Blog Post #7:Â Visual storytelling
According to Evan Spiegel, founder of Snapchat, âtraditional social media required that we live experiences in the offline world, recording experiences, and then posting them online to recreate the experience and talk about itâ (Herrman, 2014). However, technology today allows us to capture experiences live and share these moments through photos and videos - visual communication and social imaging. Siegel (cited in Herrman, 2014) states that the selfie has become a âfundamental unit of communicationâ, with digital technology transitioning from a tool for self-expression, to one of communication. Do selfies represent a narcissistic generation or does social imaging and live streaming represent a shift; communicating the same language differently? Â
People who take selfies regularly are often accused of being self-obsessed and having low self-esteem. Psychologist Pamela Rutledge recognises that âselfies frequently trigger perceptions of self-indulgence or attention-seeking social dependenceâ (Magnuson, n.d). However, theorists argue that there is lacking evidence to indicate that todayâs generation of selfie lovers are more narcissistic and isolated from society than prior (Cannold, 2016). Rather, we have adapted our tools of communication from words to visuals.
We share our experiences online, building connections and a network of visual publics through tagging. These collections of photos on our Facebook profile and blogs, work similarly to keeping a photo album. Recently my work mate and her boyfriend went to America over the Christmas holidays. Every couple of days an album of 30+ photos were uploaded to Facebook - keeping her friends and family up-to-date. It was like we were on the trip with them; seeing what they were seeing, going where they were going. They spent New Yearâs Eve in New York, where Stephen proposed to Alicia; capturing the moment on camera and sharing it on Facebook. The next day her notifications skyrocketed with 55 likes and dozens of comments congratulating them (Murray, 2016).Â
Similarly, YouTube vloggers such as Sam and Nia Rader, upload videos of affinity, sharing their lives online daily and building a rapport with their audience, developing a loyal following. One such post that went viral was Sam announcing Nia was pregnant with their third child, reaching approximately 11 million hits (Jones, 2015). We shared in their excitement, viewing the announcement as it happened. However, days later, we were faced with an emotional collapse. Speaking directly to the camera, they shared their grief after revealing Niaâs miscarriage, sharing the loss with their followers. Traditionally, proposals and miscarriages, were considered to be private, whereas today such events are shared online, whether with friends and family, or a following of strangers. What happened to the barriers between public and private; online and offline? Â
We have watched technology evolve with the introduction of the PC, mobile phones, internet and more recently social media, allowing us to join the digital community. We have now become visual storytellers using selfies, live streaming and videos of affinity for self-expression and to communicate. Have live streaming and ephemeral Snapchat messages brought us closer to real-time and the real-life or have we fallen deeper into the digital world?
Cannold , L 2016, âUgly selfies are all about girls trusting other girlsâ, The Age, 19 January, viewed 20/01/2016
<http://www.theage.com.au/comment/ugly-selfies-are-all-about-girls-trusting-other-girls-20160118-gm80vs.html#ixzz3yAAwHfXv>
Herrman, J 2014, âMeet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchatâs Headâ, BuzzFeed, 28 January, viewed 19/01/2016Â
<http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch#3dlvjg2>
Jones, A 2015, âVlogger Couple Grieves Miscarriage Three Days After Announcing Pregnancy in Viral Videoâ, Gawker, 8 October, viewed 25/01/2016
<http://gawker.com/vlogger-couple-grieves-miscarriage-three-days-after-ann-1723078900>
Lange, P 2009, âVideos of Affinity on YouTubeâ, in Snickars & Vonderau (eds), The YouTube Reader, National Library of Sweden, Stockholm, pp 70-88.
Magnuson, L n.d., âSelfies Linked to Narcissism, Addiction and Mental Illnessâ, Disclose.tv, n.d, viewed 23/01/2016Â
<http://www.disclose.tv/news/Selfies_Linked_to_Narcissism_Addiction_and_Mental_Illness/101410>
Murray, A 2016, Stephenâs New York proposal to Alicia, Â 2 January, viewed 2/01/2016 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
<https://www.facebook.com/alicia.murray.524?fref=ts>