Lab 6: Reflecting and Outlining My Final Presentation

Comparing Data Visualizations

Comparing my graphs with those regarding #FakeNews and #AlternativeFacts has been very revealing. All three hashtags deal closely with issues regarding the misconduct of the Trump administration and, essentially, the shock it caused. All of these hashtags represent very American ideas. Politically, the United States is in its own bubble, and people are so shocked by Trump’s actions when much of the rest of the world saw this coming or at least had recognized America’s flaws before the election. The election was such a wake-up moment for so many people, and these hashtags, especially mine, helped track that.

For my hashtag specifically, comparing my data across that I have created has revealed to me a few things. The first is that this online “resistance” to Trump and his policies is not sustainable. The way these hashtags get used, one day every few minutes and the next every hour, is so fleeting and uncoordinated. These tweets are just like thoughts, and although many of the main tweeters seemed to be activist types, according to the SNA, it does not seem like one message is being maintained and utilized through the tweets. This is something I have realized while looking at my own data visualizations together. The idea of #ThisIsNotNormal has died down a lot since it was originally linked to the Muslim Ban, an issue which has generally exited mainstream media. The phrases “this is not normal,” “fake news” and “alternative facts” have all been carried outside of Twitter, however, either in political or activist discourse or as a cultural reference.

I believe that, used together, my SNA, my graph of the number of tweets per day, and the graphs linked to the word cloud tell the best story about #ThisIsNotNormal. Linking the use of hashtag to major events by day is crucial to understanding how the original #ThisIsNotNormal moment transformed. The transformation and progression of the use of the hashtag can also be revealed looking at the word cloud and trends in the popularity of certain terms in the set of tweets. Lastly, the SNA data visualization, its main players, and the nature of the networks can provide insight into whether or not this “movement” or idea has been sustained or is even viable. Although people are still using the hashtag, I believe that the phrase stemmed from different moments of shock related to the conduct of the Trump administration and the state of the United States.

Outline

Rough Thesis: I believe the use of #ThisIsNotNormal stemmed from multiple moments of shock. It became something people could hold on to, almost as if as soon as Trump leaves office things will be normal again. In another sense, it has become a way of communicating in a very simple manner how outrageous or terrifying the president’s actions actually are and how his decisions have serious implications.

• (1 slide) First, I will summarize the use of #ThisIsNotNormal. I will include examples of tweets and note the phrase’s use on Twitter and in the media in general.
• (2 slides) Next, I will introduce my data visualizations. I have already mentioned the SNA, the word cloud, and the graph showing the number of tweets per day. I will dive into two of these specifically ( I have not decided which to leave out yet) in order to demonstrate how the use of #ThisIsNotNormal has changed. I will summarize my key findings from each data visualization process and link it to the bigger picture.
• (1-2 slides) I will then bring this back to 1 or 2 class readings. There are too many good ones I want to include, so I’m still choosing.
• (1 slide) I will summarize my findings, expand upon my thesis, and address future implications.
• (1 slide) Citations

Update: My final project is complete and I have embedded it in video form below. Also, here is the link to my SlideShare presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/MichaellaKendrick/thisisnotnormal-how-a-moment-created-a-movement. Enjoy and let me know what you think!