Tom Divon
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: Artificially alive: An exploration of AI resurrections and spectral labor modes in a postmortal society
Artificially alive: An exploration of AI resurrections and spectral labor modes in a postmortal society Open
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is widely regarded as a transformative force, reshaping our understanding of both life and death. One experimental frontier is its ability to recreate deceased human beings. Our article explores t…
View article: “On TikTok, everything needs to be playful, even the Holocaust!”: Playability, memes, and participatory memory culture
“On TikTok, everything needs to be playful, even the Holocaust!”: Playability, memes, and participatory memory culture Open
TikTok has become a space where playfulness is the dominant lingo for engaging with serious subjects. On the platform, the Holocaust is mediated through meme-based performances like the #POVHolocaustChallenge, a trend that invited users to…
View article: “The algorithm loves the war”: ambivalent visibility in content creator practices during war
“The algorithm loves the war”: ambivalent visibility in content creator practices during war Open
Content creators in war zones are critical in shaping global perceptions of conflict. Through social media, they document real-time events and reach audiences beyond the traditional news frameworks. Based on an ethnographic study of Czech …
View article: The rise of war influencers: Creators, platforms, and the visibility of conflict zones
The rise of war influencers: Creators, platforms, and the visibility of conflict zones Open
Since February 2022, the war in Ukraine has ushered in a new era of war documentation, with TikTok emerging as a central platform for showcasing daily life in conflict zones. This shift has given rise to “war influencers,” a distinct group…
View article: The Place of a Child on Platforms: Responsibilities, Obligations, and Expectations
The Place of a Child on Platforms: Responsibilities, Obligations, and Expectations Open
This panel delves into the complex entanglement of children within our 'platform society,' spotlighting their roles amidst the dynamics of platformisation, datafication, and monetisation. It scrutinises the emergence of child influencers, …
View article: Children as concealed commodities: Ethnographic nuances and legal implications of kidfluencers’ monetisation on TikTok
Children as concealed commodities: Ethnographic nuances and legal implications of kidfluencers’ monetisation on TikTok Open
Our article delves into the emergence of ‘kidfluencers’ within the content creator economy, highlighting how children’s participation intertwines their identities with monetisation strategies on platforms. Focusing on TikTok, we blend ethn…
View article: AMBIENT AMPLIFICATION: ATTENTION HIJACKING AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROPAGANDA
AMBIENT AMPLIFICATION: ATTENTION HIJACKING AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROPAGANDA Open
Over the last decade, the rise of memetic media in combination with multimodal platform environments have radically transformed our experience of digital culture. On TikTok, gestures and sounds go viral. Twitter (X) @tags operate as bondin…
View article: Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation
Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation Open
This paper delves into communications dynamics between social media platforms and their users as they navigate the opacity of governance policies. Using Meta and TikTok as case studies, we reveal that gaslighting – traditionally linked wit…
View article: The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine
The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine Open
TikTok has emerged as a powerful platform for the dissemination of mis- and disinformation about the war in Ukraine. During the initial three months after the Russian invasion in February 2022, videos under the hashtag #Ukraine garnered 36…
View article: Playful Trauma: TikTok Creators and the Use of the Platformed Body in Times of War
Playful Trauma: TikTok Creators and the Use of the Platformed Body in Times of War Open
Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, TikTok has emerged as a pivotal platform, where creators utilize its compressed video formats to mediate the harsh realities of war zones. In this article, we examine 97 videos produced by 12 Ukrainian…
View article: Special issue on methods in visual politics and protest
Special issue on methods in visual politics and protest Open
This special issue forms the second part of a double issue on methods in visual politics and protest. It draws together five articles that provide new pathways for deconstructing visual political narratives and offers reflexive and nuanced…
View article: Special issue on methods in visual politics and protest
Special issue on methods in visual politics and protest Open
This special issue draws together five articles in the arena of methods in visual politics and protest. It addresses three core methodological challenges across the research process (data access, collection, analysis, visualisation): the p…
View article: WARTOK: NETWORKED SOUNDSCAPES OF MEMETIC WARFARE
WARTOK: NETWORKED SOUNDSCAPES OF MEMETIC WARFARE Open
This panel investigates the networked soundscapes of memetic warfare on TikTok, a platform crucial in mediating the ongoing war in Ukraine since February 2022. Introduced to the public as a unique form of war programming during the first w…
View article: #VLADDYDADDY ON TIKTOK: IMAGINED INTIMACY AND MEMETIC PARTICIPATION IN TIMES OF WAR
#VLADDYDADDY ON TIKTOK: IMAGINED INTIMACY AND MEMETIC PARTICIPATION IN TIMES OF WAR Open
#Vladdydaddy is a popular internet meme that emerged during the 2016 elections in the United States on 4chan and Twitter to characterize the perceived submissive behavior of Donald Trump towards Vladimir Putin. The meme re-emerged on TikTo…
View article: EXPLORING THE CONTEXTUAL COMPLEXITIES OF VIOLENCE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS: INTERSECTIONS, IMPACTS, AND SOLUTIONS
EXPLORING THE CONTEXTUAL COMPLEXITIES OF VIOLENCE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS: INTERSECTIONS, IMPACTS, AND SOLUTIONS Open
As social media platforms face increasing complexity, severity, and pervasiveness of violent content, it is of utmost importance for researchers, educators, policymakers, and users alike to regard digital violence as an imminent threat. In…
View article: PERFORMING DEATH AND TRAUMA? PARTICIPATORY MEM(E)ORY AND THE HOLOCAUST IN TIKTOK #POVCHALLENGES
PERFORMING DEATH AND TRAUMA? PARTICIPATORY MEM(E)ORY AND THE HOLOCAUST IN TIKTOK #POVCHALLENGES Open
TikTok is no longer the short-video platform for “silly dances.” Its transition from entertainment to an interest-based platform increased the visual volume of topics like the Holocaust, especially during August 2020, when a controversial …
View article: Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges
Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges Open
Palestinians have long been using social media as a tool for activism. Each platform provides unique socio-technological affordances that shape users’ communicative practices as networked publics. Focusing on the video-sharing platform Tik…