Commodifying Yourself For Digital Access in Malaysia

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Anxieties of sharing yourself and your work online. Illustration by Amita Seve.

A short comic on the anxieties of sharing yourself and your work online, and how one has to commodify all aspects of themselves online, which can open doors to unwanted risks and online hate.

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As a creative online, I feel like every part of self expression has to be commodified.

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We are constantly encouraged to share everything about ourselves online, but this exposes us to online scrutiny as well. Especially as women and people of colour (POC), we are often viewed as spokespeople for our respective cultures.

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We shouldn't put everything online, but I feel solidarity with people on the internet, especially with those who share and help create spaces for people who are similar.

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But sometimes, it's daunting to think about that scrutiny or backlash.

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At the core of it, I think that people just want to connect to other people; but posts can get recommended to contrasting circles, and things can turn sour.

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Still I think that the internet can be a great tool - and it should be available to everyone. We can lead by example; we can boost voices that need to be heard. Together we can help create more visibility, and spaces for communities that need it.