Santos Diaz
The following review will be discussing the theory, as well as accomplishments and pitfalls, of two works: 1)“Yakking about College Life: Examining the Role of Anonymous Forums on Community Identity Formation” by Francesca Tripodi, and 2) chapter 3 “Searching for People and Communities” & the “Conclusion” of Safiya Noble’s book Algorithms of Oppression. Each text in its own right investigates important questions about how technology interfaces with social dynamics, which is my focus of interest as I analyze how the two authors complement one another. By offering different perspectives on how online platforms are not detached from real-world power structures and community norms, both shed light on the complexities of online spaces and their influence on identity formation, community engagement, and the perpetuation of biases/prejudices.
The article “Yakking about College Life” by Francesca Tripodi explores the complexities involved in online interaction, using the platform Yik Yak as an example of what she terms “mediated publics”. She challenges the assumption that anonymity on social media networks leads people to engage in uninhibited self-expression and argues this point by highlighting the ways in which community rules still bind users. Her study proposes that interactions within our community—both online and offline—shape our sense of self. She calls attention to social media’s (Yik Yak’s) role in developing communal identity and standards, examining how social forces affect content, gender norms in online interactions, and users’ propensity to follow rules to avoid social rejection. It is especially important in YikYak’s case to focus on the social norms of online interaction that restrict user interactions because the app’s geofencing feature limits the user base to specific physical locations. Even with Yik Yak’s seeming anonymity, users are cautious while posting because they worry about being shunned by their friends. To this point, the author makes an interesting connection in the article by tying Benedict Anderson’s “imagined community” theory to Eliasoph and Lichterman’s “culture in interaction,” in order to highlight Yik Yak’s ability to foster a sense of community membership. She explains that apps like YikYak act as a venue for both authentic emotional confession, or expression of the “authentic” self, and formulaic content, algorithmic consumption which keeps users entertained through introduction of consistently new content. Tripodi also highlights systematic media restrictions on apps, like the removal of content containing threatening language.
The analysis discusses themes of marginalization, privilege, and the repression of opposing opinions on Yik Yak. Tripoldi examines and criticizes the way Yik Yak’s creators aimed at making a space for the “disenfranchised,” but ultimately embedded privilege into the app by “specifically targeting the Greek system on college campuses when they first began rolling out the app.” Two cases through which the author displays this suppression of voices are Justin and Alicia, two black students who studied at the university where Franscesca rooted her research. They each express feelings of being excluded and silenced in the mixed community surrounding the app, being treated as outsiders meanwhile other YikYak users were able to find significance and support on the platform.
The study of Safiya Noble’s chapter “Searching for People and Communities” delves into the consequences of skewed search engine results, particularly concerning racial biases and their influence on society. The reading begins with a recounting of the Charleston church shooting that occurred on June 17, 2015, committed by Dylann Roof, a White nationalist who was inspired by his preconceived notions about Black Americans’ violence against White Americans. He was supplied with biased information online when using search engines whose algorithms directed him to hate sites after googling “black on white crimes”. Noble draws attention to the way search engines can skew perceptions and spread false information. She stresses that in order to separate fact from distorted viewpoints on the internet, people, especially those from younger generations, must be technologically literate. In the conclusion, Safiya continues her examination of misinformation and biases in algorithms by exploring issues of identity ownership on the internet. Using qualitative data and stories, like Kandis’s, the author draws attention to the difficulties communities of color face in having their voices fairly represented when there are algorithms online which affect and control how these voices are portrayed. For context, Kandis is an African American woman who owns a hair salon in a predominantly white college town and reports on her struggles to build community engagement with her business while trying to use apps like Yelp. This is often because Yelp will ask users to pay an additional charge for their business to receive a spotlight, and if they refuse, they are dropped to the bottom of recommendations in their provided service. Noble argues that this link between commercial interests and online access to high-quality information must be severed if we are to ensure equitable distribution of media resources. While I agree with her strongly on this sentiment, she does not expand further on methods through which to accomplish said feat, one that is not easy considering many search engines and social media sites (like Google, Instagram, etc.) are largely funded through advertisement. She also emphasizes the significance of public funding and information policies in preserving equitable representation and halting the degradation of high-quality online information, which I found very helpful in conceptualizing steps towards reform. In the end, the analysis aims to stimulate thought in the reader about the negative effects of relying too much on technology and calls for a reassessment of its benefits and drawbacks as it continues to change society.
Overall, both the Francesca Tripodi article on YikYak and the Safiya Noble chapters on algorithms and search engines explore very similar topics relating to the impact of technology on the development of personal identities and communities in their analyses. Noble draws attention to the ways that biased search engine results reinforce preexisting biases and shape societal perceptions. Tripodi investigates how Yik Yak shapes community identity by showing how the platform’s layout, guidelines, and user conduct influence interactions within a particular physical space (college campuses). In this way, both analyses touch on the issues of marginalization and power relationships in online environments, specifically among groups of color. Safiya talks about the ways in which search engine algorithms can reinforce societal power structures and amplify biases. Franscesca demonstrates how Yik Yak unintentionally marginalizes some groups, like Justin and Alicia, who feel silenced and excluded from the platform’s community, even though it purports to provide an anonymous forum for expression. To a certain extent, both authors are demonstrating the conflict between algorithmic influence, communal standards of online interaction, and genuine expression; each being forces of constraint against one another. These works may be of interest to people who are interested in social media dynamics, online identity, technology bias, or who want to learn more about how online platforms affect public perceptions.