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Digital Hate and Trolls: the online playground of bullies

Behind the screen and in the online sphere, bullying and trolling has advanced alongside technology and found its foothold in the services we integrate into our daily lives for ease and enjoyment.

We are constantly plugged in; we walk around with our phones in our pockets, laptops in our bags, and a wifi connection at home ready to sync up with us before we even unlock the front door. At the touch of a screen we can view the latest news, receive directions, order food, and keep in touch with our loved ones. While the digital cyberspace has created many positive opportunities, a portal has opened to make way for a movement of online hate, violence and harm.

For many, the benefits of social media include greater collaboration, communication, accessibility and community, however these online platforms also provide an environment where trolling and bullying present a true danger. The avenues to the negative discourse and malicious relationships on social media are propelled by the option of anonymity; users are given the ability to hide behind a screen or username and hand out a declaration of ill intent and deliver hurtful actions ‘unseen’.

The power behind these actions of trolls and bullies can lead to serious consequences, often impacting demographics summed up by adolescents and minorities who face the brunt of the violence online. Ostini and Hopkins outline that “power and control extend beyond the physical world to the online world and frequently produce real world effects” (2015). Cyberbullying increases the capacity of harassment and additional abuse that vulnerable members of society are continually subject to.

Trolls and bullies exist predominantly in the online sphere, and navigating the world of social media includes the uncomfortable and unwarranted interaction with online users who choose to create their conflict behind the facade and false protection of a screen. Cyberbullies create lasting impacts on the lives of real people, so in the wise words of Harry Styles remember to treat people with kindness, and report any harmful content you may come across in your internet surfing.

References:

Ostini, J & Hopkins, S 2015, ‘Online harassment is a form of violence’, The Conversation, 8 April, viewed 25 May 2021, <https://theconversation.com/online-harassment-is-a-form-of-violence-38846>.

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Across social media platforms, the slow fashion movement is gaining traction and developing an insightful, informative community, as seen above.

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The Power behind Slow Fashion, Influencers and Transparent Retailers

Do you have a pinterest board to collect your favourite outfit trends and looks? Have you ever seen an influencer do a brand deal with a clothing company and felt compelled to view the items laced with the lustre of a 20% off affiliated promo code? Have you noticed that you style your new outfit with extra care on a day that you know you’ll take pics for the ‘gram? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions you may be familiar a key player in consumer culture and fast fashion trends.

Ethical fashion can be understood as any ‘good or service that responds to a basic need and brings a better quality of life, minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life-cycle of the product’ (Lai et al 2017, pg. 83). Sustainable fashion advocates against the ‘throw-away’ nature of mass produced and inexpensive clothing, instead promoting a product that is ethically sourced and created in a condition that limits potential harmful impacts to future generations as a result of the fashion industry.

Social media’s framework and algorithms thrive off of trends; from viral dances, food porn, aesthetic photography and in particular, upcoming fast fashion movements. The power lies behind the eye of the consumer, through paid advertising, influencer content and the almighty reign of misguidance convincing you to buy that product. Slow fashion is becoming an increasing focus within the fashion industry, depicting sponsored content with tags including ‘eco’ and ‘ethical’ to promote an honest and clean public brand to the target audience. Despite the blatant attempts to showcase the importance of ‘green’ principles and marketing, there is a level of distrust to be noted amongst the online community and retailers. Companies are expected to produce ethical products and acknowledge previous slip-ups including cheap labour and materials, however customers also expect a level of compassion in the process for the impacts of those who were mistreated and underrepresented by the corporate giant’s irresponsible corner cutting.

Amongst the back and forth on the slow fashion conversation, there remains a silver lining. Digital content creators on social media platforms including Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube are growing with the demand for more ethical content and reflecting this responsibility to inform their audiences about sustainable and transparent fashion choices. It is the hope that in doing this, the call for fast fashion will die out, in a likeness similar to how trends fade, and out of the scraps of the poorly made garments will rise the evolution of reliable, responsible retail.

Reference:

Lai, Z, Henninger, C.E & Alevizou P.J 2017, ‘An Exploration of Consumers’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Fashion – A Qualitative Study in the UK’, in Henninger, C.E, Alevizou, P.J, Goworek, H & Ryding, D (eds), Sustainability in Fashion A Cradle to Upcycle Approach, Palgrave, United Kingdom, pp. 81-101.

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Digital communities can develop their following through posts and memes as seen above, whereby cultural innuendos and relatable comments are used to discover and connect fellow viewers within a fandom.

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The Citizens of Social Gaming and Live-streaming Cultures

The gaming and live-streaming industry has a reputation to be viewed as merely a recreational pastime; this indifferent observation typically overlooks the evolution of communities developed through online gaming culture. Providing a safe haven to connect, socialise and harvest meaningful relationships and discussion, this form of entertainment has plugged into mainstream social discourse and engaged with underrepresented minorities and niches. Taylor Hardwick argues that gaming is an important aspect of the ‘media and socio technical landscape’ (Hardwick 2018, pg. 11).

In previous years, game development companies including Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment have produced iconic online, multiplayer environments in their new releases such as Animal Crossing, Among Us, Fortnite, and more. The revolution of ‘internet gaming’ (Hardwick 2018, pg. 4) enables a cornucopia of multiplayer connections, competition, and accessibility to a wider target demographic.

Live-streaming has increased in popularity in the modern gaming landscape, providing a core home ground to enable players and participants to broadcast online content through platforms including Twitch and YouTube. Illuminating the aspect of public entertainment, streamers source opportunities to grow their audience, and connect with communities across social media such as Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr where fandoms build their network and share in a common discourse through original content including fan art, hashtags and blog posts.

While gaming culture serves to unite and include all individuals, whether they are participating in the game itself or watching along and giving support, online communities are susceptible to discrimination and division. Like many social, digital environments where there tends to be a large online following, there also becomes an opportunity for trolls and online harassment. Through platforms like Twitch, viewers are able to interact with streamers in a chat via live comments. This network engages the viewers with the content in real time, and an anonymous identity. As a result, streamers who may not conform to a traditional mould in the industry are more subject to sexism, racism, and homophobic harassment. Platforms have introduced new measures and guidelines to protect online communities (Stephen 2020) however it is important to note the cultural degree of dissonance around exclusion and bias.

Fundamentally, gaming and live-streaming culture can highlight the potential for online inclusion and connection, and the harmful underlying bias within the industry. The gaming community is a widespread and diverse collection of identities that comes together to share a civic platform and connect in relative union and support with one another.

References

Stephen, B 2020, 'Twitch overhauls its rules around harassment and hateful conduct', The Verge, 9 December, viewed 20 May 2021, <https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22165342/twitch-hateful-conduct-harassment-policy-update>.

Taylor, T. L 2018, Watch Me Play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming, Princeton University Press, Princeton.

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Digital Dysmorphia - The Consequences of Social Media Filters on Beauty Standards

If I were told I could only keep one social media platform on my phone and had to delete the rest, I would choose Instagram. I have had my account since I was twelve, and it’s the centre of my online self. I post my celebrations, my writing, photos with friends, a selfie if I’m feeling cute that day... It is the hub for my digital identity.

In saying that, it hasn’t always been a positive environment for me to exist in. Instagram has made me question my hair colour, my eye shape, my body type; my self-worth. I viewed the app as a tool for comparison and I wasn’t even aware of the implicit messaging I was subjecting my impressionable younger self to. Even to this day, I actively fight the narratives that were ingrained into my mind from the day I joined the app. The digitalisation of my life came with a consequence to the way I perceive not only myself, but other women too.

When I open Instagram, my goal is to see a feed that is fed by an algorithm that aligns with my values and interests. I was not aware that before I actively culled the accounts who operate to achieve an agenda other than an unfiltered, empowering or realistic online portrayal, I was consuming content that is designed to make me dislike the features or qualities that enhance uniqueness and instead crave a common, edited and aesthetic representation. Constructed to target my self-esteem and encourage the act of editing my appearance on apps such as Facetune or Photoshop, my body became a topic to compete with a “battlefield of diverging concepts, regulations, values and modifications” (Coy-Dibley, 2015, p. 2).

Social media trends are guaranteed to evolve and undergo constant reconstruction of what is deemed to be ‘beautiful’. Presenting an environment that leads users to conform to the current expectations placed on women is an exhaustive and archaic system to create, consume and exist in online. When an individual is persuaded to employ filters or editing software that modifies their bodies it is often paired with “complex feelings towards their natural beauty” (Barker, 2020, p. 212).

Comparatively, whilst body positivity has become a transformative and necessary trend that promotes self-love without the imposed societal pressures, it can also lead to an illusion of security based on external factors. It’s completely unrealistic to feel a constant positive outlook on body image. It’s human nature for us to experience ebbs and flows through the journey of relearning what is healthy and should be measured with care rather than comparison. The fine line and responsibility with body positivity is ensuring that it empowers you rather than inadvertently achieving the opposite.

Reference list:

Barker, J, (2020), 'Making-up on mobile: The pretty filters and ugly implications of Snapchat', Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol 7, no. 2.

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

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Compelling read highlighting the connection between technological face filters and in-person makeup

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@alexlight_ldn ✨✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6tXN9J9On/?igshid=1juny11p84kx

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A post shared by Alex Light🕊 (@alexlight_ldn)

This instagram post highlights the consequences and impacts of the societal pressure to conform and morph into an online brand; a role that Khloe Kardashian has actively participated in since the beginning of the family's media success. There is much to be said about the negative discourse hurdled at Khloe for her choice to edit her online content, with a lot of the conversation steering towards harmful and malicious online trolling.

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A True Lens on Visual Social Media

Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, Snapchat; these four social media platforms are the frontrunner applications that drive up my screen-time and promote aesthetics when I’m consuming online content. Personally, I feel that I approach these ideals that are glamourised and edited as just that; highlight reels that are designed to make you desire a similar impression. And often more times than not, the image, video, whatever content you’re viewing, is not an actual representation of reality but a depiction of a universal code that emulates impractical and dangerous connotations and messaging.

Content is consistently fine-tuned, and to a degree we expect to see the creme-de-la-creme of a photoshoot or trip away on our feed. Filters have become an important part of popular visual culture. (Rettberg 2014, p. 22). You’re not caught off-guard when you see a glorified photo of a sunset on a travel blogger’s story, or a make-up artist accentuating the pop of colour on a model’s eyelids. This is where you expect to see a revised version of the true image. Where the danger lies is when that fact is frequently hidden (and actively denied) depending on who you follow. It's likely that if you follow at least one influencer or celebrity you’ll see into a constructed facade that has been modified to emulate a specific identity, shape, size, colour. These standards are often based and narrowly modelled on stereotypical, white, slim, able bodied Westernised aesthetics which saturate today’s online culture. (Coy-Dibley, 2015, p. 2)

The most obvious and incredibly well-known example that springs to mind is the Kardashian family. It’s important to note that while each member of the family is a successful business woman (and Rob too, I hope his sock brand is thriving), this brief mention (while valid) should not aim to perpetuate a culture that scrutinises this family for all the wrong reasons. The powerhouse that is this social media savvy family has been at the forefront of this aesthetic culture; from promoting products including ‘skinny teas’ and waist trainers, to editing images beyond recognition and employing/profiting from filtered work and trends that their impressionable audience are quick to consume.

It’s also important to question whether creators and influencers similar to the Kardashians create this standard for themselves to live up to OR are they subjected and expected to meet these long-standing, archaic roles we have placed them in? Personally, I view it as a vicious cycle and a mixture of both, with additional factors including pornification of women and much deeper rooted societal issues immersed in media culture.

Lastly, I wanted to leave you on a positive note - while the shackles of these senseless projections continue to populate the online sphere, it has also made way for important conversations and campaigns that actively showcase the ‘raw’ and ‘real’ nature of human bodies through personal insights and experiences. If you feel like your feed is a toxic environment, I cannot recommend enough the act of cleansing who you follow and filling your social media cup with voices that actually look and sound like real people.

References:

Coy-Dibley, I, 2016. ‘“Digitised Dysmorphia” of the Female Body: The Re/Disfigurement of the Image’ Palgrave Communications.

Rettberg J.W, 2014 ‘Filtered Reality’. In: Seeing Ourselves Through Technology: How We Use Selfies, Blogs and Wearable Devices to See and Shape Ourselves. Palgrave Macmillan, London.kho

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Widely shared across social media through well-known accounts including Crikey, PedestrianTV, Junkee and many more, memes 'facilitate connectivity through themes, keyword markers and events' aiding in the formation of the digital citizen's voice and enhancing collective perspectives on political content.

Reference:

Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Rambukkana, N 2015, Twitter hashtags from ad hoc to calculated publics, Peter Lang, New York.

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Through pop culture references and memes shared across social media platforms, hashtag publics including #auspol are employed to engage in the political discourse and discuss community concerns and highlight unheard perspectives from otherwise under-represented minority audiences.

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Social Media in the Age of the Digital Citizen

The online bubbles we create in and consume from have evolved with our capability to foster greater conversations about the big ideas and messages captured with a political lens. Not only do we use social media platforms to show our fri-yay adventures and celebrate our personal milestones to our followership, but we also take control of the conversation surrounding our views on legislature and campaigns that define our experiences, promote a greater good, and spread information to a mass audience who are doing the same thing from the comfort of the screen in their pockets.

Not often associated with the world of politics and activism, social media is employed by myself, like many of my peers, as a tool and forum that transforms the ‘social’ infrastructure to a digital aid for “political engagement” (Law et al 2018). Media corporations including Instagram and Twitter work to deliberately evoke the “language and politics of platforms” to position themselves as “social utilities” that operate with objective neutrality (McCosker 2016; Gillespie 2010).

Through the facilitation and participation of these societal memberships, social media platforms provide potential benefit to the users best described as ‘digital citizens’ (Mossberger et al 2008:1). Easily understood through the discourse throughout the 2020 US election, every repost, like and comment amounted to impacts on political processes including voting and encouraged active engagement outside of the election process. Social media closed the digital divide between traditional literacy and access within the political realm and empowered the everyday members of society to use their voice and learn from their peers.

Most notably extending to Australia through #auspol is the use of the formation and coordination of “hashtag publics” (Bruns & Burgess; Rambukkana 2015). Demonstrated across platforms including Twitter and Instagram, the hashtag explores the discourse surrounding the federal government and elevates social media’s role in elections and politics (and the necessity for a strong PR and marketing team behind every tweet posted). Senate leader of the Australian Labor Party, the Honourable Penny Wong, frequently pops up in my Tiktok and Instagram algorithm showcasing unwavering and powerful statements on issues surrounding sexism, racism and marriage equality. Social media positions politicians in our frame of reference in a digestible and accessible manner that ultimately influences and represents the public voice.

As we continue to make waves across the plethora of political engagement and activism, we are also reminding those in power that they’re swimming in a reflection of our national values and this is only the beginning for the digital citizen.

Reference list:

Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Rambukkana, N 2015, Twitter hashtags from ad hoc to calculated publics, Peter Lang, New York.

Law, N, Chow, S, Fu, K 2018, Digital Citizenship and Social Media, Springer International Handbooks of Education, Hong Kong.

McCosker, A. Vivienne, S. Johns, A. (2016) Negotiating Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest and Culture. London: Rowman & Littelfield.

Mossberger, K, Tolbert, C & Mcneal, R, 2008, Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society, and Participation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US

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Consistent ratings for Reality TV

This tweet links to the online Married at First Sight viewership culture which harvests a popular hashtag public on social media platforms including Twitter and Instagram. My last post discussed the interrelation between social media and the concept of a 'guilty pleasure genre' and this tweet illustrates the habit of tuning into the chaos and drama every week, perhaps due to convenience and comfort.

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Real life or Reality Rubble - Australia's 'guilty pleasure'

It’s all too easy to sink into the cosy nook of your couch at the end of a long, taxing day and switch on the TV to switch off for the night. With an audience spanning across young 20-somethings to the traditional nuclear unit household, the ‘guilty pleasure’ genre for many Australians tuning in consistently every evening is the highly publicised and magnified world of reality TV.

Increasing popularity in Australia particularly, reality television lands in second place as the most-watched TV genre by a whole 41% of Australians in 2019 (Roy Morgan Research, 2019). Integrated into pop culture and fuelled by memes, trending hashtags and important discussions, reality tv serves as a reflective insight into the everyday Australian’s knowledge, identity and experience.

Whether it's depicted in recycled narratives and the anniversaries of annual vilification of women on The Bachelor, or putting money in the pockets of the patriarchy whilst throwing a spotlight onto the limits of how a cis, heterosexual man can place his almighty judgement on someone he deems worthy of his airtime on Married at First Sight, we continue to fuel the media machine with statistics and ratings that perpetuate this fabricated sense of connection to the scripted ‘reality’ assigned not to characters but real people.

These communicative spaces through online discourse across public sphere portals demonstrate the way that citizenry is intertwined with coerced conventionality protected by meticulous and air-tight contracts, and broadcasted representations of the you and I’s of society. Reality TV can be understood as “ordinary people engaged in unscripted action and interaction” (Nabi 2007).

Whilst performing as a routine form of entertainment, we tune into picturesque tales of romance and competition that breed a new generation of celebrity - the ‘reality tv star’. Through the growth of social media integration, reality tv producers select people ‘who we want to see’, and yet the diversity is fleeting and heavily discussed as an omnipresent critique.

Reality TV is less about a real experience and so much more about the chaos, drama and simulated sense of connection we undoubtedly enjoy partaking in from the comfort of home.

Reference list:

Nabi, R L 2007, ‘Determining dimensions of reality: a concept mapping the reality of the TV landscape’, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 371-390.

Roy Morgan Research (2019), News and Reality TV are the most popular TV genres, Roy Morgan, viewed 30 March 2021, <http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7969-top-tv-genres-december-2018-201905060240#:~:text=The%20second%20most%20watched%20TV>.

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This still image quoting Jonathan Van Ness from an episode of Queer Eye is an example of the safe, queer environment that Tumblr creates as a social media platform. Designed as a space where minorities feel included, welcome and encouraged to express themselves without judgement to those who are seeking a similar sense of connection and community.

Queer Eye (2018-)

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Digital Communities and Blogging

'How does Tumblr function as a digital community?'

Whether it be via a thread discussing why Lil Nas X's lap dance on Satan is making waves for the LGBTQIA+ community, MCU fan art or a collection of images and gifs that together create an online aesthetic designed to resonate with the eye of the beholder - Tumblr is home to millions of online niches and provides a digital neighbourhood to evolve into a safe welcome ground for an enhanced user experience.

Originating with the intent to create a site free-to-all with the capacity to allow anyone with a wifi connection to express a sense of creativity online, Tumblr as a platform aims to not only enhance communities but foster the breeding ground for new generations. Achieved by the many affordances to its users, Tumblr demonstrates the opportunity to recontextualise and disseminate a spectrum of media through long and short form text, images, video, audio and GIFs (McCracken 2020, p.2).

Tumblr can also be understood as a platform that prioritises aesthetics, amplified through its allowance of user-customised short-form blogs and reflecting its original positioning as a creative community (Jessalynn Keller, ‘Oh She’s a Feminist’ 2019).

Equally, Tumblr can be viewed as the underdog of social media vehicles for gender diverse self-representations. Factors including anonymity, less surveillance and hashtag publics work together to provide neutral tools in creating an online arena for marginalised groups to build their community and create content. Offering a design that supports trans, nonbinary and youth of colour user identities, Tumblr allows its users to escape and move beyond their local community safely unlike mainstream platforms who depend on ‘default publicness’ including Facebook and Instagram (Keller 2019, p.9).

Whilst Tumblr has successfully functioned as a positive presence in the online sphere, the platform also acts as a central focal point for trolls and the negative impacts of digital communities which coexist amongst the harmonious creativity. Users with ill intent band together to project and target their malicious influence on other users. Establishing common values and forming bonds through these digital connections allows a strong sense of belonging, however can provide a channel where certain views dominate without restriction.

References:

Keller, J 2019, ‘“Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, Social Media + Society, pp. 1-11.

McCracken, A 2020, a Tumblr Book: Platform and Cultures, University of Michigan Press, viewed day 10 April 2021, <https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11537055.>