SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYDAY POLITICS

Abstract

SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYDAY POLITICS by Tim Highfield is reviewed.

Tim Highfield SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYDAY POLITICS Polity Press, Cambridge and Malden, 2016, 220 pp ISBN: 978-0-7456-9134-3

The book Social Media and Everyday Politics tackles the most pervasive practices we are witnessing today, as well as the personal and political significance of multiple social media sites and the ways they collide. It examines user practices concerning political contexts as a large part of everyday life occurring in the digital world. Through seven thematically distinctive yet complementary chapters, Tim Highfield emphasises various online participatory and engaging areas such as commentary, discussions, publishing images, videos, memes, GIF-s etc. Describing in detail online practices from both strands, active publics, and policy makers, Highfield proves how they all together create wider sociopolitical impact. Filled with up-to-date global examples, the book vividly explains what major role social media have in the unfolding of the events and what are the socio-cultural implications of political discussion on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Youtube, blogs, etc.

The digital arena is now, more than ever, the field's main research interest since it represents the formation of public opinions in seconds. In a Habermasian approach, some argue that the online public sphere does not exist, and disapprove of its potential to influence and change the mainstream policies. On the other hand, Highfield points out exactly the opposite. Focusing on how sometimes seemingly mundane conversations on social media, actually impact the political arena and can take political dimensions which are beyond our imagination. Easily read, the content is based on his previous research projects and empirical studies. Addressing a wide range of social media topics, from selfies to election campaigns, riots, crises and collective action, the book explores how social media has become an extension of our realities.

The overarching topic is the intersection of the personal and the political. Furthermore, this dichotomy is the main referential point of almost every social media site. The intertwined spectrum of normal, everyday personal usage of social media tends to evolve into a larger political scope, and vice versa. Something strictly political, now becomes part of everyday life. Especially when it comes to gender, LGBT and anti-mainstream issues, the political easily becomes personal. An example describing this collision is #freethenipple campaign which attempted to disentangle taboos of breastfeeding. Women gathering and taking action through formed online communities, helped with breaking the silence and pointing at the larger problems of society. Topics once unreachable, are now easily embraced through digital activism and self-organised debates occurring in online spaces.

Further, Highfield explains ritualised forms of social media usage, which are the standardised practices of users, responding to various events. Sometimes these practices may take political dimensions. In this sense, the abundance of mundane commentary appearing on social media sites may grow into a cultural reference point and impact higher structures of the society. Examples are the #blacklivesmatter movement or #JesuisCharlie. In contemporary society, language, practices and expressions have evolved through social media. Whether we accept it or not, the importance and the scope social media has on our understandings remains certain. The book's theoretical background, therefore, brings out new concepts, such as ambient journalism, introduced by Hermida (2010), which refers to constant "live" coverage of social media sites. There is no "one sole narrative trajectory" around a particular subject that everyone follows (p. 43). Social media culture is a place where comedy meets serious topics, where mocking is a standard and cynical humour frames the events through public commentary. If we want democracy, this is where we have it. Narratives and counter-narratives are formed and spread in the speed of a second, and although topics overlap on different sites, each one has a distinctive role and brings a different experience to its users. Whether it is just a usage of images, short texts or videos, each site is specific and adds another perspective to the story.

However, one important question arises here. If we are in the realm of the complete freedom of expression, then some may abuse this position and spread hate speech. Everyone has the right to state her opinion, which sometimes leads to extreme polarisation. Later chapters show how political expression evolves in online media environments, shedding light on breaking news, scandals and crises, and taking a closer look at collective and connective action on social media. Platforms for vocalising opinions and sharing experiences, as the recent #MeToo campaign proved again, are a form of solidarity expression. Another major influence comes from live-streaming and updates from demonstrations, marches, etc. Social media accompany these events and serve as a means of communication between protesters, publics and authorities. Sometimes, after social movements have finished, some hashtags remain running (e.g. #OccupyWallStreet, #everydaysexism, #AliveWhileBlack). These call for the importance of "treating the online as part of an extended, hybrid media and political system" (p.120), not just an isolated setting.

The last two chapters are focused on institutional context, politicians and the online practices of election periods. Filled with a theoretical background and new insights into the development of interactions between politics and the participatory public, the book concludes with the limitations and implications of this changing face between everyday social media and politics.

Yet, Highfield admits, methods for studying social media are still in the development and need to evolve more for future research. Data collection is tricky and sometimes messy to analyse, due to the large amount of information and their constant flow and changes. It is a question of framing the time period and using specific searches (e.g. through hashtags) which makes it manageable. Case studies of various media events are a way to explore broader meanings and consequences they have on the society. Written in a language everyone can understand, and sometimes funny, the book is a valuable piece for all students, media scholars, researchers and everyone interested in online communication studies.

Anja Stević