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: ,

76,103 Responses to “Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources”

  1. hiro says:

    You don’t want to bother opening a browser to see the HK live draw results? please download the new application from NEW King Live Draw, please click buku mimpi

  2. free credit says:

    เกมสล็อตออนไลน์ betflix ในปัจจุบันนี้ มีความนิยมที่เพิ่มขึ้นสูงเรื่อยๆ ซึ่งทำให้เว็บไซด์ ใหญ่ๆ แต่ละเว็บไซด์ ต้องมีการจัดโปรโมชั่น เพื่อดึงดูดลูกค้า ให้เข้าไปใช้บริการกับเว็บไซด์ BETFLIX นั้นๆ ซึ่งก็ถือว่าเป็นกำไร ของผู้เล่นอีกด้วย เนื่องจากโปรโมชั่นเหล่านี้ ยังสามารถต่อยอดกับความสำเร็จให้กับผู้เล่น หรือ สมาชิกของเว็บไซด์ นั้นๆ อีกด้วย ซึ่งวันนี้

  3. Turkey Evisa says:

    eVisaNation is a private independent company that provides the simplest solution to process your visa application. So, say good bye to endless research; enjoy your trip and let us take care of all the procedure.

  4. good luck says:

    ตะลุยเข้าไปใน ดินแดนมวันเดอร์แลนด์ ของ Santa’s กับเกมสล็อต Santa’s Wonderland slot เกมสล็อต BETFLIX ยอดนิยม จากค่าย Pragmatic Play บุกตะลุย ใน BETFLIX ดินแดนวันเดอร์แลนด์ ของ Santa’s

  5. mild says:

    สล็อตเครดิตฟรี 100 บาท ได้จริง ให้จริง จ่ายจริง กดรับเอง ไม่ต้องฝาก ไม่ต้องใช้ทุนก็ สามารถเล่นเกมของ ทางเราได้ สล็อต แค่มาร่วมทำกิจกรรม ของทางเราแค่นี้ ก็ได้แล้วเครดิตฟรี ได้เลยทันที หากผู้เล่นคน ไหนที่กำลังมองหา เครดิตฟรี เราขอแนะนำเว็บนี้ MEGA GAME ทั้งหมดสล็อต เครดิตฟรี 100 ไม่ต้องแชร์ 2022 ล่าสุด ให้ผู้เล่นได้เลือก เล่น

  6. The setup process for every Canon model is almost similar, however the download through ij.start.cannon Later, you can easily set up your Canon printer through drivers from wireless connection, USB, and a few components. .,

  7. The setup process for every Canon model is almost similar, however the download through ij.start.cannon Some factors need to be in mind while choosing an inkjet printer for you. Later, you can easily set up your Canon printer through drivers from wireless connection, USB, and a few components. .,

  8. HP LaserJet printers power businesses around the globe with the printing speed, performance, and reliability you need. Set up your HP LaserJet to get started.Need additional help with setup? Visit 123.hp.com/laserjet

  9. we present to you the best quality Outfits at a reasonable cost. Levis generally increment the general gander at your character whether it is a gasp, a shirt, or a Jacket. Your closet can’t be finished without this smooth pants coat.

  10. maxbet สมัคร

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

  11. Healthman says:

    Thanks for sharing the post. Where you said 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 throughout the country; I can resonate.

    you are awesome

  12. Get permission to share. I’m confident they will be benefited from this website. https://www.casinositetop.com

  13. I’m confident they will be benefited from this website. Get permission to sharehttps://www.casinositehot.com

  14. I’m confident they will be benefited from this website. 바카라사이트

  15. I’m confident they will be benefited from this website. https://www.casinositehot.com

  16. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to going over your web page repeatedly.
    온라인바둑이

  17. Writing an assignment is a non-interesting activity. Why not take accounting assignment help Canada for getting rid of academic writing activities. It is one of the best methods that you can select for getting rid of the project works.

  18. betflixslots says:

    betflixวันนี้ BETFLIX จะพาผู้เล่นทุกท่าน ไปสนุกกับเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ เว็บ สล็อต แตก ง่าย ที่สุด2022 ที่ได้รับความนิยมเป็นอย่างมาก ซึ่งการลงทุนเล่น สล็อตเล่นง่ายแตกไว เว็บตรงไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์แตกง่าย นั้นทำให้ผู้เล่น มีความสุข เพลิดเพลินไปกับการ สร้างรายได้ ให้กับนักพนันได้จริง ในสมัยนี้ ทุกคนสามารถเข้าถึงการลงทุน เล่นเกมสล็อตได้แบบง่ายๆ ไม่ว่าผู้เล่นจะเป็นชาวไทย หรือชาวต่างชาติ เพียงแค่สมัครเว็บไซต์

  19. Alex Carry says:

    There is no doubt that this is a really useful and interesting piece. Thank you for providing us with this information. Your efforts are much appreciated.

  20. Disneyplus com login begin
    Hello friends,

    Are you trying to do disneyplus.com begin on [Disneyplus.com login/begin] and not having success? Before knowing much about Disney+ login on disneyplus.com/begin, let us first know about the company Disney Plus and Disney Plus App. You can enjoy the Disney plus bundle at just $14 per month to $20 per month.

  21. Oh Wow! Great blog I must say. The thing I like most about your blog is the catchy words that you choose. I am also here to provide information about Roadrunner email problems and settings. If you or your colleague need any help regarding rr email then you may take information from us.

  22. angka hantu togel singapore

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

  23. roofing and guttering brisbane

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

  24. angka hantu togel Perth

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

  25. data togel sgp

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

  26. prediksi almada jitu

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

  27. angka mistik china

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

  28. bathroom renovations budget

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

  29. slot bca says:

    thanks a lot for your information,visit our website: Slot BCA

  30. 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.
    비아그라 파는곳7149v.

  31. ck shibuya says:

    ck shibuya

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

  32. Satta King says:

    This is my first time i visit here and I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially it’s discussion, thank you. Satta King

  33. Onlinewebcamsexchat.com

    blog topic

  34. 비아그라 says:

    비아그라
    What’s up i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anyplace, when i read this post i thought i could also make comment due to this good article.2

  35. free fire generator

    blog topic

  36. ทางเข้าufabet 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?”

  37. I like how you articulate this, it is worth reading and sharing too. Trading psychology books are also good reads.

  38. meerejash says:

    Thank you so much for ding the impressive job here, everyone will surely like your post. I am very much happy with your information.

  39. AARAV JAIN says:

    essaypro reviews
    EssayPro is a writing service for students who are having trouble with their assignments. Their writers have a high reputation, and the best part about EssayPro is that all of their writers are native English speakers, so you can rest assured that your paper’s content will be free of grammatical errors.

  40. sapnab says:

    recently came across your article and have been reading along. I want to express my admiration of your writing skill and ability to make readers read from the beginning to the end.
    AWS Training In Noida

  41. porn com says:

    porn com

    blog topic

  42. slot mpo says:

    slot mpo

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

  43. shrooms chocolate bars

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

  44. vnexpress says:

    vnexpress

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

  45. This is an excellent article. I’m learning how to be social on social media and how to blog, among other things.

  46. topspo says:

    토토사이트

    good sport info for you come my web site nice info for you

  47. topspo says:

    This entry was posted on Monday, October 19th, 2015 at 12:58 am and is filed unde web site and good top spo info 토토사이트

  48. topca says:

    like water for chocolate » Blog Archive » Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing nice info for me 바카라사이트

Leave a Reply to Brown Gap Hoodie Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.