enrolling an organization can help you stay refreshed on the latest things without a problem. 

3) Media Sharing Networks 

This is extraordinary compared to other social media marketing thoughts since individuals are captivated with visual content. This incorporates finding and sharing photographs and recordings. You can make a storyline that is relatable to your audience. This makes a positive presence for your image. 

Instances of Media Sharing Networks- 

Youtube 

Snapchat 

Instagram 

Pinterest 

Media sharing makes an individual encounter. Individuals feel like they are engaged with the brand's excursion because of the visual association they experience. 

How about we see some marvelous measurements to perceive how viable recordings can be- 

Individuals are probably going to share a video than exhausting content based content by about 1200% 

The second most mainstream website after Google is Youtube 

Around 72% of the clients think that its simpler to find out about an item or administration through a video. 

Consequently, the viral dispersion of visual content is what makes it the most favored strategy by organizations. Other than instructing your clients on the item or administration you offer, you are additionally permitting them to draw in with your image by giving supportive criticism. 

4) Audio Sharing Networks 

Webcasts, book recordings are similarly acceptable kinds of content that you can use to use leads. There is a ton of variety as far as age gatherings. Hence, your scope as a business is broad. 

Instances of sound sharing organizations 

Soundcloud 

Spotify 

Despite the fact that not as mainstream as social media networks, you can discover numerous youthful grown-up audience fragments perusing, sharing, and suggesting book recordings and webcasts here. 

Thought 

Here, your audience is considering the alternatives accessible to them and discussing what might line up with their trouble spots. Consequently, you need to ensure your business is recorded in their psyche waitlist. You need to fabricate trust at this stage. Other than utilizing social organizations like Instagram and Facebook once more, we can take a gander at different stages to assist with setting up a relationship with your audience. 

5) Discussion Forums 

Noting questions is a magnificent method to lead clients to your websites. Gatherings are the place where similar individuals talk about, share pastimes and assessments. As a brand, you can set up your quality as a specialist by helping the multitudinous inquiries set forth by your clients. 

Instances of Discussion Forums- 

Reddit 

Quora 

Specific industry-based discussions 

Conversation discussions are an incredible method to interface with your energetic audience. Organizations can show how clever they are by displaying their abilities in addressing questions that are difficult to settle. Individuals would likewise comprehend the point exhaustively and maybe even interface with you for a conference. Organizations can likewise dissect their clients and comprehend their problem areas in the event that they do top to bottom examination on routinely talked about feelings. 

6) Bookmarking and Content Curation organizations 

Social media marketing offices love finding new content patterns as well as make special customized content. These organizations help audiences find, offer and save content for motivation. 

Instances of bookmarking and content curation organizations 

Pinterest 

Behance 

Coincidentally find 

These organizations are great for building brand mindfulness and expanding your leads. Draw in your audience with great content that they can without much of a stretch save and offer. These channels are effectively open to your audience. Hence, it ought to be remembered for your social media marketing plan. 

Choice 

Here, the possibility is in the last stage and prepared to make a buy. As a business, you can see posting audits on destinations or take part in networks where shoppers shop or post inquiries. This will assist with changing your leads over to faithful clients. 

7) Consumer Review Networks 

Purchasers these days are continually searching for locales with declarations and generally speaking fulfillment evaluations of items or services they have run over. This is the most ideal way for clients to figure everything out and make the last stride of the purchaser venture. 

Instances of shopper survey organizations 

Glassdoor 

TripAdvisor 

Zomato 

Buyer survey networks like Glassdoor assist forthcoming representatives with finding out about the association they may work for. As a business, you can comprehend your qualities and shortcomings with regards to representative administration. This will assist you with working on their involvement with the association. 

8) Sharing Economy Networks 

Sharing economy networks urge individuals to interface with the suppliers of the item or administration. They can purchase, sell or publicize items and services. 

Instances of sharing economy organizations 

Airbnb 

Uber 

Olx 

These organizations are target concentrated and produce drives that convert without any problem. Organizations that utilization these organizations have better deals because of the trust that merchants and purchasers have in them. 

9) Social Shopping Networks 

Social marketing organizations prescribe social shopping organizations to organizations since it's anything but a mix of web based business and social media. Clients can discover audits of items they need to buy and settle on choices appropriately. 

Instances of social shopping organizations 

Instagram Shoppable Posts 

Facebook Shoppable Posts 

How about we take the case of a well known contextual investigation by Levis. They had right around a fourth of their traffic coming in because of Facebook. This was because of the way that clients could perceive what their companions loved on Facebook and make a comparative buy. This mix of social media and web based business made individuals buy items at a moment without pondering. This was on the grounds that it was simpler to settle on buy choices when you realized a dear companion had made the suggestion. 

10) Interest-Based Networks 

These are networks that are made normally because of normal shared interests or pastimes. It can go from music and books to even food photography. 

Instances of interest-based organizations 

Goodreads 

Soundcloud 

Social media services perceive that these organizations are a huge chance for lead age and changes. Since they are fragmented because of their pastimes, it is not difficult to change them over to deals. For instance, an individual searching for book proposals can go to Goodreads and afterward get coordinated to the site to purchase the novel. 

Connect with the best digital marketing company in Jaipur to get your uniquely designed social media strategy.

[queertheology]

Practical next steps on your Christian journey

So you’re a Christian? Now what?

For the past month at Queer Theology, we’ve been taking a look at the fundamentals of Christianity — and of what it means to be an LGBTQ+ person of faith. We’ve sorted through everything from myths and misconceptions to downright toxic theology and we’ve tried to get at the heart of what it means to be a Christian.

Here’s what we’ve covered so far:

Back to the (queer Christian) basics

What do we do with the Bible?

The Exodus didn’t happen. The Exodus is true.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

The generosity of God

Building a Bible-based faith (that isn’t terrible)

a live webinar on the basics of Christianity (you can get access to it, and our entire webinar archive, in Sanctuary Collective)

But so what? What do you do with all this knowledge?

My junior high youth group director Dave used to tell us, “If you really believe in Jesus, that can’t help but change your life.”

Here are some practical next steps as you continue to pursue a (queer) Christian faith.

Not everyone has to believe the same as you.

Some conservative branches of Christianity are keen on making sure that everyone believes the same thing. There is one way to interpret each and every Bible passage. There is one correct way to relate to Jesus, one correct way to understand salvation, one correct everything.

The math-science nerd in me understands this: there is one law for gravity, 1 plus 1 does equal 2, human reproduction happens in a certain, observable way.

But, even in science, there is so much we don’t know. And so much that varies from person to person, experience to experience. You might work best alone in an office while your neighbor might work best from a crowded coffeeshop. You might be motivated by comfort while your friend might be motivated by fame.

We each experience and understand the world in different ways, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Sometimes it’s helpful to ask “what is right” as best we can know. Sometimes we can look to science for answers (vaccines really will protect your child, comprehensive sexual education really does help keep teenagers safe, the earth really does revolve around the sun).

But sometimes, when it comes to matters of faith or of the heart, “is it right?” doesn’t always have a clear answer (even if it feels so clear to you or me!). In those cases, “is it helpful?” is often a good question to ask. When that is the question, it’s possible to answer “yes” to lots of different questions. They can compliment each other, rather than compete with one another.

When it comes to the nature of God, the resurrection, and even what-happens-after-you-die, Fr. Shay and I often believe differently. But we can look at each of our beliefs, ask “Is it helpful?,” and see that the answer is yes.

Jesus models this in Scripture when he tells his followers to judge the tree of a theology by its fruits. Good theology bears good fruits.

If your theology — or someone else’s theology — is bearing bad fruit … that may be a reason to speak out or act up. But if it’s just different than yours? That’s ok.

Not every problem you face is a spiritual one

We believe in the power of God. A God that parts seas to set oppressed people freeand who defeats death. We believe that the divine dwells in you, too. And that you are capable of remarkable things.

It’s also important that we recognize that not every problem you face is a spiritual one — sometimes you need secular solutions.

Too often we receive messages from folks who have been told that their gender dysphoria is a result of their sin or that their depression or suicidal thoughts can be cured with prayer.

God works through doctors and therapists and nutritionists just as much as God works through priests and pastors.

Sometimes you need a doctor. Or a therapist. Or a nutritionist. You might need medicine or light therapy or daily exercise.

If you come from a conservative religious background, working with a therapist to unpack that experience and develop healthier, more productive ways of moving through the world can be hugely helpful. I cannot recommend it enough. If you think you can’t afford therapy, talk with your local LGBT center… they may be able to connect you with some low- or no-cost options. Also, check out this Twitter thread for options and alternatives.

It’s important that you think through how your faith and beliefs will affect your actions

It’s all well and good to have beliefs but how do those beliefs affect your life—your choices and your actions (and your inactions)? James 2:17 even says, pointedly, “faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.”

We see throughout the scriptures — and in the example of believers throughout the ages — the importance of putting your faith into action. God asked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The divine became incarnate in Jesus and then walked, talked, ate, touched (and led direct action protests).

If we take Jesus at his word that he came to “preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed,” and if we understand that he asked those around him to follow him … then what will faithful actions look like in our lives?

Here are some questions for you think about:

what will I do with my money?

how will I take care of others?

in what ways can I speak truth to powers and principalities that they would take care of their people?

how will I treat others?

where will I worship?

where will I live? (and with whom?)

how will I spend my time?

what will I think about myself?

what will I think about others?

If your Christian faith is important to you, take the time and energy to grow in it

As Christians, we don’t get to download everything that we need to know from The Matrix and be instant experts, even Jesus studied at the temple.

If the Christian faith is important to you, set aside the time and energy to grow in it. Read books, listen to talks, audit classes, speak with experts. You don’t need a seminary degree to be a faithful Christian, of course, but there is something to be said about really studying the theology around your faith if that faith is important to you. (Need somewhere to get started? We have a whole class on how to read the Bible)

I’m a big fan of 1 Thessalonians 5:21 — “test everything; hold fast to that which is good” — it was instrumental in allowing me to question what I’d been taught about “homosexuality and the Bible” … but it doesn’t end there. Test everything. Your beliefs about God, prayer, salvation, about the outsider and the other, about hell, sin, grace, and more. (we take a robust look at 26 different topics over 13 issues of Spit & Spirit — you get a subscription to the magazine with Sanctuary Collective)

Find a community

Where two are more are gathered, there God is (Matthew 18:20). Something divine happens in community: here’s enough to eat (Matthew 14), there are no needy (Acts 2).

Whether your community is online or IRL, it’s important to get connected with a community of folks who believe like you and share your values.

To find community in real life:

GayChurch.org maintains a list of LGBTQ-affirming churches

Connect with the LGBTQ+ organization for a specific denomination for suggestions on where to worship. Those are

More Light Presbyterians

Reconciling Ministries Network

Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists

Dignity (Roman Catholic)

Integrity (Episcopalian)

Affirmation (Latter Day Saints)

Reconciling Works

Room for All (Reform Church of America)

To find community online:

Connect on the #FaithfullyLGBT and #QueerTheology hashtags on Twitter

Search for “gay Christian” on Tumblr or track the gay christian hashtag

Join Sanctuary Collective, an online community of LGBTQ+ Christians and straight, cisngeder supporters from around the world and across denominations (including some seekers and skeptics)

It’s ok to not be a Christian

It’s also possible that you’ll take a hard look at what it means to be a Christian and decide it’s not for you. That you don’t align with its values, that its beliefs are too different from your own, that you don’t want to be associated with the label, or that its caused you too much trauma and it’s just not safe for you. That’s ok.

It is OK to not be a Christian.

You can be a good, righteous, moral person and not be a Christian.

You can love God and not be a Christian (it’s also OK if you’re angry at God! or don’t believe in God).

And as Christian leaders, we’re here to tell you that God doesn’t think any less of you if you never step foot in a church begin because it’s triggering, if you don’t feel God’s presence, if you have major doubts, if you don’t believe.

We find Christianity to be a liberating and life-giving faith and we believe God wants you to be liberated and saved. If you find that somewhere, go with gusto!

What are some ways that you’ve put your faith into action? Reply or reblog!

[guneetkaurdcim-blog]

The #NeverAgain Movement

The #NeverAgain movement began following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018 in which the gunman, a former student, killed 14 students and 3 staff members. The movement began by survivors, 20 students, who believed that there needed to be change enacted. They wasted no time, within four days after the tragic shooting, their movement had a name (NeverAgain), had a policy in mind, and a plan. The policy goal was stricter background checks for gun purchase and the plan was to conduct a March for Our Lives on Washington, DC and later more locations. Survivors, those that had lost their closest friends and classmates, took it into their own hands to get their message out. They decided to be nonpartisan and knew that they needed to advocate for young people to register as voters so the movement’s message could be enacted. Since the hashtag begun in February 2018, it has been used to further discussion on gun control.

The #NeverAgain movement is powerful and known but will need the support of policy makers, the support of voters, and the patience for change to make a difference and put an end to school shootings.

Early Tweets From The Leaders

The leaders of Never Again MSD, the student-led Gun Violence Prevention advocacy group that started the hashtag, were friends and classmates who became the 20 co-founders. These students realized that the nation would know their name so they made sure to use their online profiles to voice their opinions. Emma González, Cameron Kasky, and David Hogg are a few of the recognized founders of the group. Their first tweets began the heavy discussion on student views of gun control laws and inspired many young adults to go out there and demand change. Two simple words (Never and Again) would soon become iconic. 

As seen in the date stamp of this tweet, just four days after the shooting at MSD, a path to change was in full action. Emma’s tweet goes to show how dedicated these young students were to make a change in the current laws. Just four days after the shooting, Never Again MSD had a twitter account and so did March for Our Lives. Emma’s willingness to make change happen is evident in this early on tweet.

Cameron, another co-founder of Never Again MSD, took to twitter to respond to President Trump’s public discussion on gun control and school shooting safety. At only 18 years of age, having the calm and grace to voice your thoughts, as seen above, to the President of your country is a reflection of the new generation that demands change. Having this public opinion on the nation’s leader’s words shows the determination and strong sense of stance to make change. An example like this is not only powerful, but relatable to many young people. 

In this tweet, David attempts to strike a deal with other students in hopes of getting the attention of politicians. As a means to rally up others who support the gun control cause, he demands that you show your support by not contributing to the tourism industry in Florida. Having and utilizing Twitter to reach the broader audience, and specifying “spring break” to single out students in school, is a powerful tactic that would stir up reactions in others who want to further the cause. These are just two examples, below.

People Talk About #NeverAgain

More than a year later, people are still utilizing this hashtag to voice their concerns surrounding the gun violence topic. 

Many people are realizing that the change isn't yet being enacted as the leaders of Never Again MSD had hoped. Yet, I believe the fact that people are noticing and discussing the topic alone means that the movement will continue to bring awareness and call for action. 

Understanding the problem of gun control as tragedies continue to happen, more and more people are accepting that more needs to be done. 

And then there are cases of students having these school shooting near experiences and going to Twitter to show that this needs to end. In this example, a girl posted a screenshot of her realtime conversation with her Mom during a lockdown at school. Being able to bring light to these real life experiences in order to make a case for gun control is much easier when there is a hashtag to associate it all with. 

Change in the Making

Although there has been no huge and dramatic result of the #NeverAgain movement thus far, a few things are for sure. One, young and future voters have been educated and mobilized for change. This is evidently seen in the school walkouts that happened following the MSD shooting where students made the choice to walkout in solidarity. This is also seen by the March for Our Lives campaign that toured statewide and registered many young voters prior to the 2018 midterm elections, which had a 31% youth turnout (47% increase since 2014). Two, there is more awareness of school shootings now than before. As it is closely followed by and reported by the media. And three, gun control is a heated debate for the upcoming 2019 election. In fact, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence found that of the dozens of gun safety bills passed in 2018, 67 measures enacted in 26 states and Washington, D.C. would have an impact on gun-related deaths and injuries. As we move forward, it is important to keep voicing our opinions and going out to vote so that we can keep making steps in the correct direction. 

Watch This Video on the Movement 

The Hashtag’s Power and Our Digital Self

#NeverAgain is just one example of a social movement that made a great impact through the power of social media. In today’s society, everyone is connected through various platforms which makes these platforms the perfect place to enact change and call for awareness and discussion. By utilizing a hashtag, not only does the movement become more “catchy”, as people can recognize what it stands for, but allows for community to develop by connecting people of similar beliefs from all parts of the world. This ability to do so, shapes and educates individuals who are active on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even Tumblr. The hashtag today has more power than we even may realize, it is important that we take advantage of this social affordance to make our nation and world a better, more safe, place.

Sources (other than those hyperlinked in post)

https://marchforourlives.com

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-the-survivors-of-parkland-began-the-never-again-movement

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/02/14/one-year-after-the-parkland-shooting-is-the-neveragain-movement-on-track-to-succeed/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e2646125a487

https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilhowe/2018/08/03/neveragain-a-new-generation-takes-aim-in-the-gun-debate/#8227bb057181

https://twitter.com/Sarahchadwickk/status/967845965821612038

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/us/parkland-anniversary-marjory-stoneman-douglas.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/07/us/parkland-students-social-media.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/04/13/392feb24-3e55-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html?utm_term=.d957eb164f58

[conceptualliteratureblog]

Teaching Text: The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give (Balzer + Bray, 2017) is a book people should read.  It tells us a lot about America, now.  But in addition to being a great story with strong messages about race, crime, empathy, and more, Thomas’ novel is one you can teach as part of several different conceptual frameworks.  You could teach this book to grade 9 or 10 students as part of the main curriculum or in book circles, or you could use it as an extension text for older students.  Let’s look at a few ideas of what points it might illustrate for your students.

The book is told from the perspective of Starr, a witness to her friend’s shooting by the police.  Starr is a Black teenager from a poor, mainly Black, neighbourhood who attends a mostly white school.  Her parents are kind and loving; her father was once a gang member and drug dealer, now reformed.  The story is about how Starr and the neighbourhood deal with this death, but also how a young person can find her voice.  Below, check out my top five reasons to teach this text.

1. Concept topic: Englishes or Black English

Recently, I was working on a chapter about the IB DP concept question: How do literary texts reflect, represent or form a part of cultural practices? for our student book on the new IB Literature course (see the Publications page).  Several parts of this chapter can be illustrated by this novel.  First of all, I take a look at the James Baldwin essay: “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me What Is?”  to look at the relationship between dialect and identity.  You can find this essay online; it was originally printed in The New York Times.  

We extend his ideas to understand Black English in relation to a cultural identity in fiction and music, including Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘i’.  However, you can also use this novel as part of a unit on Englishes, including different dialects from all over the world, like Chinglish or Australian surfer.  

Here is a very brief example when Thomas uses standard English for the narration and Black English for the dialogue, much like Baldwin, Twain, and Smith.   “’Nunya,” Khalil says, meaning none of your business.  ‘What you pull me over for?’” (p. 22)  She even explains language for her audience who might not understand.  

2. Code Switching

You can further investigate the way Starr uses different language in different situations.  Because she is fluent in both ‘standard’ American English and Black English, she can move between the languages.  This is called code switching.

In the same book chapter mentioned above, I take a look at Chang-Rae Lee’s Native Speaker and the way characters use Korean or English at different times for effect, and essentially power.  Starr uses standard English in school and with police officers, in addition to her narration.  She uses Black English in dialogue with friends and family.  To some extent, everyone code switches in similar situations.  Most students speak differently with friends, family, and teachers.  Whether a different language completely or simply the use or absence of slang and swears, they can relate in this way.

Starr is aware of her code switching, which is emphasised in the settings she negotiates between a white school and Black neighbourhood.  Here is a brief example from the moment she goes to the police station to give her witness account to the shooting:

I let go of my mom’s hand to shake the detectives’ hands.  “Hello.”  My voice is changing already.  It always happens around ‘other’ people, whether I’m at Williamson or not.  I don’t talk like me or sound like me.  I choose every word carefully and make sure I pronounce them well.  I can never, ever let anyone think I’m ghetto. (P. 95)

3. #BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter or political hashtags in general can also be Concept foci for your units.  You can again investigate this focus through music, especially that of Kendrick Lamar (who happens to be on the IB list), but also others.  Further, you can look at media — both social media and mainstream — to underline the dialogue around this movement.  Investigate together how and why the hashtag is used.

Tumblr and Twitter are explicitly used in the novel to show the way a political movement, protests, or riot can start and the way perspectives are shared or even fabricated online.

4. Voice of the Youth

The use of social media emphasises the voice of the youth.  Starr expresses her opinions on Tumblr, which also creates some conflict.  Starr is aware of her voice and the power of using it or not in her instance as a witness to a crime.  Even though it is dangerous for her to speak out, she chooses to because she knows the power of that speech.  She sees the father of the police shooter speak out on television and feels silenced by not being included in the dialogue. 

The use of a child narrator is a classic trope of the American novel.  You can trace this through novels like Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye, and Vernon God Little.  Her voice gives her power as the narrator, and her awareness of that voice is present in many ways throughout the novel.  As a young, Black girl, her voice is not one we would normally hear through politics and media.  She is creative in the way she approaches situations and helps us to understand the world in new ways, such as the way she understands her Christian and Muslim family as “Christlims” (p. 31).  

5. Musical Allusions

Kahlil, who is shot by a cop after being pulled over for a rear light not working and who is wrongly labeled as a gang member, tells his friend Starr:

“‘Pac said Thug Life stood for ‘The Hate U Give Little Infants F—s Everybody.’’

I raise my eyebrows.  “What?”

“Listen!  The Hate U—the letter U—Give Little Infants F—s Everybody.  T-H-U-G L-I-F-E.  Meaning what society give us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out.  Get it?”

“Damn.  Yeah.”  (P. 17)

There are many other musical artists alluded to throughout the book.  You can look at the lyrics mentioned or understand through a different cultural context.  In addition to Tupac, we see artists like J. Cole, Taylor Swift, the Fresh Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and more.  

You can look at music as poetry, investigate its healing powers, and understand it as a form of voice.  Songs can be cathartic, political, and chronotopic (telling us a lot about the time period — see Mikhael Bakhtin for more on this term).  Perhaps look at other works that use music in this way, like Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Another area you could investigate would be the concept of adaptation in the film that came out last year in 2018.  But I haven’t seen it yet!  Let me know what you think and if you do teach this text, I would love to hear about it on the contact page.

Kathleen

Vienna, April 2019

[simomonsiwritings]

Interview with Simone Monsi by /77 on Artribune.com

☞ This is a translation of the original interview published in Italian on Artribune.com. Dall’Archivio Viafarini. Intervista con Simone Monsi by @progetto77​

In his practice, Simone Monsi (born 1988, Fiorenzuola d’Arda) investigates the sensitivity of youth culture and its representation on microblogging platforms, from which he takes viral images and contents. In his practice, blogging becomes a method for indexing dynamic collections of popular melancholic sentences, video stills from Evangelion and porn gifs, while sculpture, installation and social networks are moments of a broader process that brings his works to become memes themselves, once reposted online. He recently graduated from the MFA Fine Art at Goldsmiths, London and his work was exhibited at the 16th Rome Quadriennale. For the 2016 Goldsmiths Degree show, which took place last July, Simone presented an installation composed of three works: the Transparent word banners, a series of the most popular and banal sentimental phrases taken from Tumblr and made of semitransparent plastic little letters hanged on the wall like birthday garlands; I’m tired of being myself! I’m so tired of being young!, two posters of Shinji and Rei, teenage characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion; and CAPITOLO FINALE: Let’s Forget About It Let’s Go Forward – From Meaning To Intensity, il ventiseiesimo episodio di Mani!! I Love Holding Hands – It’s okay for me to be here!, four sculptures covered with pictures of sunsets from which little tentacles come out.

The three works presented at your graduation show seem to interact with each other, suggesting unspoken connections to the viewer’s imagination. Can you tell us more about the whole installation? At the degree show, I wanted to show those elements that had been central for my research of the last two years. I thought it was important to show new works alongside less recent ones, in order to give a sense of continuity to my art practice; talking about the banners, for instance, I had already exhibited some of them in other occasions, but at the degree show I had the chance to show them as a complete and coherent body of works.

What aspects did you take into consideration? The show was also autobiographic. The final chapter of a journey, indeed. I like to think these three works as different stages of my research: to me the banners represent the beginning of my interest for collecting fragments of texts from the Tumblr dashboard; while the big hands are a visual representation of the point I had reached at that time in my investigation on the role of the hands in the “post-slide to unlock” era; the posters, instead, were a sort of seed that I thought it could sprout in my future works – or a point from where I could depart to introduce new ideas into my practice: Shinji and Rei talking through the words of Bifo Berardi is a metaphor for becoming aware of the current state of the debate around “post-workerism”, and also a look towards possible alternatives to our post-global present time of digital capital. But, in the very end, it was also a way to say bye to Goldsmiths, literally: BYE BYE!

Part of your work originates from being part of online communities like Tumblr, in order to investigate techno-social accelerationism and its implications. During the studio visit we had, you told us about the correspondence between the collective awareness of Tumblr users and Franco Berardi’s theories. Could you say a bit more about it? Yes, big question! Well, it’s a primary issue in the current academic debate. What I can tell you is how the debate around accelerationism vs Bifo has affected my own research. While I was working on my thesis, I was reading Heroes by Bifo and I got intrigued by the fact that, in the book, he included some phrases which were similar, or sometimes even identical, to some melancholic quotes that have been very popular memes on social media in the last few years. I had the impression that the frustration originated from the speed with which new technologies are imposed by the market and the consequent hybridization of online and offline life, had reached the academic debate – and in doing so, it hasn’t got mediated, but, instead, has been contextualized as it is into a wider social-historical discourse, or something like that. In Heroes, Bifo looks at things from an interesting point of view, taking into consideration the effects of techno-social evolution on teenagers, with a focus on those who has been involved in mass murders.

You run five blogs: Congratulations!, Peacocks Inside My Head Forever, Alone is the new together, #wildsimo e Stills from Evangelion. How are they related to your practice? Yes, to be honest at the moment I have 14 blogs, not all of them are active though, a couple of them still have to be started. Of course, the ones you mentioned are those blogs that have been influencing my art practice the most over the last few years. I love collecting. But more than that, I love making archives. I like collections because collecting to me means running an archive. I see the blog as a dynamic platform where I can store, through hashtags, all those images and other files that may become relevant in the process of developing ideas for new works, or for a new text, or even become the cover pictures on my Facebook… Sometimes, some blogs that have been very active in the past became works themselves. Some other time, instead, it happened to have a work transformed into a blog, in order to keep track of its spreading online: Yesterday my Flight was Pretty Boring is an example. Also, when I’m  doing some brainstorming for new works, I find helpful to print out images or even whole posts from my blogs. I hang them on the wall, they get mixed up, a sad quote gets close to a picture of a balloon, the balloon close to an emoji, add a pinch of Rei Ayanami and the next monster is ready!

www.viafarini.org http://progetto77.tumblr.com/

[nofomoartworld]

Move Over, Ebay, #exstrange Is Bringing Online Art Auctions Back to the People

When eBay went public in the late 90s, its sale of products online completely changed what we knew about shopping and doing business, taking the consumer away from the storefront and any face-to-face communication. Now, curator Marialaura Ghidini and artist Rebekah Modrak are reversing that, using one of the internet's largest auction sites to reconsider our transactions of art with the project #exstrange.

"eBay was used to disrupt this idea of commerce in the real world," Ghidini tells Creators. "The one-to-one relationship became independent from any other commercial system. Using eBay, we wanted to substitute this one-to-one relationship and rethink how we consume things online." #exstrange is a two-month-long live art exhibit in which the pieces are completely curated, seen, and sold through eBay, changing the relationship between the artist and buyer.

Flying Sorcerer, #exstrange by Sarah Schönfeld. eBay auction originating in Berlin, Germany. Curator: João Laia. Image courtesy of Sarah Schönfeld

Having begun in January of this year, over ten curators from around the world, including Ghidini and Modrak, have chosen dozens of contemporary artists to respond with new ways of thinking about the e-commerce site, creating work about consumer culture in a variety of forms. All pieces are for sale, just like any item that you would find on eBay. 

This isn't the first time that eBay has been used for selling art. In 2015, Sotheby's partnered with the online platform to present Contemporary Curated, a live auction series acknowledging a year of high art sales, recent appearance of digital auction houses and the growing number of online buyers, in general.

Other platforms, including Tumblr, have also been used to bring art to the digital market but, in the view of #exstrange, nothing much has changed between the offline and online worlds. "There's no actual critique of it," says Ghidini. "The contemporary art world as a system has just been perpetuating the same financial market through online auctions that do exactly the same thing."

Kindheitserinnerung / Childhoodmemory #1, #exstrange by Anke Schüettler. eBay auction originating in Aachen, Germany. Curator: Harrell Fletcher. Image courtesy of Anke Schüettler

With #exstrange, art is subverted by immersing it within eBay's millions of listings, confronting the viewer with an artwork in an unexpected space, rather than the typical environment of a gallery or museum. Some works look at the commodification of social issues, like Anupam Singh's ringtone made from sounds of protests in Portland, while other pieces play with the idea of what can be put on sale, such as Anke Schüettler's childhood memory of popsicles in America.

"My hope is that people come by these listings and don't realize it's art," says Modrak. "And they have an experience which brings a question into their lives, or throws a bit of weirdness, humor or maybe politics into it. The art experience just becomes integrated into the everyday and is part of this online ecosystem of popup windows and flashing commercial messages."

SYMPHONIES OF RESILIENCE, #exstrange by Anupam Singh. eBay auction originating in Portland, Oregon, USA. Curator: Harrell Fletcher. Image courtesy of Anupam Singh

Interaction is another thing to note. #exstrange artists sell directly to buyers, continuing to engage with their artwork and, possibility, developing it further in a place free of galleries or agents. "This is very interesting because you wouldn't go on eBay selling your art directly because then you would lose the art world legitimizing your practice," says Ghidini. "But on eBay, buyers ask questions to the artists and some of these conversations have opened up new ways for artists and people to talk to each other."

#exstrange is running live auctions until the end of March and is open for artists to join outside of its curatorial context—just make sure to use the hashtag exstrange.

Urban Frontier Bench (The Limited Youth Edition) #exstrange by Tyler Denmead. 2017, eBay auction originating in Champaign, Illinois, USA. Curators: Rebekah Modrak and Marialaura Ghidini. Image courtesy of Tyler Denmead

After the project, Ghidini and Modrak plan to create a print catalog, mapping the transactions from buyer to seller, documenting the potential of eBay as an art space. "As a curator you usually start with a narrative in mind," explains Ghidini. "You have the framework, you invite a certain type of artist and you feel like you somewhat know what is going to happen. I think with eBay it's much more open. The narrative is completed by the work that is live, and perhaps, by what happens after the auction."

Check out #exstrange here or else stumble upon the pieces via eBay.

Related:

eBay Goes Live with Andy Warhol, Rob Pruitt, and Sol Lewitt

Here Are the 10 Priciest Works in Sotheby's New eBay Auction

It's Art: Wax Sculpture of Conjoined, Nude Brangelina Hits eBay

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