Portfolio #9
I learned a good deal about empathy in social media and its negative implications. I previously hadn’t considered it or would’ve called it performative — I didn’t have the proper language on the topic. What stood out in Ferrari’s guest lecture was the inclusion of POC events being co-opted by white artists and viewers. It takes away from the racial implications of Syrian refugees, for example, and masks it under a poorly structured relationship with white people. In terms of the readings, the Zocalo quote: “those most able to capitalize on emotions in the workplace tend to be white, middle-class men. When men exercise empathy, it is interpreted as a skill” stood out the most to me. It was an advantage I hadn’t realized before and related back to the lecture. The topic of marginalized groups’ behaviors and existence could be used as a financial gain to those who’re privileged.
The following topic on privacy was interesting to me, since covering related topics previously. I thought The Guardian’s documentary was impactful because viewers were able to learn the history and current status of privacy (or the lack thereof). It personally didn’t make me more/less conscious, though. If anything, it confirmed my feelings about surveillance. I related to the journalist while interviewing the two hackers in Vegas because something similar had happened to an old laptop. Hackers pretended to be the federal government and completely made the laptop unusable.
In relation to my own case study, I do believe each topic could be incorporated. For example, I could highlight political candidates’ manipulation of voters’ struggles as a form of empathy. When candidates focus on three central concerns, they tend to pander for votes by trying to relate with these groups. Such is seen with Trump’s relationship with poor whites, despite not actually relating to their economic hardships. The use of privacy could be included because, since the 2016 US election, there is suspicion of continued surveillance by other countries for 2020. I could also include how many private things for these candidates increasingly become exposed as their chances increases. I could further discuss the use of social media harboring and spreading this information.
