Portfolio #8

The lectures this week touched on topics that I had minor background knowledge in. But, they were each able to provide the proper language and nuance that I hadn’t known previously. For example, I grew up in the era of Tumblr forums being used as a fanfic publishing site. But I never considered how ostracizing these communities could be to marginalized groups. What really stuck out was the note of native language being forgotten, due to the overwhelming amount of Western English being the focal communication. I also hadn't known what “slash” was until guest lecturer Diana Floegel explained its meaning. In terms of the trolling and online abuse section, I have also witnessed this happening on social media — in particular to women (since that is the demographic I follow the most). What I didn’t know however was how extreme doxing was, such as floor plans being published online in an attempt for harassment and further danger.

I think both topics unveiled an underlying issue with online spaces and communication. I feel younger people are more prone to note the positives like a sense of community or access to people you normally wouldn’t get to interact with. But we often forget who is left out of the said community. We also don’t realize the negatives that can come with the option of being easily accessible to others online because it can resort to online harassment, which could then be transferred to offline violence. Overall, I think both exposed the blindspots of digital spaces and how difficult avoiding these obstacles can be.

In terms of my final project, I think these topics could assist in strengthening my proposal. With my focus being on social media and theUS 2020 election, I could definitely utilize trolling and abuse. Depending on your political beliefs, you are at risk of online harassment. Especially if your beliefs are polar opposites (ie conservative and liberal), verbal harassment on social media could get so extreme that users may mass report one another, as a way to get accounts suspended. As far as fandoms, presidential candidates today have managed to create a celebrity of themselves, spawning the development of “hives”. From Bernie Sanders’ Bernie Bros to Kamala Harris’ K Hive, political leaders today have online loyal groups that support them. But these fan clubs exclude anyone who doesn’t hold their exact ideologies, similar to those who didn’t exactly fit into fanfic groups, like men of color or LGBT+ women.