tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/messaging-9086/articlesMessaging – The Conversation2022-05-09T14:24:34Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1804442022-05-09T14:24:34Z2022-05-09T14:24:34ZWorking in the metaverse: what virtual office life could look like<p>In the context of work, the <a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-07/jrc121193.pdf">digital divide</a> has become less about access to devices and connectivity and more about skills and mindset. Many experienced professionals have never learned more than the rudimentary basics of email, web search and Microsoft Office. Instead, they lean hard on nearby colleagues or the IT helpdesk when things go wrong. </p>
<p>By contrast, young people have already demonstrated a competitive edge in the virtual workplace. They come equipped with a more intuitive grasp of digital technology and the initiative to troubleshoot problems via YouTube tutorials, social media and subreddits.</p>
<p>As a generation, they’re also bigger gamers. As more and more work takes place in virtual reality (VR) – and one does not have to share the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRhQ7bXX-z4">somewhat eccentric vision</a> of the metaverse Mark Zuckerberg articulated at the 2021 Connect Conference to believe that it will – being familiar with massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) like Fortnite and Roblox, not to mention the ability to manage multiple digital identities, is set to make that edge keener still.</p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-your-colleagues-affect-your-home-life-and-vice-versa-175889">How your colleagues affect your home life and vice versa</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-remote-working-can-increase-stress-and-reduce-well-being-125021">How remote working can increase stress and reduce well-being</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-metaverse-doesnt-look-as-disruptive-as-it-should-it-looks-ordinary-heres-why-175866">The metaverse doesn’t look as disruptive as it should, it looks ordinary – here’s why</a></em></p>
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<p>Much of the metaverse is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-metaverse-doesnt-look-as-disruptive-as-it-should-it-looks-ordinary-heres-why-175866">still to be built</a>. VR, of course, has long been used in <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-sweden-is-using-virtual-reality-to-help-the-military-work-with-civilians-60904">training</a> for certain physical jobs, from astronauts and pilots to law enforcement, surgery and manufacturing. When it comes to specialist machinery or complex locations, the relative safety and cost advantages of training virtually are obvious. But it is in knowledge work – from software engineering to law to design – where the changes will be most profound.</p>
<h2>How virtual workplaces can improve communication</h2>
<p>For most people, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-remote-work-experiment-what-happens-next-podcast-157795">remote working</a> during the pandemic has been characterised by alt-tabbing between communications apps and videoconferencing platforms such as Slack, Teams and Miro. And there is certainly a lot of room for improvement there. </p>
<p>Academic studies have found that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01196-4?">collaborative work</a> between colleagues suffers when they work remotely. Exchanges over email or Slack increasingly replace real-time in-person conversations, hampering communication. </p>
<p>Google itself has claimed that <a href="https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/googles-workplace-design-for-serendipity">informal chats</a> at coffee machines and lunch tables in its campus were responsible for innovations such as Street View and Gmail. But, with remote working, this kind of serendipitous encounter all but disappears. </p>
<p>And of course there are costs to remote working, in terms of individual wellbeing too. <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/">Stanford researchers</a> have found that so-called “Zoom fatigue” is driven by a combination of intense eye contact, lack of mobility, self-consciousness about one’s own video feed, and the cognitive demands of needing to give exaggerated feedback to signal understanding, agreement or concern.</p>
<p>Technological advances mean solutions to these problems related to remote working are becoming possible. Collaboration software such as Meta’s <a href="https://www.oculus.com/workrooms/">Horizon Workrooms</a> and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/mesh">Microsoft Mesh</a>, which allow colleagues to meet as avatars in VR or take part in a real-world meeting as a photo-realistic hologram, are already available. </p>
<p>The metaverse 1.0 will no doubt see organisations creating persistent VR workplace environments, in which employees can interact in real time as embodied avatars. VR versions of office spaces can be designed to encourage chance encounters and corridor chats. </p>
<p>Imagine, for example, if going from one remote meeting to another involved leaving the conference room and crossing a bustling virtual atrium. That might sound far-fetched but bear in mind that Korean PropTech company Zigbang has already opened a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3629/htm">30-floor VR office</a> called Metapolis. Employees choose an avatar and navigate to their desks via elevators and corridors. When they meet a colleague’s avatar, their webcam and mic are activated so they’re able to have a conversation. The webcam and mic then turn off automatically as their avatar walks away.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Employees in the Korean VR workplace, Metapolis, can do large presentations, give speeches and work in small groups.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Meanwhile, the ability to use and read body language and actively participate in group discussions by scribbling post-it notes or drawing on a virtual whiteboard should make remote meetings in VR more engaging and less sedentary. They require much more active use of the neck, shoulders, arms and hands than a typical hour on Zoom. </p>
<h2>How to work as an avatar</h2>
<p>It seems likely that a new set of workplace norms will emerge as the metaverse develops. Team games, including <a href="https://www.premiumbowling.com/">virtual bowling nights</a> and <a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/1952355814856769/">virtual ping-pong tournaments</a>, might supplant Zoom drinks as the default remote working social event. </p>
<p>When it comes to hiring, meanwhile, VR could bring distinct benefits. <a href="https://gap.hks.harvard.edu/orchestrating-impartiality-impact-%E2%80%9Cblind%E2%80%9D-auditions-female-musicians">“Blind” auditions</a> have been shown to significantly increase the representation of female musicians in symphony orchestras. It follows that interviewing as an avatar might diminish the effect of bias –- <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603108.2011.611833?journalCode=tpsp20">unconscious</a> or otherwise –- against people on the basis of their gender, age or appearance. </p>
<p>Just as custom “skins” (outfits) are a feature of many MMOs, in the virtual world of work, there may well be demand for creativity in virtual fashion and accessories too, as people seek to express their <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/02/whats-the-point-of-a-personal-brand">personal brand</a> within the constraints of professional dress codes for avatars. Gucci has already sold <a href="https://www.roblox.com/games/6536060882/Gucci-Garden">virtual hats, handbags, and sunglasses</a> on the MMO platform Roblox. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Gucci is one of the first fashion brands to sell accessories for avatars.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Young people have been the <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/labourmarketeconomicanalysisquarterly/march2021#employment-of-young-people-declined-while-unemployment-and-economic-inactivity-increased-in-2020">worst affected</a> by the disruption COVID has caused to the job market. While some struggled with working productively from a shared house or their parents’ homes, others were scammed into joining companies that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60387324">did not even exist</a>.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the pandemic has also brought exciting glimpses of how remote working might evolve. Due to public health concerns and climate pressure, the latter is here to stay. As it develops into the metaverse, it will continue to bring capabilities that are concentrated among younger people to the fore.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180444/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sam Gilbert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Young people have lost out from recent developments in the labour market. Could the shift to working in virtual reality be about to turn the tables?Sam Gilbert, Affiliated Researcher, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1421392020-07-13T13:46:27Z2020-07-13T13:46:27ZFacts or fake news: Revealing patterns in the COVID-19 tweets of Trudeau and Trump<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346736/original/file-20200709-54-2a9ouo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=47%2C44%2C1801%2C1158&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump have had different approaches to tweeting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here the two talk during a NATO session in December 2019.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>From its ostensible origins in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, COVID-19 has spread across the globe. There are now a staggering <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019">11.5 million cases worldwide, resulting in over half a million deaths</a>. March saw the pandemic’s beginnings in Canada and the United States, followed by widespread lockdowns meant to slow the progression of the virus. </p>
<p>While the number of new daily cases in Canada is declining, U.S. cases have reached record highs. The U.S. represents four per cent of the world’s population, but accounts for <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/health/us-coronavirus-toll-in-numbers-june-trnd/index.html">one-quarter of COVID-19 cases and deaths</a>. As of July 8, 2020, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/">there were 9,051 cases per million people in the U.S. compared to 2,812 cases per million in Canada</a>. These statistics point to a substantial difference in community spread in the two countries. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346437/original/file-20200708-3991-1tm6xe7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 per million people in the U.S. and Canada.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(OurWorldInData.org)</span></span>
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<p>Twitter provides an online record of political leaders’ policies and personal sentiments. Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump often tweet to large numbers of followers. The <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> Twitter account has 82.7 million followers with more than <a href="https://www.trackalytics.com/twitter/profile/realdonaldtrump/">20,000 tweets during Trump’s presidency</a>. The account <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau">@JustinTrudeau</a> has five million followers and has <a href="https://www.trackalytics.com/twitter/profile/justintrudeau/">tweeted 18,000 times since Trudeau became prime minister</a>. </p>
<p>There’s a significant difference in how the two leaders have talked about this virus on Twitter. One has focused more on politics, while the other has focused on policy and public health.</p>
<h2>Networks of Twitter keywords</h2>
<p>We conducted a quantitative analysis of themes emerging in Trudeau’s and Trump’s tweets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study used network science, which considers systems and their interactions. We formed what are called “co-occurrence networks” based on keywords taken from tweets, with two keywords linked if they appear in the same tweet. For example, if the keywords “covid19” and “pandemic” appear in the same tweet, then they were linked. The monthly top 100 keywords from @JustinTrudeau and @realDonaldTrump were extracted based on their frequency.</p>
<p>To simplify the networks, we removed retweets and common stop words such as “the” and “at.” We created visualizations of the networks to group the keywords into thematically related clusters or communities. We find a higher proportion of links inside communities and a sparser set of links between them. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345899/original/file-20200706-3980-k5lgnf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trudeau’s March Twitter keyword network.</span>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345900/original/file-20200706-3975-qec1sb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trump’s March Twitter keyword network.</span>
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</figure>
<p>The algorithm extracted the communities in the keywords. Keywords and links were scaled up or down in size depending on their frequency. Communities of keywords were assigned colours such as blue, green and orange, and more correlated keywords were located closer together in the network.</p>
<p>Looking back at the first two months of 2020, Trudeau’s and Trump’s tweets were unrelated to COVID-19. Trudeau focused on the shooting down of the passenger plane in Iran that had 57 Canadian citizens on board, followed by protests for the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. Trump focused on his impeachment trial and endorsing candidates in Republican congressional primaries. </p>
<p>In March, the federal government’s response to COVID-19 dominated Trudeau’s Twitter keywords. In contrast, other topics competed for prevalence in Trump’s tweets. These included tweets about fake news (closely situated to “coronavirus” in the keyword network) and perceived unfairness from the Democrats.</p>
<p>Claims of fake news coverage of the severity of the pandemic dominated Trump’s April tweets. Trudeau’s tweets centred on topics such as wage subsidies and appreciation for front-line workers.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345902/original/file-20200706-3967-ptcpfs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trudeau’s April Twitter keyword network.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345901/original/file-20200706-4013-1optmex.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trump’s April Twitter keyword network.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In May and June, keywords from Trump’s tweets revolved around Obamagate, Republican endorsements and transit funding. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345904/original/file-20200706-29-1vrtvy5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trump’s May Twitter keyword network.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345905/original/file-20200706-3975-5cxt07.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trump’s June Twitter keyword network.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Trudeau’s keyword networks for both months were in stark contrast to Trump’s, with keywords related to the virus remaining prevalent.</p>
<h2>What the networks tell us</h2>
<p>The keyword networks from March to June point to divergent messaging on the pandemic by the two leaders, as reflected in their tweets. While both leaders focused on COVID-19 in their March tweets, Trump did increasingly less so over the coming months. His reference to the virus was often through a political lens, with keywords related to the media or Democratic rivals. </p>
<p>For each month we considered, the keywords fell into a small collection of communities, ranging from three to five. These observations are consistent with an <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-math-behind-trumps-tweets-100314">earlier analysis</a> of Trump’s tweets around his election.</p>
<p>Trump famously made comments <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/28/trump-coronavirus-misleading-claims">downplaying the pandemic</a> in its early days, and made subsequent statements referencing progress controlling the pandemic, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/04/coronavirus-update-us/">despite a record number of new cases</a>. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rushed-reopening-led-to-case-spikes-that-threaten-to-overwhelm-hospitals-in-some-states/2020/07/05/c936bd16-beea-11ea-9fdd-b7ac6b051dc8_story.html">early reopening of U.S. states</a> may have been a possible cause for increased cases.</p>
<p>In contrast, Trudeau has stayed consistent in his daily briefings and tweets since lockdowns began in March, highlighting economic recovery programs and providing public health-care information.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345903/original/file-20200706-3958-1l89ph5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trudeau’s May Twitter keyword network.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345906/original/file-20200706-29-zf7u0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trudeau’s June Twitter keyword network.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Interestingly, Trudeau’s minority government has been <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-polltracker-26june2020-1.5627260">enjoying a surge in popularity</a>, while polls suggest <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/06/25/americans-disapprove-of-trumps-coronavirus-handling-by-highest-margin-yet-poll-finds/#3dcc4cb44df8">rising disapproval of the Trump administration’s</a> handling of the pandemic. </p>
<p>As the COVID-19 becomes part of the new normal, there is greater public awareness of the effectiveness of lockdowns and actions needed to curb the spread of the virus such as social distancing, hand-washing, and wearing masks. However, <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-do-so-many-americans-refuse-to-wear-face-masks-it-may-have-nothing-to-do-with-politics-2020-06-16">not everyone is willing to comply</a>. </p>
<p>Our network analysis suggests that consistent social media messaging by federal leadership may play a role in influencing views of the pandemic and efforts to contain it. We hope that political leaders with large platforms will use them to amplify the advice of medical professionals and help slow the spread of the virus.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142139/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Bonato receives funding from NSERC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Nazareth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A tale of two leaders on Twitter in the age of COVID-19.Anthony Bonato, Professor of Mathematics, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityAlex Nazareth, MSc Candidate, Applied Math, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1335082020-03-13T04:54:18Z2020-03-13T04:54:18ZViral spiral: the federal government is playing a risky game with mixed messages on coronavirus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320347/original/file-20200313-27019-4di3kb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Scott Morrison at COAG on Friday.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/David Gray</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Holding daily press conferences to keep people alert but not alarmed is an inherently tricky business. But “fast, frank and frequent” have been the watchwords for Health Minister Greg Hunt and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. </p>
<p>Since the earliest days of awareness of the virus, the pair’s updates, along with those of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, have generally struck that delicate balance between official insouciance and overreaction.</p>
<p>Inevitably, advice has evolved as new information has come to light about the virulence of COVID-19 and as governments abroad have embraced more extreme containment measures.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-will-many-people-be-too-worried-to-spend-the-cash-splashed-their-way-133544">Grattan on Friday: Will many people be too worried to spend the cash splashed their way?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Early on, Australians were told there was little danger of human-to-human infection, and supposedly no risk at all of asymptomatic transfer.</p>
<p>As a novel pathogen, authoritative advice on COVID-19’s spread has been sparse. Meanwhile, on social media, unreliable information has flowed more freely. Public confusion has not been helped by an absence of clear advice on appropriate social behaviour, risk minimisation, what to do if feeling unwell, and infection modelling.</p>
<p>Neither has it been aided by politicians such as Barnaby Joyce who made a notable call for a “reality check” on breakfast television. <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/barnaby-joyce-makes-random-coronavirus-claim/news-story/bd5935d7d423c4f0c7b67b18da223f9b">He told the Seven network</a> on March 9:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Look, it’s tragic, we’ve had over 3,000 deaths globally, but you’d need about 30 to 40 times that number to equate to the deaths from snake bites. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the US, where the rate of testing is <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-testing-numbers/607714/">reported as significantly lower</a> than in many other countries, President Donald Trump has variously suggested: that the normal influenza vaccine might help with COVID-19; that, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/03/07/flu-trump-grandfather-death-coronavirus/">as far as he knew</a>, people did not die from the flu; and that as a result of its failure to contain the virus, all travel in people, trade and cargo from Europe <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51846923">would be banned</a>.</p>
<p>Equity markets plunged more sharply on Thursday (US time) than on any single day since the Black Monday crash of 1987. The Australian Stock Exchange followed in this vein when it opened hours later.</p>
<p>While the word from Australian authorities has erred deliberately on the side of public reassurance, the dramatic Chinese decision to impose strict quarantining and order the construction of emergency hospitals spoke to something far more dangerous. Cue panic in the toilet-paper aisles of grocery stores.</p>
<p>As this pandemic has advanced, criticism has been growing that the government was no longer on the front foot as it had been with the first travel bans.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, much of the political/economic discussion has dwelt on the differences between the current situation as a “health crisis” and the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Functionally, this is a distinction without a useful difference to most people inasmuch as the pandemic materially imperils economic growth and a putative budget surplus.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/morrisons-coronavirus-package-is-a-good-start-but-hell-probably-have-to-spend-more-133511">Morrison's coronavirus package is a good start, but he'll probably have to spend more</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While obviously the root cause is different, many of the implications are notably familiar: collapsing confidence, evaporating consumer demand, broken supply chains, rising unemployment. It’s a secondary contagion of investment-chilling fear with severe economic and budgetary impacts.</p>
<p>Self-evidently, official messaging from Morrison has underscored a “don’t panic” mindset. Which is to say, the government has adopted a best-case stance on the viral spread in order to project confidence and thus protect the economic domain from the corrosive effects of runaway fear.</p>
<p>The clear aim has been to adjust policy only once unavoidable – such as the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-12/coronavirus-travel-ban-extended-global-pandemic/12049448">staged travel bans</a> on entry from China, Iran, South Korea and Italy – while seeking to avoid a cliff-like drop-off in normal behaviour and commercial activity.</p>
<p>This has led to a dissonance between the life-as-normal health advice emanating from Canberra and the emergency footing onto which fiscal policy has now unashamedly been placed. </p>
<p>Even on economic policy, the government’s rhetoric has mostly conveyed a reluctance to be seen as overreacting.</p>
<p>This contrasts (perhaps deliberately) with the Rudd Labor government’s approach to the GFC in 2008. It conspicuously erred on the side of overreach to ensure it did not undershoot on stimulus.</p>
<p>Asked about the apparent gap between the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cash-handout-of-750-for-6-5-million-pensioners-and-others-receiving-government-payments-133512">emergency budgetary measures</a> unveiled on Thursday and the public health advice advocating a business-as-usual approach to sporting events, travel, work and so on, Morrison <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/press-conference-parliament-house-4">said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Well, it’s very simple. You follow the health advice. I’m going to the footy this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. And I’m sure many Australians would. And I encourage you to, unless you’re ill and unless there’s reason that with your own, if you’re in self-isolation for medical reasons or you’re actually ill, that I wouldn’t suggest you go.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>By Friday afternoon, the distance <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/mar/13/australia-coronavirus-live-news-formula-one-f1-gp-grand-prix-melbourne-australian-government-stimulus-economic-package-asx200-latest-updates">between developments and the Morrison government’s static position</a> on public gatherings was becoming unsustainable. That turned to untenable when Murphy advised that mass gatherings (more than 500 people) for sporting events should no longer be allowed. Morrison later announced that the government will be “advising against” such gatherings from Monday.</p>
<p>Labor, suppressing a perhaps understandable sense of schadenfreude after being punished for the “fiscal hangover” of its GFC response, has supported that position.</p>
<p>Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese told reporters on Thursday Labor would back the Coalition package, adding that he too intended to go the football on the weekend.
But with community sentiment shifting underneath the government, there were signs of a breakdown in political bipartisanship emerging by Friday.</p>
<p>Former US president Barack Obama has also left little doubt as to his approach were he still in the White House, tweeting a graph showing the benefits of early decisive control.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1238238576141352966"}"></div></p>
<p>Many sporting and other private organisations are coming to similar views. </p>
<p>This is making the absence of a centralised policy and a clear national message all the more glaring.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133508/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Kenny does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Having been on the front foot early with the coronavirus, the government’s approach is now starting to look like too little, too late, with no clear messaging.Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1198362019-07-11T13:14:41Z2019-07-11T13:14:41ZAnonymous apps risk fuelling cyberbullying but they also fill a vital role<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283688/original/file-20190711-173334-p8y2rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-covering-her-face-blank-tablet-314384858?src=g8ZKOeS6RfQ1Vj7CeDN4qA-1-43&studio=1">Anotnio Guillem/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When the anonymous social media app YOLO was launched in May 2019, it <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48214413">topped the iTunes downloads chart</a> after just one week, despite the lack of a major marketing campaign. Designed to be used with social network Snapchat, YOLO lets users invite people to send them anonymous messages. Its viral popularity followed that of other apps, such as the now infamously defunct <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/28/15480052/yik-yak-shut-down-anonymous-messaging-app-square">Yik Yak</a> as well as Whisper, Secret, Spout, Swiflie and Sarahah. All these cater to a desire for anonymous interaction online. </p>
<p>The explosive popularity of YOLO has led <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/yolo-app-most-popular-snapchat-danger-online-abuse-security-a8907836.html">to warnings</a> of the same problem that led to Yik Yak’s shutdown, namely that its anonymity could lead to cyberbullying <a href="https://www.afr.com/technology/social-media/time-to-end-the-age-of-anonymity-online-20190503-p51jyd">and hate speech</a>. </p>
<p>But in an age of online surveillance and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/the-spiral-of-silence-how-social-media-encourages-self-censorship-online-9693044.html">self-censorship</a>, proponents view anonymity as an essential component of <a href="https://privacyinternational.org/blog/1111/two-sides-same-coin-right-privacy-and-freedom-expression">privacy and free-speech</a>. And our <a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/EJM-01-2017-0016">own research</a> on anonymous online interactions among teenagers in the UK and Ireland has revealed a wider range of interactions that extend beyond the toxic to the benign and even beneficial.</p>
<p>The problem with anonymous apps is the torrent of reports of <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/2/lizzie-pettinato-bullied-teen-pushes-ban-anonymous/">cyberbullying</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/millions-of-teens-are-using-a-new-app-to-post-anonymous-thoughts-and-most-parents-have-no-idea/2015/12/08/1532a98c-9907-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html?utm_term=.4acfdae1e7fe">harassment and threats</a> that appear to be even more of a feature than in regular social networks. Psychologist John Suler, who specialises in online behaviour, describes this phenomenon as the “<a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c70a/ae3be9d370ca1520db5edb2b326e3c2f91b0.pdf">online disinhibition effect</a>”. This means people feel less accountable for their actions when they feel removed from their real identities.</p>
<p>The veil provided by anonymity enables people to become rude, critical, angry, hateful and threatening towards one another, without fear of repercussion. But this opportunity for uninhibited expression is also what makes anonymous apps both attractive to and beneficial for people who want to use them in a positive way. </p>
<h2>Freedom from social media’s tyranny</h2>
<p>Recent studies highlight that young people are becoming increasingly <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886910004654">dissatisfied with the narcissistic culture</a> that dominates networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Due to the nature of their design, these platforms encourage people to present idealised versions of themselves. Not only is this emotionally taxing, but deploying the camera filters and other image augmentation tools involved in these idealised presentations means this process can involve a significant workload.</p>
<p>Young people <a href="http://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health">increasingly feel</a> that social media can lead to anxiety and feelings of inadequacy that they take from constantly comparing themselves to unrealistic images of other people. In light of these pressures, it’s less surprising that young people are increasingly turning to various forms of anonymous interaction that free them from the need to present a perfect avatar.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/283689/original/file-20190711-173360-ywrei0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">shutterstock.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teenage-girl-being-bullied-by-text-268226264?src=FVmQaQjcLTiV7g6kuM0sVg-1-10&studio=1">SpeedKingz/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Instead, anonymous apps provide a forum for young people to engage in what they consider to be more authentic modes of interaction, expression and connection. This can take various forms. For some, anonymity opens up space to be honest about the problems they suffer and seek support for issues that carry stigma – such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, addiction and body dysphoria. It can provide an important <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2014/08/01/anonymous-app-secret-has-defied-critics-to-make-catharsis-social">outlet for catharsis</a> and, at times, comfort.</p>
<p>For others, anonymity gives them a way to pronounce their harsh “truths” on important social issues without fear of retribution for going against popular opinions of their peers. One aspect of the idealised self-presentation of social media is supporting certain views because they are seen to be fashionable among a certain group of people, rather than because they are truly held beliefs. </p>
<p>This so-called “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/opinion/sunday/virtue-signaling.html">virtue signalling</a>” is part of the debate about the authenticity of interactions online. While anonymity doesn’t necessarily create more intellectual discussion, it does provide a more open forum where people can represent their true opinions without fear of being ostracised or harassed for saying the wrong thing.</p>
<h2>A ban would be shortsighted</h2>
<p>Anonymity is not perfect, it is not always good, but equally it is not always bad. Cyberbullying is an undoubtedly a serious issue that needs to be tackled. Yet content moderation and the determination of what can, and cannot, be said or shared online is subjective. It is an imperfect system, but calls for an outright ban on anonymity may be <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/real-name-policies-anonymity-online-harassment">short-sighted</a>. They tend to underline the negative associations of anonymity without showing awareness of its positive potential. </p>
<p>What is truly needed is education. Certainly more needs to be done to educate young people about the perils of social media consumption. Updated curricula in schools, colleges and universities can, and should, do much more in this respect. </p>
<p>But equally, app designers and service providers need to become more aware of the negative effects that their offerings can have. Safeguarding should top the agendas of Silicon Valley companies, especially when they are targeting young people and freeing people to say whatever they like without fear of repercussions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119836/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Warning about anonymous messaging app YOLO miss the potential benefits it could have.Killian O'Leary, Lecturer in Consumer Behaviour, Lancaster UniversityStephen Murphy, Lecturer in Marketing, University of EssexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1011102019-01-03T19:49:51Z2019-01-03T19:49:51ZMessage sent, received but no instant reply: how does that make you feel?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/246988/original/file-20181123-149308-1c0w6ev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You wait and wait but still no reply.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Alex Ruhl</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Your phone chimes, it’s a message from your partner. You reply instantly because that’s what you always do. </p>
<p>Then you decide to add another message: “By the way, I love you ☺”</p>
<p>You see the “read” status appear under the message, and you wait for her reply. An hour later you are still waiting, still checking. </p>
<p>Has this ever happened to you?</p>
<p>For most of us, there is an unwritten social contract that underlies our online messaging interactions. The clearest part of that contract is that certain types of messages demand a timely response. </p>
<p>In our world of instant communications, it seems we have come to expect that the general immediacy and access to information afforded to us by our technology, should be reflected in our online social communication, just as it would be when face-to-face. </p>
<p>But norms that exist in the real world don’t necessarily transfer easily to the digital realm. Is it time we developed a new social contract for online communications?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-things-we-can-all-learn-from-people-who-dont-use-smartphones-or-social-media-103468">Three things we can all learn from people who don't use smartphones or social media</a>
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<h2>Stoking the fires of social anxiety</h2>
<p>When the social contract is broken or even bent a little, it can introduce a hierarchy of discomfort into the communication process, often including anxiety and introspective rumination over the reasons for the non-reply.</p>
<p>These types of emotions may be felt much more powerfully when we believe the person on the other end has actually read our message but has chosen to ignore us. </p>
<p>In these cases, our discomfort may rise with the passing of time. The rising anxiety may escalate to the point where we bombard the non-replier with yet more messages to try to elicit a response. </p>
<p>Of course, responses such as these can vary from person to person, and culture to culture. It has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2013.12.024">suggested</a> some people who are highly emotionally reactive and use text messaging excessively may actually feel rejected, isolated and suffer deep anxiety when replies to their messages are not immediate.</p>
<h2>Read receipts makes things worse</h2>
<p>It’s worth considering that the technology platform we use to conduct our messaging activities, may contribute to our expectations of an immediate reply. </p>
<p>Virtually every online messaging platform has a way of informing us when our message has been delivered to, and read by, the recipient. </p>
<p>WhatsApp has two blue ticks, one for successful delivery and one for when the message has been read. Facebook messenger shows the recipient’s profile picture beside the message, and so on. </p>
<p>If we know the person well, we may even know they have message receipt notifications set to appear on their device. These notifications do not specifically trigger the read-receipt for our message, but we know it’s likely the recipient has at least seen our message.</p>
<p>Combine all this with the ability to see when someone was last active online, and you have the perfect reply-status nightmare, if you are someone who cares.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-can-be-bad-for-youth-mental-health-but-there-are-ways-it-can-help-87613">Social media can be bad for youth mental health, but there are ways it can help</a>
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<h2>The fear of being ghosted</h2>
<p>It’s easy to understand how read-receipt anxiety has evolved. Just imagine the offline equivalent – you say something to someone, you know they have heard you, but they deliberately ignore you. </p>
<p>When face to face, we would almost always make further enquiries to get our response and we’d be confused, or angry if it was not forthcoming.</p>
<p>It’s really not very surprising, given the very high volume of online messaging we now engage in, that people expect the same communication etiquette when using messaging platforms. </p>
<p>When non-reply behaviour is taken to an extreme, it may be analogous to a phenomenon known as <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/201511/is-why-ghosting-hurts-so-much">ghosting</a>. Ghosting involves indulging in behaviours such as not returning text messages, emails, phone calls or any related electronic communications.</p>
<p>It can occur within any type of close relationship but is more often associated with intimate ones. People often use ghosting as way of breaking off a relationship without any apparent justification. </p>
<p>Most of us would agree that a non-reply to an online message of love to an intimate other elicits a very strong emotional response, one that has very little to do with the length of the relationship in question. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sharing-your-shopping-on-social-media-can-damage-your-health-and-your-wallet-100591">Sharing your #shopping on social media can damage your health and your wallet</a>
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<h2>Evolving norms for new technologies</h2>
<p>In any intimate relationship, a non-reply may make us feel humiliated, rejected isolated and embarrassed. Over time our anxiety will increase until we hear that return chime – hopefully they love us too, along with an apology for the delay, and all emotions can return quickly to normal levels.</p>
<p>Some people may actually use non-reply behaviour to manage their relationship dynamics, and torture their friends and loved ones. Of course no one reading this would ever have engaged in such Machiavellian behaviour!</p>
<p>Perhaps we need a new type of online communication social contract, and let’s set these expectations at the beginning of a relationship, or any friendship. </p>
<p>For example, on Tinder, profiles should perhaps have a box to tick to specify whether immediate replies are optional. Thanks to read-receipts and their associated emotional impact, relationship communication really has never been more complex and perplexing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101110/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Cowan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Norms that exist in the real world don’t necessarily transfer easily to the digital realm. Is it time we developed a new social contract for online communications to prevent reply-status nightmares?David Cowan, Lecturer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/979312018-06-08T04:43:04Z2018-06-08T04:43:04ZRevisiting metadata retention in light of the government’s push for new powers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222296/original/file-20180608-137322-zwv8sg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Despite its enormous cost, the metadata retention scheme wasn’t future-proof. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/cpu-technology-decryption-encryption-binary-number-677763727?src=jCK7Ij_q3GMZSifP_RiwUw-1-4">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity, Angus Taylor, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/cyber-security-minister-angus-taylor-angus-taylor/9839662">foreshadowed this week</a> that the Turnbull government will continue to pursue new law-enforcement powers that would allow authorities access to encrypted digital data in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and online crime, such as cyber fraud and child exploitation. </p>
<p>To assess the worthiness of this pursuit, it is useful to review the developments in the past six years regarding the government-mandated collection and storage of mass electronic data, referred to as “<a href="http://www.issuesmagazine.com.au/article/issue-december-2014/surveillance-metadata.html">metadata</a>”. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/police-want-to-read-encrypted-messages-but-they-already-have-significant-power-to-access-our-data-82891">Police want to read encrypted messages, but they already have significant power to access our data</a>
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<h2>Mass metadata collection</h2>
<p>Metadata does not contain content. It is simply information about the digital links involved in communications, the location of the caller and receiver, the date and time of the calls, and the length of the conversation. It includes data pertaining to short messaging service (SMS) text messages, and the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of users’ devices. </p>
<p>Twenty-one law enforcement agencies have been granted access to track and retain metadata. Given the ubiquity of smartphones and other portable devices, these agencies can find an <a href="https://gtlaw.com.au/sites/default/files/Mandatory-Internet-Data-Retention-in-Australia_0.pdf">enormously rich trail of information</a> regarding users’ locations, calls and networks. </p>
<p>Metadata retention emerged as a potential strategy with the release in 2013 of the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=pjcis/nsl2012/report.htm">report</a> of the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The Committee noted that such a scheme would be of “significant utility” to national security agencies. </p>
<p>The government responded in due course. In October 2015 new laws came into force requiring telecommunications service providers to retain and store their metadata for two years so that it remained available for analysis.</p>
<p>The prime minister at the time, Tony Abbott, <a href="https://www.budget.gov.au/2015-16/content/glossy/nat_sec/download/Protecting-Australia.pdf">explained</a> the decision thus:</p>
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<p>To help combat terrorism at home and deter Australians from committing terrorist acts abroad, we need to ensure our security agencies are resourced properly and have the powers to respond to evolving threats and technological change. </p>
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<p>The government sought to allay any <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-27/ludlam-we-need-this-opposition-to-oppose/6269504">concerns</a> about executive “overreach” by giving a role to the Commonwealth Ombudsman to assess an agency’s compliance with its legislative mandate. </p>
<h2>Concerns at the time</h2>
<p>There were several other concerns raised at the time of the passage of the legislation. The key one was that it had the potential to erode the very democratic freedoms that governments are duty bound to protect, such as freedom of political association. It was pointed out that democracies such as France, Germany and Israel had not legislated for mass metadata collection. </p>
<p>Moreover, in addition to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-data-retention-law-seriously-invades-our-privacy-and-its-time-we-took-action-78991">general privacy unease</a>, there was a concern that there was no guarantee that our allies – when analysing Australian metadata – would preserve the privacy safeguards set out under Australian law. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/metadata-and-the-law-what-your-smartphone-really-says-about-you-23827">Metadata and the law: what your smartphone really says about you</a>
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<p>Hackles were again raised when, in April 2017, an Australian Federal Police operative sought and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-28/afp-officer-accessed-journalists-call-records-in-metadata-breach/8480804">acquired the call records of an Australian journalist</a> without a warrant. </p>
<p>The AFP Commissioner, Andrew Colvin, quickly acted to alert the media and to offer the opinion that there was no ill will or bad intent. While this assurance was comforting, the ease with which the access was obtained was, for observers, <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/05/01/afp-metadata-breach-shows-just-how-trustworthy-the-agency-is/">a problem</a>.</p>
<h2>It wasn’t future-proof</h2>
<p>But the key fear was that the strategy, for its enormous cost — <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11417-017-9256-7">A$740 million over ten years</a> — was not future-proof. Technologies that can hide from metadata collection are readily available and widely used. </p>
<p>Any encrypted messaging app — such as Wickr, Phantom Secure, Blackberry, WhatsApp, Tango, Threema and Viber — can circumvent data retention. Moreover, any secure drop system based on Tor is capable of evading metadata scrutiny too. </p>
<p>So that’s where Angus Taylor’s concerns are coming from. </p>
<p>He wants to find a way of compelling the telecommunications companies (telcos) to hand over encrypted data when his agencies suspect that communications are occurring in the pursuit of nefarious purposes. </p>
<p>Will this be through some form of commercial arrangement? Will it be via a threat to block services of non-compliant telcos? Will it involve embedding surveillance codes in devices? Will warrants be required in all cases? How much will it cost? </p>
<p>We won’t know until the legislation comes before the parliament. What we do know is that the process will not be easy.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/police-want-to-read-encrypted-messages-but-they-already-have-significant-power-to-access-our-data-82891">Police want to read encrypted messages, but they already have significant power to access our data</a>
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<h2>We don’t know if these powers are effective</h2>
<p>It is worth remembering that governments must ensure that no policy sacrifices our hard-fought liberties in the pursuit of an expensive goal that is not readily attainable. </p>
<p>Indeed, we don’t even know whether the current metadata laws are having the desired effect. Anecdotal evidence emerges from time to time from law enforcement agencies that they have disrupted serious threats, but there has been no actual evidence that the disruption was caused or aided by access to metadata because of the secrecy that shrouds issues of national security. It boils down to a case of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/national-security-gags-on-media-force-us-to-trust-state-will-do-no-wrong-32103">trust us</a>”.</p>
<p>So it is virtually impossible for the public to assess whether the digital data collection by security agencies has been effective or necessary, or even what that collection actually involves. We can only hope that the debate over accessing and analysing encrypted services is a little more enlightening.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97931/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rick Sarre receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Criminology Research Council. He is a member of the Labor party.</span></em></p>It is hard to know whether metadata retention has been effective or necessary. We can only hope that the debate over accessing and analysing encrypted services is a little more enlightening.Rick Sarre, Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/937962018-04-10T02:02:00Z2018-04-10T02:02:00ZBanning MPs from private messaging apps is a simplistic response to a complex problem<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/213785/original/file-20180409-114105-6xdhsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Queensland's Ministerial Code now bans Ministers from using private email and messaging apps.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rosario-argentina-november-8-2017-young-760414357?src=-ivKngq440KrCsessU7bsA-5-87">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Queensland updated its <a href="https://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/publications/categories/policies-and-codes/handbooks/ministerial-handbook/ethics/min-code.aspx">Ministerial Code of Conduct</a> last month, which reflects the state’s legislation regarding official accountability. The Code now <a href="http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2018/3/19/new-guidelines-for-ministerial-email-use">bans</a> Ministers from using private email and messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-watches-the-watchers-when-the-watchers-use-wickr-48886">Wickr</a> and Snapchat, for ministerial business.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the question of whether government and law enforcement should have access to encrypted communications between citizens is currently the subject of a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Law_Enforcement/NewandemergingICT">national inquiry</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-should-strengthen-its-privacy-laws-and-remove-exemptions-for-politicians-93717">Australia should strengthen its privacy laws and remove exemptions for politicians</a>
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<p>But simply banning politicians from using these apps altogether is a simplistic response to a complex problem – one that is difficult to enforce and easy to subvert. </p>
<p>It raises questions about the privacy of ministers, advisers, officials and their family members, and should be accompanied by a willingness to strengthen official accountability through positive administration of Freedom of Information (FOI) schemes. </p>
<h2>Digital messaging is part of life</h2>
<p>Digital messaging systems such as email and SMS are so embedded in public and private life that we take them for granted. We use them a lot. Some of these systems allow the dissemination of photos, videos and documents. They are useful. They are often inconveniently durable, and readily copied for sharing with unintended recipients.</p>
<p>On that basis executives, academics, mums, dads, celebrities and teenagers are turning to low-cost “private” messaging systems that <a href="https://privacy.org.au/2018/03/30/statement-to-the-parliamentary-joint-committee-on-law-enforcement/">encrypt</a> messages, or automatically erase them after reading. </p>
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XfLAI/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" width="100%" height="380"></iframe>
<p>Use of such systems is not prohibited by Australian law. If you value your privacy, are dealing with commercially sensitive information, are engaged in an illegal activity, want to evade FOI obligations, or want some protection when whistleblowing or briefing a journalist “off the record”, these systems are attractive.</p>
<p>And their use is likely to increase in concert with the growing distrust of traditional messaging thanks to official overreach through mandatory <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-are-all-suspects-now-thanks-to-australias-data-retention-plans-38223">metadata</a> retention, and the privacy fears raised by the current Cambridge Analytica <a href="https://theconversation.com/cambridge-analytica-scandal-legitimate-researchers-using-facebook-data-could-be-collateral-damage-93600">imbroglio</a>.</p>
<h2>Why ban private messaging?</h2>
<p>Changes to the Queensland Code may have been triggered by former Queensland energy minister Mark Bailey’s <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/mark-bailey-in-hot-water-again-over-private-email-use/9529670">use and deletion of a private email account</a>. Even though he was cleared of any <a href="http://www.ccc.qld.gov.au/news-and-media/ccc-media-releases/no-criminal-action-relating-to-mark-baileys-email-account-22-september-2017">criminal</a> wrongdoing by the Crime and Corruption Commission, the investigation into his email use raised questions about government transparency.</p>
<p>Therefore, one reason for the ban is simply appearances. Ministers need to be seen to be accountable. Accountability erodes when people use non-official mechanisms for communications that should be findable under FOI or litigation. </p>
<p>An official message that disappears once read – just like the traditional post-it note that disappears off the file, or an unrecorded meeting in a coffee shop – makes a mockery of accountability. </p>
<h2>Will it work?</h2>
<p>One of the biggest problems is policing of the ban. Compliance with the Code is a matter of trust. Some people might ignore the Code and use private phones with private messaging capability. They might rely on family members and friends – “I just want to borrow your phone for a moment” – leaving no fingerprints for FOI. </p>
<p>The ban also provokes thought about deeper issues, such as whether politicians have a right to space in which they are not under the public or official gaze. Some people will be chilled by the thought that an invisible observer has the scope to hear or read expressions of affection, or mundane reminders to pick up some milk on the way home. Do we regard that erosion of privacy as “just part of the job”? </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whatsapp-is-secure-and-ok-for-politicians-to-use-provided-simple-steps-are-followed-67101">WhatsApp is secure and OK for politicians to use, provided simple steps are followed</a>
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<p>Then there is the question of where to draw the line. Should the restriction extend only to MPs, or should it include all ministerial staffers, judges and mid-level officials? </p>
<p>And, of course, there are times when it is imperative that communications be protected. For example, the Premier and senior officials are strongly encouraged to use “secure lines” for discussions about law enforcement regarding terrorism, tax evasion and drug trafficking. </p>
<h2>A more positive approach to disclosure</h2>
<p>Queensland’s ban isn’t inherently good or bad. It is instead something that should be considered in terms of administration, rights and responsibilities. It should be explored by civil society advocates and other governments, such as <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/regulations/2014-546.pdf">NSW</a> and <a href="https://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/images/documents/dpc_resources/Governance/Vic_Code_of_Conduct_for_Ministers_and_Parl_Secs_Feb_2012.PDF">Victoria</a>, that are currently silent on the issue.</p>
<p>Accountability is an issue across Australia, and several governments – such as that in the <a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-anticorruption-and-integrity-commission-should-include-police-begin-next-year-committee-20171031-gzbk7u.html">ACT</a> – are resisting establishment of well-resourced integrity watchdogs.</p>
<p>We can recall the history of corruption or perceived misbehaviour involving <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hinze-russell-james-russ-15165">ministers</a>, senior officials, <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/farquhar-murray-frederick-18242">magistrates</a> and at least one very senior <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-20/lionel-murphy:-the-high-court-judge-and-the-scandal/9158316">judge</a>. </p>
<p>We can also recall ministerial and official resistance to accountability via FOI, epitomised by the national Public Service Commissioner’s <a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/australian-public-service-commissioner-john-lloyd-says-foi-laws-mean-bureaucrats-dont-write-it-down-20151019-gkcird.html">denunciation</a> of FOI as “very pernicious”. We need to be practical and recognise that both privacy and accountability must be balanced.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-still-to-deliver-on-open-government-rhetoric-70263">Australia still to deliver on 'open government' rhetoric</a>
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<p>Queensland has previously set an example for Australia by making <a href="https://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/ministers/diaries.aspx">ministerial appointment diaries</a> open for scrutiny. Such scrutiny was strongly <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-20/why-should-you-care-about-the-brandis-diaries/8369070">resisted</a> by national Attorney-General George Brandis, perhaps because sighting who he was meeting – and making inferences about that meeting’s influence on public policy – would be as disconcerting as knowing who he called.</p>
<p>We currently don’t have timely access to the diaries of all advisers and senior officials. We are unlikely to get that access. We will not get disclosure of who met whom at the various dinners where advocates pay a lot of money for a quiet word with a policymaker. Politicians need to heed public disquiet about opaque <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-27/tasmanian-politicians-urged-to-disclose-donations-before-vote/9486826">funding</a> of political parties. </p>
<p>As things stand, the Code in Queensland is likely to be disregarded.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93796/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Baer Arnold is a director of the Australian Privacy Foundation. This piece is independent of that affiliation. </span></em></p>The ban on Queensland Members of Parliament using encrypted messaging apps for government business should be accompanied by a willingness to strengthen official accountability across the board.Bruce Baer Arnold, Assistant Professor, School of Law, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/888572017-12-11T19:14:33Z2017-12-11T19:14:33ZFacebook’s new Messenger Kids app could be good for digital literacy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198444/original/file-20171211-27686-13teiaq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Facebook's Messenger Kids has sparked debate about what age children should be using messaging apps.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/minsk-belarus-january-3-2017-boy-547520305">Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Facebook is trialling a new <a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/12/introducing-messenger-kids-a-new-app-for-families-to-connect/">Messenger Kids</a> app in the United States. </p>
<p>The standalone app is aimed at under-13s, who aren’t currently eligible for a normal Facebook account. Parents are responsible for setting up the account and approving any contacts their children add. Kids can then use the app to video chat – both one-on-one or in a group – and send photos, videos and text messages. Currently only available in the US on Apple devices, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenchaykowski/2017/12/04/facebook-debuts-new-messenger-app-thats-only-for-kids/#40cd4309722c">Facebook expects to extend it to a wider audience in the coming months</a>.</p>
<p>In the week since the app launched, headlines have focused on its potential downsides, amid concerns about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/10/data-hungry-facebook-seeks-younger-recruits-messenger-kids">data privacy</a>, <a href="https://quartzy.qz.com/1148385/why-i-wont-let-my-children-near-facebooks-messenger-for-kids/">tech addiction</a> and <a href="https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/18263-facebook-s-messenger-app-just-for-kids-raises-a-lot-of-questions">kids’ well-being</a>.</p>
<p>But I argue that there is another side to this story: the fact that teaching kids about messaging at a young age is essential to preparing them for the hyper-connected world they will need to navigate in the future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scare-mongering-about-kids-and-social-media-helps-no-one-44902">Scare-mongering about kids and social media helps no-one</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s already happening</h2>
<p>At the moment, there is relatively little research in Australia about toddlers’ and children’s use of digital technologies. But <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650933/Literature_Review_Final_October_2017.pdf">studies in the UK</a> and <a href="http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/1024/0">emerging Australian studies</a> suggest that kids are going online at ever earlier ages, and doing a much wider range of activities. </p>
<p>Children younger than 13 are already <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-28/social-media-stats/8660192">using social media</a>, and messaging functionality is increasingly built into the “communicative ecology” of families. </p>
<p>On a recent overseas work trip, I shared photos and messages with my nine-year-old daughter via her dad’s Facebook Messenger account. Like most kids her age in Australia, she <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-15/children-now-spend-more-time-online-than-watching-tv/8272708">has daily access to a mobile phone or tablet</a>.</p>
<p>And like the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0">average Australian household</a> with children younger than 15, we have seven internet-enabled devices in our home. But we don’t have a landline, so web apps, including social messaging apps, are becoming more central to our family communication. </p>
<p>Messaging is also embedded in multi-player games used by older children, such as Minecraft and Clash of Clans. </p>
<p>There are both <a href="http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/video_games.html">challenges and benefits</a> associated with kids connecting with others via games and apps, but the functionality is not going to go away. Learning how to navigate social media together is now a key feature of childhood and parenting. </p>
<h2>Messaging can be good for kids</h2>
<p>The Facebook app is an interesting innovation in the social media space precisely because it promotes learning about and using social media together with kids. The focus is on developing online skills by supporting communication with known relatives and friends, because kids can only connect with parent-approved contacts.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198464/original/file-20171211-27674-1uccv3e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The app has parental controls built into its functionality that allow parents to approve contacts through their main Facebook app.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/12/introducing-messenger-kids-a-new-app-for-families-to-connect/">Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As leading kids and tech commentator <a href="https://www.netfamilynews.org/">Anne Collier has written</a>, the most significant thing about the app is that while it has plenty of parental controls built into it, the app itself is not actually a parental control tool. Rather, it is a service that kids and their families and friends will need to learn to use - and use well - together.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/text-messaging-isnt-like-ruining-young-peoples-grammar-28145">Text-messaging isn’t, like, ruining young people’s grammar</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/11803/1/Intergenerational-Attitudes-Towards-Social-Networking-and-Cybersafety.pdf">Evidence already exists</a> to show that social media can be good for mental health, building friendships, and resilience. </p>
<p>The app will evolve over time as kids and parents use it. What is important is that parents do not become complacent about the app as a “silver bullet” solution to educating children about the internet. Rather, we need to see it as just one tool to foster healthy, respectful relationships with our kids, and learn through the technology. </p>
<h2>Bullying and data privacy</h2>
<p>For now the Facebook Messenger Kids app features no ads, in-app purchases or sharing of data with other apps on the same device. But as with all websites and apps, this one will be fallible. Learning to think about what we share and how we share it (just like when you meet someone in a park) will still be important on this app.</p>
<p>Bullying can happen anywhere and it is possible – <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-parents-and-teens-can-reduce-the-impact-of-social-media-on-youth-well-being-87619">as we’ve seen before</a> – that the app could extend bullying beyond the schoolyard. But all contacts in the app must be pre-approved by parents, and it has reporting features with pop-up feedback, dedicated content moderation, and notifications to parent Facebook accounts. Those features should enable parents to stay better abreast of how kids are using it. Unlike Snapchat and other apps, content can’t be deleted. This will also help kids and parents review communication, and take necessary steps if someone is being mean or harassing.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-is-about-more-than-setting-limits-79538">'Screen time' is about more than setting limits</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There are <a href="https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/">more than 2 billion Facebook users</a> worldwide, and the chances are that our kids will soon add to those statistics. Facebook and other major platforms should be part of a broader effort to help kids and parents learn how to communicate safely and respectfully in a world saturated with social media. </p>
<p>And we should all develop critical digital literacy skills by <a href="https://theconversation.com/sorry-everyone-on-the-internet-youre-always-the-product-77235">learning about who is behind the apps and platforms we use, and what happens to our information and data</a>. If using the Facebook Messenger Kids app helps to promote these conversations, that is a very good thing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88857/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Philippa Collin has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Google Australia/NZ and other government departments. However, the views expressed here are her own. </span></em></p>Many parents are fearful about their children being online. Messaging services for children could help both kids and parents learn how to communicate safely and respectfully in the digital space.Philippa Collin, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/795002017-08-02T00:57:47Z2017-08-02T00:57:47ZMore than ‘slacktivism’: we dismiss the power of politics online at our peril<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174863/original/file-20170621-30161-12pwj92.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Political groups of all stripes recognise the enormous power of online mass persuasion, one meme at a time.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/32452974604/">Fibonacci Blue/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/democracy-futures">Democracy Futures</a> series, a <a href="http://sydneydemocracynetwork.org/democracy-futures/">joint global initiative</a> between The Conversation and the <a href="http://sydneydemocracynetwork.org/">Sydney Democracy Network</a>. The project aims to stimulate fresh thinking about the many challenges facing democracies in the 21st century.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Log on to Facebook or Twitter and you’re likely to see a deluge of political posts – a humorous <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-donald-trump-won-the-2016-meme-wars-68580">meme</a> or viral video skewering politicians like Donald Trump, the latest hashtag slogan in response to breaking news, maybe even a social movement symbol as an updated profile picture. </p>
<p>The sharing of political opinion on social media is now ubiquitous. But what does it mean for democracy?</p>
<p>For years, debate has raged about the significance of symbolic, expressive political activity at the level of the everyday citizen. </p>
<p>Critics fear it is simply self-satisfying “<a href="https://theconversation.com/slacktivism-that-works-small-changes-matter-69271">slacktivism</a>”. It gives people an easy way to feel they’re contributing to a cause while substituting for more intensive political participation. </p>
<p>Conversely, optimists see a flourishing of civic engagement on the internet that gives people an accessible entry point into politics. If it helps them to develop a sense of political identity and agency, that enables more participation down the line.</p>
<p>These contrasting positions both have merit. Yet are those who take them asking the right questions in the first place?</p>
<p>By evaluating online political expression only in terms of possible impacts on traditional political activity, we risk sidestepping a far more crucial set of issues.</p>
<h2>Forget ‘slacktivism’</h2>
<p>Myriad organisations and institutions see this citizen-level expression on social media as being far from just a private or personal affair. It is increasingly valued for its aggregate promotional power. The marketing professions know this as <a href="http://www.buzztalkmonitor.com/blog/electronic-word-of-mouth-presents-a-window-of-opportunity-for-businesses/">electronic word of mouth</a>.</p>
<p>Political groups of all stripes promote social media participation to amplify the reach and credibility of their persuasive messages. Although each individual act of posting, linking, commenting and liking may look insignificant up close, at a macro level they add up to nothing less than the networked spread of ideas. </p>
<p>There is enormous power here for mass persuasion, one viral share at a time. We dismiss this power at our peril.</p>
<p>During the 2016 US presidential election cycle social media soared to new heights of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-relationship-between-social-media-and-traditional-media-has-shaped-this-election-61585">prominence</a> in the political media landscape. It appears we are finally starting to recognise this power for what it is. </p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/trump-the-wannabe-king-ruling-by-twiat-72269">Trump, the wannabe king ruling by twiat</a></strong></em></p>
<hr>
<p>For instance, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/viral-fake-election-news-outperformed-real-news-on-facebook?utm_term=.sc0N0nwlP#.laLN2PYkM">controversy over fake news on sites like Facebook</a> has drawn attention to how peer-to-peer sharing can influence public opinion and even the course of elections (in this case by spreading false and defamatory messages about Hillary Clinton that consolidated her image problems). New <a href="https://datasociety.net/output/media-manipulation-and-disinfo-online/">research</a> has highlighted how:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… far-right groups develop techniques of ‘attention hacking’ to increase the visibility of their ideas through the strategic use of social media, memes and bots.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174873/original/file-20170621-30211-16o258g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fake news stories from websites like End The Fed are designed to go viral on social media.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">End The Fed</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The so-called alt-right celebrates its “<a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/03/memes-4chan-trump-supporters-trolls-internet-214856">meme magic</a>” in propagating white nationalist ideology online in service of Trump. The pro-Clinton <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/correct-the-record-online-trolls/484847/">“Correct the Record” political action committee</a> admits to paying people to post on social media during her primary battle with Bernie Sanders. We are seeing the persuasive value of citizen-level political media coming into sharp focus.</p>
<p>We need to reflect on how we each use this power. That involves thinking through the consequences of what we share online and how it can both strengthen and harm democratic values.</p>
<h2>The citizen marketer</h2>
<p>Sharing political opinion on social media must be understood in no small part as participation in political <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-citizen-marketer-9780190658069?lang=en&cc=us">marketing</a>. Its practitioners have long circulated persuasive media messages to shape the public mind and influence political outcomes. </p>
<p>This understanding calls for a new kind of media literacy. It requires individuals to acknowledge their own position in circuits of media influence and take seriously their capacity to help shape the flow of political ideas across networks of peers. </p>
<p>We should no longer think of political marketing — or its conceptual forebear, propaganda — as something only powerful elites do. We must recognise that we are all now complicit in this process every time we spread political messages via media platforms that we personally control.</p>
<p>Many citizens are keenly aware of their capacity to persuade their peers through their online posting. They have embraced the role of social media influencer. Most often, they focus on trying to rally the like-minded or undecided, rather than winning over converts from the other side.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-citizen-marketer-9780190658069?lang=en&cc=us">citizen marketer</a> approach to political action can be seen as an outgrowth of the more established concept of the citizen consumer. A citizen consumer deliberately uses their spending power as another way to influence the political sphere. </p>
<p>They may, for instance, buy only environmentally friendly products, or boycott companies whose CEOs donate to campaigns and causes that the consumer opposes. Similarly, we are seeing citizens use their power as micro-level agents of viral media promotion and word-of-mouth endorsement to advance a wide range of political interests and agendas.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ry-hqi9zRuM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">#BlackLivesMatter forced America to confront racism once more using the power of social media.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is an enormous opportunity to democratise the flow of political media messages and publicise causes that lie outside the mainstream. </p>
<p>Consider recent activist movements, often built around viral hashtags like #occupywallsteet and #blacklivesmatter. Here, citizens are co-opting the tools and logics of social media marketing to advocate for political ideas that are typically poorly represented in the corporate mass media.</p>
<p>By recognising the potential value of our own grassroots political marketing power, we can gain a foothold in a political media landscape that elite interests traditionally dominated. </p>
<p>Perhaps even more importantly, cultivating a sense of responsibility for what we share on social media puts us in a better position to navigate the emerging digital ecosystem in which these elite actors are capitalising upon — at times even exploiting – our electronic word of mouth.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-so-grassroots-how-the-snowflake-model-is-transforming-political-campaigns-54166">Snowflake model is transforming political campaigns</a></strong></em></p>
<hr>
<h2>Know what you are posting, and who you are posting for</h2>
<p>Nowadays, major election campaigns and large-scale issue advocacy organisations have professional digital marketing teams. One of their tasks is to spur the promotional labour of everyday citizens to maximise the virality of their messages, whether these people are truly aware of their participation in political marketing or not. </p>
<p>In addition, for-profit political news sites like Breitbart and The Daily Kos have become dependent on social media shares to boost clicks and advertising revenue, as well as to advance their proprietors’ often-partisan agendas.</p>
<p>In this environment, it is crucial that we make informed decisions when we lend our promotional labour and word-of-mouth endorsement to institutional actors and the interests and agendas they represent. </p>
<p>At times we may be eager to act as “<a href="https://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/social-media-strategy/how-to-build-brand-evangelists-with-3-winning-examples/">brand evangelists</a>” for candidates, parties, advocacy groups or news agencies whose political goals align with our own. At other times developing media literacy might cause us to pause and reflect before we amplify the latest trending political message.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/174864/original/file-20170621-30177-1k2nd9j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Human Rights Campaign logo that made the rounds on Facebook.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Human Rights Campaign</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Back in 2013, Facebook users <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/03/what-is-that-red-equal-sign-on-facebook-all-about/">posted a red equal sign</a> as their profile picture to express their support for same-sex marriage. Some had <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-citizen-marketer-9780190658069?lang=en&cc=us">no idea</a> the symbol was the logo of the <a href="http://www.hrc.org/">Human Rights Campaign</a>. This organisation has had a <a href="http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/04/why-trans-community-loathes-hrc.html">controversial</a> status in the LGBT movement because of its past treatment of transgender issues.</p>
<p>Would these citizens still have posted the image if they knew they were participating in a viral marketing campaign for an organisation that was not universally supported by the LGBT community, and whose message of equality has drawn criticism for emphasising assimilation over radical structural change? </p>
<p>Or would they have chosen instead to amplify an image and an organisation with a different shade of meaning?</p>
<p>These kinds of important conversations can only be opened up if we start to develop a critical literacy of the citizen marketer approach and how it is transforming what it means to be an active participant in our media-dominated, postmodern political reality.</p>
<p>If we see our online political expressions as mere “slacktivism”, a simple private matter, or just having fun with friends, then we become more vulnerable to manipulation by forces that seek to exploit our citizen marketing power to serve agendas that we may not share.</p>
<p>If we become more aware of our position in these circuits of power, we will be better equipped to resist this manipulation. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Joel Penney’s new book, <a href="https://www.citizenmarketer.org">The Citizen Marketer</a>, is available from <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-citizen-marketer-9780190658069?lang=en&cc=us">Oxford University Press</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79500/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joel Penney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Each individual act of posting, linking, commenting and liking may look insignificant up close, but they add up. There is enormous power here for mass persuasion, one viral share at a time.Joel Penney, Professor of Communication and Media, Montclair State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/669912016-10-13T07:45:38Z2016-10-13T07:45:38ZWhatsApp: a great idea for mates but a terrible one for ministers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/141571/original/image-20161013-16203-1hvyovi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's all fun until someone gets hacked.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">mirtmirt/Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cyber security experts have <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-and-senior-cabinet-ministers-using-whatsapp-could-pose-security-risk-experts-20161012-gs0cuj.html">raised concerns</a> about Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull and senior government ministers sending private and confidential information via the messaging service <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/whatsapp-8373">WhatsApp</a>. </p>
<p>WhatsApp and similar messaging apps are great for normal day-to-day communication between friends, but using it to discuss matters of national security is certainly a choice that will raise eyebrows. </p>
<p>As with any technology, particularly those that allow for speedy communication, the benefits have to be weighed carefully against the associated security risks.</p>
<h2>Not on the list</h2>
<p>One of the main points of criticism over the decision to use WhatsApp is that it doesn’t feature on the <a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/infosec/epl/index.php">Evaluated Products List</a> – the list of accepted tools for ministerial communications compiled by the <a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/">Australian Signals Directorate</a>.</p>
<p>This list features products that are tested and certified for specific purposes against <a href="https://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/">internationally recognised standards</a>. Vendors can apply for this certification for their products and once evaluated it can be used for the specific purpose. </p>
<p>Many different types of products are on this list, including biometrics, data protection, smart cards, mobile products, network devices, operating systems, and so on. Within the mobile products space, the list features Apple’s iOS and Blackberry’s operating system, both of which are platforms from which text messages can be sent – but messaging apps such as WhatsApp are not featured.</p>
<h2>What’s wrong with WhatsApp?</h2>
<p>Besides text-based messages, WhatsApp also allows files to be shared and transferred between users. This has implications for government, especially if used by ministers or staff with access to classified information. If such information were disseminated via WhatsApp, this would constitute a serious security breach. </p>
<p>Although WhatsApp now offers <a href="https://theconversation.com/worried-your-emails-might-be-spied-on-heres-what-you-can-do-66574">end-to-end encryption</a>, meaning in theory that no one can intercept the communication, the sharing of sensitive documents through this service would still be grounds for serious concern. What would happen in a situation in which a device was lost or stolen? Anyone with access to that device can access the shared files, including any media (images, documents, videos) shared via WhatsApp, which are automatically transferred to and stored in a WhatsApp folder on both devices. </p>
<p>Furthermore, it is possible to hack into the WhatsApp folder using tools that copy files from a mobile to a desktop computer, such as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/air-transfer-easy-file-document/id521595136?mt=8">Air Transfer</a> (for iOS devices) and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smarterdroid.wififiletransfer&hl=en">WiFi File Transfer</a> (Android). Sharing web links via WhatsApp also potentially leaves users vulnerable to <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/phishing-13263">phishing</a> or other attacks via malware or ransomware.</p>
<p>As WhatsApp now also works via the web, it is prone to all of the web’s security threats. </p>
<p>Besides malware posing as genuine WhatsApp links, it is also <a href="http://thehackernews.com/2014/12/crash-your-friends-whatsapp-remotely_1.html">reportedly</a> possible to crash the app by sending large (over 7 megabytes) messages, or messages containing special characters – a particular fear given that these messages can be typed and sent very quickly by someone who gains access to a device for a short period.</p>
<p>Privacy concerns are also raised by the existence of products such as <a href="https://whatspy.co/en/inicio">WhatSpy</a>, a web application that allows others to monitor a user’s status messages or even alter their security and privacy settings. Another app called <a href="https://www.mspy.com/">mSpy</a> monitors and reports on a mobile user’s activities, such as text messages, WhatsApp messages and phone calls. This app can be installed very quickly and once installed it can report to a designated number or email. </p>
<p>Perhaps worst of all is WhatsApp’s vulnerability to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_spoofing">MAC spoofing</a> attacks, which involve changing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address">media access control (MAC) address</a> that acts as a unique identifier for every phone. By changing it, the messages can be routed to an unauthorised device. </p>
<h2>Freedom vs responsibility</h2>
<p>The truth is that as soon as any sensitive information is placed on the WhatsApp network, it can potentially be shared or forwarded to anyone, meaning that both the sender and the receiver of the information is at greater security risk. </p>
<p>Once confidential information is out in the open network, it is effectively beyond the government’s control. </p>
<p>Another concern relates to Freedom of Information. As an encrypted third-party network, it is not clear whether it will be possible to retrieve this information if requested. Recently, US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has faced severe criticism, media scrutiny and <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-documents-in-hillary-clinton-e-mail-investigation">investigation by the FBI</a> for using private email services rather than official communication channels. </p>
<p>WhatsApp or Instant Messaging via mobile devices represents a new wave of communication adopted by the community at large. But the question of whether high-ranking members of the government should be using secured messaging apps is one that requires further investigation. </p>
<p>WhatsApp and other messaging services are promising, useful, and great fun. But they should not be used in a government setting without prior certification.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article was amended on October 14, 2016, to clarify the operating systems used by Air Transfer and WiFi File Transfer, and the functions performed by WhatSpy.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/66991/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vidyasagar Potdar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and senior ministers have been criticised over their use of WhatsApp, which can leave users vulnerable if their phones are hacked, attacked by malware, or simply stolen.Vidyasagar Potdar, Senior Research Fellow, School of Information Systems, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/588552016-05-05T05:36:11Z2016-05-05T05:36:11ZWhy is Brazil trying to block WhatsApp?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121299/original/image-20160505-19860-phum5n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's not the first time attempts have been made to block WhatsApp in Brazil.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-3878147p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Chonlachai Panprommas/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The debate about online privacy versus the battle against crime was given new life this week with an attempt in Brazil to ban the popular messaging application <a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/">WhatsApp</a>.</p>
<p>A well-known and strict judge in a regional area of Brazil issued a court order <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-03/whatsapp-blocked-by-brazilian-court-for-72-hours/7378490">banning WhatsApp</a> for 72 hours in the whole country on Monday, because of problems he was having getting information from the company that owns the app. </p>
<p>That company is Facebook, which bought the app for US$19 billion in 2014, and <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/facebook-s-whatsapp-blocked-again-in-brazil-over-data-dispute">it was allegedly not cooperating</a> by handing over data from customers in a drug-running case that the judge was presiding over.</p>
<h2>One billion users</h2>
<p>The app has become very popular with smartphone users in many parts of the developing world since it provides a free messaging service that rivals SMS.</p>
<p>In February this year, the company said the app was used by <a href="https://blog.whatsapp.com/616/One-billion">one billion people</a>, nearly one in seven people on the planet. The number of users in Brazil is said to be about 100 million people.</p>
<p>But the issue with WhatsApp and other similar apps, including <a href="https://www.wickr.com/">Wickr</a>, is that they guarantee <a href="https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000618/end-to-end-encryption">end-to-end encrypted</a> communications. It’s this feature that is very popular with those who value personal privacy.</p>
<p>For criminals, it provides a secure channel for avoiding surveillance of any kind. The only way their planning and operations can be accessed by law enforcement agencies, if they are communicated via WhatsApp, is with the cooperation of the company holding the data.</p>
<p>But Facebook says it has no power to access the user data anyway. This case appears to echo the same sentiments as those displayed in the recent Apple versus FBI mobile phone incident.</p>
<p>WhatsApp’s co-founder and CEO Jan Koum <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jan.koum/posts/10154106409995011">issued a statement via Facebook</a> explaining why it did not have the data the court was requesting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don’t have. Not only do we encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people’s information safe and secure, we also don’t keep your chat history on our servers. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it – not even us.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Different cultures</h2>
<p>The case is another instance of the lack of clarity between large US-based telecoms and social media companies over collaboration and cooperation with international governments.</p>
<p>The issue of access to and use of data collected from social media is again happening in a framework of different cultures, varying unexplored attitudes to privacy and within authoritarian legislative systems. </p>
<p>This case had a short term (and potentially longer term) and successful conclusion. The <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/02/world/whatsapp-suspended-brazil/">WhatsApp suspension was lifted</a> after 24 hours by another judge.</p>
<p>But this is not the first time the WhatsApp service has been banned in Brazil. In December 2015, it was <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-17/brazil-judge-blocks-usage-of-facebook-s-whatsapp-for-48-hours">banned for 48 hours</a>. This was also lifted after about 12 hours.</p>
<p>Then, in March, the same Brazilian judge who ordered this week’s ban ordered the vice president of Facebook in Latin America, Diego Dzodan, to <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35700733">be detained by authorities</a> regarding lack of access to WhatsApp data. He was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/05/facebook-brazil-diego-dzodan-arrest-sao-paulo">released after 24 hours</a>. </p>
<p>In all cases, the aim of the judges has been to obtain information about alleged criminal activities such as drug trafficking. The approach may seem heavy-handed, but that could be about to change.</p>
<p>Brazil is looking at changes to its legislation governing the use of the internet that could see an end to any attempts to shut down any app across the whole country.</p>
<p>One reform, proposed by lower house deputy Esperidião Amin, would allow the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity.</p>
<p>“It’s less dramatic than withdrawing the service from the whole of the Brazilian population,” <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil-whatsapp-unblock-idUSKCN0XU1YY">he told Reuters</a>.</p>
<h2>Across borders</h2>
<p>But this latest case highlights several issues. First, there is an ongoing debate about the nature of the internet and social media. Liberal democracies have an expectation of a right to privacy, but within them, there is an equal demand for efficient law enforcement, solutions to major crime and provision of national security and protection from terrorism.</p>
<p>Second, companies such as Facebook need to walk carefully and work across different cultures and legal systems to achieve the balance between the demands for security and privacy. It’s often hard to see how these can be achieved.</p>
<p>Third, cybersecurity and privacy legislation is still in its infancy in many under-developed economies and advanced applications are being accessed in economies where the legal boundaries are not clear.</p>
<p>Thankfully, it is very hard to envisage a situation such as this occurring in a country such as Australia, where there has been a more engaged debate over the tension between technology, legislation and privacy.</p>
<p>In more developed economies, the problems that arise from the tension between privacy and national security have had much more debate, but have not necessarily been resolved for all citizens.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58855/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jill Slay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s a battle of online privacy versus a crackdown on crime, but is a total ban on the popular app, WhatsApp, the right way to go?Jill Slay, Director, Australian Centre for Cyber Security, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/380832015-03-06T11:04:56Z2015-03-06T11:04:56ZBlack Stork Down: the trap of communicating the ‘Wildlife Wars’<p>As the world’s tigers, elephants, rhinos and pangolins continue to be poached, smuggled and sold, wildlife conservationists have declared war on wildlife trafficking and illegal hunting. These <a href="https://vimeo.com/11315192">“wildlife wars” have received wide media coverage</a> and led to an exceptional increase in enforcement through, for example, the use of drones for surveillance.</p>
<p>Military metaphors are powerful because they offer a way to explain abstract ideas about species conservation. Conservation is cast as a kind of war, something most people are more familiar with, if only through television. This comparison makes it easier to show how vital it is for donors and decision makers to support these issues. It is thus not surprising that military comparisons are now used not only to talk about topics such as wildlife poaching and invasive species, but also when discussing conservation in general.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73858/original/image-20150304-15283-1psgpot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">CABS Bird Guards survey the countryside.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">International Animal Rescue Malta</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, using military metaphors has a price. They often don’t clearly describe what conservationists do. War metaphors change the story conservationists are telling and sometimes make complex issues seem too simple. We <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10745-015-9724-6">studied</a> bird hunting on the small Mediterranean island of Malta – a case that shows the problems with military metaphors in conservation. </p>
<h2>Military talk</h2>
<p>Like many Mediterranean countries, Malta receives birds in spring when they fly north to breed in Europe and again in autumn when they travel back to Africa for the winter. However, Malta has a strong hunting tradition and the highest density of hunters in Europe. This has created many challenges to sustainable hunting and led to repeated violations of <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27108910">Maltese and European Union law</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73859/original/image-20150304-15294-1d666uu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Carcasses of migratory birds, including Bee-eaters Merops apiaster and Swifts Apus sp., discovered by the German NGO Committee Against Bird Slaughter on the Dwejra Lines, Malta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">International Animal Rescue Malta</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So NGOs such as Birdlife Malta and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter have set up strict <a href="http://www.komitee.de/en/projects/bird-protection-camps/timetable-2015">monitoring “operations”</a>. They now <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10745-015-9724-6">“deploy” drones and “recruit”</a> international volunteers, who are trained to “patrol” and “survey” the Maltese countryside. Volunteers also “escort” rare birds when they visit Malta, “guard” nature reserves and help police “ambush” poachers. </p>
<p>Hunters have reacted by not allowing anyone into their hunting grounds. It is now common for the two sides to insult each other, and <a href="http://www.komitee.de/en/projects/malta/camp-spring-2010/cabs-team-under-attack">the confrontation sometimes gets physical</a>. </p>
<p>These NGOs regularly use war metaphors to talk about what is happening in Malta. This is reflected in operations with titles such as “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Dj1oceGxk">Black Stork Down</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u75xmJUFt1c">Operation Darth Wader</a>.” In these, birds are commonly described as innocent victims, “massacred” by “blood-crazed” hunters.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/73860/original/image-20150304-15291-183kwrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Administrative Law Enforcement agents dismantling clap-nets from an illegal trapping site.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">International Animal Rescue Malta</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It can be difficult for NGOs to demonstrate to their supporters that they’re helping the long-term survival of a species, which is an abstract concept. However, brave activists fighting to stop the killing of innocent animals by violent hunters is something most people can easily understand. </p>
<h2>From animal conservation to animal welfare</h2>
<p>The problem is that describing migratory birds in this way has important effects. If we are trying to determine the effects of hunting on a species or on a population, then our job is to find out which species and how many birds can be hunted. </p>
<p>But if an NGO’s focus is on the welfare of the individual bird and how all life is valuable and must be protected, then their job becomes stopping all hunting as soon as possible. Even the death of one bird is a problem. Using military metaphors emphasizes this blanket approach. Hunters will obviously not agree to this a complete end to their activities and there is no room for compromise.</p>
<p>In other words, by using war metaphors, NGOs stop talking about animal conservation, which focuses on animal populations and species, and start doing animal welfare, which focuses on the individual animal. The two are very different. This can explain why in Malta the two sides cannot reach an agreement, despite sharing a core common goal: to make sure that Malta’s birds do not disappear. </p>
<h2>It’s not a battle, but a journey</h2>
<p>War metaphors are useful, but NGOs need to find better ways to generate support without losing sight of their aims. At the very least, they need to bear in mind how their language can affect their message, and realize that the metaphors they use are making them more confrontational. </p>
<p>Conservationists long ago learned that the long-term survival of species depends on delicate agreements reached through difficult negotiations with stakeholders. Getting this wrong creates resistance that is hard and costly to deal with. Conservation and conversation go hand-in-hand. Describing the other side as the enemy leaves no room for conversation. </p>
<p>NGOs should try to find different metaphors. For example, the language of navigation takes NGOs’ attention away from the images of killers and victims. Instead, one can see conservation as a journey. Using this metaphor, the language of conservation includes skillful navigation that explores new opportunities, charts charts achievable landmarks and avoids the hazards that leave projects in the doldrums, immobile and stagnant. </p>
<p>Such ideas allow the Maltese hunting scenario to be more clearly described without taking away the chance to discuss conflicts and agree on solutions. This is what conservation is all about.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/38083/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Diogo Veríssimo received funding from the the School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Campbell receives funding from the School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent</span></em></p>When conservationists use war metaphors – as in the battle to halt bird hunting in Malta – they hurt their cause by closing down paths to negotiation.Diogo Veríssimo, David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow, Georgia State UniversityBrian Campbell, Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of KentLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/255572014-04-16T05:19:10Z2014-04-16T05:19:10ZScreenagers face troubling addictions from an early age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46465/original/57y3k2qy-1397562521.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Early exposure can lead to addiction.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/celinesphotographer/4751630027">Brit.</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 1997, Douglas Rushkoff boldly predicted the emergence a new caste of tech-literate adolescents. He argued that the children of his day would soon blossom into <a href="http://www.spikemagazine.com/0297rush.php">“screenagers”</a>, endowed with effortless advantages over their parents, having been raised from birth on a diet of computers and micro-chipped devices.</p>
<p>Fast-forward to 2014: the screenagers have come of age in a world ruled by Twitter and Candy Crush Saga. A substantial body of evidence addresses the ways in which media saturation shapes the identities of children and adolescents.</p>
<p>While there are clear benefits to maturing as a digital native, a number of experts are concerned about the physical and psychological health of our screenagers.</p>
<h2>The perils of media-immersion</h2>
<p>There are <a href="http://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/no-time-for-the-crime-excessive-adolescent-video-game-playing-social-networking-and-crime-reduction/">advantages of tech-literacy from an early age</a> such as gaining IT skills that will serve you well in the future but there are risks too.</p>
<p>Aside from the dangers of social isolation and physical inactivity, there are also dangers that come not directly from any IT medium itself, but what happens when children are exposed to them. The ability to access pornography or gamble online throws up all kinds of issues when children are involved. </p>
<p>Particularly insidious are “foot-in-the-door” products which, combined with big data marketing techniques, specifically target adolescents and stimulate pathological behaviour. For example, a number of free Facebook games, including Zynga Poker and Slotomania, <a href="http://www.rightcasino.com/news/mark-griffiths-social-gambling/">normalise gambling</a> and divorce the thrill of playing from the consequences of losing. The player gets to experience the highs of winning but because there is no money involved, they don’t suffer any real life consequences when they lose. This poses a major risk and could lead to problem gambling in adolescence.</p>
<p>Other freemium app and internet games also carry a risk factor for pathological behaviour. So-called “casual games” such as Flappy Bird, Bejeweled and Candy Crush Saga use <a href="https://theconversation.com/flappy-bird-obsession-is-not-necessarily-an-addiction-22638">behavioural conditioning techniques</a> to keep players invested for long stretches, which may inhibit the <a href="While%20the%20advantages%20of%20internet%20use%20far%20outweigh%20the%20disadvantages,%20children%20and%20adolescents%20need%20educating%20about%20the%20potential%20risks%20of%20excessive%20risks%20and%20life%20online">social development</a> of youngsters.</p>
<p>And even if we don’t buy into the moral panic so often spread by the media, there is evidence to suggest that sustained access to pornography can have detrimental effects on young people.</p>
<p>Mental health website <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/teens-and-internet-pornography/0002812">Psych Central</a> reports that not only is pornography easy to stumble across online (with search terms like “toy” often throwing up adult images) repeated exposure can be over-stimulating and potentially addictive for young people.</p>
<p>According to the site, “Cybersex addiction functions in a similar way to any other addiction, leading to a cycle of preoccupation, compulsion, acting out, isolation, self-absorption, shame and depression as well as distorted views of real relationships and intimacy.”</p>
<p>Most susceptible to compulsive porn viewing are teens with limited parental support, which also correlates with unsupervised web access.</p>
<h2>New addictions</h2>
<p>While the addictiveness of certain activities is reasonably well established, the more general concept of “media addiction” in young people is harder to pin down.</p>
<p>For a start, it isn’t easy to <a href="http://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/behavioural-addictions-can-be-just-as-serious-as-drug-addictions/">define addiction</a> as it applies to any activity, even traditional problems such as gambling. So when it comes to new technologies and services, the picture becomes more confused. </p>
<p>It is tempting to discuss “media addiction” as a catch-all term for spending too much time online but there are so many opportunities for digital natives to engage in harmful activities that we ought to think in more detail about the problems that can arise for them.</p>
<p>While we might group people together as “Facebook addicts”, for example, there may well be a big difference between someone who spends an unhealthy amount of time growing virtual tomatoes on Farmville and another who might be pathologically engrossed in instant messaging.</p>
<h2>Starting young</h2>
<p>These phenomena are disconcerting enough on their own but we also need to address the fact that for today’s youngsters, the process of media immersion often begins in very early childhood.</p>
<p>Last year, campaign group Common Sense Media and electronics company VTech carried out a survey of <a href="http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america-2013/key-finding-1%3A-young-kids%27-mobile-access-dramatically-higher">1,463 parents with children aged under eight in the US</a> and found 75% had access to smart devices. This was up from 52% in 2011. This suggests that by the time they hit their teens, there is a high probability that young children will be active participants in global information networks.</p>
<p>Whereas children of the 1990s were raised on a diet of discontinuous digital media (MTV and 16-bit gaming), the next wave of screenagers will hold multiple social media accounts, exposing them to all the hazards this level of connectivity implies.</p>
<p>From underage users viewing gambling as a source of wealth to adolescents whose formative sexuality is filtered through internet porn, the influence of media-immersion on developing minds is disquieting.</p>
<p>One can only imagine the mental state of young people when a universe of information, temptations and perils can be carried around in their pocket. While it’s obvious that internet-use carries huge advantages for young people, they also need to be educated about the dangers before addictions develop.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25557/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Mark Griffiths has received research funding from a wide range of organizations including the Economic and Social Research Council, the British Academy and the Responsibility in Gambling Trust. He has also carried out consultancy for numerous gaming companies in the area of social responsibility and responsible gaming.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joseph Attard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In 1997, Douglas Rushkoff boldly predicted the emergence a new caste of tech-literate adolescents. He argued that the children of his day would soon blossom into “screenagers”, endowed with effortless…Joseph Attard, Film Studies PhD Researcher, King's College LondonMark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit and Professor of Gambling Studies, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/234882014-02-20T19:35:07Z2014-02-20T19:35:07ZWhatsApp has everything Facebook needs to survive<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/42104/original/sgy8b6nn-1392924336.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mark Zuckerberg certainly thinks so.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdenker/6001236724/sizes/o/">Patrick Denker</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Facebook has made a play for the mobile market by <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26267279">buying WhatsApp</a> in what should be seen as a significant sign of the times. Desktop computing is the past and mobile access is the future. Facebook knows this and has seen taken a huge punt to join the race.</p>
<p>It has been predicted that by 2017, four billion people will be <a href="http://www.portioresearch.com/en/blog/2013/fast-growth-of-apps-user-base-in-booming-asia-pacific-market.aspx">using mobile apps</a>. That represents both an opportunity and a challenge for established companies that relied heavily on the comfort of the bigger screen and focused on rich-content websites. Facebook made its name in this world and has so far not managed to make the switch.</p>
<p>Easily accessible mobile platforms like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android have given rise to applications that offer an alternative to those that dominated the desktop market. They capitalised on the limitations of the smaller mobile devices, realising that straightforward design is the key. Up-and-coming development teams have lived by the “clean, fast, simple” rule. The user can quickly engage with and extract value from an app and doesn’t feel the need for it to provide more than a handful of services.</p>
<p>Facebook has been trying to crack the mobile game for some time with very little success. It has failed to make a go of its own messaging service and was rebuffed when it attempted to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24935361">woo Snapchat</a> a few months ago, even after putting $3 billion on the table. </p>
<p>Facebook has come late to the mobile messaging frenzy and its failures have been well publicised, all of which meant it was left with no option other than to make a quick and very generous offer to WhatsApp, hence the eye watering price tag of $19 billion.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, Facebook’s willingness to hand over such a sum – even if a large portion of it is in shares – raises questions about how secure it feels in its future and how WhatsApp fits in to its strategy. It could make major gains that might make the purchase more than worthwhile.</p>
<p>Facebook has traditionally struggled to penetrate some territories and faces competition from <a href="http://www.wired.com/insights/2013/04/why-the-largest-social-network-in-2015-wont-be-facebook-and-will-be-from-asia-2/">Asian companies</a> in particular. With WhatsApp in its arsenal, its hope for world domination becomes somewhat more realistic. </p>
<p>It has also been suggested that WhatsApp users are much more <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/01/21/whatsapp-doubles-users/">engaged with the application</a> than the average user of Facebook, and since its customer base is expanding exponentially while Facebook is now seeing a decline, it all adds up to a smart investment. </p>
<h2>Ad me on Facebook, not on WhatsApp</h2>
<p>But Facebook and WhatsApp have very different views on an important issue. Where the former makes its money from advertising and has pushed more and more of it onto users in the past few years, the latter remains staunchly opposed to its use.</p>
<p>WhatsApp makes its disdain evident at every opportunity and famously quotes the film Fight Club to explain its stance. “Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need” was plastered across the top of a <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-tech-companies-civic-image-at-stake-as-5065669.php">blog posted in 2012</a> about why WhatsApp users don’t need to worry about their data being used to target them with information they didn’t request. </p>
<p>In the age of big data it is quite bold to say that “your data isn’t even in the picture”, as WhatsApp has promised. It remains to be seen if Facebook can resist the temptation to delve into the goldmine it has purchased, it’s past performance after buying up Instagram would suggest it <a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/instagram-rolls-ads-facebook-seeks-mobile-revenue/244932/">might not last long</a>.</p>
<p>Whether this happens or not, Mark Zuckerberg has recently said that he sees Facebook as a <a href="http://go.bloomberg.com/tech-blog/2013-01-30-facebook-is-a-mobile-company-but-is-that-a-good-business/">mobile company</a> and since its internal efforts have been so dismal, we should expect more acquisitions of this kind in the near future. I’m looking at you Foursquare.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/23488/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Markos Zachariadis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Facebook has made a play for the mobile market by buying WhatsApp in what should be seen as a significant sign of the times. Desktop computing is the past and mobile access is the future. Facebook knows…Markos Zachariadis, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, Warwick Business School, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.