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: ,

78,419 Responses to “Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources”

  1. If you are looking to buy marijuana in bud form, hash, cookies, brownies, tinctures or butter we will exceed your expectations with our amazing selection and quality of food products that are baked with the finest ingredients and set at a cost you can afford. Our chef is a professional cook and our growers have been growing the finest weed that is guaranteed to keep you coming back for more. We have only the best marijuana for sale that contains actual THC in all our products. Buy Fat Albert Strain Online In USA , Online Medical Marijuana store – buy weed online california usa – buy marijuana online – buy cbd oil online – buy cbd edibles online – buy cbd gummies online – buy marijuana hash online – buy weed seeds online.
    https://onlinemedicalmarijuanastore.com/

  2. The misconception about not following regulations in the food service area has led to increase in foodborne illnesses.

  3. maltipoo puppies for adoption

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

  4. Kamagra says:

    Kamagra

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

  5. very nice to description

  6. Some genuinely quality content on this site, saved to favorites . bitmain antminer s19j pro

  7. Agen Judionline says:

    SBOBET merupakan situs permainan judi online terlengkap dengan bantuan daftar dan login agen sbobet> terbaik untuk judi bola , slot online, live casino indonesia dan masih banyak lagi.

  8. Leather Fabric is still used in a variety of products, including consumer products like apparel and gear to skincare and also home and technology items, despite the unusual variations in use designs and patterns based on fashion trends.

  9. Appyeet says:

    Thank you so much. Keep up the good work. If you are frustrated in your workplace, then you can download any premium free games on appyeet platform, by using the Appyeet site, you can download both cracked and modded apps for free. for more info, you can visit our blog about appyeet apk.

  10. Hello, I read your article and thought it was excellent. Many of us could benefit from it. As a result, I recommend that you look at our bathroom renovation service on our website. Do you want to renovate your bathroom? Are you wondering how much it will cost to renovate your bathroom? Your search is over because we provide bathroom renovation services in Dubai at reasonable prices. We believe that a bathroom is one of the most important rooms in your home. Bathrooms are areas that should reflect how you use them. When it comes to bathroom renovations in Dubai, Ja carpentry provides a full set of bathroom renovation and remodeling options.

  11. Your blogs are great.Are you also searching for Nursing Writing Services? we are the best solution for you. We are best known for delivering nursing writing services to students without having to break the bank.whatsapp us:+1-(951)-468-9855

  12. Hello, I read your articles and have to say that you are a fantastic writer. It could help a lot of people. Therefore, I would recommend that you review our kitchen renovation services on our website. Regarding kitchen renovation in Dubai, our installation specialists are knowledgeable. They will have no trouble redesigning your kitchen. We have the experience and skills necessary to install new engineered floating hardwood flooring and granite countertops in your kitchen. We promise high-quality work throughout the whole process, no matter how big or small your kitchen is.

  13. I like this web blog very much so much great information. bitmain antminer s19j pro

  14. Danish Sharma says:

    This is really awesome and informative, best part of this post is your unique concept which is different from other thought. Online Matka Play

  15. Having been providing Assignment Help for longer than a decade now, our bespoke preparations are always plagiarism free and fully in sync with the latest criteria and rubrics of the faculty. We amplify and ensure your chances at the most excellent grades only.

  16. Dlinkrouter.local is the default web address through which you can get access to your D-Link router and manage its wireless settings. The default address goes in the address bar of your browser. After that, enter the default D-Link router password and username and log into your D-Link wifi router.

  17. For Brother printer setup, connect your printer to the computer with a USB cable or through a wireless method. Now, go to the Brother printer support website and download the drivers and software. Install the software and go through the Brother printer setup wizard. Once the setup completes, print a test page to finalize the setup.

  18. http://kakino-zeimu.com/kakino/?page_id=483

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

  19. cek tautan ini di sini sekarang

    like water for chocolate » Assignments

  20. Excellent goods from you, I have understood your stuff previous to and you are simply extremely fantastic. I actually like what you’ve obtained right here, really like what you are saying and the way in which by which you are saying it. You are making it enjoyable and you still care to stay sensible. I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is really a wonderful site. MS in Mechanical Engineering in Germany

  21. I have visited all blogs of your website with great content.

  22. Nice to see your post. Wonderful and deep post you’ve written here. That’s truly has added a lot to our knowledge about this topic. Have a more successful day.

  23. Thanks for the great article.

  24. Great article, thanks for putting this together! This is obviously a great post.

  25. camiworld.info

    like water for chocolate » Assignments

  26. covid7Bet says:

    covid7Bet

    like water for chocolate » Assignments

  27. telusuri di sini

    like water for chocolate » Assignments

  28. You are the first today to bring me some interesting news.

  29. slot terbaru says:

    slot terbaru

    like water for chocolate » Assignments

  30. aluplast.ua says:

    aluplast.ua

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

  31. Howby says:

    Am very impressed with your post, it’s the best way of telling, and pleasant post This website is very beneficial for psychedelics lover and provide new products and knowledge on the usage and benefits of psychedelics. psyttraxx.com

  32. toym1124 says:

    먹튀검증
    If you want to make a profit, please visit.

  33. podnośnik dwukolumnowy zachodniopomorskie

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

  34. work3.gursong.com

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

  35. Cialis says:

    Cialis

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

  36. newest Porn Star

    blog topic

  37. https://Www.Thaicann.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=329704

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

  38. Great post thank you for sharing.

  39. 아주 확실한 제품만 취급합니다.저가제품 안합니다. 명품신발이미테이션판매하는곳v.

  40. Alto india says:

    Magnetic track light system is one of the latest trends in flexible track lighting applications.
    Magnetic track light

  41. mouse click the up coming post

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

  42. “Fine way of telling, and pleasant post. Nice info! Thanks a lot for sharing it, that’s truly has added a lot to our knowledge about this topic. Have a more successful day. Amazing write-up, always find something interesting.
    Thanks”

    Read More: Personality Development Training

  43. I am very impressed with your post because this post is very beneficial for me and provide a new knowledge to me
    home lighting design india

  44. If you are looking to buy marijuana in bud form, hash, cookies, brownies, tinctures or butter we will exceed your expectations with our amazing selection and quality of food products that are baked with the finest ingredients and set at a cost you can afford. Our chef is a professional cook and our growers have been growing the finest weed that is guaranteed to keep you coming back for more. We have only the best marijuana for sale that contains actual THC in all our products. Buy Fat Albert Strain Online In USA , Online Medical Marijuana store – buy weed online california usa – buy marijuana online – buy cbd oil online – buy cbd edibles online – buy cbd gummies online – buy marijuana hash online – buy weed seeds online.
    https://onlinemedicalmarijuanastore.com/

  45. Enjoy the latest from Justnobz Media. New music & videos from different countries like Tanzanian, East Africa, American, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.