Session Chair:
Presentation 1
Reciprocal Platform Labour In The Nigerian Social Media Video Industry
Godwin Iretomiwa Simon(1), David B. Nieborg(2)
1: Queensland University of Technology, Australia; 2: University of Toronto, Canada
This paper explores how content creators in the Nigerian social media video industry navigate the economic, infrastructural, and cultural logics of digital platforms through practices of reciprocal labour. As is the case in many global contexts, the economic formalization of social media platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, have enabled the emergence of for-profit social media video production in Nigeria. This paper focuses on the under-studied intersection of platform logics and labour relations in this industry. Drawing on 10 semi-structured interviews with Nigerian content creators, combined with analysis of the domestic trade press, we observe that creators struggle to generate visibility in a highly saturated social media landscape. This visibility imperative is not unique to Nigeria. What sets Nigeria apart, however, is the local political economy of video production, which translates into high production costs, which are offset by orchestrating practices of informally organised reciprocal labour. Nigeria thus provides a relevant perspective to ongoing debates in platform research that seek more regional specificity and seek to decentre the Global North as their point of reference. To heed that call, the specific labour practices we highlight, those of reciprocal labour, reflect the broader informal economies and traditional kinship norms in Nigeria. Exploring this mode of work showcases the intersections among creative labour and cultural dynamics in a given national context vis-à-vis the unifying business models and centralized governance frameworks of platform companies.
Presentation 2
AFFECTIVE LABOUR AND EMOTIONAL LABOUR IN THE COMMODIFICATION OF ‘SELF’ IN INDIAN WOMEN’S FAMILY VLOGGING (Working title)
Debopriya Roy, Prof. Joya Chakraborty
Tezpur University, India
Amateur family vlogs on YouTube have become a living testament to the lives of Indian women and their ongoing battles against inequalities in the domestic space and digital space. It requires sharing a carefully curated but intimate representation of their personal lives. Problematising that, this paper primarily discusses how affective and emotional labour interplay in performance as a microcelebrity in family vlogging by Indian women YouTubers. It starts with the question of how women’s affective and emotional labour are exploited to create a commodified self. Drawing from interviews, analysis of select vlogs and audience comments, and participant observation during the vlog recording; the study also explores their motivation for participating in the ‘fame-work’ and how it enhances the ‘visibility’ of women’s domestic work. The work reveals that the primary motivation to engage in these labours comes in the form of fame, acknowledgement of their invisible housework, and creating an identity which facilitates a sense of empowerment.
Presentation 3
THIS IS A MOVEMENT, NOT A MOMENT: BLACK FEMMES' DIGITAL AFFECTIVE LABOR IN THE 2020 RACIAL UPRISINGS
Nicole Veronica Bush
University of Southern California, United States of America
In this paper, I detail Black femme activists' use of Instagram during the summer of 2020 racial uprisings. I argue that Black femmes' digital affective labor is a meaning-making discursive practice in which Black femmes care for themselves and their communities and produce knowledge about themselves and the issues we care about throughout the multiple publics in our society. I analyzed the Instagram posts of eleven prominent Black femme progressive activist organizations during June 2020 to outline the Black femme digital tactics of resistance that emerged during this period. Using critical discourse analysis, I analyzed this period further to demonstrate that Black femme digital practices and online activism are meaning-making a discursive practice that provides vital life-affirming information and community support while impacting the way mainstream media discussed the Black Lives Matter movement and its supporters throughout the summer of 2020.
Presentation 4
UNRAVELING ALGORITHMIC BIAS: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WORLD OF POLITICIZED ALTERNATIVE CREATORS
Nora Suren
University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States of America
In this study, I examine the challenges and strategies of content creators operating within Turkey's digital landscape, particularly focusing on “alternative creators” who represent marginalized identities and advocate for progressive politics amid political precarity and authoritarianism. Through in-depth interviews with content creators, I investigate the complexities of navigating contentious political discourse and advocating for social change within the confines of repressive government policies and platform dynamics. Theoretical frameworks drawn from the platformization of cultural production and the concept of nested precarities inform my analysis, highlighting the intersection of market, industry, platform, and political precarities experienced by influencers in Turkey. I argue that the unique context of Turkey's influencer industry, marked by state oppression and recent crises like the devastating earthquake, adds another layer of complexity to the challenges faced by content creators. Three themes emerged from my analysis: the challenges faced by queer creators navigating Turkey’s digital landscape, the hurdles encountered by vocal women creators advocating for social issues, and the diverse strategies employed by creators to navigate algorithmic challenges and combat shadowbans. Through these themes, I explore the nuanced experiences of alternative creators and highlight their resilience in the face of adversity. Ultimately, this study contributes to our understanding of the intersection between political precarity, platform dynamics, and social change advocacy among content creators. By shedding light on previously overlooked aspects of content creation in digital spaces, I challenge existing scholarly notions and open new avenues of inquiry into the strategies employed by marginalized creators facing oppressive regimes.
