Hacktivism Intent 1 – SarahS
CHILD MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES
“Twenty-five states do not set a minimum age at which a person can get married, and eight more set it at an age lower than 16. Alaska and North Carolina, for example, set the age at 14. In New Hampshire, it’s 13 for girls, 14 for boys.”-NPR
This is a MAJOR PROBLEM.
Child marriage in the United States is a silenced issue, swept under the rug. As a cultural issue, I think it is major, but not very well known. Or perhaps people choose to look the other way, refusing to believe that those kinds of things could be happening in the United States, a major world leader. There are Child Labor Laws, Child Protective Services, and many other ways that children are protected in this nation, and yet marriage is not one of them? Too often young girls are being pressured into marriages that they are afraid to contest on their own. A report from NPR states that,
“Very rarely will they use the word “forced,” she says, not wanting to get their family in trouble. They may also be fearful of being beaten or being removed from school and taken elsewhere immediately if their family finds out they have asked for help.
Moreover, even if they do reach out, child protective services may not be able to do anything, says Casey Swegman, manager for the Tahirih Justice Center’s Forced Marriage Project. Such services “are set up to respond to harm already done,” she explains, “so if the child has not yet been hit or taken out of school, that can mean an investigation won’t even happen.” Imagine a 15-year-old who’s afraid of being forced into a marriage, having the courage to ask for help “and [is] then told that the system can’t help you,” she says.”
Furthermore, in most states, there are restrictions that prevent young children from having sexual intercourse with adults, but under these child-marriage laws (or should I say due to the lack thereof), these children can be married off to an older man and then what was previously statutory rape is now legal within the union of marriage.
All of this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Child Marriage Laws in America.
This is how I would use New Media to combat this issue:
Aggregate, Automate, and Visualize Data: Compile the information on these laws in an attractive graphic that is easy to read. Create posters with images of children getting married with a caption like, “would you believe this is legal in most US states?”. I could also create a viral video and pass it on to different websites that are aware of this issue. Also creating posters, images for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc… and videos for all platforms as well
Crowdsource the Job: Create a website that allows for victims of child-marriage to speak up. Ask them to create videos explaining their experience.
Upstage the Man: Go to officials who have support child-marriage laws and/or shut down bills that are attempting to put these laws in place against child marriage and ask them for a comment or explanation. Or do it at a local govt meeting and get it on video. Create an uncomfortable stir.
My Budget would be low, my target audience is everyone in America who are ignorant to this issue. Videos are easy to make with today’s technology, graphics are cheap as long as you have Adobe Creative Suites, and going somewhere to meet with an official takes nothing but gas money.
2 thoughts on “Hacktivism Intent 1 – SarahS”
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Concept:
1. The media of this intent/project is Many to Many. It’s allowing the easy distribution of information amongst the public.
2. Does the idea enlist any of the New Media Strategies? If so, which and how? As discussed above, the idea enlists; Aggregate, Automate, and Visualize Data by distributing easy to understand graphics. Crowdsource the Job by allowing others to share and make these graphics. Upstage the Man by encouraging concerned citizens to discuss with law makers.
3. What major issue(s) does the project engage? This issue is addressing the lack of laws in the United States which prevents extremely young people to get married.
4. Does this concept interest you? Absolutely. This is an issue that everyone should at the very least be aware of. It’s baffling how something so serious can go basically unnoticed. This should certainly be of more interest to more people.
Design:
1. Is the design clear and appropriate? The design is very clear and appropriate. It allows for both easy access of data, and ease of spreading information.
2. Does the design invite attention and/or participation? This design invites both attention and participation. It encourages people to make, spread, and share informations. As well as the fact that it encourages citizens to discuss their issues with their local law makers.
Technical:
1. What tech is used? is it appropriate? The tech used would be computers and smart phones in order to make informational videos or pictures. This is an appropriate use of technology because it is extremely accessible.
2. What is the cost? is it affordable for most people? the planet? is it sustainable? I think the cost is mostly affordable. Most people already have these devices, but making the content is another subject. People may not have the money for editing software, but for the most part, something free is easily found.
Audience:
1. Who is the intended audience? The intended audience is residents of the United States of America.
2. How is the project geared to the audience? The project is geared toward the audience by appealing to the justified concerns of many, and spreading those concerns publicly.
3. Would the project appeal to or challenge the audience? How/why? I think the project would appeal to the audience because it’s a HUGE issue in the United States. It’s something that people should be concerned about, therefore, it would appeal to them spreading awareness to the issue and getting it fixed.
Creativity:
1. Does the idea stem from some personal passion of the creator? The idea certainly stems from the personal passion of the creator. It’s clear throughout this intent that it is something that they are clearly passionate about ending.
2. Can you detect the mark of a particular sensibility? I can detect that this is a serious issue in the eyes of the creator. She has some major concerns and problems with the current laws in place, and wants to see some change. She wants to see that change by informing everyone about this unnoticed issue.
Good research and description/background info
wow: “what was previously statutory rape is now legal within the union of marriage.”
Good use of and explanation of NMD strategies
Good visuals—in approach you would want to create some of your own; with more of a hook to appeal to audiences
In approach: create samle media–posters, video; mock up or create simple website with basic information
As final project: create full website/campaign with set of videos and graphics; this could be a team project…