Participatory Media Cultures: Virality, Humour, and Online Political Contestations in Kenya

Abstract

The increase in access to affordable mobile technologies has created an interesting, sometimes complicated, relationship between Internet users and the Kenyan government. On the one hand, the latter is committed to building information and communications technology infrastructure and encouraging technological innovation. On the other, citizens are becoming digitally literate, civically engaged, and more likely to hold the government accountable. The article seeks to discuss varied forms of citizen engagement in the era of Internet viral cultures, ranging from (1) the use of social media for online protest, characterised by political contestation and fleeting outbursts of anger and backlash in the Twittersphere, to (2) the appropriation of protest messages into humorous viral memes (often oversimplified, ignoring the complexities of the situation and more focused on humour rather than underlying core problems). Four select hashtags during the 2017 Kenyan elections are analysed as frames for collective action within the context of playful participation and “spreadable” media.

Effects of Slacktivism on Offline Engagement: Appraising the Role of Political Facebook Memes As a Communication Tool for Young Consumers in Pakistan

“…Political participation is not possible until a citizen is informed enough to make meaningful decisions that entail political repercussions (Heiskanen, 2017). Political memes have been denoted as a quick source of political information that complement public discourses, thus affirming the previous researches (Milner, 2013;Mukhongo, 2020;Sharbaugh & Nguyen, 2014); in this study under hand, the researcher ascertained that Facebook political meme users acknowledged that online exposure to Facebook political memes led them to discuss political issues with their offline public sphere.While commenting, sharing or liking the meme content of Facebook page users get emotionally aroused sometimes and it affect their changed political views and often voting behavior. Memes help to shape narratives so online viewing or discussion lead them to offline discussion on political issues…”

Digital Revolution and the Prospects for Online Political Communication

“…In Kenya, social media were used as a tool for political contestation and an alternative communication channel during political crisis (Makinen & Kuira, 2017;Mukhongo, 2020). Political parties used Facebook to recruit voters and mobilize support during elections as was seen during the 2017 elections (Kamau, 2017;Diepeveen, 2019).…”