Thinking J: Culture Jamming & Digital activism

Culture Jamming, a term popularised by Mark Dery, refers to when existing social media is commented on, where it is believed that advertising is basically propaganda. Culture jamming is a type of sub advertising particularly present in industrialised nations and resists the hegemony of advertising within a society, by altering things such as company logos, shifting existing ideas of popular icons etc.

There are various examples of this seen in the media. Some of them include companies such as MacDonald’s and Coca-Cola, where their campaigns are in a way made fun of and resists the companies advertising.

The image above depicts the ways in which McDonald’s food is high in fats and sugars, mocking their current logo and slogan. To the left is an advertisement for Coca-Cola, where culture jammers have focused on the calorie content of the sugary drink.

Personally really enjoy this idea of culture jamming. I like the fact that in a culture so centred on advertising and dominance of large scale companies, that this can still happen. It gives me a sense of hope to an extent that not everybody in the world will fall victim to what could be referred to as propaganda by these companies.

Another major concept is digital activism. I myself have been involved in this movement as I am sure many people who use social media have too. Digital activism is cheap, easily assessable and can be spread audiences over social networking in small amounts of time.

According to Mary Joyce the 3 main characteristics of good digital activism as being;

Sustainable (local, low cost, self-reinforcing)
Effective (Long-term Strategy, appropriate technology)
Reproducible (other activists, other countries, other issues)

Digital activism has been seen in many major events around the globe, for example the Kony campaign, the Chinese earthquake, The Arab spring and more recently the Boston Bombings only a few days ago. As I scroll through my newsfeed on Facebook I become increasingly aware of how digital activism is so prominent today, where anything from a page dedicated to saving and praying for those who were affected by the bombs in Boston, to signing a petition to stop the closure of a local business can be seen.

A particular campaign that has been seen unfolding across social networking is the vote to legalise gay marriage. Personally, I have seen several of my Facebook friends changing their profile pictures to the picture below in support of it, and there are numerous groups and pages available to like and follow on Facebook. Even hash tagging on Instagram and Twitter in reference to the campaign has been undertaken by not only the general public but also by celebrities and those in the public eye, such as Beyonce and Macklemore.

It's clear that social media has been greatly utilised when it comes to digital activism. Campaigns can be easily spread across the world via social media and anyone can create a page in support of something whether it is within their community or relating to world issues. Culture jamming is also another interesting and entertaining way in which advertisments are rejected by many and postioned in a light hearted way.

Until next time
:)