{"id":1236,"date":"2018-12-03T08:16:47","date_gmt":"2018-12-03T08:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tahneyalexandramay.com\/?p=1236"},"modified":"2022-12-15T09:31:14","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T09:31:14","slug":"human-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahneyalexandramay.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/03\/human-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Visualising human rights"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u2018What would it mean to \u2018visualise\u2019 human rights? Can an abstract concept like \u2018human rights\u2019 really be presented in pictorial form? What is at stake in such a project of visualization and consumers of texts?\u2019<\/em>[1]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visual representations of human rights can be ethically managed within online platforms by prioritising the integrity and safety of those depicted and implementing intellectually rigorous portrayals for participating audiences.[2]<\/a> Online visual representations of human rights require critique as they convey poignant and symbolically loaded narratives, which are further perpetuated and complicated by the context of online modes of display.[3]<\/a> The following analysis examines ethical issues within the historical context of human rights visualisations and the expansion of the internet and its respective instability as a display platform and its problematic online participation behaviours. It argues ethical boundaries of online visuals representations of human rights should aim to evade risks, such as dehumanisation, safety violations, censorship, aestheticization practices and compassion fatigue. Ethical management of human rights visuals displayed on online platforms can be achieved through symbolising empowerment, embracing freedom of expression, prioritising consent and safety, utilising abstraction and satire, guiding altruistic motives and implementing contextual frameworks.\u00a0 Moreover, online culture can ethically represent human rights by curating visual content which defends populations central to human rights violations and managing participation through mediated and sensitive methods.<\/p>\n

This analysis emerges from the experience of sourcing artwork for an online academic journal, the Statelessness and Citizenship Review, whilst interning at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness. I asked myself how I could ethically represent human rights issues around statelessness and evade degrading visuals through my management of online visual content. Whilst only sparingly referencing this experience, the essay draws upon the knowledge I built as I questioned and justified my visual choices. Within this context, this essay discusses the history of visual representations of human rights and the challenges of the internet before investigating ethical management strategies. Central to this discussion, despite its broad address of case studies, potential issues and responses, is establishing an online culture where the privacy and integrity of the subject are prioritised whilst maintaining an effectively meaningful representation of human rights.<\/p>\n

Picturing human suffering:\u00a0<\/strong>historical lenses and contemporary stages<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many ethical issues regarding visual representations of human rights have derived from the practice of conveying emotionally intense narratives of human suffering, rather than respectful and informed portrayals. These issues can be attributed to communication difficulties inherent in visual mediums. Compared to text describing and articulating human rights issues through detailed research and discussion and encouraging readers into investigation and contemplation, visual imagery asks audiences to create speculative narratives through vaguely connecting context, assumptions, associations and memories to visual prompts.[4]<\/a> Within these boundaries, human rights visuals are inclined to implement emotive symbolism which easily influences na\u00efve perceptions at the cost of minimising human rights\u2019 inherent complexities.<\/p>\n

Historically, human rights campaigns have employed photographs of vulnerable populations to viscerally prompt privileged audiences to recognise and mobilise against injustice.[5]<\/a> This practice arose during the 19th<\/sup>-century: museum exhibitions featured photographs of the \u2018primitive\u2019 \u00a0\u2018Other\u2019 to \u2018form and give meaning to human suffering\u2019 and, through appealing to Western audiences\u2019 sympathies, advance colonialist ideals of intervening with foreign nations\u2019 ways of life.[6]<\/a> Continuing this rationale, 20th<\/sup>-century humanitarian organisations drove their philanthropic ventures through disseminating images of the subject desperate for assistance, prompting the liberal West to \u2018protect\u2019 the third world instead of exploring how multifaceted human rights issues can pragmatically be resolved.[7]<\/a> It was not until the 1980s when the use of \u2018shocking\u2019 images was challenged. The \u2018Image of Africa\u2019 report challenged media representations of human rights crises and developed policies for NGOs to utilise positive images which, \u2018respect the individual subjectivity, dignity, identity, culture and volition of those portrayed.\u2019[8]<\/a> However, whilst human rights representations began to develop away from symbols of suffering 30 years ago, the 21st<\/sup>-century has furthered complexities of ethical human rights representations with the rise of online visual culture.<\/p>\n

Representation and related ethical concerns have evolved within the expansion of online modes of display and the continued predominance of visual representation in human rights discourse.[9]<\/a> As a display platform, the internet has altered the visual representation of human rights in two significant ways:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The internet has destabilised the display of human rights visual representations.<\/strong> Compared to books and exhibitions which provide three-dimensional display experiences with an intentional ordering of consecutive images contextualised and juxtaposed by text to create a meaningful narrative to the intentional reader or gallery visitor, the internet\u2019s fluid structure does not offer stabilised context or premeditated audiences.[10]<\/a> In a rather erratic format, a social media user could be absentmindedly viewing a photograph of a friend\u2019s pet rabbit and, subsequently, view a shocking human rights photograph with complete lack of context, accompanying information or interpretational frameworks (Figure 1). Compared to the static visual display in an edited book or curated exhibition, online visual content is circulated on impulse with limited framing or intended outcome for the human rights issue represented. However, \u2018shared\u2019 between like-minded individuals across a globalised platform, a human rights visual can \u2018go viral\u2019 and provoke \u2018widespread anguish and outrage,\u2019 increase awareness and spark mobilisation.[11]<\/a> Yet, uncontrolled, viral representations can be damaging, especially if infringing the safety of vulnerable populations or not efficiently guiding audiences towards solidarity or understanding.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"\"
    1. Screenshots from my Facebook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Two images appearing consecutively on author\u2019s personal Facebook newsfeed. Left image depicts a malnourished child without accompanying contextual information, juxtaposed by a comical image of a bunny. Ironically, both photographs exhibit their subjects on food scales.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Online modes of display have reduced gatekeeping and redefined participation in human rights visual representations.<\/strong> The rise of the \u2018digital native\u2019 has challenged the authority and control of human rights representations held by traditional media, governments and humanitarian organisations.[12]<\/a> Participation on online platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allow human rights issues to be communicated beyond hierarchical controls and, as a result, affect discourse.[13]<\/a> For example, an \u2018active online civil society\u2019 in Arab Springs was critical in enabling democratization and social media is deemed the \u2018new frontier of the feminist movement.\u2019[14]<\/a> Further, the \u2018digital native\u2019 can be both an audience member and producer, as they post original content and re-repost content created by others. As such, new forms of participation in human rights representations should be analysed, including the digital natives\u2019 management skills and knowledge.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      As evolving online platforms and participation behaviours effect human rights representations, effective strategies should be developed to ethically manage human rights visuals for the minimisation of negative or adverse outcomes.[15]<\/a> Moreover, this essay aims to gain \u2018sophisticated understanding\u2019 of visual media\u2019s developing ability to ethically \u2018stimulate action and advocacy\u2019 and sustain participation within new online platforms.[16]<\/a> The following discussion analyses the creation, publication, circulation and interpretation of visual content, the ethical issues raised within online visual human rights representations and management techniques against possible challenges. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Post, re-post and repeat:\u00a0<\/strong>Towards an ethical online visual culture\u00a0<\/strong>within human rights discourse<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      A principal concern within human rights representations is establishing boundaries around the use of \u2018the human,\u2019 which can have dehumanising effects on the individuals or populations it depicts. Visualising \u2018the human\u2019 essentially acknowledges the human being within human rights discourse.[17]<\/a> Such \u2018proof of humanness\u2019 allows audiences to \u2018feel a similar sense of connectedness\u2019 with those whose rights are being violated.[18]<\/a> However, the moral rhetoric of characterising \u2018the human\u2019 to connect with the viewer is questionable. Motifs including blank eyes, bodily damage, innocent children (the \u2018fetishized object\u2019 of human rights photography) and \u2018a body we all possess\u2019 perpetuate visual stereotypes which personify the \u2018Other\u2019 as hopeless and in need of external assistance.[19]<\/a> Witnessing human suffering through such ethnocentric and privileged lenses, \u2018demeans subjects [\u2026] and reinforces inequality.\u2019[20]<\/a><\/p>\n

      Visualising \u2018the human\u2019 as despondent has become increasingly problematic as digital infrastructure has increased circulation and, consequently, disempowered the portrayed subject en mass.[21]<\/a> Human Rights Watch frequently publish visual content online to assist their human rights advocacy, such as a photograph of a drowned Syrian refugee child, Alan Kurdi, in 2015 (figure 2). [22]<\/a> The distressing photograph of a child\u2019s corpse hooked public emotion as it went viral on Twitter and, consequently, increased support for HRW.[23]<\/a> Nonetheless, HRW admitted while the image of the \u2018tiny, lifeless body\u2019 provoked global outrage, human rights policies were not affected and the Mediterranean refugee death toll continued to increase.[24]<\/a> Whilst the iconised body invoked widespread anguish, it did not effect change or understanding within the refugee crisis at large. As exhibited by HRW, an organisation can irresponsibly utilise online platforms by posting images of a suffering body to bolster their public image and, subsequently, further imbalance power relationships between privileged audiences and vulnerable populations. Furthermore, it is problematic to showcase \u2018the human\u2019 to incite emotion or promote a third party\u2019s image.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      2. Nil\u00fcfer Demir, Turkish police officer carries Alan Kurdi, a young Syrian refugee who drowned whilst seeking to reach Greece. Image courtesy of, The Guardian, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      The visual narrative of \u2018the human\u2019 should be sensitively crafted and informed by empowering symbolism, amplifying the subject\u2019s voice and enforcing solidarity. This strategy was exemplified in My Stealthy Freedom Campaign<\/em>. Using Facebook, Iranian women posted photographs of themselves unveiling inside the Islamic Republic to spread awareness of gendered oppression (figure 3).[25]<\/a> Through this, \u2018the human\u2019 – the women in the photographs- symbolised empowerment and autonomy with their voice centralised and audiences being guided toward solidarity, rather than toward sympathising with an afflicted body.[26]<\/a> Contrastingly, it can be argued visualising \u2018the human\u2019 central to a human rights violation should be avoided altogether. For instance, NGOs using visual material on online platforms to promote their campaigns can reframe \u2018the human\u2019 by circulating photographs of donors and activists to create a sense of community within human rights advocacy.[27]<\/a> Moreover, human rights representations on online platforms should aim to convey \u2018the human\u2019 with, \u2018strength, empowerment, and resilience\u2019 rather than aiming to insinuate shock at the cost of demeaning the victim.[28]<\/a><\/p>\n

      \"\"
      3. Participant of ‘My Stealthy Freedom,’ an online campaign fighting for women’s rights in Iran. Photograph couresty of Qantara, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Whilst human rights representations should empower subjects, there will inevitably be material distributed online outside this ideal ethical format and, as such, management should consider the ethics of controlling \u2018offending\u2019 images. As images continuously circulate throughout global online platforms, the safety of vulnerable individuals depicted can be compromised.[29]<\/a> As such, a case can be made that dangerous imagery should be blocked from continued circulation in the public sphere. Management strategies could follow philosophies of 1970s LGBT activist group, GLAAD, who argued visual content causes \u2018imminent harm\u2019 to vulnerable groups.[30]<\/a> GLAAD demanded TV networks block content, such as lobbying to pull TV show Work It <\/em>from the ABC as its negative messages would result in workplace harassment of transgender people.[31]<\/a> However, unlike TV networks, online platforms cannot be easily censored with the internet\u2019s support of \u2018freedom of expression\u2019 which, positively, allows human rights discourse to transition away from authoritarian communication.[32]<\/a> For instance, while traditional media was censored by the government, a video uploaded onto Instagram of the Roboski bombing in Turkey \u2018awakened\u2019 local citizens and informed global audiences of human rights violations occurring in Turkey and led to the Gezi Park protests.[33]<\/a> Furthermore, visual content which is not directly \u2018empowering,\u2019 like bombing footage exhibiting physical injury, should not be censored as its online circulation aids free expression of human rights.<\/p>\n

      Rather than suppressing circulation, online platforms should embrace freedom of expression whilst promoting safe boundaries. In the digital age, visual content will circulate beyond the original post, resulting in individuals depicted being exposed to their opponent or oppressor and, consequently, revictimized or repeatedly humiliated.[34]<\/a> For instance, whilst protest movements in Myanmar, Iran and Egypt gained international solidarity through the circulation of photographs and film on social media, their safety was risked by being exposed to hostile authorities.[35]<\/a> Whilst content cannot be suppressed, promoting digital privacy can meditate potential harm.[36]<\/a> For instance, WITNESS informs its online users on how to gain consent when using another person\u2019s image, \u00a0ensuring the subject understands the implications of their image being displayed online, including the worst case <\/em>scenario.[37]<\/a> WITNESS argues through gaining consent, the subject can shape how they portray themselves according to their personal assessment of risk.[38]<\/a> Additionally, it would be beneficial to develop apps, such as Instagram, to include prompts when uploading visual material, such as asking whether consent was gained.[39]<\/a><\/p>\n

      Unfortunately, consent is impossible to sustain in current online culture. High levels of unmonitored participation, the rise of live-streaming and other ambiguous scenarios, like an individual posting a photograph of a human rights violation in the moment without desire of it being widely available in perpetuity, all undermine the possibility of systematic consent.[40]<\/a>\u00a0 When consent cannot be explicitly granted or gained long term, there should be consideration of context to gauge risk – such as if subjects could be punished if the visual content was seen by a person of power \u2013 and \u00a0provision of anonymity.[41]<\/a> To achieve this, social media apps should allow the blurring of facial features when a user re-posts or live-streams visual content.[42]<\/a> Conclusively, the platforms and participation of online culture should prioritise the privacy and integrity of the subject whilst also harnessing the powerful communication abilities online platforms grant.<\/p>\n

      The inclusion of artworks which conceptually symbolise human rights whilst combatting risks associated with realist mediums is another viable ethical strategy. UNESCO argues art enhances the capacity to confront social and cultural challenges.[43]<\/a>\u00a0 Whilst not expressed in the context of online platforms, such statement contends for the power of artistic expression to ingeniously represent human rights. Compared to the factual undertones of photography which provides witness to human rights violations, the subjectivity of art does not seek to communicate \u2018truth\u2019 but, rather, its language, \u2018takes familiar ideas from the realm of human rights and transforms their meanings in ways that speak across time and space.\u2019[44]<\/a> For instance, Pablo Picasso\u2019s Guernica <\/em>effectively conveyed human anguish and, alongside bringing global attention to civilian suffering during the Spanish Civil War, became, \u2018an anti-war symbol,\u2019 \u2018the picture of all bombed cities\u2019 and the \u2018embodiment of peace\u2019 (Figure 4).[45]<\/a><\/p>\n

      \"\"
      4. Pablo Picasso, “Guernica, 1937,” Pablo Picasso.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \"\"
      5. Ai Wei Wei, Ai Weiwei recreates the famous image of drowned refugee, Alan Kurdi. Couresty of DAZED, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      The implementation of artistic expression within online spaces should continue to pay heed to the integrity of victims and, if possible, pursue conceptual and abstract mediums. Contemporary artist Ai Wei Wei recreated the iconic HRW photograph by posing as an ambiguous subject washed ashore and symbolically personified the rising fatality rates within forced human migration (Figure 5). Compared to HRW\u2019s documentary photograph which primarily bore witness to Kurdi\u2019s demise, Wei Wei withdrew the victim\u2019s body and drove contemplation of refugee rights within online discourse.[46]<\/a>\u00a0 However, the image was criticised for allegedly \u2018disrespecting Alan Kurdi\u2019 by Wei Wei capitalising on his death for \u2018PR\u2019.[47]<\/a>\u00a0 Moreover, the artwork\u2019s lack of abstraction and reliance on photorealism continued to invade Kurdi\u2019s dignity and integrity. \u00a0As an intern, I was aware of photography\u2019s disempowering effects when sourcing visual content to represent the aims of the Statelessness and Citizenship Review on their website. My colleagues established \u2018abstract art\u2019 was the preferred visual medium due to its ability to evade disrespectful representations of human suffering and, rather, open up a platform for conceptually developed representations of human rights. Through an open call, we received a range of valuable and perceptive human rights representations and, with careful consideration, elected an artwork which philosophically and complexly represented statelessness on our website. Furthermore, whilst not without its own ethical dilemmas, art can profoundly represent human rights within online platforms whilst also minimising the risks of realism.<\/p>\n

      The benefit of abstraction supporting philosophical discourse within online platforms is also achieved by memes.[48]<\/a>\u00a0 Specific to online visual culture, memes intellectually and satirically represent human rights whilst administering solidarity as \u2018cultural currency\u2019 used by digital natives to communicate effectively online.[49]<\/a> Penney suggests the meme\u2019s satirical effect sidesteps \u2018the power offending images have over vulnerable audiences\u2019 whilst still allowing human rights discourse to be communicated visually in social networks.[50]<\/a> For instance, online women\u2019s rights discourse profited from the \u2018Feminist Ryan Gosling\u2019 meme. Its incorporation of generic Ryan Gosling photographs with witty theoretical text reduced negative emotions rampant in human rights discourse – like anger and frustration\u2013 and allowed versatile representations of women\u2019s rights (Figure 6).[51]<\/a> Similarly, when Cincinnati Zoo killed resident gorilla, Harambe, when a child entered its enclosure, digital natives were able to protest his treatment and represent animal rights ideas through the viral \u2018Harambe\u2019 meme (Figure 7).[52]<\/a> Whilst not offering more than a quickly consumable reference, memes commendably allow digital natives to represent human rights issues through the juxtaposition of humour and intellect with minimal risks attached.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      6. Feminist Ryan Gosling. Image courtesy of Know Your Meme, 2011.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \"\"
      7. Harambe meme. Image courtesy of Maxim, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Whilst the digital native can benefit from transmitting memes throughout their networks to represent human rights, such online participation of self-curating visual content can be deprecating. Human rights representations risk being trivialised as participation in online platforms is often associated with egotistic social media behaviours. Social media has a rife practice of minimising the complexity of human rights whilst increasing personal social capital by applying aesthetical considerations to visuals when \u2018curating\u2019 one\u2019s social media profile. As human rights visuals share online platforms with rampant aestheticized practices, human suffering can be distorted for the sake of personal status. Anthropologist Mostafanezhad observed digital narcissism when volunteer tourists at a Chiang Mai women\u2019s shelter took \u2018selfies\u2019 with resident children and excitedly uploaded these images to Instagram according to how they looked with the children.[53]<\/a> She argued people circulate aesthetic images of themselves online with human rights symbolism, such as impoverished children, to provide their networks with the consumable \u2018humanitarian gaze.\u2019[54]<\/a>\u00a0 Haslebacher, Varga, and Murphy articulated the ethical implications of such scenarios, arguing personal human rights photography posted on social media allows the digital native to contribute to \u2018social sharing of emotion\u2019, romanticise inequality and inflate their \u2018social egoism.\u2019[55]<\/a><\/p>\n

      \"\"
      8. White saviour barbie. Image courtesy of Wear Your Voice, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Despite endemic unethical practices of aestheticizing human rights for social capital, the intersection between human rights and social media is not innately narcissistic.[56]<\/a> In fact, social media has increased activism; visual material shared through hashtags on social media was pivotal in the development, organisation and participation of the movements, Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter.[57]<\/a> Furthermore, the participation of digital natives should be nurtured due to the potential of their proficient visual literacy whilst finding methods to minimise potential narcissism.[58]<\/a> For instance, online participation can be managed through educational recourses which make ethical frameworks accessible to digital natives. For instance, How to Communicate the World,<\/em> an educational kit currently in digital circulation, encourages promoting dignity, gaining consent, questioning personal intentions and challenging stereotypes when posting human rights photography on social media.[59]<\/a> Alternatively, fighting fire with fire can be effective as exhibited by Barbie Savior, <\/em>an Instagram account which calls out problematic social media photography through mockery, causing introspection for digital natives (Figure 8).[60]<\/a> Whilst digital natives may cross-contaminate their narcissist social media behaviour with human rights representations, they can be directed to altruistic online curating of their personal content.<\/p>\n

      Alongside egotism, online participation in human rights discourse also risks being ineffective due to lack of interpretational frameworks accompanying emotionally poignant images. As digital populations increase, \u2018friends become curators of everyday news content\u2019 through being visually exposed to and engaging with human rights issues and responding by sharing visuals with their networks.[61]<\/a> For instance, in March 2013, Facebook users participated in LGBTQIA+ rights discourse by changing their profile pictures to symbolic small red squares and, within this viral digital visual activism, increased awareness and support for marriage equality.[62]<\/a> However, online platforms becoming, \u2018twenty-four-hour news cycle \u2026 preview[ing] all of the world’s anguish with just the click of a button,\u2019 compels \u2018arm-chair activists\u2019 to reach their empathy thresholds and become desensitised as human rights visuals lose resonance.[63]<\/a> Despite natural outrage experienced when confronted with human rights violations, the naive digital native\u2019s impulsive \u2018repost\u2019 without sufficient understanding of the respective human rights issues can lead to guilt, shame and complicity in their restricted response.[64]<\/a> Without defined frameworks or effective outcomes, large volumes of imagery being circulated lead to \u2018slacktivism\u2019 and \u2018compassion fatigue.\u2019[65]<\/a><\/p>\n

      Contrary to this practice, digital natives should be exposed to intellectually stimulating visual content which increases human rights awareness and action. Moreover, ethical management should ensure human rights representations create knowledge, rather than perpetuating endless melancholy. The consequences of compassion fatigue and \u2018slacktivism\u2019 can be regulated by implementing interpretational frameworks which guide public reaction. To achieve such \u2018intellectual\u2019 over \u2018emotional\u2019 readings within self-curated, overloaded online platforms, the visual material in circulation can be reframed with informed context, allowing viral images to become effective rather than causing further damage.[66]<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

      Text alongside visuals can provide context, history and campaign information and allow digital natives to relate cultural and political knowledge to stay alert within the barrage of visual imagery.[67]<\/a>\u00a0 For instance, one could \u2018retweet\u2019 the HRW photograph with a caption relating to the refugee crisis in order to disseminate essential knowledge, over empathy, within the mass consumption of the viral photograph. <\/em>In addition, as it stands Figure 1 <\/em>is a decontextualized image of a child with physical signs of starvation which leavs the viewer outraged but powerless in their lack of knowledge. However, it would be effective to provide a caption with data on social, cultural and political issues affecting this child, representative of an afflicted population, to allow the viewer to rationally interpret the image. Documenting the Now, <\/em>an archival website defined as \u2018a tool and a community developed around supporting the ethical collection, use, and preservation of social media content,\u2019 <\/em>also exhibits means of managing content by collecting circulated human rights imagery and attempting to establish effective context, meaning and information to high volumes of data for future online audiences. [68]<\/strong><\/a> <\/em>As such, there should be active intervention to, \u2018mobilise, foment, aggregate, shape and\/or curate this content curated by others\u2019, and allow images to become effective content in the \u2018virtual vacuum of social media.\u2019[69]<\/a> By re-appropriating online visuals, digital audiences can thoroughly comprehend human rights and offer solidarity rather than being exposed to atrocity until fatigue.<\/p>\n

      CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      The ethical management of human rights visual representations within online platforms fundamentally revolves around mediative measures which ensure visual material is safely and intellectually informed in its crafting and circulation. Ethical issues concerning visual representations of human rights, such as depicting narratives of human suffering while minimising an issues\u2019 inherent complexities, have become more convoluted through the internet\u2019s instability and participation behaviours. Yet, there are several strategies to assist the healthy management of human rights online visual culture. To evade degrading portrayals, especially when an image primarily serves a third party\u2019s interest, \u2018the human\u2019 can be reframed to convey empowerment and gain solidarity from audiences. Nonetheless, as images of human rights atrocities permeate online spaces, provoking visuals should not be censored in preference of empowering representations. Instead, they can be managed through, firstly, embracing freedom of expression, and, secondly, promoting the safety of the individual depicted through gaining consent or ensuring anonymity. To minimise the dominance of hazardous realist representations, there can be an increase in employing alternative visual mediums, such as art and memes, which rely upon conceptual interpretations rather than eliciting shock as an image is circulated within highly active communication networks. However, it is such social networks\u2019 practice of \u2018sharing\u2019 visual content which contributes to narcissistic and \u2018slacktivist\u2019 online behaviours which minimise the effectiveness of human rights portrayals. Nonetheless, such unideal participatory behaviours can be intercepted by increased online circulation of education tools and re-appropriating images with improved interpretational frameworks. Furthermore, representations of human rights can be successfully managed online through vigilantly created and disseminated visuals. Through these measures, online platforms can be a powerful tool for human rights representations, rather than an unstable stage supporting deprecating material.<\/p>\n

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