A photograph is the extension of someone in time but now
there is a particular sense of anxiety of how accurately a photo represents
someone, when manipulating a photo before putting it on social media has become
common practice. Especially on the popular social networking site Instagram.
In the New York magazine article The Prom Queen of Instagram, the author explores the social media
presence of Lilli Hymowitz, an Insta-famous 16-year old girl. When reading this
article, I drew connections between technological determinism when analyzing
Hymowitz’s relationship with Instagram and the social anxiety that comes along
with it.
Through a technological deterministic lens, Hymowitz’s cool
and lavish lifestyle on Instagram shapes the way others perceive her and as she
admits, makes her ‘cooler’ than she think she is. This speaks to how many young
people on social media begin to get wrapped up in creating a certain persona
online to generate some form of popularity. This is achieved through the number of followers they
have and how many likes are given to a photo which is often envied by others when their numbers aren't on par.
There are many other anxieties that are associated with new
media. It is changing the way we interact with one another and sometimes it can
come in between the connections build in the offline world. This sort of anxiety is depicted on this image I found on Facebook:
As much as technology makes us feel close to one other, it can also make us feel distant from others.
Although, I agree with Nancy Baym that “machines change us” (27), I
begin to think that the social construction of technology theory can also be
applied to this article in that we are not always passive agents when it comes
to technology. We have the ability to change what machines do for us and the
significance we place on it.
Hi Thandiwe! I really enjoyed your blog post and the way you incorporated that photo you found on Facebook. I think it's really important to consider the anxieties that are interconnected to the materialities of technology. The material objects/platforms like Instagram also connect to the theories of social and cultural influence and transformation. That photo presents the alteration of social and cultural interaction and how a technological object can appear as a progression in modern innovation yet it can also cause a detriment to the way we exist as humans.
ReplyDeleteHi Thandi,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really enjoyed the photo you selected to accompany your blog post. I think many readers are easily able to identify the message and relate it to their own relationship with technology and their social life. Furthermore, I think Christianna raises some excellent points above with respect to the way we associate progress and innovation as continuously positive. However, taking into consideration the role of technological determinism, it is very important to be wary of unfavourable outcomes on our reliance on technology. In your opinion what is one way that individuals can become more aware of the effect of technology on their behavioural habits?