Having been in this digital space since 2011 (with many of the original Rebeldes starting more than 10 years ago), a recent piece from NPR’s Latino USA about Latino millennials and digital media has had us asking some questions about where this space is going and whether the bulk of Latinx spaces are heading in the right direction.
This afternoon, we thought we would ask some questions on Twitter:
Starting today, we'll be asking followers what they think of state of Latinx digital media. Have digital sites advanced us a community?
— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) August 16, 2016
Have #Latinx digital media pages done a great job in serving our community or are they just a bunch of sponsored chancleta videos?
— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) August 16, 2016
Do we as a #Latinx digital space truly serve our community with authentic voices or do most pages just succumb to advertisers and clicks?
— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) August 16, 2016
Within minutes, we got some rather insightful and interesting responses.
@latinorebels pretty much always see white/light skinned Latinxs & all sharing same narratives
— Elisa (@xingonaaaa) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels bc I'm not sure what making fun of an ingredient used in food for 4+ min in a video is supposed to teach me, like Tapito.
— Hendel Leiva (@HendelMedia) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels We should be able to see a lot more than just cute Abuela videos getting attention.
— Lolo Bonobo (@Neural_Coil) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels let's face it, their white consumers don't want to hear about border control shootings, the refugee crisis, our oppression
— Nate S. Hernández (@saint_nate12) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels the sites that churn out material for $ are easily discernible, as they do not present all viewpoints held by the Latinx comm.
— Nate S. Hernández (@saint_nate12) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels an authentic voice, but unfortunately the more popular a site becomes, the more it conforms and loses it
— Nate S. Hernández (@saint_nate12) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels they adopt the same techniques white news sources employ to keep the masses distracted.
— Chill-iana Ortega (@SMOKAHONTAS) August 16, 2016
Sites that produce pieces that satirize customs, foods, and nuances are weird to me, like variety show quality. https://t.co/JNS5h8mSyn
— Hendel Leiva (@HendelMedia) August 16, 2016
Big part of why I don't follow,se ek out much Latinx online content. Clickbait in Eng already bad, don't need Sp too https://t.co/obMU7e5VAV
— Angel R. Rivera (@gypsylib) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels if it weren't for #Latinx pages I would have been isolated from the community as a whole
— Rigo Fernandez (@chi_rigo606) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels It's the same way PBS has less viewers than cat videos.
You may get more clicks, but you're not helping anyone.— Eric Cortes (@PoliteEric) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels Sites like Remezcla and Mitu > bzzfed. Still need voices not filtered for largescale consumption tho https://t.co/vHDYHmbmGd
— Arturo Vandelay (@captain6strings) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels Sites like Remezcla and Mitu > bzzfed. Still need voices not filtered for largescale consumption tho https://t.co/vHDYHmbmGd
— Arturo Vandelay (@captain6strings) August 16, 2016
@latinorebels authenticity. Not even a question.
— Elise Sanchez (@RadiantThings) August 16, 2016
This got us to thinking: why don’t we do more public and visible conversations like these? It doesn’t have to be a hashtag, but we do think it is critical to open up this discussion up. So if you have an opinion, tweet us @latinorebels or just add your comment below. Let’s keep talking about this.
What Latinx digital sites do a crappy job? Why? Tell us.
— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) August 16, 2016
What Latinx digital sites do the best job or there? Why do you think so?
— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) August 16, 2016
As for us, our opinion is simple: the future of the digital space is all about voice. It seems that we have seen way too many You Know You’re… memes and videos that our brains hurt. We do think a lot of the new Latinx pages are still stuck in 2013 or 2014, and that needs to change:
We believe most mainstream Latinx digital sites revel in mediocrity bc they're beholden to the masses. Content is clickbait. Not smart.
— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) August 16, 2016
Here’s to a real discussion about this and a push for more intelligent, respectful and authentic stories.