By Casey Errington
I argue that the nature of our communications has been changed and refashioned in our networks due to online technologies, altering the ways in which people engage with one another in networks, how the generate relationships, the roles of media production and the power dynamics between activism and politics. I will locate this argument in the scope of global society, as the topics of activism and fandoms are not bound to one specific geographic location. I will illustrate my argument by drawing on real world examples of fandoms, music group BTS’s fan “army, social movements such as black lives matter and drawing on my critique of the discourse in the stream of online networks and social change. To analyse this stream, I will discuss four main ideas; the transformation of political identity and activism through the digital era, the impact of networked structures on the organization of social movement campaigns, the concept of fandom and the opportunities for identity and community to link across international borders, and finally the nature of community surrounding media texts in online arenas.
Social media enables online networks to communicate and engage with one another, in the context of activism it raises questions regarding if it bolsters or alienates movements in turn stalling social change (Papacharissi,2010.). Social media according to Meikle (Pg. 91, 2018) reconceptualised our understanding of political action by strengthening the power of individuals, it provides an opportunity for activists to transmit important messages and the manifesto of their campaign effectively negating the orthodox reliance of radicalism to capture the attention of traditional media systems (Papacharissi,2010.). The anchor of the movement is the affordance of sharing for communication, political action has transformed into sharing your personalised reactions online through the network, by sharing political messages on activists Instagram stories or engaging with conversations in the comments section of an informative YouTube video, this has disrupted the nature of communication practices within the current political system (Meikle, Pg. 91, 2018.). Online platforms have allowed individuals to connect with political movements that align with their belief system, through the freedom to link niche and common interests with other online users without the pressure of hierarchical political organisations enforcing a homogenous mindset (Meikle, Pg. 91, 2018.). With the capability to share and communicate through social media, political activism has the opportunity to transform our understanding of movements and arguably bolster social change. Through the ability to find political issues that are more relevant to our personal identity due to the individualistic nature of social media networks.
Networked structures facilitate society’s contemporary practices in social, economic, and political relationships according to Notley (2009.). Within the digital age the nature of communication has changed, with greater importance placed on the voices of individuals we must also discuss the topics and movements that are surfacing from the online discourse. Social media can work as a facilitator of social justice, by organising crowds and supporting the coordination of collective action through its affordances, actions that were previously capitalised by large organisations prior to the online era (Brough & Shresthova, 2012.). The power exposure through social media has refashioned the methods of bearing witness to rallies, movement campaigns and information for people seeking support (Brough & Shresthova, 2012.). The alternative media format of social media content creation for movements provides a democratic communication system for people to enter the conversation who have previously been eliminated from media production (Brough & Shresthova, 2012.). Activists have started to use the affordances of social platforms to assist in their campaigns, hashtags were originally meant to categorise content into subjects are now tools as a way to instigate collective action and for movements to disseminate their messages through the network (Mahin & Ekstrand, 2020.). This has been seen in many social movements over the past six years; The Je Suis Charlie hashtags originating from gun violence in France Paris the year 2015. The Me Too movement in 2017 created to empower women globally to speak and discuss the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault within society. Also the black live matter (BLM) movement from the United States of America in 2020 (Mahin & Ekstrand, 2020.). According to Mahin & Ekstrand (2020.). hashtags are commodifiable, amplifying the campaigns message through posters, apparel, and digital advertising. Within the BLM movement there were controversies regarding the use of hashtags and how there was interference due to them being hijacked, flooding the hashtag with meaningless or irrelevant content, decreasing the credibility and value of the messages circularised on social media (Mahin & Ekstrand, 2020.). The BLM hashtag works as a public message and an element of ones networked identity, using it shows affiliation to the cause and the essence of the movements campaign. Social movements have been able to increase their presence and message to a wider audience because of the ease of communicating through social media, changing the ways in which we evaluate social justice messages, the relevance it has to our personal identity and opportunities to contribute beyond monetary means, through media production.
Fans and fandom have provided opportunities for individuals to align their media passions with elements of their offline and networked self. Fans are individuals that are enveloped and integrate their identity through popular culture content, these interest affiliations can also give rise to collective and subcultural identity through the shared appreciation of popular content, leading to a fandom (Meikle, Pg. 342, 2018.). Fandom provides youth an opportunity to be a part of political issues and social change in which they were once ostracized. The growing influence of youth fandom has led them to challenging the institutional political systems they believe to be corrupt and shaping everyday politics of the world, that they could not disrupt through traditional means (Meikle, Pg. 342, 2018.). Youth fandom creates an online network of debate and diversity through the variety of ideologies, perspectives and struggles experienced by members on a global scale. This highlights how online communities grant users the prospect to formulate bonds based on common interests and the struggle to resist that connection (Meikle, Pg. 342, 2018.). The dynamics of pop culture has metaphorized due to social media empowering online fandom, affecting the flows of culture and the meanings generated from texts (Bagnun, 2019). The boundaries of music consumption have revolutionised because of online networks, music has transgressed beyond beats, challenging our perceptions of music and its culture (Bangun, 2019). Bangun (2019) has been studying the dynamics and influence of the BTS fandom called army, BTS is a seven-piece boy band from South Korea with an enormous fan base that covers the globe. It was found that members of the BTS army feel their media contributions are meaningful and share a bond with other fans regardless if they have ever met in person, these contributions can be commentary on latest music videos, compilations of clips grabbed from the musician’s social media platforms or fan pages to discuss with other members of the army (Bagnun,2019). Fandom has allowed for people to enhance their experience of music, by integrating their offline habit of listening to music with their desire for connection and consumption of interest driven media online. This network of identity and community was catalysed by online affordances is arguably what has changed the social aspect of the music industry and its culture.
Online networks have changed online communities that surround popular culture such as television and music, leading to the collective fandom groups. There is a greater visibility of fans opinions, desires, and concerns regarding these media texts through their communication on social media. Which has led to many cases of fandoms rallying to save and or influence their favourite media, critiquing the relationship media companies have with fans and the exploitation of free fan labour (Meikle, Pg. 339, 2018.). In turn these fan activists are redefining who holds the power in popular media industries. A key component of fandom beyond influencing media production companies’ choices is the production of unique and personalised fan made media texts; generated by remixing and refashioning source text to develop new textual items such as fiction, video, or commentary (Meikle, Pg. 339, 2018.). These texts circulate in a gift economy in which they are shared amongst the fandom for enjoyment without expecting monetary reimbursement (Meikle, Pg. 340, 2018.). Author highlights the issue of media companies derailing the intention behind the texts by poaching and commodifying fanfiction to create their own media, merchandise, and social media content (Meikle, Pg. 340, 2018.). Contextually within the twenty first century there is a desire to increase representation and providing a voice to those marginalised in society through media and communicating within the network (Williams, 2015). Although it has been discovered that fan communities for many fans and scholars agree that they are defined as white spaces, leading to fans of colour continually validating their right to being a part of the fandom and speaking their critique on texts (Meikle, Pg. 342, 2018.).). To note while fandoms can positively cultivate new media practices, content for people to consume online and moblised interest-based relationships it is alarming to discover through further research in the discussion an inclination for structural inequalities that affect all levels of society. Cultural appropriation, privilege, racism, homophobia, and sexism (Meikle, Pg. 341, 2018.) there for suggesting the utopic nature that scholars use to describe fandom communities has closer lineage to the offline networks and institutions that are affecting the periphery who are seeking social change.
In this essay I have argued the importance of online networks on community generation, identity formation, the structure of modern activism, and the opportunities for social movements to causes change beyond the need of radicalism. Through the analysis of factual events such as the Black Lives Matter movement and current online fandom communities BTS’s army, I have demonstrated the ways the nature of communication has changed in our networks. Amplifying the importance of digital media and social media affordances on society, politically and socially. The relationship between activism, fandom, and online networks is their reliance on digital communication, how this form of communication has restructured all facets of people’s lives, leading to a reform in our perception of self, the media one engages with, the manifestos one desire to align with and the institutions that once dictated the producers of media disseminated in society.
References
Arcy, J., & Johnson, Z. (2018). Intersectional Critique and Social Media Activism in “Sleepy Hollow” Fandom. Transformative Works And Cultures, (26). doi: 10.3983/twc.2018.1132
Bangun, C. (2019). Participatory Culture: A Study On Bangtan Boys Fandom Indonesia. KOMUNIKA: Jurnal Dakwah Dan Komunikasi, 13(2). doi: 10.24090/komunika.v13i2.2539
Brough, M., & Shresthova, S. (2012). Fandom Meets Activism: Rethinking Civic and Political Participation. Transformative Works And Cultures, 10. doi: https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2012.0303
Mahin, S., & Ekstrand, V. (2020). Old Law, New Tech, and Citizen-Created Hashtags: #BlackLivesMatter and the Case for Provisional Hashtag Marks. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 98(1), 13-36. doi: 10.1177/1077699020928166
Meikle, G. (2018). The Routledge Companion to Media and Activism (pp. 88-342). Taylor and Francis.
Notley, T. (2009). Young People, Online Networks, and Social Inclusion. Journal Of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(4), 1208-1227. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01487.x
Papacharissi, Z. (2010). A Networked Self : Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites. Taylor & Francis.
Williams, S. (2015). Digital Defence: Black Feminists Resist Violence With Hashtag Activism. Feminist Media Studies, 15(2), 341-344. doi: 10.1080/14680777.2015.1008744
Hi Casey,
I found this paper amazing and to be of a great read. I found your connection to online activism and online fandoms to be good and a great way to link the concepts together as well as to engage the reading with this paper. Also, to guide them in understanding these terms which l found to help as there were many that were new to me and l haven’t heard them before. I wonder to what extend fandoms can be used for mass movements such as #blacklivesmatter for creating positive changes for society and its people? I agree that stereotyping and the passion of some fandoms not all to be of a great chance of turning into extremists actions where they will undo their work for exactly what they are trying to acheive.
Overall, l really enjoyed reading your papaer. Thnaks!
Hi Gustavo,
Thank you for your response!!!
I looked into some articles that can help in answering your question regarding the specific ways a fandom can be used for mass movements. A group of Korean Pop Music Fandom called Army rallied together to to infiltrate a Trump supporter rally in the United States during his political circuit. Fans learned about this collective action through Tok Tok, Twitter and Instagram. Their intention was to sign up to attend one of the controversial Trump supporter rallies and not attend, therefor taking up the seats and ultimately pranking Donald Trump with very small rally numbers for him to speak to. Their activities were not discovered by the media until after the dismal turnout for many of Trumps speeches (Wired, 2020). From the research there is seems almost nothing they can’t do, due to share size and immense digital literacy this fandom can infiltrate global politics and inundate social media to support their favourite artists.
Wired. (2020). How K-Pop Stans Became an Activist Force to Be Reckoned With. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/how-k-pop-stans-became-an-activist-force-to-be-reckoned-with/
Hi Casey,
That was very interesting and thought provoking paper to read.
All the points that you have made is definitely accurate. Its kind of scary that now we can pretty much everything online and how dependent we are on the internet to make these kind of activities happen.
I liked how your paper went into different sections ” the transformation of political identity and activism through the digital era, the impact of networked structures on the organization of social movement campaigns, the concept of fandom and the opportunities for identity and community to link across international borders, and finally the nature of community surrounding media texts in online arenas. ” This made your paper easy to read and understand your ideas that you have put across.
Growing up, I didn’t find the internet that interesting until I found out about fandom platforms where people are passionate on getting their voices heard. For me, fandoms were how I interacted with people.
In another assessment that I am doing at university, I was researching about how people rely on social media mainly to get their social movements seen by a wider audience. One of the social movements that I researched heavily was the the #NoDAPL which is the No to the Dakota Access Pipeline in America. One of their reason for turning to online platforms for their protesting is that geographically they are isolated from other cities and honestly if they were not online I don’t think I would have ever heard of the social protest.
The internet is ever changing and I think with people relying on the internet so much will there ever be a time where the internet might fail us. If that’s the case, what will happen? We may go back to the normal protesting that was happening before the arrival of the internet.
What do you think?
Again it was a great read and you have written well your arguements.
Cheers
Amber
Hi Casey,
Sorry I forgot to put in text citation and reference.
Hi Casey,
That was very interesting and thought provoking paper to read.
All the points that you have made is definitely accurate. Its kind of scary that now we can pretty much everything online and how dependent we are on the internet to make these kind of activities happen.
I liked how your paper went into different sections ” the transformation of political identity and activism through the digital era, the impact of networked structures on the organization of social movement campaigns, the concept of fandom and the opportunities for identity and community to link across international borders, and finally the nature of community surrounding media texts in online arenas. ” This made your paper easy to read and understand your ideas that you have put across.
Growing up, I didn’t find the internet that interesting until I found out about fandom platforms where people are passionate on getting their voices heard. For me, fandoms were how I interacted with people.
In another assessment that I am doing at university, I was researching about how people rely on social media mainly to get their social movements seen by a wider audience. One of the social movements that I researched heavily was the the #NoDAPL which is the No to the Dakota Access Pipeline in America. One of their reason for turning to online platforms for their protesting is that geographically they are isolated from other cities. (Johnson, 2017). If they were not online I don’t think I would have ever heard of this social protest that has been happening since 2016.
The internet is ever changing and I think with people relying on the internet so much will there ever be a time where the internet might fail us. If that’s the case, what will happen? We may go back to the normal protesting that was happening before the arrival of the internet.
What do you think?
Again it was a great read and you have written well your arguments.
Cheers
Amber
Reference:
Johnson, H. (2017). #NoDAPL: Social Media, Empowerment, and Civic Participation at Standing Rock. Library Trends, 66(2), 155–175. ProQuest. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2017.0033
Hi Amber,
Thank you for your comment on my paper, I can relate with your statement of not having an interest in the internet prior to fandoms. In my experience I found that using social media and the internet was for communication or keeping up to date with friends. Which left me with no sense of connection and inspiration online prior to discovering similar interest groups online. I found myself using the internet as a therapeutic space where I could consume content created by other fans of my favourite artists and create bonds with people all over the world, which was something I have never experienced before. I found it weird, being able to relate with people in different countries while also transcending language barriers through our mutual appreciation and the assistance of online language translators.
In regards to your question I think that the absence of the internet would go beyond changing the ways in which people perform activism that I wrote about in the paper, I believe it would have a profound impact on our understandings of identity and community. Research has found that there are approximately 3 billion online users globally, arguing that society has transitioned into two worlds, the physical and online (Pontes, Szabo, Griffiths., 2015). The extreme reliance on the online world and networks filters to almost all aspects of our daily lives; from personal finance and transportation applications to education delivery and purchasing transactions at brick-and-mortar stores rely on the internet framework to function. Therefor if the internet did fail us activism may transgress to what it was prior to the internet though it will be interesting to examine how this transition will align with the chaos of our infrastructures failing. Leading me to form three questions:
Will we find ourselves living in a dystopian world where activism and rallying become the only ways we can broadcast our opinions to those in our geographical communities?
What would this mean to our international relationships?
Would we find an increase in feelings of loneliness and depression due to the separation from our online communities and networks ,like fandom communities?
Pontes, H., Szabo, A., & Griffiths, M. (2015). The Impact of Internet-Based Specific Activities on the Perceptions of Internet Addiction, Quality of Life, and Excessive Usage: A Cross-Sectional Study. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 1, 19-25. doi: 10.1016/j.abrep.2015.03.002
Hi Case,
I really enjoyed this conference paper!
I really resonated with the part where you speak about online fandoms and how social media has helped develop this. “Fans and fandom have provided opportunities for individuals to align their media passions with elements of their offline and networked self”, I found this part that you wrote really interesting. I think society often forgets that social media and mass media, in general, isn’t always solely constituted of everyday life interactions and posts.
Genuine interests in specific topics are often where we find true identity explorations. I often participate in book fandoms online for example when I was younger I loved Hunger Games fandoms and really felt like my voice and opinions mattered. I think it really helps constitute our identities and how we reflect on our real-life interests through the internet. This is also due to Web 2.0 being so user-friendly and designed for high networking (Bohley, 2010. p. 7).
I think in relation to activism online, these online communities formed through various platforms have genuinely made it possible for society to give agency to more marginalized groups of people. I find that social media, whilst containing a lot of negativity and false information, has so much potential in the way it helps educate and inform people on topics that are either taboo or forgotten.
Hope you have a great day!
Emma
References:
Bohley, K. A. (2010). Web 2.0: What Is It And Is It For Me? American Journal of Business Education, 3(7), 7-9. https://link.library.curtin.edu.au/gw?url=https://www-proquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/scholarly-journals/web-2-0-what-is-me/docview/734109917/se-2?accountid=10382
Sorry, I meant to write Casey, not Case. I don’t know why I didn’t check how I wrote your name before posting haha
Hi Emma,
I think the journal by Papacharissi (2010) conceptualises and expands on your opinions regarding the web and personal interest groups. Due to its in-depth discussion regarding the framework of our relationships between our identity and online usage, I personally have also found that the internet provides an arena for you to express your passions and similar interests with people with reduced biases. With the ability to create an online identity that we can delve into our interests deeply potently negating the limitations of others preconceptions and expectations that can be experienced in the physical world.
I agree with your stance regarding the pros and cons of social media, while it catalyses opportunities for the marginalised to amplify their message to millions of people. The tendency for people to deceive and bully others can outshine the ways in which it empowers us.
Papacharissi, Z. (2010). A Networked Self : Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites. Taylor & Francis.
Hi Casey!
I really enjoyed reading your paper. I was interested by the way that you explored the links between online networks on community generation, identity formation and the structure of modern activism. You could have mentioned the term “hashtag activism” when talking about the effectiveness of hashtags in social movements such as the #MeToo. This term was coined specifically to describe the use of hashtags for social change. You can read more about this here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/05/08/bringbackourgirls-kony2012-and-the-complete-divisive-history-of-hashtag-activism/
I totally agree with you, the power exposure through social media has refashioned the methods of bearing witness to rallies, movement campaigns and information for people seeking support. However, while online networks have given rise to activism, don’t you think that it can also have the tendency to fail and only reinforce armchair activists?
Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Keep up the good work!
Hi Marie,
What a great comment!!! I appreciate on your expansion of the paper noting components of the topic that I negated to reflect upon in the paper. Regarding your question of online activism reinforcing armchair activists I found an article that relates directly with an movement that I mentioned in the paper, Black Lives Matter Movement, and colloquial version of the armchair activists “slacktivisum”
On June 2nd 28 million people on Instagram announced their “alliance” with the messages of the causes by posting a black square to be a part of #BlackoutTuesday (NBC News, 2020) Although these efforts backfired, drowning the important messages for the movement. Many people also noted has these contributions were a form of slacktivisum, due to users posting the black square while not contributing any efforts for actual change or activist activities beyond that one post. Highlighting how modern digital activism has manufactured members of the community who claim to be allies with minimal effort which ultimately seems counterproductive (NBC News, 2020).
NBC News. (2020). A social media ‘blackout’ enthralled Instagram. But did it do anything?. Retrieved from http://A social media ‘blackout’ enthralled Instagram. But did it do anything?
Hello Casey
Freedom of expression on social media platforms of content relevant to users makes it an appealing for users to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Like your paper highlights, social media platforms play a big role in activism, organization, and mobilization of social and political causes. Twitter has been adopted by protestors and activists for collective action for their movements where people campaign for change. Such collective actions on Twitter draws attention to pressing social and political issues with hashtag campaigns geared towards bringing about change. Hashtags on Twitter like #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, facilitate visibility and support for issues being campaigned collaboratively.
However, social media platforms like Twitter have been criticized for citing ‘slacktivism’ and ‘hacktivism’. A number of users support issues without getting really involved, they use social media to maintain their presence which is known as ‘slacktivism’ whereas some users resort to ‘hacktivism’ where they use social media platforms like Twitter to control and adjust issues for their own benefit, some examples being Wikileaks and Anonymous, the groups associated with hacktivist activities (Houghton & Chang, 2011; Milner, 2013 as cited in Highfield, 2016). Despite these critical views, the role of social media platforms in promoting social and political issues to bring about change cannot be denied.
Would love to hear your thoughts on my paper.
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/30/social-media-has-influenced-and-revolutionised-food-industry-through-virtual-food-communities/
Thank you
Kanishk
Reference:
Highland, T. (2016). Collective and connective action. In Social media and everyday politics (pp.
102-121). Polity: Cambridge, UK; Malden, MA. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/reader.action?docID=4901669
Hi Kanishk,
The point you bring about regarding “hacktivist” activities reflects similar issues as “slacktivisum” that Marie and I discussed in her comment above. While Twitter and other social media platforms stated in my paper highlight the positive aspects that online platforms provide online communities, it is important to address the detrimental activities of online users inhibiting greater social change through hacktivisum and slacktivisum.
Through further research I found a journal article that discusses the pitfalls of social media use in modern activism which would have assisted in my paper having a more versatile scope. To support yours and Marie’s claims the author argues that social media activism actually provides dismal pieces of tangible social change and is becoming a substitute for in-person activism, creating a plethora of online noise with little results for progress (Cabrera, Matias & Montoya, 2017). This reflects the example I used in my response to Marie with respect to the Black Live Matter #BlackoutTuesday which became a sea of intangible post supporting the movement which ultimately yielded no tangible results besides drowning the important messages for BLM.
Cabrera, N., Matias, C., & Montoya, R. (2017). Activism or slacktivism? The potential and pitfalls of social media in contemporary student activism. Journal Of Diversity In Higher Education, 10(4), 400-415. doi: 10.1037/dhe0000061
Hi Casey,
What an interesting and well-written paper! I loved the link you made between fandoms and activism and I found this very interesting. Before reading your paper, my thoughts on fandom were limited and I associated them with people showing appreciation and supporting their favorite shows, influencers, etc.
‘Social media enables online networks to communicate and engage with one another, this is so true for all users of social media and the prime reason we engage with it as it allows people from all over the world to stay connected despite location boundaries. I believe that with the advancement in technologies, this will only continue to get better.
The discussion made on social media being used for political activism on a global scale is something we have started seeing as a result of Twitter and hashtags and as you’ve mentioned, the #BLM movement is a prime example. Twitter has been the stepping stone of many other movements such as the #metoo which I discuss in my paper as well and it’s amazing to see the influence such platforms have on a wider scale.
Hi Saranya,
Thank you for your comment. It is interesting to see how the papers in this stream has some overlaps. Also regarding your belief that technologies will continue to advance, assisting in our abilities to communicate with one another. Do you have any projections? Considering applications such as Instagram have completely transformed in the past five year, with new features such as stories, reels, and the array of AI filters. It will be intriguing to see what will be next the next innovation. The blog URL below evaluates some of the up incoming applications and innovations that will be changing the way we use social media.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/new-social-media
Hi, again Casey,
After reading the article, it amazes me how many new and upcoming social media platforms there are, waiting to be released and some of which, I have never heard of.
With the face-pace technological world we live in, it is almost impossible , in my opinion, to ditact or predict what sort of innovative social media platform will be released. However, it is fascinating to see what we (the users) use the platforms for, and how we use the platforms, whether it be for activism purposes or entertainment.
Hi Saranya,
I agree the developments in the space seem to be untraceable unless you are working within the digital technologies industry. As an average user myself I often find that I am behind on using the latest affordances or applications, often feeling like I can not keep up. Especially with not being actively apart of any online social change movements I often seem to be lost in the plethora of information.
Hello Casey,
I was intrigued by the title of your conference paper and found it to be quite enlightening, well researched and very well written. The statement you make in your very first line is so true for so many people across the globe and I believe new technologies will continue to alter the ways in which we communicate across networks and communities and the ways in which we form relationships.
Your discussion of social media being a conduit for political activism on a global scale is spot on and the #BlackLivesMatter movement is a prime example. BLM protests were organised simultaneously in cities around the world through the auspices of social media which allowed all these like-minded individuals to congregate around a single cause.
Social media has enabled a plethora of political movements to gain traction and support not just locally bit nationally and even globally whereas without social media many of these movements would stall and peter out.
I don’t believe people should be judged purely on the choices they make online of for supporting a particular cause and not another but as your paper so eloquently states that new technologies such as social media platforms have forever changed the way in which people can communicate and form relationships.
Thank you for a great paper Casey.
Regards,
Bernie.
Hi Bernard,
I appreciate your comment it effectively discusses the points of the paper and your interpretation of the topic. I find your point regarding the success of movements in relation to social media, although in the paper I state the power that the online space has given to activist movements, I don’t necessarily believe that without social media activism would stall and fade out.
I understand that the space for global activism has been vastly expanded because of social media this does not denote the effectiveness of activist movements in the past nor the reliance modern activism show have on social media. Arguably it is a tool not the perpetrator of a movement.
Historically music has been a way to globally distribute a movements message and unite people across boarders, in the 1960’s Bob Dylan released music that were created to state the opposition towards the Vietnam War intended to use singing to spark mass movement (Lehrman, 2021). In 2004 Green Day released their song “American Idol” its themes were accusing the media in using propaganda to create hysteria and paranoia (Radio X, 2020)
Have you ever thought of music being a medium for movements to broadcast their messages?
Lehrman, G. (2021). The Sixties and Protest Musi [Blog]. Retrieved from https://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/sixties/essays/protest-music-1960s
Radio X. (2020). The story of Green Day’s American Idiot and why it’s still relevant today. Retrieved from https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/green-day/american-idiot-single-story-meaning-lyrics/
Hi Casey!
What a great paper and interesting paper. I love your connection between online activism and online fandoms. I do not personally follow any fandoms so this was insightful as I though fandoms were merely just that of showing appreciations for shows, games, etc.
I have looked briefly into activism on Twitter and before doing so had not seen or heard much about online activism, so reading your paper has enlightened me with further knowledge.
With both of activism and fandoms, I appreciate how you spoke about the importance of social platforms having the affordances of hashtags to group and find more information on a topic.
Do you think that online networks and social change would be so easy to be a part of and know what is happening if hashtags did not exist? Or do you think there is another feature of social media platforms that could potentially do the same?
Hi Alicia,
Thank you so much for your comment, I am glad that the paper gave some form of value to you.
In regards to your questions, I think that being a part of social change and online networks would be possible if hashtags did not exist. Hashtags provide us opportunities to categorise and organise our content to spread messages but the way in which you engage online is what’s truly important. The accounts you follow, the posts you like, the content you share effects what the application algorithm shows on your feed/suggested posts. Due to many applications such as Instagram and Tik Tok are not displayed in chronological order, algorithms can be influential on what you are seeing arguably more than content grouping. Per-say if you were interested in a particular social movement and were highly engaged with the content the algorithm would align with those interests allowing you to stay connected and know what’s happening.
There is also new affordances on applications that I did not discuss in the paper such as Instagram Stories and Live Streaming would be great for online networks and social change. Live streaming allows for a profile to film their experiences in real time, the user and the followers can communicate with each other in the chat of the live stream. This possibly is more advantageous for activism as it provides an opportunity to broadcast you message while collaborating with your like minded followers to discuss current issues. While also Instagram Stories has a variety of tools that can make you feel apart of the community and know what is happening, through direct messaging, reactions, and voting polls.
Interesting that you have are not apart of any fandoms, do you think that fandoms are easily accessible or you just never had an interest in engaging beyond the content alone?
Hi Casey!
I agree that live streaming and stories would also be a great affordance.
In terms of fandoms, I have seen some pages, like Riverdale or The Vampire Diaries, suggested to me when following CW on Instagram so I think they are accessible. I would just say that I don’t have much interest in engaging within fandoms.
Hi Alicia!
That is completely understandable, I would have to relate that for most of my digital life I have not had any interest in engaging with a fandom beyond liking a post. Until I started reading Twilight, I found that I was immersed in the fan made content and debates online. It can be a little all consuming if you are not careful.
Hi Casey! This was such an engaging piece of reading.
Your statement stating that movements utilize sharing as a communication device is very insightful and resonates with what I witnessed online. The simple act of reposting does make a difference online.
I also find the link you made between fandoms and activism interesting and I believe that before the internet, fandoms were merely spaces for leisure and socializing but now as you have mentioned, it has become an alley for activism. It is very refreshing to see young audiences come together, discuss such serious issues and create campaigns to fight injustices.
What are your views on doxing? I have noticed that with the intention to fight back injustices, some members of the K-pop fandom resort to this practice. I personally believe it is a quite extreme and dangerous act, especially due to the vastness of the internet. Do you think there is a way this can be avoided within fandoms as I believe it can backfire for the movement they are fighting for.
Also, feel free to read my paper as I also discuss BLM and #MeToo in relation to how the Social Commentary YouTube scene is a vehicle for social change in contemporary era.
Hi Elodie,
I think that the passion of fandoms and stereotyping can lead to extremist actions. The vastness of the k-pop fans has created communities of young people who have high computer literacy which can lead to uncontrollable power. While fandoms can instigate positive outcomes like supporting the success of their favourite musicians or creating engaging content for the community, there are many moments where the acts such as doxing shine the light on the unprecedented power of these groups. Within fandoms similar to any other type of community it is important to recognise and call out the actions that are harmful or against the manifesto of the group, in turn the fandom itself needs to call out the actions that are detrimental to their original purpose.