- How have dominant conceptualisations of gender, sexuality, and/or so-called ‘race’ influenced identity construction in online spaces? Have users at times subverted traditional expectations and in what ways?
“….the dynamics of continuity and change in Chinese values. Holmes, Balnaves, and Yini (2015) argued that WeChat tends to reinforce traditional Chinese collectivist values while incorporating a Western democratic element in communication style.” This means the social media constructed the people’s new values of identity and social life.
“…WeChat appeared to have created an implicit new type of digital divide based on the alumni financial and educational ethos.”In addition, the social media created the new education systems compared with the past ideologies of education. For example, exchange the overseas students to study and understand other cultures and values. Also, I assume new educational ethos will change people’s stereotypes of race and culture. It will encourage to subvert the ways of traditional thoughts.
(Zhang, M 2016, ‘A rhetorical analysis of Chinese WeChat messages among midlife adults’, China Media Research, vol. 12, no. 3,p6)
The online social media is most focus on teenagers and young people. Midlife women need care about their age
2. What ‘digital divides’ are you aware of existing within Australia and beyond? Is this just a matter of access to technology or are there other forms? How might exposure to digital divides impact on one’s online identity?
According to the article, WeChat groups have good social connection to update about social and political news. In addition, social media allows them to get specific locations where individuals lived. Also, digital divides impact on identity construction and gives positive influence on people’s sense of well-being. The new media technologies change the relationship between the speaker and audience. (scope of rhetoric expanded by texts, visual images, online discussion and etc). However, at the same time the new media technologies reduce people’s time on other social life.“WeChat offers an array of topics such as news, finance, humor, health, nutrition, education, shopping, and fashion. Individuals and organizations can register for public accounts and have followers of their posts. Beyond domestic use, over 30 foreign embassies in China have opened WeChat accounts to facilitate international exchanges (Hou, 2014).”
(Zhang, M 2016, ‘A rhetorical analysis of Chinese WeChat messages among midlife adults’, China Media Research, vol. 12, no. 3,p7)
3. In what ways have socially and politically marginalised individuals and groups pushed back against systemic power structures to create powerful online identities and communities? List as many examples as you can think of.
The study shows in China that has embraced traditional and western values in the global community, the effectiveness of political discourse and the potential for online propaganda is declining. Hadland (2015) In China, social media is a double-edged sword, providing the government with new opportunities to communicate with citizens, while also giving citizens access to other information and connecting with each other in an unprecedented way. (Masterson, 2015, p. 238). So the politically marginalised individuals and groups can build the identity online and on social media they can find people have the same opinions .
4. What considerations must be taken into account in relation to online dating and identity-building? How do dating sites impact on people’s self-presentation in their profiles? What role do algorithms play in the evaluation of user compatibility? What does this suggest about the relationship between identity and artificial intelligence?
I think people should be careful on what they post online, especially when online dating since the internet itself is a dangerous place much like the real world since we don’t know everything and everyone online. Based on the Chinese media research its been stated that “social media have a need for ‘different personas’.” (Mei Zhang, 6/8) This means that not everything that we see online is true, as some can be made up. Identity-building is a crucial part of building media presence as this is a way for us to be known not only for the people with a relation to us but also for the people online. However, I believe that people should not purely connect online dating profiles as a build identity, as mentioned people work and provide differently as they have a need to put on a different personas.
•Dating sites is for people to find a significant other, some provides every bit of information about them to show ‘this is me, this is who I am’ without concealing anything. While, some “reveal certain truths while simultaneously conceal others” (Mei Zhang, 6/8). Dating sites impact on people’s self-presentation in a way that they provide the audience self-promotion to mostly place themselves into desirable light to connect to people as much as possible.
• In dating sites users are matched together based on their self-presentation in their profile after being “chosen” by the viewer. After this they can be messaged if they matched with each other, and will give permission to message….idk how to answer the last question.
Group member:
Mayuri Mikami Jixian Zhu and Huamian Ding
Reference
Supercube 