The Christmas Island Detention Centre is one of the five Immigration Detention Centres belonging to Australia. It currently facilitates 167 asylum seekers as of 2016. There have been several protests in regards to the operation of the detention centre, most recent was of November 2015, resulting in a death of an asylum seeker.
While that was happening, on the other side of the island, people were running around, busy taking Instagram photos of their beach bodies and wildlife, all in hopes to gain a few more followers and collect copious amount of likes. Or they would rather try their luck in the Christmas Island Casino.
My mapping visualization aims to explore two polar sides of Christmas Island. It is interesting how these two phenomenon are occuring in conjunction, on the same location. The Instagram posts also hints the people’s unawareness of the asylum seeker situation on Christmas Island.
Social media is a way to connect with one another, but it is ironic how people have very little understanding about the asylum seekers in the Christmas Island Detention Centre, and have very little connection with them.
#christmasisland
