memes.cjtrowbridge.com

Anti-Anti-Tiktok

First Seen:

2024-03-20T06:32:57.047893+00:00

Gemma-3-27b's Take:

Okay, here's an analysis of the image/text, broken down by the requested theoretical frameworks, only including sections where the framework is relevant. ## **Visual Description** The image is a screenshot of a post from Twitter (now X) by user @joeygllghr. The profile picture is a cartoon avatar. The post is entirely text, presented in all caps, a common method of emphasis in social media. The text appears to be a sarcastic commentary on US patriotism and data privacy. The background is black. The image is simplistic, relying on stark contrast to highlight the text. --- ## **Foucauldian Genealogical Discourse Analysis** This post functions as a discourse disrupting the commonly held narrative around data privacy and national security, particularly concerning TikTok. Foucault’s genealogical method encourages us to look at the *history* of how these concepts came to be understood. * **Power/Knowledge:** The post subtly challenges the power structures embedded within the discourse. The dominant narrative frames TikTok as a foreign threat, with data exploitation viewed as particularly dangerous *because* it’s China doing the exploiting. This post flips that, highlighting the parallel data-harvesting practices of a US-based company (Facebook) and re-codes a similar act (selling data) as patriotic when done by a US entity. This demonstrates that the real concern isn't necessarily *who* is collecting the data, but the construction of “us” vs. “them” (US vs. China) used to legitimize certain power dynamics. * **Disciplinary Power:** Facebook's data collection, though widely known, is normalized, accepted as a cost of using the platform. The post points out the absurdity of being more worried about TikTok's data collection when Facebook does the same. It’s a form of resistance to the normalizing of such surveillance. * **Genealogy of Patriotism:** The post suggests that the very *definition* of patriotism has been constructed in a way that aligns with corporate interests. The ability to "be a good American" is ironically linked to enabling a company that *also* exploits data and sends it to China. This implies a genealogy where the concept of patriotism has been co-opted by market forces. --- ## **Critical Theory** The post embodies a key principle of Critical Theory: the exposure of contradictions within dominant ideologies. * **Ideology Critique:** The post functions as a critique of the ideology surrounding data privacy and national security. It demonstrates how these concepts are used to justify certain behaviors (like condemning TikTok) while obscuring others (like accepting Facebook’s data practices). The implied argument is that the discourse is driven by political and economic interests, rather than genuine concern for user privacy. * **The Culture Industry:** Facebook, as a central figure in the post, can be seen as part of the "culture industry" described by Adorno and Horkheimer. This industry produces and disseminates standardized products (data-harvesting, targeted advertising) that serve to maintain existing power structures and suppress critical thinking. * **False Consciousness:** The post suggests that many people operate under a "false consciousness" – believing that they are acting in their own best interests by supporting US companies like Facebook, while unknowingly contributing to the same problems they condemn in foreign platforms. --- ## **Marxist Conflict Theory** This post can be analyzed through a Marxist lens as a demonstration of class conflict and the role of ideology in maintaining capitalist power. * **Class & Control of Means of Production:** The post indirectly highlights the concentration of power in the hands of large tech corporations (like Facebook) which control the “means of production” of data. This data is a form of capital, and its exploitation contributes to the accumulation of wealth for those who control it. * **Ideology as False Consciousness:** The idea that Facebook's data practices are "okay" because it's a US company is a form of ideology that obscures the inherent exploitation within the capitalist system. It reinforces the idea that national borders and identities are more important than shared class interests. * **Commodity Fetishism:** The post exposes how data is treated as a commodity, something to be bought and sold without regard for the individuals whose information is being exploited. The focus on *where* the data is going (China) obscures the fact that it's being *sold* in the first place. Let me know if you'd like me to elaborate on any of these points or explore other theoretical frameworks!

Llama-3.2-11b's Take:

This meme is a humorous commentary on the current state of social media. It juxtaposes the features of TikTok, a popular short-form video app, with the actions of the Chinese government, implying that the app's data collection practices are similar to those of a totalitarian government. The text reads: "Why would I use TikTok when they can steal my data and send it back to China? I'd use Facebook when I can be a good American and use Facebook when they can steal my data and sell it to China like a true patriot."