Challenges of a Presenting a Distressing Topic

Constructing a presentation for my second ethnography has proven to be quite a challenge.  Most of all, it has gotten me thinking about how to present issues that are rather emotionally complex and how to analyze sources that may be less than truthful.  My particular focus has been on the online community of Reddit, a social news website where the registered users submit content in the form of either a link or self-written posts.  The way Reddit is structured makes gathering information difficult, but part of my task has been to familiarize myself with Reddit’s strange blackboard structure.  To begin my work, I created a new, and entirely anonymous, user profile.  I then attempted to understand how anonymity of Reddit users creates a certain disinhibition.  To do this, I decided to look into a rather distressing topic, sexual violence.  I conducted research into both rape-counseling sections of Reddit and a Reddit discussion thread in which predators discussed “their side of the story.”  Similar to Boellstorff ideas of Second Life avatars accurately reflecting the feelings and true inner-personas of users, I believe that the anonymous nature of Reddit, and Reddit-like forums, enable users to be honest, even about socially inappropriate topics and actions that are illegal.  Thus, their online existence can be even more revealing about their true natures that their real-world existence.

My research revealed the potential healing nature of such forums.  Groups therapy ahs long been used in cases of sexual trauma or to aid predators in coming to terms or overcoming their violent persuasions.  Such Reddit forums seem to have taken on a two-faced nature, with one side focusing on the healing aspect of telling the truth.  However, the flip side is the existence of harassment.  It is no secret that Reddit has been considered rather female-unfriendly.  Sometimes rape victims do receive support, but instead are harassed.  The dichotomy observed illustrates that the online world can be both good and damaging, just like the real one.

With my presentation, it has been difficult to properly and objectively discuss such a dark topic.  I have thought long and hard about the focus of my ethnography and wether or not it is appropriate to conduct research into such a topic.  I have concluded that ignoring something because it emotionally difficult or unsavory is not something anthropologists should allow.  It is often the most distressing events that give insight into the human condition.  But, the fact remains presenting and researching remains difficult.

Furthermore, other practical difficulties exist.  There is always the question of whether my subjects are truthful.  The anonymous nature of Reddit, which is the very thing that empowers users, makes studying them difficult.  Finally, it has led to questions of the nature of truth.  If a story is not true in the sense that the events described did not actually occur, does that prevent the fact that such thoughts were posted by the user and one the users mind from giving insight into the ability of Reddit to expose users’ true natures?  If something is fantasized about, but not acted upon, does it provide insight into the subject?  These are the questions I have sought to answer.