Societal Glitches in Relation to Gender, Socioeconomic Class, and Race: an Examination Through Contemporary Technology and Media
When I had opened the syllabus for my New Media class, I was not sure what to expect. While I was mostly expecting a long and (sometimes) boring analysis of media throughout the ages and how it all affects society, I was intrigued by what is considered “new” in terms of media. The world that we live in today is constantly evolving and changing, and the technologies and methods used to peak the interests of consumers must adapt proportionately to that growing interest. While I did learn about the history of technology in this class, there were many opportunities for me to learn about things I either didn’t know about or didn’t fully understand.
One of these concepts revolved around the idea that tiny little flaws in the system, henceforth titled ‘glitches’, were both positive and negative things. There are many types of glitches: internal or external, literal or metaphorical. This has been transformed into art, and whether or not these images have been created as statement pieces, many have been transformed into thus.
As an A-level assignment, I have chosen to utilize glitch art because of the way it allows for interpretation and criticism of something that is thought to be normal, thought to be the norm. The original pictures that I will start off with are perfect, crafted in a way that is aesthetically appealing and something that you would not give a second thought to, because it is “normal.” I want to disrupt that narrative, take it and make the comfortable uncomfortable. This glitch will create something important, something odd yet beautiful — a disruption in a system so articulately created with a pattern of ones and zeroes, colors and meticulously placed script. This will in turn be used to analyze certain aspects of society, ways disruption has both helped and hurt society, a criticism of the way we view the world today, and then the societal clap back resulting from oppression and boxed in ideologies. I am attempting to utilize glitch art in a way that makes viewers uncomfortable and questioning, I want to disrupt a narrative and cause new ideas and ways of thinking. In a similar fashion, I would like to see the evolving media cycle and internet be transformed into a place that is accepting, something that is inclusive and analyses multiple viewpoints instead of one or two.
The faces of programming, of gaming, of technology in general need to evolve because as has been brought up many time throughout the semester, those creators control the narrative and tell the audience and consumers what they need to and should care about. If the industry is akin to the Republican senate (largely made up of conservative white males), then the only opinions, wants, lifestyle choice, and even religious and cultural values that are represented are the ones of those conservative predominantly white males.
This does not allow for a lot of varying opinions in the online world. We see it in Facebook, with political opinions from your old-school uncle who believes that Trump is what is right for this country, to the harsh criticism when someone creates something out of the ordinary. The internet needs to become more inclusive and open minded, as the culture that we live in expands and becomes more inviting (or perhaps just less hostile) to different opinions and groups. In this project, I glitched all of the images according to a certain color scheme or aesthetic — taking something that is appealing and for lack of a better word normal, into something that’s uncomfortable and provokes thought. This is to varying degrees, the degree increasing with the amount that I felt the issue needed to be addressed/the shock value of the issue examined.
I wanted to divide this critical analysis of the internet in relation to glitches and divides in race, class, and gender into two parts: the first an examination of society’s corruptness, mainly driven by consumerism and what sells, what appeals to the people; the second, will be an attempt to focus on the push back by society against the boxed in ideas and opinions of the few that control the narrative, shaping today’s society. This process will involve and emphasis on varying media focus, social media use, campaigns, and overall consumeristic greed. This can be seen throughout the internet — acting as the main vehicle for most groundbreaking opinions and protests — and thus fits perfectly into an examination of media.
PART ONE: THE TECHNOLOGICAL IMPACT ON PEER RELATIONSHIPS
The internet is a melting pot of information, of demographics, of tiny bits of crucial parts of people. It is always changing, always evolving, and to for brands and people to keep up with it, they must pay attention. Vannevar Bush explains of the ever changing technology, “this has not been a scientists’ war; it has been a war in which all have had a part” (Bush, 112). This can be seen in continuing consumerism, especially in those that create technology. Apple is the best and most immediate example of this: how many times can you think, just off of the top of your head, of a time when you saw the newest iPhone, Macintosh computer, or Apple collaboration and either yourself wanted it or knew someone that wanted it? Combine that with wanting it badly enough to stand outside in lines for hours just to get the newest thing? These humans are hard-wired to want the newest thing, the thing that they believe is the best. This is a way in which Apple benefits off of the glitches in the system — promoting new products with a futuristic feel and feel-good message to ensure that they are picked up by greedy customers, even when the previous product (generally released around a year before) has nothing wrong with it.
Apple has taken this need for new technology, the human want for the newest and shiniest thing, and turned it into a business model — something smart, but likely ethically incorrect at its core. While one could potentially see a benefit to this — mainly someone smart enough to take a natural human instinct and profit off of it — it boasts of the greed of the human race.
As if this was not an alarming enough concept, the internet takes it one step further. The internet provides several platforms in which people can brag about their purchases. (Think about how many times you’ve seen someone post about a new iPhone they’ve just gotten, probably with a caption reading “my new iPhone!” and probably followed by a bunch of features that their new phone adds.) This breeds competition, as if those that do not have certain items (let’s continue with the iPhone idea) are no longer of higher status and perhaps looked down upon. If you cannot afford the newest iPhone, or if it is not something you immediately caught onto as a trend, you are almost automatically thought of as having lowered status.
This competitive attitude is what furthers consumerism and human greed. Remember when Yeezy himself released a plain white T-shirt with the name “Kanye West” on the tag? It sold for a retail value of $120 (USD) and was sold out within the first 48 hours. Now, let’s keep in mind ordering a t shirt online requires you to provide a lot more information (and money, once you add in taxes and shipping depending on where you live) than if you were to go to the store and buy a plain white T-shirt (I hear Walmart sells them in packs of 6 for way less than $120!). Now think about why someone would spend that much money on a T-shirt… This is based on the assumption that you are not a celebrity or born into a family that expects you to spend over $100 on a single shirt…Why?
Part of it is probably attributed to some sort of shock-value, some compulsive spending problem or askew justification process, whatever tempts someone to buy a white shirt for over $100. It is also in part due to a concept of bragging rights. Posts on social media flared up, people bragged about their Yeezy collection shirt. A young man I went to school with at the time purchased something akin to this — a very simple item that was expensive because of the name on the tag. There were several posts on social media of this, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram boomed with pictures of his outfit and comments that ranged from criticism to flattery.
The internet continually allows for things like this to occur — it pushes and molds consumeristic attitudes because of the competitive nature of humans. It is a tool in as much as it is an issue, causing trouble and promoting popular ideas. This social media phenomenon has been examined by researchers, and has been proven to have an effect on teens and young adults. “Social media use may provide a new arena for peer competition” (Ferguson). This competition can be detrimental to peer relationships, as it promotes the superficiality of the materialistic culture that we live in today. This superficiality is what promotes and propels brands like Kanye West’s as well as Apple to continue to create and pursuit newer technologies and products.
The internet in relation to consumerism and the corruptness of turning socioeconomic status into an indicator of self worth is a new measurement for companies and brands. Bush comments on this again, saying “Our methods of transmitting and reviewing the results of research are generations old and by now are totally inadequate for their purpose” (Bush, 112). It is my hope that this socioeconomic caste system will one day become nothing more than a glitch in American history. (This is not to say that this doesn’t happen elsewhere in the world, but simply that I have experienced this in America and am not qualified to speak on it elsewhere, as it may be altered slightly or completely different.)
ARTWORK:
“The Apple Concept”
To portray the need-it-now mindset that America has adopted towards technological advances, I glitched an image of the long long lines surrounding Chicago’s magnificent mile Apple store. Most people associate Apple with a progressive and continually producing brand, a connecting experience that brings people together through the use of texts, calls, face times, and even with social media. I have also spoken about Apple in this as a brand and a company that takes advantage of glitches in the human greed system, thus making it perfect to glitch for this analysis. The original picture is alarming, but there are still positive things within it — a large group of people coming together for one purpose, chatting amongst themselves. They’re obviously in line for something, waiting in a line that wraps around the building to purchase something or perhaps to just observe the unveiling of a product — a search for understanding of this consumeristic attitude perhaps, although we will never really be able to tell for sure if this is the purpose of their trip to the Apple store that day, although it seems unlikely that someone would willingly wait in that line just to see something technology related unveiled and not to eventually purchase it. Regardless, this uniting purpose is wrecked in the second picture, leaving a red-pink hue all over the picture. You can still tell that this is the Apple store, as the logo boasts in the top right corner of the picture. The colors get harsher as your eye travels down, representing the decline and continued deterioration of people being content with what they already have. It gets worse and worse as time goes on, and the greed and short term possession rate is represented by the short sporadic pixel squares that have bright colors and patterns in them.*
This critique on Apple does not reflect upon my own preferences or opinions on Apple’s products or merchandise itself, but merely is an explanation of ways in which they take advantage of societal glitches.
“Hip Hop Shirt”
This is the name of the infamous $120 Kanye West shirt. I decided to glitch a screenshot of the headline title because Kanye makes his living off of words, his lyrics. If it were not for his words, he would not have a career and would likely not be able to successfully sell a plain white T shirt for $120. The original image is a screenshot of a headline, a simplified image. This is something I chose because it stated what happened in plain words, no gaudy tagline or special attention. It’s plain and states the facts accurately. “$120 Kanye West plain white T shirt sells out immediately.” The glitched version features a blue-green hue, something similar to tones that can be found in American money. They are calming but reminiscent, yet emphasize the currency we use to purchase such outrageously priced items. It subtly remarks on the consumeristic capital that exists in today’s America, a tiny dig at the constant motivation that money (or even lack thereof) provides us with. Additionally, the blue is reminiscent of the light blue hue that one would see on twitter or other social media sites. [According to marketing experts, “Blue is a calming, relaxing color that accompanies red and yellow as primaries. Sometimes called “the Nirvana color,” blue symbolizes the comfort, sky, water, sleep, the mind, trustworthiness and safety (think Police Officer uniforms). Most importantly, blue represents communication — which makes sense in regards to websites designed for communication” (bluleadz.com).] This piece of art is a statement reflecting on what I view as a societal glitch — using socioeconomic status to both brag to peers across various platforms as well as to define self worth. **
** Once again, this critique does not necessarily reflect my opinions on Kanye as a designer, performer, or artist. I have chosen him as an example due to his popularity, worth, and ability to get away with selling a $120 T-Shirt. I think the fact that he is able to do so is frankly impressive, and the fact that he and his team understand how to market a plain white shirt and have it be sold out instantaneously is unheard of by a simple celebrity (at least to my generation) before him.
PART TWO: SOCIETIAL REFUSAL DEMONSTRATED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
However, if one good thing actually does come out of the greed and consumerism of brands, it is the way in which modern society (as well as society throughout the ages in one way or another) has essentially given exclusive, misogynistic, classist, and racist social attitudes the middle finger. As a woman, as a Muslim, a (more so than not) liberal, as a student and a progressive thinker, I have experienced this firsthand.
In June 2015, Donald Trump announced his intention to run for the presidency. Many laughed it off as a simple joke, something that would never actually go as far as winning states in the primaries. Months after announcing his intent to run, he gave an interview to a Yahoo reporter saying that Muslims should be required to file and register in a database system. This was later repeated in a subsequent exchange with an NBC News reporter, sparking both fervent agreement, juxtaposed by the shock and resilience from those who did not agree with his statements, either in total or in degree. (For some context, this was shortly after the November 13th attacks on Paris by gunmen and suicide bombers, members of the Islamic State terrorist group. It is important to note that 1. Islam promotes peace and the Islamic State is the farthest thing from a peaceful group. Nor are they considered Muslims by anyone that is educated and has ever taken the time to talk to a Muslim. 2. This tragic event involved the death of Muslims.)
As this was an experience that affected me and my family directly, I would like to speak about my experience after Trump made the Islamophobic comments in question. Growing up, I did not speak much about my family, my faith, or my ethnic background. I lived in a predominantly white area of the city I lived in, my mother is white herself, and I never thought that I was that much different, I never thought the fact that my skin was slightly a different color than my peers was important. The first and only time that this crossed my mind as a child, ever, was following the 9/11 attacks. Growing up in small town Nebraska, there was not a large variety of ethnic backgrounds at the time, and everyone tended to come from some kind of Caucasian/European background. Mostly right wing, mostly conservative to a fault. Shortly following 9/11, a classmate (keep in mind that I was around 1st grade age) made a comment about Muslims and terrorism. Our teachers were instructed to explain the event in a safe, dumbed down, public school kind of way, and shortly after the explanation he turned to the teacher and said that his parents didn’t want him associating with “Arab terrorists.” I knew that I was an Arab, but I did not know anything about what a terrorist was, aside from the fact that this boy said it with such hate. Growing up from this point on with a guarded attitude towards any sort of event in which the word ‘terrorist’ could be used, I became less inclined to tell people about my faith, my ethnicity, my background. You can probably imagine the rage I felt when I heard Trump’s comments.
Nakamura, in her article “Cybertyping and the work of Race in the Age of Digital Reproduction,” speaks about how generally, “Attributing essential qualities to women and people of color can reproduce a kind of totalizing identity which reproduces the old sexist and racist ideologies” (Nakamura 320). While this speaks about people of color, which Arabs are not generally categorized under as they are now placed in the same slot as Caucasians (which to me is a horrifying notion due to the fact that Middle Easterners do not have the same white privilege as full-white Americans), it is applicable to anyone that is not 100% white, or anyone that derives from the general status quo. Generalizes Arabs and anyone that follows Islam (some who are of Caucasian, African, and European descent) as a terrorist reinforces dividing standpoints. Old ideas of racism and incorrect stereotypes are released once more into the world. The worst of each culture is brought to light, and every flaw in a religious system or way of life is hyper-examined and blow out of proportion. This is diminishing and a huge step back, progressively. Not only is it disrespectful and detrimental, it teaches people to retaliate with hatred and spreads ignorance.
In juxtaposition to every situation that breeds hatred and disrespect, there is a refusal to allow that to ferment into something more. A few days after, I was scrolling through my Twitter timeline, and saw a retweet of a set of screenshot photos of a young woman reading: “Dear @realdonaldtrump, My name is Marwa, and I am a Muslim. I heard you wanted us to start wearing ID badges, so I decided to choose one for myself. I am not easily identifiable as a #Muslim just by looking at me, so my new badge will let me display proudly who I am. […] I heard you want to track us as well. Great! You can come with me on my Cancer Awareness walks at the local middle school […] You can also see how my local mosque makes PB&J sandwiches for the homeless and hosts interfaith dinners where everyone is welcome. Maybe then, you’ll see that me being Muslim doesn’t make me any less American than you are. Maybe if you walk in my footsteps, you can see that I am not any less human than you are. Salaamu alaikum (Peace be unto you) #NOTINMYNAME” (Balkar).
This gave me tremendous hope. While this is definitely a situation in which violence and hate could be preached back at Trump supporters, it was turned into a place of confidence, of self love and inner peace. Many others followed Balkar’s suit, and it created a huge movement that inspired and brought comfort to Muslims (me included) all over. Through this use of the internet and social media, a social phenomenon was created. This is one of the best examples, in my opinion, of how today’s society refuses to put up with stereotypes and bullying based upon things that are central to someone’s identity, such as their religion. America is one of the only places in the world that you have an explicit freedom to religion, to being who you are as long as it does not infringe on the safety and wellbeing of others.
In this situation and many more, society has said no to racist and ideas that halt progression. This is hugely owed to the wide use of social media platforms across the world. This story was picked up by several news outlets, was plastered all over Twitter, and had originated on Facebook. This started a trending hashtag on Instagram, encouraging other Muslims to post their “badges” in support. Police officers, doctors, lawyers, and many more joined and posted in solidarity. Through the internet, millions of people were brought together to promote peace and interreligious relationships. This is an example in which technology and the internet functions very well as a connecting force, which is arguably the entire reason for the creation of the internet in the first place. This can be seen many many times over, the second most powerful example can be seen in the #YesAllWomen movement, something that began trending on twitter because of an alleged murderer’s comments. Elliot Rodger posted a vent session on YouTube about how he would “slaughter ever spoiled, stuck-up blond” in a sorority…the validation for this being that they rejected him. Quickly afterwards, the hashtag began to take Twitter by store, accompanied by stories of harassment, assault, abuse, and critique on contemporary rape culture.
“Because every single woman I know has a story about a man feeling entitled to access to her body. Every. Single. One. #YesAllWomen” (@emilyhughes). Twitter sparked an important conversation that we should be having about harassment and street culture, one that many people (especially those that live in smaller towns and rural areas) may not necessarily experience as much of when compared to urban places like Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York. This is another instance where the internet takes something that is terrifying and turns it into a conversation, in some cases forcing exposure to those that may not think or previously care about these kinds of topics. It may not become a real life problem until it affects someone they know — their best friend, their sister, their mothers and cousins and daughters. It is my hope, as an American, a woman, and a Muslim, that social media movements will continue to spread knowledge and peaceful attitudes as time goes on, and the internet will be used for good.
ARTWORK:
“What a Girl Wants”
This piece features a word play on a popular phrase “girl just want to have fun.” The original picture is pink, something that is cute and eye catching. I chose this because it represents more than just an attitude, it takes a long time stereotype and changes it into something that is denied to many people across the globe — fundamental human rights. This does not only apply to women, yet covers a vast majority of people — this applies to people that are minorities whether ethnically, racially, socioeconomically, etc. In the glitched picture, the fundamental rights part of the original photo is glitched, edited out but to a point where you can still kind of tell what the original was supposed to say. I did this because this is how America is viewed today — many have limited rights, that are not necessarily full or to the advantage or privilege that their white, upper class, male counterparts are privy to. Additionally, the glitched picture now features bright and obnoxious colors, things that are hard on the eye that you don’t want to look at or pay much attention to. This is akin to the way that many people turn their heads from things that require policy change, things that are complicated to fix and adjust to create complete equality — things like fundamental human rights — like true freedom of religion without persecution or attacks, and the freedom and ability to feel safe while rejecting a guy without fear that he is going to threaten to murder you or your sorority sisters. While this sounds simple and like something that should come as common sense and knowledge in accordance with this country’s constitution and foundations, it is not that way for all people. This concept illustrates the divide that exists within contemporary America, the reason that we need social campaigns such as #YesAllWomen or #NotInMyName and #MyMuslimID. Through this push for fundamental human rights the internet and social media users across the globe have started entire movements to inspire and educate.
“When Was America Great?”
I chose this picture of the frontrunner presidential candidate Donald Trump to glitch. In the original photo, there is a picture of a very confused and slightly condescending looking Trump. I chose this because this is the attitude that he seems to have on why creating a system where Muslims have to register and potentially wear a badge or identification for their religion. It seems to be a no brainer to him. In the glitched picture, it’s a closer version, with a reflection across a line. This photo is how I feel about Trump, confused and frustrated, with kind of an “I have no idea what I’m doing” look on his face. That’s how I feel about him running the country. This is representative of the way that the internet (for the most part) reacted to him getting this far in the presidential race, as well as the reaction to all of the things he’s suggested — the walls, China “raping” us, Mexico not “sending their best,” and the suggestion that Muslims should have to register. If you actually have a reasonable opinion on why Trump would make a good president, or even why he’s a reasonable candidate, please come explain to me because I am genuinely curious.
Throughout this analysis of gender, socioeconomic status, class, and ethnicity, and race through the use of technology, it is apparent that there are both flaws and advantages to the way that the internet and social media corresponds with them. It is my hope as an American, a woman, and an Arabic Muslim that the hatred and taboo bad feelings associated with people that are different or that don’t necessarily hold the same privilege as others diminishes as time goes on. This analysis was a refreshing opportunity to examine important issues in contemporary society, and include an artistic element that may help further the education and of others.
SOURCES
Bush, Vannevar. “As We May Think.” Interactions 3.2 (1945): 112–24. Web. 5 May 2016. <http://www.archivefilter.net/luc/Bush(Life).pdf>.
Haberman, Maggie, and Richard PÉrez-peÑa. “Donald Trump Sets Off a Furor With Call to Register Muslims in the U.S.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 05 May 2016.
Nakamura, Lisa. Cybertyping and the Work of Race in the Age of Digital Reproduction.New York. Hui, W., Chung & Keenan (ED) New Media, Old Media. A History and Theory Reader. 2006
“Paris Attacks: What Happened on the Night — BBC News.” BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016.
“Peer Pressure Trumps “thin” Ideals in the Media.” Springer.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016.
“The 5 Biggest Social Media Movements of 2014.” WSJ. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016.
“This Muslim Woman Just Showed Us The Perfect Response to Trump’s ID Badges.” U.S. Uncut. N.p., 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 05 May 2016.
“Why Are Social Media Sites Blue?” Why Are Social Media Sites Blue? N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016.
