Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

When dealing with social media platforms as spaces of activism these sites can be innovative, powerful, and fast-moving at best, and at its worst chaotic and unfocused. The line between these two distinctions is actually slighter than one might realize. This understanding of cyber activism became clearer when faced with the question “What is contemporary ‘blacktivism’ according to Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr/Instagram?”

Being a avid user of the popular blogging platform, Tumblr, and as such well-versed in the language and etiquette of the site, I sought my answer through my dashboard. Tumblr is composed of a endless scroll, comparable to Facebook’s newsfeed, that displays every user you ‘follow”s posts that can consist of either a link, photo, video, mp3, or text file that can be organized by ‘tags’. Like Twitter, there is a give and take between control: you cannot control what users post, but you can control who you follow. You ultimately build up the queue of information displayed on your dashboard.

This rule of thumb on Tumblr already an issue in itself, as it’s not only necessary to have an account to view such information, but it also requires stock knowledge of which users promote social activism the most. Already in this way, Tumblr blacktivism is exclusive in the broader sense of the term.  However because I am an established user of 5 years, this constraint only appeared in my thoughts after my study.

Taking into account the formatting and style of the website (and the advantage of 5 years of knowledge), I began my study of 30 minutes scrolling down my dashboard sure that out of my selected 500 some users one would surely post something under the activism tree. After about a minute of scrolling I saw a linked post that described the new case of Ebola in Liberia as an STD. The random post was one centered on awareness, not truly giving a solution to a possible rebirth of the Ebola crisis. And for a while this was the only post I saw. Because Tumblr is composed as a live feed, the minutes I scrolled down the dashboard before I encountered another post for social justice felt like eons.

It wasn’t until I encountered a post by a rather prominent Tumblr user in both the black and activist circles that my research progressed. This individual posted a series of inforgraphics that described the various levels of Israeli settlement on Palestinian territory, the fraught Palestinian citizenship across Israel and Palestine, and general problematic restriction of Palestinian people. The post was significantly informative as most portrayals of Palestine capitalize on the destruction of the Gaza Strip rather than the conditions that provide for this kind of environment, and the surrounding oppressions widespread through out the country. I then opened up another tab in my web browser to later peruse the user’s account, sure of the rich content in store, simultaneously still looking for another possible user to study. Right underneath their post Micdotcom, an active news source, posted GIFs of Porsha Olayiwola’s  poem that criticizes the misogynoir latent in police brutality discourse and the general dismissal of the pain black women face at the hands of black men.

Having at least two users under my belt and just ten minutes left of study, I decided to quickly delve deeper into each site. The first user’s activism centered mostly on the personal: crowdfunding for a poor black transwoman, a black family nearing homelessness, and written text posts that criticize various tangents of their multiple jeopardies as a queer transman of color. The text posts all had a least a thousand ‘notes’, which consisted of either likes or ‘reblogs’ (when users repost the content to their blogs). Furthermore you could see a constant rapport developing on these text posts that pursued discourse or fermented friendships. On this given users page the queer community of color was strong and accounted for. Switching tabs to Micdotcom, the website served as a curated collection of black internet activism across platforms. Screenshots of tweets raising awareness against recent police brutalities (#JusticeforJason, #SayHerName to name a couple), gifs of award shows and videos, news clips, and original Tumblr user posts decorated the page. Micdotcom served as a hub of generalized activism rather than specific black communal activist space.

It is in this way that Tumblr both triumphs and fails as a platform for social change. On one hand the site is a space for endless possibilities that allow for news sources and user-created online ‘zines to provide a constant stream of information crucial for social justice. These carefully curated hubs of information are a great start for both users and visitors of Tumblr. One does not need membership to view or message the copious amount of blogs present on the site. However their existence does not necessitate the existence of black community on Tumblr, individual users do. One would need to follow both prominent and random bloggers in the black community on Tumblr. These bloggers, your chosen informants, brothers, and sisters dictate your involvement with blacktivism. They raise causes for “Black Tumblr” to rally against, to raise money for, or even formally petition against on “Change.org”. These bloggers can help you through your journey of understanding matrices of oppression in your daily life, as well as navigate questions of gender/sexual/racial identity through direct messages, text posts, photos and videos open for commentary…..provided that you follow them. In addition to this slight oversight black users cannot be streamlined in the fighting of antiblackness. Some users are a part of “Queer Tumblr” or “Transgender Tumblr”or the dreaded “Barbershop Tumblr” (a part of Tumblr which is characterized by pro-black homophobic misogynoiristic users). Various pockets of Tumblr wholesale ignore some oppressions, such as colorism, to maintain their privilege and membership to the black community simultaneously. Tumblr can be a place rife with the schisms that plague physical activist spaces.

Ethical issues aside, in this sort of research Tumblr even fails in organization. Like Twitter it employs the hashtag system to organize posts, in order to make searches easier for users and non-users, however unlike Twitter, these tags are hardly agreed upon and are used liberally. Users sometimes use the tag system to input their commentary to protect the aesthetic integrity of a post. This so-called ‘talking in the tags’ makes for a chaotic black hole of information that can only be retrieved if you search that particular blogger’s archive. Tumblr has the potential to be a mess of epic proportion.

Ultimately Tumblr as a space for cyber black activism continuously toes the line of innovation and chaos. The ample opportunity for commentary and grassroot movement give Tumblr the chance to make virtual spaces of social justice bleed into the real world. However this is constantly mired by the disorganization, petty squabbles between users, and randomization of posts that is present on the site.

Word Count: 1138

 

Tags: ,

76,747 Responses to “Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources”

  1. joker888 true wallet

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  2. I really got to visit this website more often, this is often a gold mine of data.

  3. What rich person doesn’t do that he will get off because the rest of the whole upper class will be in jail

  4. Suggested Webpage

    like water for chocolate » Assignments

  5. page right now in your web browser. Mywifiext.net is a private address that cannot be searched on the internet. A New extender setup button should appear on the configuration page. To complete the setup, click the Finish button.

  6. At, ‘Fix HP Printer Setup’, we understand how much it can be annoying when your printer shows capricious behavior. Fortunately, you landed on the right page. We don’t drop an issue because it might be hard to fix. We are here 24/7 to provide you with the best HP printer support. Our experts offer quality-rich remote HP printers assistance with useful and handy help. In other words, ‘Fix Printer Setup’, protect your HP and Epson printers.

  7. cialis 20 mg coupon

    like water for chocolate

  8. cialis samples free

    like water for chocolate

  9. cialis 60 mg pills

    like water for chocolate

  10. Badspiegel mit Beleuchtung

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  11. Geschenke mit Katzenmotiven

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  12. internet quota

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  13. technology blogs

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  14. software requirements

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  15. internet history

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  16. if you are thinking of avail the best assignment help Adelaide service at a reasonable price that comes with great quality too?” at that point, put your query here and get the best solution as per your need and requirement.

  17. purple space cookies
    Excellent site, I was checking constantly this site and I am impressed!

  18. racesite.pro says:

    Remarkable! Its in fact amazing post, I have got much clear idea
    regarding from this article. 경마

  19. joker 888 bet

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  20. NY Tourism says:

    Just when you think the work week can’t get any more boring. That’s when you discover Now you can already begin to see that this week is going to be a whole lot better. There’s no need to be bored as can be while you work. Sneak in a little fun with one of these cam girls. They’ll put a smile on your face and a some lead in your pencil as well.

  21. I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog.

  22. We stumbled over here from a different website andthought I might check things out. I like what I see so i amjust following you. Look forward to looking at your web page repeatedly.

    비아그라파는곳

  23. theater management software

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  24. resalat-news says:

    resalat-news

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  25. We have been providing advanced and effective Assignment Help Online for a long time. In the services that you are searching for Assignment Help Online. We have an expert team with rich experience of involvement in Assignment and can solve all your important inquiries in all the subjects .

  26. Looking for Cricket Accessories? Buy Online Cricket Accessories of All Sizes like Men, Youth, Boys, Kids and Junior Available at affordable price at NZ Cricket Store. We provide branded Cricket Accessories of best quality in New Zealand.

  27. one cannot through 100s of bombs on other and than start showing innocent kids pictures if you are throwing stone on others.. cant expect flowers. its so sad new generation is suffering so much cant believe this is happening because of few sick people.

  28. FPD Consultanta si Solutii Digitale

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  29. engineering says:

    engineering

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  30. I stumble on this site when I was making research on my project topic. I found some useful topics in well detail form. Thanks for this excellent post.
    먹튀검증

  31. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this info!Thanks! 토토사이트

  32. I am interested in this area if you are a great site but know some community forums.
    스포츠토토

  33. toto365pro says:

    I will pass this blog to many people. Definitely a good blog is very good. Thank you for sharing. 스포츠토토

  34. Our technical experts are always here to provide you with the best Amazon Alexa Troubleshooting setup assistance. Our experts can offer the best technical solutions. Chat with our experts today and let our skilled, experienced, talented, and reliable techies help you.

    For Further Information connect with Us:
    Call Us:+1-866-869-0554
    write Us:[email protected]
    Visit Us: [url=https://www.alexasetp.com/]https://www.alexasetp.com/[/url]

  35. phan biet vang

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  36. 戒指 says:

    戒指

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  37. wholesale diamonds usa says:

    I will be sure to bookmark your blog and definitely will
    come back at some point. I want to encourage continue your great job,
    have a nice afternoon! wholesale diamonds USA

  38. Very rapidly this website are going to be famous among all blog users, thanks to it’s fastidious articles

  39. I really got to visit this website more often, this is often a gold mine of data .

  40. Manlift says:

    Tam yüksekliğe kaldırılırken ve manlift için uzatma platformları kullanılırken, kaldırma kafesi ortalanır. Asansör, yumuşak bir frenleme için döner kapıya ve çok diskli frenlere sahip katlanır korkuluklarla donatılmıştır.

  41. farm photography

    Attention Required! | Cloudflare

  42. 카지노게임사이트 says:

    카지노게임사이트 That looks like it is going to be a great paper, couldn’t have done it better myself. What a neat work!

  43. 샌즈카지노 says:

    샌즈카지노 You certainly did well today. That’s an interesting way of looking at it, I’ve never seen anyone do it better.

  44. 카지노사이트 says:

    카지노사이트 Now you’ve figured it out, that’s really nice work! It looks like you’ve put a lot of work into this.

  45. 바카라사이트 says:

    바카라사이트 Believe in yourself and make it happen. Wishing you all the best! I’m pretty confident that you’ll do well.

  46. MBBS Admission

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

  47. Connect your Netgear extender and toggle it on to access mywifiext Setup. Go to the Mywifiext Setup
    page right now in your web browser. Mywifiext.net is a private address that cannot be searched on the internet. A New extender setup button should appear on the configuration page. To complete the setup, click the Finish button.

  48. deutschland says:

    deutschland

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources

    • nếu bạn đang nghĩ đến việc tận dụng dịch vụ trợ giúp chuyển nhượng tốt nhất Adelaide với mức giá hợp lý đi kèm với chất lượng tuyệt vời? ” tại thời điểm đó, hãy đặt truy vấn của bạn ở đây và nhận được giải pháp tốt nhất theo nhu cầu và yêu cầu của bạn.

Leave a Reply to internet quota Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.