Louisa Jade R

Reflection

Preceding this reflection piece, I created a Wikipedia page on Grace Victory; a body positive campaigner. Victory’s journey is one I have followed for many years online. I felt that with all the work she does as an influencer, she ought to have a page where her attributes can be recognised. In a contemporary world where the job title, ‘Influencer’ is far from a rarity, I decided to create a Wikipedia page on a woman who has used her platforms successfully.

I felt it was important to produce a Wikipedia page for a female as ‘fewer than 17% of Wikipedia profiles about women’. Wikipedia has been ‘criticized for a lack of diversity’. Therefore, hopefully helping Wikipedia take a small step into the right direction in terms of gender diversity.

Having already known a lot about Grace, drafting what to include on her page was not difficult. Though, I did come across new things that I did not know prior to this project. For example, the radio shows she has featured in, documentaries she has presented and campaigns she is part of. Thus it was an interesting experience to explore Victory’s career beyond social media.

After my first Wikipedia page for Emma Tamsin Hill (a plus-size, body positive activist) had been declined for having unreliable sources such as YouTube and Instagram, I was vigilant when creating Victory’s page as she is also a media influencer. However, when researching, I found there were relevant sources from blog articles, newspapers, magazines, etc. which were reliable.

Personally, I consider influencers, especially those part of social movements, very significant and merit acknowledgement far beyond their platforms. It would be great to see more positive influencers on Wikipedia. Grace Victory candidly opens up about mental health online, sharing advice, support and insight into her journey. Victory sharing her experience and support in a subject still considered taboo is an example of how social media influencers can be influential rather than harmful.

Whilst working on my Wikipedia page I discovered that in 2018, 90% of Wikipedia contributors were male. ‘The average Wikipedia editor is a well-educated white male’ and that there is an ‘extreme gender bias in tech, and the hostile culture that can create for women’. As a female editor having entered a page for a plus-size woman (Emma Tamsin Hill), I am curious as to whether there was a gender bias from the reviewer who declined my entry. It will be interesting to see if my new entry for Grace Victory will get declined even after having made the applicable changes regarding sources.

Overall, I enjoyed this experience as I challenged myself. I found new interests whilst expanding on existing ones. As well as being a learning experience for myself, it also allowed me to explore movements that are very substantial today like body positivity. I believe it is important for influencers like Victory to be noticed for the work they do as the campaigns she works with and movements she is part of, are shifting society. It is a topic I share interest in throughout this module, so creating a Wikipedia page for Victory has provided me with greater background knowledge not only about her as an influencer, but the role she plays in movements surrounding body image and mental health.