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: ,

76,815 Responses to “Methodologies V: Using and Analyzing Digital Media Sources”

  1. baccaratcommunity says:

    It’s really great. Thank you for providing a quality article. There is something you might be interested in. Do you know baccaratcommunity ? If you have more questions, please come to my site and check it out!

  2. çok kaliteli hizmet veriyorlar

  3. casino879 says:

    Viewbet369
    สล็อตเว็บตรงไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ เล่นง่าย จ่ายจริง Viewbet369

  4. Only attempt to say 1’s created articles is commonly as fantastic. This clarity together with your publish-up is great! Thanks an excellent offer, many hundreds of together with you should go with regards to the pleasurable obtain the job done.

  5. hysrqr77 says:

    Turn your wounds into wisdom. ทีเด็ดฟุตบอล

  6. 시알리스 says:

    I saw your article well. You seem to enjoy for some reason. We can help you enjoy more fun. Welcome anytime시알리스

  7. My name is Miss Mahima. I am a resident of Dehradun. I was born in Dehradun and I am 23 years old and my length is 5 feet 5 inches. My big eyes are very beautiful and my color is white like milk my body skin is soft like butter.

  8. Cynthia Coleman says:

    A home improvement project is meant to improve the quality and resale value of your property. However, if this is not carefully and masterfully done, your property’s value can deteriorate. Issues with erroneous repairs and maintenance take a toll on the status and condition of your well-loved possession. So book an professional from the given website, http://fortwaynemasonry.com.

  9. Shop this best quality astros Blue jacket For women SHOP NOW….

  10. 부산룸싸롱

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

  11. tlezz98 says:

    i wonder love your article 7m

  12. I am really impressed with the judgment you presented above. The great assignment help service by the Ideal Assignment Help platform allows students to stay at the top of their class and secure a better future for themselves in today’s competitive era. If you’re looking for assistance with your Dissertation Help
    then visit The Student Helpline UK.

  13. i hardly know working with adobe shadow right up until ultimately i noticed this post. thanks for this! This really is incredibly handy. ทางเข้าโจ๊กเกอร์ 123

  14. I went to this Internet site, and I truly feel that you’ve got a a whole lot of excellent details, I’ve saved your internet site to my bookmarks. ทางเข้าโจ๊กเกอร์ 123

  15. TonyBryant says:

    Tadasoft 40mg boosts ample blood flow to the member so that your flaccid penis becomes hard and erect. Tadasoft 40mg also functions as a relaxant for the smooth muscles. And besides, it brings immense blood flow to the penis and you attain a favorable erection. As soon as sexual arousal takes place, the blood vessels in the member open and the blood supply hugely amplifies.

    https://www.flatmeds.com/product/tadasoft-40-mg/

  16. Robert says:

    Yes, conceptually speaking, Intuit QuickBooks Online login mean QuickBooks Online Login. QuickBooks is the world’s highest-rated accounting software, launched and designed by Intuit. QuickBooks is a product designed by Intuit. Today, QuickBooks intuit or QuickBooks is the most admired and successful application in its league.
    https://qbooklogin.com/

  17. If you really need assignment help so rather than going to any other way, you should go for the Civil engineering assignment help to ensure a quality assignment.

  18. No one is perfect but you can be by opting for acne nursing assignment help rather than wasting your precious time on thinking how to do your assignment.

  19. WellsFargo.com login provides a variety of ways you can access your account

  20. dannyy says:

    WellsFargo.com login Advisors secure sign in to view your Wells Fargo Advisors Accounts. Use your Wells Fargo username and password.

  21. Wells Fargo Bank is one of the prominent banks in the United States. It offers several services like banking,
    mortgage, investing, credit card, personal, small business, and commercial financial services. To open a bank account at Wells Fargo, you can visit the nearest Wells Fargo branch.
    WellsFargo.com Login

  22. Amazing content you have shared.You’re doing a good job!

  23. Sophia Williams says:

    Amazing content you have shared.You’re doing a good job!
    MetaMask Sign in

  24. Eliana Jones says:

    Amazing content you have shared.You’re doing a good job!
    MetaMask Sign in

  25. 토토사이트Medium, the rate of spread of inhaled COVID-19 vaccine… Beijing, the capital city, is booked

  26. jasan ronn says:

    Bank of America Login and securely with the Bank of America® Mobile Banking app for U.S.-based accounts. Manage Accounts • View account balances and review
    Bank of America will never contact you requesting personal information. If you are unsure, call the number on your card. Recommended Settings.
    Select the option you are having issues with, and help provide feedback to the service.

  27. Javascript is a strong programming language of a computing system for learning. It is used in web development currently. Also, Javascript comes with the creation of a mess of frameworks such as Express.js and Vue. It appears the programming language will persist in revolutionising web programming.

    Javascript Project Ideas

  28. We provide clients with professional guidance through all aspects of launching and operating a fund. We also incorporate offshore companies in Bahamas, BVI, Cayman Islands, Panama, and the United States. offshore fund

  29. آقارضا says:

    سر و صدای زیاد پمپ آب موجب نارضایتی افراد زیادی شده است و آنها را به فکر فرو برده که چگونه صدای پمپ آب فشار قوی را کم کنیم. ابتدا باید مشخص شود این صدا به علت وجود یک مشکل درون دستگاه است و یا به صورت نا خواسته رخ می دهد.

    نصب صحیح، درست و قرار گرفتن دستگاه در جای مناسب تا حد زیادی از بروز این صدا به شکل ناخواسته جلوگیری می کند، در بسیاری از موارد که پمپ آب از نظر فنی مشکلی نداشته باشد با قراردادن این دستگاه درون یک جعبه که عایق صدا می باشد این مشکل برطرف می شود. اما اگر از نظر فنی مشکل داشت بهتر است از متخصصین این وسیله برای رفع آن کمک گرفت.

    https://aradbranding.com/fa/how-the-water-pump-works/

  30. We are the best expert in troubleshooting wavlink extenders setup and routers. If you are facing a problem regarding troubleshooting the extender and wavlink extender login, then you can go to our official website wifiwavlink.net and solve the problem of your troubleshooting.

  31. Sarwar Boss says:

    This website is really good for visitors who are sharing different PC Software.

  32. Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you’ve on this blog.

  33. 바카라 says:

    이 게임을 하면 많은 상을 받을 수 있습니다 바카라 계략.

  34. fachai says:

    http://fachai9.ph is one of the best slot games ever created.
    You can play all of our games and win a variety of prizes.

  35. Looking for a games that will expect more than your expectations? try our fachai gaming for more games and earnings to win.

  36. I intend to take you as a role model. I will carefully read your article to recite the truth.

  37. Hello, I enjoy reading all of your article. I wanted to write a little comment to support you… 온라인카지노

  38. Best kitchen Tools

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

  39. nameeman555 says:

    Thanks for fantastic information I was looking for this information for my mission.
    play game for relax and win get moneyy
    PG SLOT

  40. Rather than wasting your time on the assignment by thinking about how to do it, opt for Singapore Assignment Help and make sure that you left with no assignment at the end. Read More: 7 Types of Computer Networks Explained

  41. mary joan says:

    Do you think that Samsung printer support will help me in bringing my printer out of the error state?
    Yes, you can rely and trust on Samsung printer support if you want to get your Samsung printer out of the error state. You should make sure that your Samsung printer is turned on and connected to your PC by Wi-Fi or cable. Next, you are advised to check it for low paper or ink and ensure that the cover isn’t open and the paper isn’t jammed.

  42. http://www.nano-si.com

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

  43. Shadowaccord.nwlarpers.org

    blog topic

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.