Selfie Reflective

Kathleen Kuehn is a senior lecturer of media studies at Victoria University in Wellington ~

If asked, most of us would say that when we post about our lives on social media for fun, right? Whether individual or business, we're constantly crafting fragments of content that we feel is in a good enough place to share with an audience - whether that audience is made up of friends or thousands of strangers.

But all of this crafting - is definitely a lot of work, especially if you are creating content online with an end goal, dream or hopeful vision in mind. This uncertain, inarticulable dream was definitely the reason I committed to leveraging social media when I was running Monday Hustle - and as you'll hear in this episode, I'm still conflicted about whether on the balance, that three years of labour was a good, bad, neutral or, like most decisions in life, an infinitely complex thing.

Today, we're speaking with Kathleen Kuehn, a senior lecturer of media studies at Victoria University in Wellington. Kathleen's teaching and research focuses broadly on digital privacy, surveillance culture and issues around labour and consumer culture.

Today, Kathleen and I speak about systems of power, authenticity, her current research and a term she coined called 'Hope Labour', which is the idea that if we put the work in now - eg, if we commit to crafting a brand online - then one day, that labour will pay off in terms of financial capital. But is hope labour really all that fun?

Shownotes:

Check out Kathleen's profile on the Vic Uni website, or her personal website here. Also - surprise! - Kathleen is a yoga instructor, so if you wanna get bendy with this incredible academic, find out more on this page.

To share reflections on todays show, email [email protected] or tweet @SelfieReflect.

Sean Lyons is the Director of Engagement and Education at Netsafe, New Zealand ~

If you're a New Zealander, you've likely heard of a company called Netsafe. Netsafe was founded way back in 1998, when a group of people who worked with young people decided that technology was going to be brilliantly enlightening for everyone - but that it also came with a whole different set of different risks and challenges. This group of people saw that the use of tech was going to require a separate set of eyes and some different thinking around how it was used and managed, especially in terms of how the use of this tech would evolve for young people in schools and in the home. Fast forward to 2020, and today Netsafe still spends time working with young people and parents to ensure that the technological tools they have in their hands are will get them to where they want to go in a way that doesn't lead to them experiencing unnecessary harm or ending up out of their depth in terms of what they can manage.

But Netsafe isn't just for young people - Netsafe is here to help everyone. They run a free confidential helpline, which doesn't even require a name in many instances. It's Netsafe's belief that we shouldn't have to put up with feeling harmed online, just like we shouldn't have to put up with feeling harmed while walking down the street. If you or a person you know is facing a challenge that needs extra support or practical help - Netsafe is the place to call.

On today's episode, we're speaking with Sean Lyons, the director of Education and Engagement at Netsafe. He's been there just short of 14 years, and Sean focuses on ensuring that all NZ internet users are able to confidently and capably access technology without suffering the harms that could potentially go with that - and, as you might imagine, lots of his work involves working with young people.

Today Sean talks about the experiences young people are having online, the challenges they are facing and the ways adults can support them through this internet age. Sean also gives us an overview of what's called the Harmful Digital Communications Act, which offers protection and recourse for those who do experience harm online.

This episode is a great resource for teachers, parents or anyone who is concerned about the next generation in reference to our accelerating technological world.

Shownotes:

Learn more about Netsafe and their work by visiting their website.

Tweet your thoughts to @SelfieReflect, or email them to [email protected]

Andrew Cushen is the Engagement Director at InternetNZ and leads the Community, Events and Communications teams ~

I speak for myself when I say that I take the internet and everything it affords for granted. These days, at least in terms of access, it's not often that I think twice about grabbing my smartphone, messaging a friend, scrolling through apps, purchasing something via online banking or downloading and listening to a podcast (hi!) - but as we'll explore today, not everyone is included in this powerful internet space. And not being included can have massive repercussions, which will only increase as our lives and our world barrel towards an increasingly digital future.

Our guest today is the very engaging Engagement Director of InternetNZ, Andrew Cushen, who has over 15 years experience in managing relationships, messages and issues across the Internet, telco and tech sectors. InternetNZ is a non-profit organization who are the guardians of the .nz domain names. They also have the social mission of creating an internet for New Zealanders that is safe, accessible and good, and a big part of their work advocates for digital inclusion.

In this episode, Andrew and I discuss what digital inclusion means, what some of the different elements of digital inclusion are and the straightforward, challenging and sometimes complex hurdles that exist within each of those elements.

This conversation with Andrew makes it hugely apparent that although many of us can leverage and do enjoy what the internet affords, in an increasingly digital world, we must ensure that we are not leaving anyone behind - but of equal importance is making sure that the internet is a safe and trustworthy place in which to be.

Although InternetNZ is a New Zealand based organization, this episode may provide some inspiration for ideas to pursue in relation to digital inclusion wherever you are in the world.

Shownotes:

You can learn more about InternetNZ by checking out their website. For specific info about Digital Inclusion, click here.

InternetNZ also support this show, which means that I am able to keep creating and you are able to keep listening to the different perspectives that are presented here at Selfie Reflective - so on behalf of us all, thanks a tonne, InternetNZ!

Tweet your thoughts on this episode to @selfiereflect or email [email protected]

Sam O'Sullivan is a Clinical Psychologist and founder of Tough Talk ~

I met today's guest, Sam O'Sullivan, by chance. With his last name being O'Sullivan and mine being O'Connor, several years ago, we found ourselves sitting next to each other in a gigantic hall, and connected over feeling nervous about potentially tripping up while walking across a stage at some point in the next hour. We were both about to graduate with a psychology degree.

Since that fateful day we've kept in touch, and Sam went on to become a qualified clinical psychologist. Over the years has launched some wonderful initiatives, one of which is Tough Talk, a documentary series that focuses on men's mental well-being and offers practical tools for mental health.

In this episode, Sam and I discuss masculinity, the patriarchy and some of the trends that impact and affect men online, including gym culture and pornography. As a clinical psychologist, Sam also shares some of his general concerns about our social media landscape.

This is a beautiful discussion, and it really does have the vibe of sitting down to chat with an old friend - so grab yourself a cuppa, and settle in.

Shownotes:

Learn more about Sam and Tough Talk by visiting this website. Join the Tough Talk Facebook community here.

Tweet your thoughts to @SelfieReflect

Kelly Diels is a feminist marketer, writer and culture-making advocate ~

When I launched Monday Hustle, I'd bought into the idea that if a young woman quits her job to forge her own path, it's inherently feminist. The responses I received to this decision, and my subsequent branding and marketing, definitely followed the same vein: break the glass ceiling, blaze your own trail, they said - so, before I'd learnt about systemic workplace issues; before I understood why the idea of hustling at all costs wasn't necessarily that positive; before I'd figured out how I might bring other women with me; I started working towards my own individual success. You see why my idea of feminism might have been a little misguided..?

Of course, regardless of gender, there are a tonne of cultural forces and influences at play, and no individual can expect to understand every invisible force that shapes the decisions we make or the way we present - all we can do is do our best with the information we have. Even with the best of intentions, while our businesses, visions, marketing and branding might seem feminist in appearance - sometimes, they could be anti-feminist in practice.

The person whose work kickstarted my journey to start unpacking this stuff was writer and feminist marketer, Kelly Diels - who happens to be today's guest! As part of her work, Kelly writes about some of the damaging marketing strategies that women in particular are taught to use when we're building businesses and why they're not always serving us - nor the communities we hope to help. In this conversation, Kelly generously chats to us about a phrase she coined called the Female Lifestyle Empowerment Brand, or FLEB. She explains to us reasons why we should think twice before buying a course by Tony Robbins... She helps us understand why marketing tactics that many female-lead online businesses and brands use aren't always serving women - and, she also explains how we can step into our power and create the type of culture we want to be a part of.

Shownotes:

To keep exploring this topic visit Kelly's website for a library of articles and resources. There, you'll also find information about her feminist marketing coaching, courses and workshops. Don't forget to sign up to her newsletter and follow her on Instagram.

Tweet your thoughts about today's episode to @SelfieReflect

James Dennis is a senior lecturer in political communication and journalism at the University of Portsmouth ~

I have to admit - I've never really liked those Facebook profile picture overlays. You know the ones that have catchy slogans and campaign hashtags that are designed to raise awareness for certain issues like mental health - but have massive bank brands behind them? Yeah, you know. As well as wondering about the motivations of the brands behind these campaigns, I've often queried the individual motivations behind the people who add these overlays to their profile pictures. Are they really engaged - or do they just want to appear to be? Are they better citizens than me for using their platform to signal and proudly align themselves with a cause - while I just keep my regular profile picture?

As with most things in our social media realm and our human behaviour, the answer is more complex than what's on the surface. This practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions is sometimes referred to as 'Slacktivism' - which, by definition, is characterised as involving very little effort or commitment. Updating an overlay on your profile picture is pretty simple, after all - but is this popular definition - and my past scepticism - a fair assessment?

In this episode, we're speaking with James Dennis, Senior Lecturer in Political Communication and Journalism at the University of Portsmouth. James's research focuses on digital politics and in particular, political engagement on social media. James has written a book called Beyond Slacktivism: Political Participation on Social Media. By reflecting on his research, James argues that the definition of slacktivism is too narrow and that the use of social media in regards to political issues can actually be more beneficial and progressive than we think.

In this episode, we chat to James about his research, popular definitions of slacktivism and his reasons as to why should think more broadly about this idea as it exists on the spectrum of being aware, informed and active.

For me, this conversation was really refreshing and hope-inspiring, and reflected the power that our social platforms have to spread awareness, educate and amplify resources and materials that are informative, useful and, ultimately, progressive.

Shownotes:

Learn more about James, including information about his book: Beyond Slacktivism: Political Participation on Social Media, by visiting his website. You can also follow James on Twitter.

Tweet any thoughts about this episode to @SelfieReflect

Dr Rachael Tatman has a PHD in linguistics, and is a Senior Development Advocate at Rasa ~

Today, I've been awake for a total of one hour. My phone tells me I've already picked it up and opened it 25 times. I've received 16 notifications, and most of these are messages from friends, family members or professional connections. The sheer volume of communication that we receive and send via our smartphones and social media platforms is - in a word - insane!

As everyday scrollers, what we don't often interrogate are what all of our communications are equating to. Who, or what technology, might be lurking in the background of our DM's? Why are they interested in interrogating our style and use of language and words? What is being deduced about our identities? How are our messages and posts being researched, assessed, influenced - and leveraged?

Today, we're speaking to Dr Rachael Tatman, a Senior Development Advocate at Rasa. Rasa is a company that makes an open source framework for building conversational assistants (think chat-bots or Siri). Having completed a PHD in linguistics in 2017, Rachael brings a really interesting, critical and ethical lens to this work. Her research focussed on computational sociolinguistics - or, how our social identity affects the way we use language in computational contexts - which is hugely applicable to the work she does today.

In this episode, Rachel chats to us about what kind of data is being used from the communications we publish and send online. She discusses elements of her work and research. She talks about how to respect data if you are someone who works with it, and - you'll be stoked to know - we also discuss the significance of emojis 🍎

Topics include: privacy, what is unique to online communication, ethical data use, emojis - and even GIF's!

Shownotes:

Find out more about Rachael's work and projects by visiting her website and following her on Twitter.

Email any reflections to [email protected] 📩

Ana Scotney is an actor and storyteller from Te Whanganui-a-Tara ~

Although we know we don't really own our social media profiles, we tend to think of them as relatively safe spaces on which we can explore, curate, collect and be inspired; spaces where we are free to express our creativity, our thoughts, our ideas; spaces where we are in control of which snippets of our lives we share. But what happens when other people start to encroach on these spaces? When others feel entitled to make public judgements about aspects of our personality, our image or our talents? What happens when the tide turns and our profiles no longer feel like safe spaces - because other people are creating our narrative for us? Do we stay present on our online profiles - or do we leave them behind?

In late 2019, I saw a headline in Woman's Day which read, 'Why Shortland Street's Ana Scotney was forced to quit social media'. The article suggested that instances of trolling and bullying forced Ana to exit her social platforms, and I initially reached out to her to see if she'd want to unpack that experience further on the podcast - but as we'll discover in this episode, it's not just the experience of being reacted to on the internet that made Ana feel wary of the social sphere. For Ana, the social media space in itself just sort of feels a bit uncertain.

In this conversation, Ana shares her thoughts, philosophies and ideas in regards to issues that surround our online realm. We talk about what it was like to be the target of online trolling, and how the lessons she took from it were powerful as opposed to paralysing. We also discuss how difficult it is to maintain and build an online profile when you crave and thrive in an analogue life - especially in Ana's area of acting and performance.

Topics covered include trolls, acting on Shortland Street, intellectual property, online followings as tickets to success, creativity, prank calls and more.

Shownotes:

To connect with Ana or to see some films, music and other bits of ephemera that make up her multi-disciplinary arts practise, check out her website

Tweet your thoughts on this episode to @SelfieReflect

Once we return to Covid-19 Alert Level One in New Zealand, Ana will resume acting in Michelle Savill's debut Feature film Millie Lies Low, of which she plays the titular character. She is one of Basement Theatre's artists' in residence for 2020. With the support of Basement theatre, Ana is using this residency to research and begin devising an epic oral poem in the long form called The Cadence Trilogy. This work seeks to weave together contemporary and ancient forms of story telling to explore themes of place and belonging in Aotearoa today. Ana is making this work alongside Eleanor Bishop and Puti Lancaster. She is developing a short film The Universe From Our Waka with the support of Catherine Fitzgerald. She has aspirations to write a graphic novel one day.

Rumya Putcha is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia, whose research interests centre around post-Enlightenment, colonial and anti-colonial thought ~

Are you someone who has donned your Lulu's, put on the self-timer, struck a yoga pose and captured a photo to post on Instagram, maybe without even going a class? Have you ever added a motivational quote or hash-tagged the word namaste under said Instagram post?

Perhaps you're more like me, a casual observer whose feed delivers a steady stream of ubiquitous aspirational yoga imagery. Whenever you see it, you can't help but feel a tug of inadequacy - because in our online sphere in particular, yoga imagery has become a symbol for female empowerment. Discipline. Self-care. Enlightenment. A commitment to reaching for a higher calling.

But have you ever stopped to ask - why does so much of the imagery and aspirational ideals surrounding yoga centre white women (often young, conventionally attractive white women)? What is the pull of the pose on social media? What are the people who partake in yoga culture online trying to signal? And is it possible that some good intentions fall flat..?

Today's guest is Rumya Putcha, an assistant professor of women's studies and music at the University of Georgia. Her research interests centre on post-Enlightenment, colonial and anti-colonial thought, particularly around constructs of citizenship, race, gender, sexuality, the body, and the law.

I discovered Rumya's work after a friend sent me one of her blog posts entitled, Yoga and the Maintenance of White Womanhood. In that article, Rumya unpacks how yoga imagery and yoga puns have become a signaller for white virtue, inclusiveness, and an individual spirituality that cannot be criticised. She explores why this is a damaging and concerning trajectory - and in this episode, we explore these ideas further in conversational form.

Topics include virtue signalling, appropriation, namaste puns, neoliberalism, the colonisation of yoga, the performance of spirituality, spiritual bypassing and more.

Shownotes:

Find out more about Rumya's professional work here, or to have your mind blown, take a look around her blog, Namaste Nation.

Tweet your thoughts to @SelfieReflect

Niki Bezzant is a multi-award-winning food writer, speaker and commentator ~

These days, where do you get your information about food and health? Do you go to the doctor? A nutritionist? Buy a magazine? A book? Do a Google search? Click through to your favourite influencer who looks amazing, cooks amazing and works out for 19 hours per week? And of those options, whose opinion, guidance or recommendations are you likely to trust the most?

In this episode, we're joined by multi-award-winning writer, speaker, thinker and commentator, Niki Bezzant. In 2005, Niki was given the opportunity to be the founding editor of former print magazine, the Healthy Food Guide, and remained in that role up until 2016. Despite being New Zealand's most popular magazine in the food space, the Healthy Food Guide stopped being a physical publication in 2019. Although it's impossible to point the finger at social media as being the exclusive reason for this print magazine's demise, there's no doubt that it played a part.

Having been involved with food media for twenty years and nutrition for fifteen, Niki has seen huge shifts in the landscape over that time - and not necessarily for the better. Today, Niki muses on her time at Healthy Food Guide, and gives us insight about why she thinks social media can be a dangerous medium when it comes to highly personalised subjects like health. She speaks about why we must foster expert advice, and voices some refreshingly strong opinions about influencer culture. Niki also discusses why we need to look at the pictures of 'health' that we see on our feeds through a far more critical lens.

It's a great listen that's packed with critical thoughts around the subjects of health, wellness, fitness and food on social media. Once you've had a listen, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Topics include: the challenges that traditional media faces, why we need experts, influencer culture, privilege, diet fads and more.

Shownotes:

You can discover more about Niki on her website, and find her on Instagram. Niki also did a Ted Talk about social media in relation to food and health, which you can check out here.

Tweet your thoughts @SelfieReflect