Visual Social Media Research Articles

Speaking Up About Bullying on YouTube: Teenagers’ Vlogs as Civic Engagement

Background YouTube is the most popular social networking website among Canadian adolescents, yet little is known about their contribution to the platform’s contents. This article examines youth-produced vlogs created to address a social issue. It seeks to explore the relationship between media creation, civic agency, and participatory politics in the context of visual social media. Analysis This article combines Grounded Theory and Social Semiotics to perform a multimodal content analysis of 55 vlogs posted on YouTube by French-speaking Canadian adolescents on the issue of bullying. Conclusion and implications The article concludes that vlogging allows for the creation of a social space where civic discussions can foster discursive forms of engagement and online activism. Future research could examine patterns of inclusion/exclusion in the access to this civic practice.

The #AustralianBeachspace Project: Examining Opportunities for Research Dissemination Using Instagram

The #AustralianBeachspace Project: Examining Opportunities for Research Dissemination Using Instagram

Museum objects and Instagram: agency and communication in digital engagement

In recent years, museums have focused on engaging the public in their collections, exhibitions and programming as they reimagine themselves in the light of changes in technology and visitor expectations. This article spotlights public engagement with museum objects from the perspective of museum visitors, specifically how they engage with objects through the visual social media platform of Instagram. It draws on a case study of Instagram users who visited one popular, urban, Australian museum of contemporary art. We argue that visitor engagement with museum objects on Instagram is informed by agency and authority on the part of the user, and a primary motivation to communicate shared experiences using photography. Findings include a significant focus on objects despite public concerns that social media use in museum spaces is leading to a decreased public engagement in this area. Implications stemming from the research include specific insights for museum practice and understandings that have a potential to impact communication, engagement, and contemporary cultural practices generally.

#Asthma #Inhaler: Evaluation of visual social media depictions of inhalers and spacers

#Asthma #Inhaler: Evaluation of visual social media depictions of inhalers and spacers

Tackling sexual and gender-based violence on campus: An intervention at the Durban University of Technology

abstractThis profile describes and reflects on an initiative aimed at developing strategies to tackle sexual and gender-based violence on a university campus. It analyses the activities of young women as an organised group, the Girls Against Sexual Violence and Abuse (GASVA), and the ways in which these helped to build their resilience against sexual violence on campus. The profile comes out of a participatory research project conducted at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). It involved a group of 12 female university students and myself as a mentor and ‘insider researcher’ in addressing sexual and gender-based violence on campus. Established in the latter part of 2015, the group is part of a larger project, the Networks for Change and Well-being, an international interdisciplinary partnership of institutions in Canada and South Africa working to advance ‘girl-led, from the ground up’ interventions aimed at addressing sexual violence against girls and young women. The project uses participatory visual methodologies to provide leadership development and mentoring, as well as to open up spaces for dialogue around sexual violence against women on campus and strategies for addressing them. Through campus dialogues, the use of participatory visual methodologies (photovoice, art, drama and poetry) and social media, GASVA were able to articulate their experiences of sexual violence in and around campus, and to provide a space where others could voice theirs. In these spaces, they identified strategies for addressing sexual violence on campus. After 18 months of participating in the project, GASVA demonstrate leadership capability and resilience and nurture these in their peers as they strive to engage with the campus community in finding solutions to sexual violence in and around campus.

The Necessity of Digital Citizenship and Participation

Many recent developments justify how social and political participation through new media and information and communication technology is an urgent matter for many developed countries [...]

Visual social media and affectivity: the impact of the image of Alan Kurdi and young people’s response to the refugee crisis in Oslo and Sheffield

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on the reception of the image of Alan Kurdi by a group of young volunteers in Oslo and Sheffield, and their understanding of the subsequent civic and political engagement. Methodologically, the study draws on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with a group of young volunteers who saw the photograph when it went viral on Twitter and who had followed the media coverage and participated in on- and offline activities related to the case. To analyse the views of the research participants on the Alan Kurdi case, I draw on feminist theoretical perspectives on affectivity, theoretical literature relating to news images and iconic photography, and online social movement theories. The study shows that the iconic image of Alan Kurdi offered a way of transforming complex and unsettled aspects of the refugee crisis into something concrete and understandable, contributing to galvanize affective resonance and immediate public response among the involved subjects. The infrastructure of social media, enabling the rapid global circulation of the image, contributed to shaping social assemblages to which connective emotions and common meanings were ascribed.

Abstract A58: Cancer and Genetic Testing on Pinterest and Instagram: Who Posts What?

Abstract Social media plays a significant role in health information seeking behaviors, yet little is known about online social media discussions of cancer and genetic testing. Enhanced understanding of what cancer and genetic testing information is available and how it is spread on social media may inform strategies to communicate risk and improve cancer care, especially among the traditionally medically underserved, including racial minorities. This study will examine racial differences in the content of pins and posts related to cancer, including cancer risk awareness and genetic testing, among social media users. Grounded in risk perception theories, this study focuses on how the public discusses cancer and genetic testing on social media. Race will be ascertained from available user data and in addition, a comparison between two visual social media platforms will be used to explore racial differences; specifically between Pinterest, with a predominantly White user base and the more racially diverse user base of the Instagram platform. In a quantitative content analysis, a random sample of 500 Pinterest pins and 500 Instagram posts using the keywords/hashtags “cancer” and “genetic testing” were collected. The analysis focuses on the type and source of information posted and presence of risk communication variables, as well as the frequency of repins, likes and comments. Analyses are ongoing and will be completed by August 15, 2016. Study findings will provide insights for public health researchers about communication related to cancer and genetic testing on visual social platforms Pinterest and Instagram. Results will address a gap in the literature regarding the use and sources of posts and risk communication variables among racial minorities, and afford an imperative first step in informing the development of social media-based interventions to reduce cancer health disparities. Citation Format: Carrie Miller, Guidry Jeanine. Cancer and Genetic Testing on Pinterest and Instagram: Who Posts What? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A58.

Visual Social Media and Big Data. Interpreting Instagram Images Posted on Twitter

Abstract Social media such as Twitter and Instagram are fast, free, and multicast. These attributes make them particularly useful for crisis communication. However, the speed and volume also make them challenging to study. Historically, journalists controlled what/how images represented crises. Large volumes of social media can change the politics of representing disasters. However, methodologically, it is challenging to study visual social media data. Specifically, the process is usually labour-intensive, using human coding of images to discern themes and subjects. For this reason, Studies investigating social media during crises tend to examine text. In addition, application programming interfaces (APIs) for visual social media services such as Instagram and Snapchat are restrictive or even non-existent. Our work uses images posted by Instagram users on Twitter during Hurricane Sandy as a case study. This particular case is unique as it is perhaps the first US disaster where Instagram played a key role in how victims experienced Sandy. It is also the last major US disaster to take place before Instagram images were removed from Twitter feeds. Our sample consists of 11,964 Instagram images embedded into tweets during a twoweek timeline surrounding Hurricane Sandy. We found that the production and consumption of selfies, food/drink, pets, and humorous macro images highlight possible changes in the politics of representing disasters - a potential turn from top-down understandings of disasters to bottom-up, citizen informed views. Ultimately, we argue that image data produced during crises has potential value in helping us understand the social experience of disasters, but studying these types of data presents theoretical and methodological challenges.

Visualising the ends of identity: pre-birth and post-death on Instagram

ABSTRACTThis paper examines two ‘ends’ of identity online – birth and death – through the analytical lens of specific hashtags on the Instagram platform. These ends are examined in tandem in an attempt to surface commonalities in the way that individuals use visual social media when sharing information about other people. A range of emerging norms in digital discourses about birth and death are uncovered, and it is significant that in both cases the individuals being talked about cannot reply for themselves. Issues of agency in representation therefore frame the analysis. After sorting through a number of entry points, images and videos with the #ultrasound and #funeral hashtags were tracked for three months in 2014. Ultrasound images and videos on Instagram revealed a range of communication and representation strategies, most highlighting social experiences and emotional peaks. There are, however, also significant privacy issues as a significant proportion of public accounts share personally identifiable metadata about the mother and unborn child, although these issue are not apparent in relation to funeral images. Unlike other social media platforms, grief on Instagram is found to be more about personal expressions of loss rather than affording spaces of collective commemoration. A range of related practices and themes, such as commerce and humour, were also documented as a part of the spectrum of activity on the Instagram platform. Norms specific to each collection emerged from this analysis, which are then compared to document research about other social media platforms, especially Facebook.

Being naked on the internet: young people’s selfies as intimate edgework

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I examine how young selfie sharers engage in intimate edgework in the visual social media site tumblr. Originally devised by Stephen Lyng, edgework is defined as the purposeful engagement in risky behaviour as a result of the seductive character of the experience, and the rewards of doing so brings. The article is based on data gathered from in-depth, online interviews with 25 young people who post naked self-photographs to their tumblr blogs, and participant observation between mid-2014 and late 2015. Through their online practices, I show how young selfie sharers gain a range of benefits similar to those leveraged by people engaged in archetypal forms of edgework – such as skydivers – without the threat of physical danger. Young people negotiate the societal boundaries of morality/immorality and order/disorder; prepare and deploy specific skills in their edgework; and maintain a perception of control. Through being naked on the internet, young people feel a sense of well-being and belonging, thus engaging in ‘intimate edgework’. This article answers the call for further development of a feminist model of edgework that uproots its original hegemonic masculine ideals by elaborating on how individuals negotiate emotional edges in the digital age.

Instagrammatics and digital methods: studying visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji

ABSTRACTVisual content is a critical component of everyday social media, on platforms explicitly framed around the visual (Instagram and Vine), on those offering a mix of text and images in myriad forms (Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr), and in apps and profiles where visual presentation and provision of information are important considerations. However, despite being so prominent in forms such as selfies, looping media, infographics, memes, online videos, and more, sociocultural research into the visual as a central component of online communication has lagged behind the analysis of popular, predominantly text-driven social media. This paper underlines the increasing importance of visual elements to digital, social, and mobile media within everyday life, addressing the significant research gap in methods for tracking, analysing, and understanding visual social media as both image-based and intertextual content. In this paper, we build on our previous methodological considerations of Instagram in isolation to examine further questions, challenges, and benefits of studying visual social media more broadly, including methodological and ethical considerations. Our discussion is intended as a rallying cry and provocation for further research into visual (and textual and mixed) social media content, practices, and cultures, mindful of both the specificities of each form, but also, and importantly, the ongoing dialogues and interrelations between them as communication forms.

Redes Sociales Visuales: Caracterización, Componentes y posibilidades para el SEO de Sitios Intensivos en Contenidos

Description, functions and components of visual social media. Presentation of an analysis matrix for visual social media, which is applied in a comparative analysis of the three main social networks of that kind: Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. Description of content-heavy websites and of the link between visual social media and SEO in this category, highlighting that digital newspapers generate a significant volume of multimedia content which are promoted by visual social media as those analyzed in this article.

I'm Going to Instagram It! An Analysis of Athlete Self-Presentation on Instagram

Using Goffman's notions of self-presentation and gender displays, the following study examines the Instagram feeds of 27 professional athletes to determine how athletes are using the visual social media site for self-presentation. A mixed methods approach examined the photographs and captions to determine what behaviors and themes emerged. Through content analysis, the self-presentation styles of athletes of both genders, as well as the main differences between them were examined, and significant differences emerged that confirmed the previously established gender norms. Through textual analysis, findings with respect to captions align with previous research on athlete self-presentation on social media. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research are discussed.

A Snapshot of Social Media: Camera Phone Practices

This paper provides a short summary on some of the key debates emerging around visual social media. In particular we discuss the role of camera phones in issues of intimacy and co-presence.

Creating virtual communities of practice with the visual social media platform Pinterest

This paper reports results of a mixed methods study on the use of the visual social media platform Pinterest in the higher education classroom. Research methods included data collection of pre-experience and post-experience student surveys from two disciplines, education and business, regarding students’ experiences using Pinterest for learning. A total of 227 students (189 undergraduate and 38 graduate students) participated in the study. Findings included student attitudes regarding the usability of Pinterest in the classroom setting, student learning and development, and ways Pinterest facilitated the development of a VCoP. Recommendations for future classroom use are given.

Zooming into an Instagram City: Reading the local through social media

How are users’ experiences of production, sharing, and interaction with the media they create mediated by the interfaces of particular social media platforms? How can we use computational analysis and visualizations of the content of visual social media (e.g., user photos, as opposed to upload dates, locations, tags and other metadata) to study social and cultural patterns? How can we visualize this media on multiple spatial and temporal scales? In this paper, we examine these questions through the analysis of the popular mobile photo–sharing application Instagram. First, we analyze the affordances provided by the Instagram interface and the ways this interface and the application’s tools structure users’ understanding and use of the “Instagram medium.” Next, we compare the visual signatures of 13 different global cities using 2.3 million Instagram photos from these cities. Finally, we use spatio–temporal visualizations of over 200,000 Instagram photos uploaded in Tel Aviv, Israel over three months to show how they can offer social, cultural and political insights about people’s activities in particular locations and time periods.

On the Slope Is on the Screen

Internet-based social media have emerged as an important site for creative consumption, or prosumption, and a number of studies have examined how consumers interact in and shape this virtual space. However, less is known about how social media transform consumers’ bodily practices beyond the realm of the Internet itself. Thus we might ask, If consumers embrace participatory web cultures, how does the web participate in (offline) consumer cultures? This article analyzes the significance of social media for a range of bodily subcultural practices. Using ethnographic data from freeskiing, a lifestyle sport similar to snowboarding, it details how social media converts “offline” forms of prosumption into mediatized and globally embedded practices. It argues that important subcultural practices, such as self-observation, learning, and developing a sense of style, all depend on habitual practices of seeing and that these offline practices change as the production and consumption of visual social media becomes more widespread. The article suggests that social media institute the global coordination of individual aesthetic practices that include hedonism, reflection, and knowledge. It concludes that social media can be conceptualized as scopic systems: decentralized, nonhierarchical mechanisms that select, distribute, and contextualize visual content and foster global microstructures among dispersed audiences. In developing this argument, the article specifies the impact of social media on prosumption on the basis of insights from science and technology studies.