Â鶹´å

Kate Smigie

Author's Statement

This research paper came about as part of a final assignment for an introductory undergraduate writing class during my first year at Â鶹´å. Taught by Dr. Pal-Agrawal, the special topic for the course revolved around understanding the relationships between the internet and how people use it as a means to express their identity. In our course, I completed a group assignment where I learned about social media activism which often falls into the category of “slacktivism.” Slacktivism first became a concept in 1995 when Dwight Ozard and Fred Clark defined it as low-effort political actions online leading to little political change. While I accepted the concept, I could not help being impressed with how the illustrations in posts by Ben and Jerry’s on Instagram that related to activism seemed to resonate with me and also compelled others to repost their stories.

Because I have an extensive background as a muralist, having done projects in major cities, small towns, and foreign countries including Spain and Mexico, I was curious as to how social media activism may apply to murals and mural artists. Murals often are used as a tool to uplift communities and convey the values of that community to others, but can also be politically charged. As I have posted my own mural projects online, I wondered how status may affect the reach of these murals beyond the physical space they were created in. I wondered if people were “slacktivists” when it comes to artwork inspired by activism or instead could become “artivists.” I observed some “artivism” in action when I completed a collaborative mural project in Cholula, Mexico, that was inspired by a course on muralism and indigeneity. Because some people in the area I am originally from in the U.S. have roots in the surrounding region in Mexico, the mural gained traction online in both countries. 

Because this was my first research assignment and the timeline to collect data was a mere two weeks, I believe that this paper can act as a springboard for future research endeavors. I am curious as to how this paper might help extend the field by creating preliminary connections that should be further studied with greater population sizes.

- Kate Smigie

Online "Artivism": How Follower Count Impacts Activism Online

Abstract

The current body of research surrounding online activism through social network sites is expanding to include research on murals posted online that impact activism, both online and in-person. As previous research has focused on how online interactions with the murals impact activism, it neglects how factors surrounding the image such as the artist’s popularity or status online affect the image’s importance. An artist account’s online status is demonstrated by the ratio of followers to following on a given profile; typically, an account with a high follower count and fewer people followed is indicative of higher status. The present study aims at contributing to the research gap into online art impact by investigating how a muralist’s ratio of followers to following on Instagram affects the way their posts are interacted with. Two mural posts were constructed and paired with online Instagram profiles, simulating activism murals.

The fabricated posts were adjusted for different follower counts and sent out in surveys questioning how people would hypothetically act in response. This study found that people had a higher willingness to interact online and offline with an account whose artist had an even following to follower ratio on their Instagram profile. Fewer people agreed to join activism causes when the artist had a higher social status, many followers and few people the account was following back. Results of this preliminary study illustrate that the messages of murals online are affected by the online status and relatability of the artist.

Introduction

Humans have arguably been making murals since the Stone Age, or, the Paleolithic era, as evidenced by some of the oldest cave paintings found in Spain. In the the El Castillo Cave (D’Errico et al. 49) and nearby Altamira caves (see fig. 1), hand tracings, bison, and horse-like animals are depicted (Lawson 7-8). Several sites along Sulawesi, an Indonesian island, include similar motifs (Brumm et al.) and anthropologists speculate that certain cave paintings were used for ritualistic purposes such as those in Cueva La Conga located in modern-day Nicaragua (Baker et al. 312 ).

Fig. 1. Bison (Bisonte) painting from the Cave of Altamira, Cantabria, Spain.

Much later, murals were also used for religious purposes covering walls and ceilings of churches across Europe such as the Romanesque murals on the covenant of St. John in Müstair, Switzerland, now a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site (fig. 2). These murals not only served aesthetic purposes, but also educated the masses on biblical stories. Moreover, in the first half of the 20th century to “educate the masses about Mexico’s cultural and historical legacies,” murals on government buildings were commissioned through the Secretaría de Educación Pública (Malott 774).

Diego Rivera was an artist from the Mexican Muralist movement and artist who gained international fame. As a result, he was commissioned to create a mural about the future of the arts for Rockefeller Center in New York City in the 1930s. However, his mural was destroyed for its politics, as Rivera refused to remove Vladimir Lenin, a communist political figure from his piece. He eventually recreated the piece that resides in Mexico City in the Palacio de Bellas Artes (fig. 3).

Currently, murals are being used in a plethora of ways, most notably by marginalized groups to raise awareness on certain issues and create a sense of community. While researchers have inspected the ways murals have been made and the cultural contexts behind them, few scholars have connected murals to the way in which they are reflected in social media. Notable exceptions include Rachael A. Young’s article “‘We Can’t Keep Painting Over Our Problems’: Murals, Social Media, and Feminist Activism in Ireland,” which examines how murals supporting Irish feminist movements gained wider visibility and engagement through online sharing; Maurice Rafael Magana’s “Multimodal Archives of Transborder Belonging: Murals, Social Media, and Racialized Geographies in Los Angeles,” which analyzes how images of murals posted online foster transborder connections within Mexican American communities; and Youjeong Oh’s “From Concrete Walls to Digital Walls: Transmedia Construction of Place Myth in Ihwa Mural Village, South Korea,” which explores how digital circulation of mural imagery can reshape public perception of place and attract tourism. While these scholars study how murals posted on social media impact social movements online and in the real world, they stop short of observing how the engagement online affects the messages murals attempt to convey. As a result, I ask the following question: does the amount of followers a muralist has on social media have an effect on the impact of the mural’s message?

Fig. 2. Fresco painting from the Benedictine Convent of St. John at Müstair, Switzerland.

Fig. 3. Rivera, Diego. “Man, Controller of the Universe.”1934, Google Arts & Culture, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/man-controller-of-the-universe-diego-rivera/JwESYqRaLENE7g?hl=en.

Research on a muralist’s following, I argue, will help determine how social clout impacts art relating to social activism. Since murals have been around almost as long as the creation of homo-sapiens, they are a conscious or subconscious part of the human experience, intersecting both public and private sectors. By investigating further into the ways that people perceive and interact with murals online through posting metrics, we can understand if art is tied to the artist or separated from the creator. Therefore, we gain an understanding on how social media recontextualizes or intensifies the reach of this public artform. Moreover, it is vital to examine the new way murals are perceived in a virtual public space. Similar to how the physical location can impact the message of a mural, we must speculate how the virtual location of the mural impacts the perception of it.

Synthesis of Relevant Research

Researchers have shown that viewing art online such as Monet’s water-lilies series can lead to a sense of relaxation and contentment (Trupp et al. 145). These online images are seen as artifacts by Bernie Hogan who expands upon Erving Goffman’s ideas of “Front Stage,” the real life performance, and “Backstage,” the behind the scenes preparation. Hogan takes it a step further when applying this concept to social media as he believes the “timeless” space of social media creates an exhibition space instead of a performance space. Therefore, online images are artifacts curated by algorithms for the correct viewer that will find the “artifact” relevant and interesting (Hogan 381). Additionally, he explores how Walter Benjamin believes that copies of the original do not have the same “aura,” establishing the uniqueness of the original. Hogan applies this concept to real life and social media, claiming that artifacts online can only capture a certain part of real life but will never replace or convey it entirely (Hogan 380).

The circulation of political topics on social media has increasingly become a tool for political awareness and activism. Moreover, Clay Shirkey expands on Hogan’s ideas by illustrating how information, such as artifacts online, can spread or be controlled by certain groups. He discusses how the United States governmental interventions on political information access in authoritarian governments are often less effective than locals spreading information (Shirkey 29). According to Shirkey, the conservative dilemma allows groups to gain political awareness online through non-political groups online which affects how governments effectively censor information. Additionally, he discusses how social media can serve as a tool for organizing activists to take action towards a common goal, but it is most effective when online coordination leads to in-person political action (Shirkey 31). If the organization stays online it will most likely lead to slacktivism which is performative and ineffective, leading to little tangible change. Young’s ideas relate to Shirky’s assertions through her discussion of how murals, as physical artworks embedded within local communities, are documented and circulated online. She explains that social media intensifies the reach of this public art form, allowing murals to generate both digital engagement and real-world social change. For instance, Young notes that murals and their counterpart image online have most notably been reflected in the Irish feminist movements. When the mural “Repeal the 8th,” a pro choice mural, was taken down, its reproduction lived on online, increasing the viewership and furthering the movement (Young 320). Similarly, in Los Angeles many murals in predominantly Mexican-American communities are documented online and shared using hashtags, allowing for transnational identity to be celebrated while also shedding light on issues of criminalization of Hispanic people (Magana 704).

In contrast to sites where online presence of murals extended activism, online sharing created a negative impact on Ihwa, a small village in South Korea home to many murals. As tourists became attracted to the murals they found online, they began disrupting the peace for the villagers (Oh 1333). The tourists were compelled by the artwork presented online which prompted them to see the murals in person. The disarray that Oh describes raises the question of whether those murals were so compelling to people because of the social status of the artist who posted them. Is it possible that the number of followers that an artist has can diminish or enhance the perceived value of the artwork? How does the perceived social value of an artwork online lead to in person response?

Methodology

In order to investigate the relationship between mural activism and artist popularity, an online questionnaire was administered to undergraduate students at Â鶹´å. A total of 18 participants completed the survey. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group P, Group Q, or Group W. The letters P, Q, and W were selected arbitrarily in order to reduce potential response bias. This was a limited study for a course which shows in a reduced sample size, but does not diminish from the value of the observed trends.

Each group was presented with two fabricated scenarios loosely related to political themes alongside images of murals that exist in the real world. Each scenario acted as a prompt for later survey questions. The fabricated information included a brief description about the topic as well as an Instagram profile of the artist. The profiles and accompanying posts were digitally created using Adobe Photoshop in order to control the follower and following metrics shown to participants.

The Bride on Penn Ave by Judy Penzer and Jill Watson was selected for the first scenario because its narrative content is relatively ambiguous. In the fabricated scenario, participants were introduced to an artist based in Philadelphia with the username Ms_muralsls_art. Participants were told that the artwork was titled Runaway Bride and was created to raise awareness about domestic violence in the United States.

The second scenario featuring Castillos de Plástico by David Esteban (Da.2) was selected because its imagery suggests pollution on beaches. In the fabricated scenario, participants were told that the artist its.paintsforchange_104 creates murals intended to raise awareness about environmental issues related to waste and climate change.

Group P was shown Instagram profiles in which the artist had a relatively high number of followers compared to the number of accounts they followed. In the first scenario, participants viewed a profile with 12,000 followers and 85 accounts followed. In the second scenario, the profile displayed 19,000 followers and 600 accounts followed.

Group Q was presented with profiles in which the artist followed more accounts than the number of followers they had. In the first scenario, the profile displayed 263 followers and 542 accounts followed. In the second scenario, the profile showed 358 followers and 695 accounts followed.

Group W was presented with profiles in which the number of followers and accounts followed were equal. In the first scenario, the profile displayed 856 followers and 856 accounts followed. In the second scenario, the profile showed 871 followers and 871 accounts followed.

Scenarios 1 & 2: Prompts & Questions answered by participants

After each scenario the participants were asked the following series of questions relating to the mural.

1. I would like to see this artwork in person.
   • Strongly Agree
   • Agree
   • Disagree
   • Strongly Disagree
2. What activism message do you think this mural is trying to specifically address?
3. Would you repost this mural on your story to spread awareness?
   • Yes
   • No
4. This mural makes me want to create change in the world.
   • Strongly Agree
   • Agree
   • Disagree
   • Strongly Disagree
5. Would this artwork motivate you to join an in-person protest if prompted by artists?
   • Yes
   • No

The responses collected from the questionnaire were then compiled and compared across the three experimental groups. Participants’ answers were analyzed to determine whether differences in follower-to-following ratios influenced their perceptions of the mural, their willingness to engage with the artwork online, and their motivation to participate in offline activism. By comparing responses across the three profile conditions through chi square testing, the study aimed to identify whether the perceived popularity of the artist affected how participants interpreted the mural’s message and their likelihood of supporting the cause it represented.

Results

Qualitative Observations

This limited study suggests that there are patterns worth investigating regarding the connection between follower count and social action. There was an especially large difference in Group P’s response to the question “Would this artwork motivate you to join an in-person protest if prompted by artists?” for each artwork. While 50% of the group replied “No” for the Runaway Bride mural, 83.3% said “No” to Castillos de Plastico (fig. 5). However, generally the average of the responses to both examples did not deviate excessively from either example.

When there was a reciprocal social status on the artist’s account, the survey responses were the most engaged in potential online and in-person activism. Group W, the group that received the example of an even ratio of followers to the following, consistently expressed the strongest interest over the course of all four multiple-choice questions. When averaging the answers to both examples, 75% of people said yes to reposting the mural on their story (fig. 4). Additionally, 75% in Group W indicated “yes” to being motivated to join an in person protest (fig. 5).

Conversely, when the artist had the most perceived social clout, survey responders were less likely to want to be engaged in online or offline activism. Only 33.3% of Group P, the group that received the more followers and less following ratio, responded “yes” to joining an in person protest if prompted by the artist (fig. 5). Also, only 33.3% of Group P responded “yes” to reposting the mural (fig. 4). Moreover, Group P expressed less interest in engaging with the activist causes both online and offline.

Additionally, when the artist had less social clout, the survey responders were evenly split on their potential engagement or lack thereof in person and offline. Group Q, the group with examples from artists with less followers to more following, was more likely to engage with the artwork than Group P. Group Q had 50% of participants say “yes” to reposting (fig. 4) and 58.3% of participants responded that they would join a protest in person (fig. 5).

Generally, even though some groups were less likely to engage in activism causes, an overwhelming majority of people would “Agree” with the statement “I would like to see this artwork in person” (fig. 6). Group Q had 66.7% of people likely to “Agree.” Group W had 41.7% likely to “Agree” and 50.0% likely to “Strongly Agree.” Group Q had 75% people “Agree” and 8.3% “Strongly Agree.”

Additionally, across all groups over half of the participants responded “Agree” to the following statement: “This mural makes me want to create change in the world” (fig. 7). Group Q had 88.3% of participants “Agree.” Group W had 58.3% of participants “Agree” and 33.3% “Strongly Agree”. Group P had 58.3% “Agree” and 8.3% “Strongly Agree.” Group P, however, did have more negative responses than the other groups as 25% of the participants disagreed with the statement. In other words, the majority of people regardless of test group were likely to agree with being motivated by the artwork. Overall, because the groups were almost equally interested in the artwork, the differences in respondents’ potential for activist engagement may indicate that an artist’s follower count is connected to activism.

Qualitative Results

The results of this limited study suggests a pattern in how follower count and responses are related, even though they are not statistically significant quantitatively.

There is no statistically significant relationship between follower count and responses to the statement “I would like to see this artwork in person.” In the first scenario, the chi-square test for this scenario was not significant (χ² ≈ 5.4, df = 4, p > .05). In the second scenario, the pattern shifts as the high follower group becomes more varied, whereas the low group and even group remain positive. The chi-square test again was not significant (χ² ≈ 5.17, df = 4, p > .05).

However, Craemer’s V showed that the effect size was moderate (scenario 1: V≈ 0.39 ; scenario 2: V ≈ 0.38). Thus, suggesting a meaningful association that may not be detectable due to the small sample size and low expected frequencies. Because the chi square test can be unreliable for small sample size, a Fisher’s Exact Test was also used. The two scenarios were collapsed into one and the responses were simplified into either Agree or Disagree. There was no significant difference between the low and high follower groups (p≈ 0.47). There was no significant difference between the low and even follower groups or the high and even follower groups (p≈ 1.00).

Across both repost scenarios, there is no statistically significant relationship between follower count and willingness to repost. In the first scenario, the low and high groups each showed an even split, while the even group leaned more positive with (χ² ≈ 2.18, df = 2, p > .05). In the second scenario, responses diverged more clearly where the low group showed a positive response pattern and the high group showed a predominantly negative pattern (χ² ≈ 3.11, df = 2, p > .05). . Although neither test reached statistical significance, the effect sizes were moderate (Cramér’s V ≈ 0.35 and 0.42, respectively), indicating a meaningful association that may not be detectable due to the small sample size. Thus, the motivation for reposting a mural may be connected to follower count. The second scenario in particular suggests a tendency for higher follower participants to be less willing to repost, a pattern that may become more pronounced with a larger sample. The Fisher’s Exact Tests revealed no statistically significant differences between groups (low vs high: p ≈ 0.27; low vs even: p ≈ 0.65; even vs high: p ≈ 0.10). However, because the comparison between the even and high groups approached significance, this suggests a potential trend toward greater willingness to repost in the even condition.

In response to the statement, “This mural makes me want to create change in the world,” there was no statistically significant association between groups and responses in either scenario (first scenario: χ² ≈ 4.61, df = 4, p ≈ 0.33; second scenario: χ² ≈ 7.27, df = 6, p ≈ 0.30). However, there were practical associations drawn as the first scenario had a moderate association (V ≈ 0.36) and the second scenario had a slightly stronger moderate association (V ≈0.45). Due to the small sample size, a Fisher’s Exact Test was run to see if there were any significant relationships between the low, high, and even groups on the change question. When comparing the low and high groups, there was no statistically significant difference in responses (p ≈ 0.64), although the high group showed a greater number of “Disagree” responses compared to the low group. Similarly, the comparison between the low and even groups revealed no significant difference (p ≈ 1.00), with both groups demonstrating nearly identical response distributions. The comparison between the even and high groups also did not reach statistical significance (p ≈ 0.32), though the high group again exhibited more disagreement than the even group.

The same tests were run to determine if the follower group people were assigned affected their inclinations to join an in-person protest. In scenario 1, the chi-square test showed no significant association between group and response (χ² ≈ 0.45, df= 2, p ≈ 0.80) which indicated that responses were similarly distributed across the groups. Moreover, the corresponding effect size was small (Cramer’s V ≈ 0.16), suggesting a very weak relationship. In the second scenario, the chi-square test also did not reach statistical significance (χ²≈ 3.27,df=2, p ≈ 0.19), though the effect size was larger (Cramer’s V ≈ 0.43), indicating a moderate association between group and response despite the lack of statistical significance. Fisher’s exact tests further confirmed that there were no significant differences between any of the group comparisons: high vs. low (p = 1.00), even vs. low (p ≈ 0.74), and even vs. high (p ≈ 0.74).

Discussion

Significance

This preliminary study suggests that murals online are not seen in isolation but instead are tied to viewers’ perception of the artist’s online social status. While there were no significant results, the effect sizes were typically moderate. Therefore, this suggests that with a larger sample size we might be able to see the connection between the amount of followers a muralist has on social media and how it impacts how the artwork is viewed.

Additionally, the research indicates that there may be more importance in creating a sense of reciprocation when convincing people to support or join a cause. When the artist has an even number of followers to following, it likely reflects to respondents the greatest sense of community as the artist appears to be equally engaged with the people that follow them. As a result, an increased number of respondents were likely to engage in activism both online and in person.

The findings of this study further previous research by suggesting that murals online are a valuable tool in developing and promoting activist causes. As the majority of respondents in the study, regardless of the test group, were willing to participate in in-person activism, the research suggests that mural posts may combat slacktivism, or, performative activism online. Therefore, people who want to spread awareness or invite people to join protests can use the murals on social media to gather in-person support.

Comparison to Previous Findings

The results of the current study suggest a need for further study to refute certain research on “microcelebrities.” The data highlights how murals are a part of the human experience, verifying Baker’s research on symbolism and ritualistic behavior tied to cave art, the earliest form of murals. Additionally, it expands on Trupp, et al.’s research claims on how online artwork brings satisfaction to the viewer, as over half of the participants wanted to see the murals in person. Moreover, this preliminary study furthers research done by Young and Magana, as the overwhelmingly positive responses from all test groups demonstrated a desire to create change as a result of the mural, suggesting that murals are a vital platform for social change.

However, this research may refute Marwick, et al.’s assertions on “microcelebrities.” Instead of people having a strong positive reaction to those with the largest following, people were less likely to engage with the murals posted by those accounts. Therefore, this research suggests that people may attribute positive characteristics to activists they see as equals and are more likely to engage in social activism with an artist who seems to be engaged with their community. Therefore, the value of public artwork online may be determined by the amount of followers an artist has, but not in the way it has been traditionally discussed, as the metric of who an artist is following may influence public perception more.

Limitations

The study was conducted in the most efficient way possible given the timeframe of two weeks; however, this timeframe and other factors limit the study’s applicability. Although there was ethnic diversity in the test groups, there was not much diversity in age, as all participants were college-age students, most being between 18 and 20. Additionally, as the test subjects of the study were limited to Â鶹´å (Â鶹´å) students, an inherent bias was created as the Â鶹´å community has its own culture unique from other universities and demographics of people. Moreover, the results of the study may not be applicable to people who deviate from the Â鶹´å community’s standard way of thinking.

Also, the small sample size of 6 people per test group was a limitation. Individuals in the group accounted for ⅙ of the data collected in their respective group, enough to skew the results. Additionally, although people in each group were not acquainted with participants of the other test groups assuring that the survey would not be discussed, they were all people known to the researcher, creating a bias. Moreover, although participants in the survey were from a variety of majors, there were a majority of art students taking the survey. As a result, many were predisposed to valuing art, likely skewing the data set in favor of positive responses.

Additionally, collecting data through Google Forms was limiting as people could have easily misinterpreted a question or misclicked a response. Overall, due to the time constraints and limited resources, there were few examples and people interviewed, limiting the applicability of the results.

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, the implications of this limited experiment are suggestive of the need for a more extensive study with a larger sample size and more robust survey materials. The research reiterates the importance of a sense of community when prompting people to join a cause. Patterns have begun to emerge on how the value of visuals online are connected to the social clout of the artist. Therefore, this research continues the conversation of how the internet amplifies or distorts real life. While people may be able to express themselves freely online, their reach may be tied to the avatar they create. Thus, further studies should be conducted to gain more accurate insight into how the superficial social clout of an artist online may determine if their art is worth engaging with.

Works Cited