Resistance and Protests Through the “Selfie”

Author(s):  
Yasmin Ibrahim

Conjoining images of digital self-portraits (i.e., ‘selfies') with protests and resistance recasts the self through new paradigms of enquiry in the social media landscape. The appropriation of digital self-imagery to express protest and partake in social movements and resistance personalises and individuates collective resistance, and, in the process, the ‘self-image' becomes a tool of embodied self-expression as well as solidarity imbuing the ‘self' through new modalities of social relations where the material body is co-opted into a politics of protest without de-centring the self. This chapter examines the phenomenon of selfie-activism within the social media era where the ‘visual' turn of instant imagery lends new forms of the attention economy to protests and campaigns, pulling physically bound protests into virtual and voyeuristic forms online where they perform both to the politics of protest and the demands of semiotic capitalism.

Author(s):  
Aishik Saha

In this paper, I shall attempt to respond to the charge that the digital labour theory, as developed by Christian Fuchs, doesn’t faithfully stick to the Marxist schema of the Labour Theory of Value by arguing that Marx’s critique of capitalism was based on the social and material cost of exploitation and the impact of capitalist exploitation of the working class. Engels’s analysis of The Condition of The Working Class in England links the various forms of violence faced by the working class to the bourgeois rule that props their exploitation. I shall argue, within the framework of Critical Social Media Studies, that the rapid advance of fascist and authoritarian regimes represents a similar development of violence and dispossession, with digital capitalism being a major factor catalysing the rifts within societies. It shall be further argued that much like the exploitative nature of labour degrades social linkages and creates conditions of that exaggerates social contradictions, the “labour” performed by social media users degenerates social relations and promotes a hyper-violent spectacle that aids and abets fascist and authoritarian regimes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 479-480 ◽  
pp. 1213-1217
Author(s):  
Mu Yen Chen ◽  
Ming Ni Wu ◽  
Hsien En Lin

This study integrates the concept of context-awareness with association algorithms and social media to establish the Context-aware and Social Recommendation System (CASRS). The Simple RSSI Indoor Localization Module (SRILM) locates the user position; integrating SRILM with Apriori Recommendation Module (ARM) provides effective recommended product information. The Social Media Recommendation Module (SMRM) connects to users social relations, so that the effectiveness for users to gain product information is greatly enhanced. This study develops the system based on actual context.


Author(s):  
Marco Briziarelli

Through the lens of a political economic approach, I consider the question whether or not social media can promote social change. I claim that whereas media have consistently channeled technological utopia/dystopia, thus be constantly linked to aspirations and fear of social change, the answer to that question does not depend on their specific nature but on historically specific social relations in which media operate. In the case here considered, it requires examining the social relations re-producing and produced by informational capitalism. More specifically, I examine how the productive relations that support user generated content practices of Facebook users affect social media in their capability to reproduce and transform existing social contexts. Drawing on Fuchs and Sevignani's (2013) distinction between “work” and “labor” I claim that social media reflect the ambivalent nature of current capitalist mode of production: a contest in which exploitative/emancipatory as well as reproductive/transformative aspects are articulated by liberal ideology.


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Alice Baker ◽  
Chris Rojek

The Belle Gibson scandal that broke in 2015 is a testament to the growing phenomenon of lifestyle gurus in the 21st century. In this article, our aim is not to explain the psychology behind Gibson’s lies. Rather, we focus on the social, cultural and technological conditions that enabled Gibson’s persona to flourish and their impact on contemporary understandings of the self. Lifestyle gurus embody the para-social, trading off the appeal of intimacy, authenticity and integrity. We demonstrate how social media have increased the levels of emotional investment, trust and attention capital in para-social relationships by providing ubiquitous access to native experts and creating the platform to achieve influence and micro-celebrity status. Finally, we contend that the growing number of lifestyle gurus providing the public with health advice and scientific knowledge points to the need to examine critically the social and cultural landscape that enables micro-celebrities to emerge.


Gesture ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-244
Author(s):  
David McNeill

Abstract Using recurrent gestures as the model, this essay considers how an inside-looking-out view of speech-gesture production reflects the interactive-social exterior. The inside view may appear to ignore the social context of speaking and gesture, but this is far from the truth. What an exterior view sees as important appears in the interior but in a different way. The difference leads to misunderstandings of the interior view and what it does. It is not a substitute for the exterior. It is the interior reflecting the social exterior and shaping it to fit its own demands. Topics are: recurrent gestures; gesture-speech co-expressivity; expunged real-world goals; “in-betweenness”; phenomenological “inhabitance” and material carriers; metaphoricity and imagery; social deixis and social relations; realizations of the self; world-views; and lastly the want of mutual outside and inside intellectual perceptions and what can be done about it.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 17440
Author(s):  
Yan Chen ◽  
Joel Andrus ◽  
Rhonda K. Reger

Author(s):  
Aditi Grover ◽  
Jeffrey Foreman ◽  
Mardie Burckes-Miller

Purpose This paper aims to explore the forces at work that negatively influence the self-image perceptions of young women, causing them to strive for an “ultra-thin” ideal. Design/methodology/approach Focus groups explore why and how perceived self-image influences young women’s body and perceptions and, consequently, health. Thematic qualitative analysis explores the realm of information and emotions involved with the thin-ideal. Findings Social contagion theory emerged with a significant impact caused by network influencers and the spread of information and emotions within social networks forces that sustain the need to be ultra-thin, even though there is abundant knowledge about adverse effects. Research limitations/implications Future research should address limitations involving representativeness and generalizability. Practical implications Social marketing programs, including social media, should stress healthy eating habits while focusing on the importance of the self and de-emphasizing the “thin-ideal” image. Originality/value Results will assist in developing more informed and effective prevention programs, including social media campaigns, as preventative healthcare to reduce the risk of the spread of eating disorders and promote psychological health of at-risk young adults.


Koneksi ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Lisa Harsono ◽  
Septia Winduwati

Instagram is a platform that presents the self-image of someone. When users find out that using Instagram was toxic to their self-esteem, they decided to detox instagram by stopping using Instagram. This research’s purpose is to know the self-esteem’s user when doing detox Instagram. This research is based on self-concept theory, self-esteem theory, social media theory, Instagram theory, and the detox instagram phenomenon theory. This research is using a qualitative approach with a study case method for college students that stop using Instagram. Collecting data is done by deep interviews. The result in this research shows that when informants doing detox instagram, they appreciate themself, focus on upgrading their potential, and stop comparing their life to each other. Instagram merupakan platform yang menyajikan citra diri individu. Ketika penggunanya merasakan penggunaan Instagram menjadi toxic bagi self-esteem, maka pengguna memutuskan untuk melakukan deleting toxic (detox) Instagram dengan cara berhenti bermain Instagram. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui self-esteem pengguna ketika melakukan detox Instagram. Penelitian ini berlandaskan pada konsep diri, self-esteem, media sosial, Instagram dan fenomena detox Instagram. Penelitian dilakukan dengan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode studi kasus pada mahasiswa yang berhenti bermain Instagram. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara mendalam. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ketika informan melakukan detox Instagram, para informan merasa lebih menghargai diri sendiri, fokus kepada potensi yang dimilikinya, dan berhenti membanding-bandingkan diri dengan sesamanya.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1403
Author(s):  
Yiming Ma ◽  
Changyong Liang ◽  
Xuejie Yang ◽  
Haitao Zhang ◽  
Shuping Zhao ◽  
...  

Older people with hearing impairment are more likely to develop depressive symptoms due to physical disability and loss of social communication. This study investigated the effects of social media on social relations, subjective aging, and depressive symptoms in these older adults based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework. It provides new empirical evidence to support improving the mental health and rebuilding the social relations of older people. A formal questionnaire was designed using the Wenjuanxing platform and distributed online through WeChat; 643 valid questionnaires were received from older people with self-reported hearing impairments, and SmartPLS 3.28 was used to analyze the data. The results show that (1) social media significantly impacts the social relations of older people with hearing impairment (social networks, β = 0.132, T = 3.444; social support, β = 0.129, T = 2.95; social isolation, β = 0.107, T = 2.505). (2) For these older people, social isolation has the biggest impact on their psychosocial loss (β = 0.456, T = 10.458), followed by the impact of social support (β = 0.103, T = 2.014); a hypothesis about social network size was not confirmed (β = 0.007, T = 0.182). Both social media (β = 0.096, T = 2.249) and social support (β = 0.174, T = 4.434) significantly affect the self-efficacy of hearing-impaired older people. (3) Both subjective aging (psychosocial loss, β = 0.260, T = 6.036; self-efficacy, β = 0.106, T = 3.15) and social isolation (β = 0.268, T = 6.307) significantly affect depressive symptoms in older people with hearing impairment. This study expands the theories of social media aging cognition, social support, and social networks and can provide practical contributions to the social media use and mental health of special persons 60 years and older.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-224
Author(s):  
Prakash Gondode ◽  
◽  
Amrusha Raipure ◽  
Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian ◽  
Abhinav Lambe ◽  
...  

Background: We assessed knowledge, attitudes, practice, and perceptions about COVID-19 among a convenience sample of the general public in India anticipating the second wave of the pandemic. Methods: This questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the general population quarantined at various institutional quarantine facilities in the city of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. The self-designed questionnaire comprised 25 questions regarding knowledge, eight for attitude, and ten for practice. Knowledge questions were responded to on a Yes/No basis with an additional ‘don’t know’ option. The true answer was given 1 point and false/I don’t know answers were given 0 point. Results: The majority of the participants were aware of COVID-19 (97.9%) and did not either wash or knew how to properly dispose of the used mask (88.02%). Only 10.96% of the participants agreed that they verify the social media posts shared over WhatsApp and Facebook on government authentic websites before sharing them with family and friends. Conclusion: Awareness about the virus, modes of spread, good practice, and an optimistic attitude is the prime requisite to curb the spread and to avoid the impending severity anticipating the second wave of the pandemic.


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