CAS 272N Blog

In this week’s readings, we’ve learned the role of cell phone usage in rallying people together and organizing individuals to participate in protests or engage in political and civic action. For example, in the Case Study, Calling For Strikes: Mundane Mobile Calls, Mobilizing Practices, and Collective Action in China, we got a taste of how in authoritarian regimes, mobile technology has expanded the potential of the mobile phone to serve as a weapon against autocratic rule and a tool for political change.  

I want to take a different route and look at an event that is currently unveiling. Hundreds of demonstrators flooded the streets of Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, on Sunday and Monday night after the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African American man, during a traffic stop. The shooting has fueled more frustration, and anxiety in the Minneapolis area, as the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, in its third week.

As heart-wrenching, this horrific event is unfortunately not the first, nor last time this will happen. We have seen an increase in activism in the previous year or so, specifically following George Floyd’s death. Cell phones in the United States and globally have played a significant role in reaching an audience far and wide.

Though we have yet to see the backend of this kind of activism’s success, and it may very well take years and decades to see, there are several things to take away.

During the protests last summer, hundreds of photos and videos surfaced as protestors were tear-gassed and fired with rubber bullets. These videos and photos were then uploaded to the internet for millions of people worldwide to see. Without cell phones, these images and videos, which were often graphic, would not have existed.

Blackout Tuesday took place on June 2, 2020, as a series of black tiles flooded social media as part of a protest. It intended to “blackout” usual activity and take the time to learn about the Black Lives Matter Movement.

As the George Floyd case is yet to be resolved, an initiative that has continued is Justice For Big Floyd, where you can join to make calls demanding that the County Attorney hold the police officers accountable. This is just one example of cell phone activism. 

As we all continue to follow this story that has continued to unveil and snowball, there are effective ways to draw attention. Cell phone activism looks differently in a given area, yet its purpose remains constant. I am anxious to see what will arise in the following days and weeks as the George Floyd trial prevails and the unfortunate death of Daunte Wright. 

Sources.

What to Know About the Death of Daunte Wright

After Another Police Shooting, Biden Urges Calm. Activists Want Answers. 

George Floyd: 10 Things That Have Changed since His Death

George Floyd Protests: A Timeline 

Make Calls — Justice for Big Floyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the TedTalk presented by Wael Ghonim, Let’s design social media that drives real change, Ghonim outlined reasons for the rise and fall of the Egyptian Revolution. Ghonim’s presentation picked strings and painted a picture I could not see nor understand until afterward.

“We Are All Khaled Said.” A page saturated with glimpses of hope and dreams of change and a possibility of a new era. What once was page homing a community where shared common grievances were kept safe, and many moments of “I’m not alone” were once invited became a “battleground filled with trolls, lies, and hate speech.”

Ghonim expands on the critical problem of polarization that I want to expand on. He said, 

“while polarization is driven by individual behavior, it is social media that shape this behavior and magnifies its impact.”

Think about that for a second, and let that sink in. This is not some foreign concept; this is everywhere. And it is a problem that we are responsible for solving.

 There are five critical challenges facing social media:

1. 1. 1. We don’t know how to deal with rumors 
      2. We create our own echo chambers 
      3. Online discussion descends into angry mobs 
      4. It became tough to change our opinions 
      5. Today, social media experiences are designed in a way that favors broadcasting over engagements, posts over discussions, and shallow comments over deep conversations (where we are talking at each other, not with each other) 

 The Egyptian Revolution failed because of polarization between two groups, where people in the center felt helpless: and social media was the culprit of this fall.

 So how can social media be part of the solution of polarization, not part of the problem? Ghonim provides critical steps that we can take.

 When posting online, promote thoughtfulness and focus more on quality. Posts gain traction and eyes when they are almost outlandish and constantly project opinions—creating more incentives for readers to engage in conversations and reward people for responding to views that they disagree with. Reverse the stigma that people can’t change their minds. We need effective crowdsourcing mechanisms to fact-check information and reward the people who take part in that effort—aid in creating a system that reflects rewarding thoughtfulness, civility, and mutual understanding.

 The lessons learned from social media and the web during the Egyptian Revolution are one to take note of. Let’s be part of the solution to ensure that we can liberate the internet to benefit, not damage, citizens, and democracies that rely on them.

Citation:

Ghonim, Wael. “Let’s Design Social Media That Drives Real Change.” TedGlobal,
Dec. 2015, Geneva. Speech.

In this YouTube video posted in October of 2020, YouTube creator and podcast host, Margot Lee, endorses and sponsors a brand called Casetify. Founded in 2011, Casetify started their company with a single yet simple idea: how to take your Instagram photos and into a custom phone case. Nearly ten years later, Casetify has made its rounds and is now the ultimate customized-case destination. Casetify prides itself on its ability to help its target base and consumers in self-expression. Casetify has a diverse range of phone-type capabilities, case material, colors, designs, and other customization potentials. I am not ashamed to say that, like many others, I, too, have purchased a Casetify case, and it’s safe to say that once you’re hooked to this product, it’s hard to turn back.

In the Science of Persuasion video, we discussed in class, one key shortcut to persuasion is liking. The liking shortcut includes three important factors: people who are similar to us, people who pay us compliments, and people who cooperate with us. Margot Lee is a recent graduate of Syracuse University, making her an interest among the college student demographic. On Margot Lee’s YouTube, she shares her life of working, traveling, and just “vlogging” (or the activity or practice of posting short videos to or maintaining a vlog). I can relate to Margot on that single fact, as she is someone that I look up to and someone that I share common interests with. 

On a similar note, in the Science of Persuasion video, another one of the six shortcuts of persuasion is authority. The authority shortcut states that people will follow credible, knowledgeable experts. Now although Margot Lee herself is not a co-founder or works at Casetify by any means, Lee expresses time and time again that she sponsors only the companies and products she truly and genuinely would use herself. This kind of commitment makes it very easy for me, both a viewer and consumer, to trust her judgment and believe in what she is preaching.

 In just less than a minute, Margot promotes the product discussing its military-grade protection, including a drop test, shares a glimpse of which phone models are available, and even shares a personal link for a discount code, creating an incentive for the base. This is an attractive advertisement that has grabbed the targeted audience’s attention, and it’s hard to look away. 

If this was just your first look at an advertisement from Casetify, I am almost certain that this will not be your last.

 

 

 

Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the are in New Orleans, Louisiana. (AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen)

 

 

 

Astonishing right? Ask yourself, what is the difference between the two photos? Merely the same image, however an entirely different story. And if you take a closer look, you will discover that the word “looting” was associated with a person of color and “finding” associated with whites. Even after such a catastrophic event like Hurricane Katrina, the media effectively tainted the story. This was nearly fifteen years ago. Imagine the state of this technique now. 

What We Can Do. 

As consumers of media, we can take a little bit of control of the situation. Although “media framing” can not and will not disappear, we can control how we perceive information. The most important piece of advice to offer would be to diversify your sources. Nowadays, you cannot be attached to a single source. It’s critical to read up on what you are consuming; if you can only find it in one place, you probably have yourself caught up in a snippet of a story. So, take the time to read and diversify your sources. For better or for worst. The state of our society depends on that fact. 

Sources

What is Media Framing?

Introduction: The Cultural Visualization of Hurricane Katrina