Blog 7 #Wk 9 - Visual Communities and Social Imagery
Once upon a time we “connected” to others by visiting them face-to-face, writing a letter, posting a birthday card, sending a postcard from a holiday destination or taking photos on a camera (think Kodak instant photos or sending film to developed and picked up a few days later at the general store!). When I was 12, I had a pen pal, we used to exchange hand-written letters accompanied with photographs of each other, signed sealed and delivered in to the post. Within a couple of weeks or so, I would receive a letter and some photographs in the mail. It was such a buzz! Not long after however, the excitement soon wore off, given the time it took to keep connected.
In the now 21st Century, just about anyone with an internet connection or smart phone can opt to communicate to “the world” (literally), through visual imagery. The visibility of networked publics is prevalent more than ever, creating a global phenomenon of sharing stories through images. Anyone can literally take a selfie or photo and instantly “share” it to social media.
According to Week 9.1 class material, ‘Mobile cameras and image sharing platforms; from YouTube to Snapchat via Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, as well as Tumblr and Pinterest, have enabled new visual modes of expression, sharing and communication.’
Yes, what a great way to interact and express yourself through social networks, sharing with others your intimate moments..The flip side of this, is that it becomes problematic when one relies on the number of ‘likes’ or followers to validate the worthiness of their image posted.
‘Social media can be toxic for body image. It is highly visual and interactive, and appearance is central to success. Collecting “likes” and followers provides an immediate marker of achievement and popularity. These feed directly into users sense of self worth.The interactive and sometimes anonymous nature of social media means..the way people present themselves on social media can also contribute to problems for body image. People often strive to present themselves in the best light, especially in relation to how they look.’ (Paxton S 2016)
Celebrities are using images to market themselves and gain a fan base through Instagram where you can follow them, collaborate, comment and view their images. This can create an unrealistic view of how we perceive their lives in comparison to ours, we want to look and act like popular stars at the expense of our own truth.
’Selfies provide an opportunity to position ourselves (often against our competitors) to gain recognition, support and ultimately interaction from the targeted social circle. This is no different to consumer brand promotion.” (Nelson-Field K 2013, Viral Marketing: The Science of Sharing).
Check out the Youtube clip below, Selfie Culture - Are We Missing Out On Real Life?
How fortunate we are to live in a society with Technology and its continual advancements in how we live our lives and connect to the world. However, is the price we pay for ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ worth portraying an unreal, fabricated perception of our true identity, where we are deceiving others and ourselves…??
References
- Selfie city, 2014, viewed 16 January 2018, <http://selfiecity.net/>.
- Susan J Paxton, September 26, 2016, theconversation.com ‘Social media can damage body image – here’s how to counteract it, viewed 16/1/17 <
https://theconversation.com/social-media-can-damage-body-image-heres-how-to-counteract-it-65717>.
- Herrmn J, January 28, 2014, BUZZFeedNEWS, ‘Meet The Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’< .viewed">https://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch?utm_term=.dqvMe4bag#.yn9JK17YW>.viewed 17/1/2018.
Enjoyed your blog; an interesting read. So true about the reality being different to the online image presented. All thanks to editing and the digital age.
