I don’t conflate my friend-family with any majority group opinion. In most of my online conversations, I interact mostly with people committed to social justice, activists, organizers, politically-engaged anthropologists, critical race academics, feminists, queer scholars and other similarly minded individuals. When I write in open platforms, I sometimes expect responses, but it depends on whether it is a blog post or tweet. On my blog, I’ve turned off the comment features on all posts. That space is sacred and collaborative and I like to maintain a sense of control over voice and visibility. On Twitter, I have expanded my networks to include conversations with people I don’t know in real life, but who affirm the importance of civic engagement and social justice. This way of connecting to people through daisy-chained associations and shared commitments allows me to feel less isolated, less vulnerable and less afraid as a person who lives on multiple margins. Reading and reflecting on Seaman’s article, I wonder about echo chambers, and whether in some instances, they mask the importance of safe spaces for marginalized groups. In this Medium post, Tamara eloquently writes, “I don’t have the luxury of being open to alternative perspectives when it concerns marginalized groups”.
Sundi says
Thanks for mentioning this. There is definitely something about positionality that Seaman’s mention of echo chambers does not take into account.