Portfolio #2

My term of “participation” seemed to be fairly straightforward. By definition, participation is to mean “the action or fact of having or forming part of something”. But the author Christopher Kelty also included the definition “the relation between individuals and collectives”. I interpreted these definitions to mean being part of a community. The author argued what else participation looks like, such as voting in elections and protesting and what challenges accompany participation. More importantly, Kelty emphasized that participation “…is not simply about inclusion and exclusion…[or] direct action; it is about belonging”. Kelty also brought up nonparticipation and if it could be achieved. Additionally, the author mentioned how participation doesn’t always apply to a collective “…because not everyone belongs.”

Participation heavily coincided with the topic of media and online relationships. For these relationships to exist, one has to engage and participate in these social media platforms with others. In “Ethics and of Networked Caring”, people have to be active in these networks to produce “meaningful contact and emotionally nurturing forms of intimacy” online. In regards to “My So-Called (Instagram) Life”, Clara experienced involuntary participation, or “…the constant demand to measure and monitor participation” among her Instagram account and followers. Similarly, the YouTube video on connection touched on involuntary participation but emphasized the desire for social media because it provided the platform to be “heard” 24/7. Therefore, users are more inclined to continuously interact online once an audience is acquired. But, each of these readings/videos proved that participation doesn’t apply to a collective because not everyone has access to Twitter or Instagram.