I Was There Too

A Visual Ethnography and Analysis on Meaningful Inefficiencies, Data Colonialism, and Digital Parasites Using Facebook Messengers Video-Chat Feature

Abstract

My visual ethnography uses Facebook Messenger’s video-chat feature to “travel” and “be” in different parts of Calgary. In the interwoven analysis, I draw from Bart Cammaerts concept of self-mediation to illustrate how, in many ways, I abided by the intended uses video-chatting offers. Alternatively, I draw on Gordon and Walter’s concept of meaningful inefficiencies to demonstrate how I created a digital experience that was intentionally playful; I disregarded the need to obtain visibility in an online space, thereby challenging notions of governmentality. I reference Ghel and McKelvey’s work on digital parasites to articulate the parasitic nature of this experience, not only between the human-computer relationship, but also between human-human relationships. Moreover, I discuss how I subverted data colonialism at the expense of commodifying the data at the other end of the line. This digital experience contributes to literature about visibility in online spaces in an alternative way; it was not concerned with curating an online persona or acquiring likes and shares. The screenshots illustrate the technological noise that disrupts the call, further positing the intentional playfulness and inefficiency of the experience. The limitations of this experience relate to themes of resistance. While in some ways I resisted data colonialism, the only way to truly resist one’s data from being collected is to create an experience that is offline and untraceable. This experience welcomes the messiness and hybridity of digital platforms and provides an opportunity for purposeful misconnection.