Digital Activism

(DigiActive Research Series, July 2009 p.2 )

When first coming across the term of digital activism just recently it first sparked to me how each and every one of us have been involved within it. Individuals access the internet and social networking sites to effectively organize/raise awareness, spread messages, achieve goals, promote or vigorously be part of a cause.  The context of digital activism is based upon the digital network  of there being ‘an interconnected group of devices that transmits information. It is used for economic, social and political purposes for active campaigns. (Joyce, M, 2010 p.2)

 For instance if you go on a Face book page, or a website and see an advertised network . The particular advert  or cause has a  purpose involving the individual to be informed of the cause and be in contact with other participants. A specific time that I was part of digital activism,  was many years ago when supporting my sister who took part of a cause called “Oxfam Trailwalker or Oxfam Australia which is a campaign based on raising funds to help overcome poverty and injustice. My sister had to train long hours to be able to walk 100km within 48 hours of Australian Bush with a group of four. I showed my support by sponsoring via the website provided of her teams page.  The use of face book groups and pages   allowed to spread word about this cause (e.g of being an act of activism)!

However there’s more to digital activism then meets the eye. Yes, it may be used as means of raising awareness for specific causes and goals but these days media technologies are sometimes engaging in risky activities and using it in ways that aren't right. Culture jamming is a term that takes form of activism that involves particular media or advertising media to be altered upon governments, corporations, or individuals. (Sewell, D, 2003). Culture Jamming is based ‘’on re-representing logos (or signs) that conjure the brand with new and conflicting representations’’. (Brown, P, 2009 p.1).

In today’s society we have all become part of a social and political movement that we want to see change in. We have become discontented upon the control politicians, corporations and capitalism have had upon our society. To express alternative forms of opinion upon the consumerism world we have used different forms of media to express alternating opinions through, ‘’internet, posters, billboards, personal t-shirts’’. (Fitzgerald, Br &  O'Brien, D ,2005’ p.14) 

Cultural critic and media theories Mark Dery views Culture Jamming as a ‘’desperate project of

reconstructing meaning, or at least reclaiming that notion from marketing

departments and P.R. firms, requires visually-literate Ghostbusters.” (Lamb, A, 2003,p.9)

He also states Culture jamming ''will alter the way we live

and think. It will change the way information flows, the way

institutions wield power, the way TV stations are run, the way the

food, fashion, automobile, sports, music, and culture industries

pop will eat itself-culture jamming. it will change the way we interact with the

mass media and the way meaning is produced in our society. (Lamb, A, 2003 p.10)

The world of social media is constantly developing and will continue to be a surprise for us all.

References

1.            DigiActive Research Series, July 2009, Digital Activism Survey Report 2009, DigiActive Research Series  viewed 17 December 2012 <akgul.bilkent.edu.tr/DigitalActivisim-SurveyReport2009.pdf>

2.            Joyce, M, 2010, ‘Digital Activism Decoded The New Mechanics of Change’, International Debate Education Association,  New York,

3.            Sewell, D, 2003,  ‘Culture Jammers’, Historic Houses Trust, viewed 19 December 2012, http://www.hht.net.au/whats_on/past_exhibitions/mos/culture_jammers

4.             Brown, P, 2009, ’ The Failure of Culture Jamming: Reisistance in a Postsocial Worldmore’ Academia.edu,  viewed on 19 December 2012, http://www.academia.edu/305213/The_Failure_of_Culture_Jamming_Reisistance_in_a_Postsocial_World

5.             Lamb, A, 2003, “Pop Will Eat Itself: Culture Jamming and the Battle Over Corporate Media Control’, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, United States.

6.            Fitzgerald, Br &  O'Brien, D ,2005’ Digital Sampling and Culture Jamming in a Remix World: What Does the Law Allow, .Copyright 2005,  University of Melbourne Law School, viewed on 19 December 2012, < eprints.qut.edu.au/3687/1/3687.pdf>