The
causal relationship between technology and the social inherently affects our
everyday practices and lives because technology has evidently altered the ways
in which we view ourselves and the world. Social construction of the technology
perspective focuses on ‘how technologies arise from social processes’ (44).
Baym’s perspective is a result of our social and cultural processes that enable
technology to control our social contexts. Anxieties are inherent with the constant use
of the internet and our smart phones, the interactivity they offer change the
ways we see others, then ourselves. Social interactivity gives us a source of
interacting between groups or individuals even if it’s a Instagram like or
comment. Through the use of social media
sites such as Instagram people feel more connected and acquire the knowledge of
one’s life through their posts that can be read as ‘real’. Because forms of social media such as
Instagram are interactive anxieties stem from outside perspectives as viewing
someone else’s life when in reality it is solemnly a social construction built
on technology such as a Instagram profile.
As Tamara mentioned below, Lilli Hymowitz is a
prime example of the anxieties surrounding the use of new media. In the article “The Prom Queen of Instagram”,
Lilli became popularly known for her identity and persona she created and
constructed through her Instagram profile. This I call a “fantasy” life, Lilli’s
posts on Instagram raises questions about authentic self-representation through
technology. Have you ever met someone who portrayed to be a certain way online
then when you met face to face they were nothing like how they portrayed themselves
to be? I have, and I feel like Lill Hymowitz’s followers would experience the
same discourse if they met face to face.
I chose this theoretical framework that I did because I had a friend text me today asking if she should Instagram another picture from homecoming this past weekend, which I thought was very relevant that she was giving so much thought to her profile and how she portrays herself on social media. The anxieties around what others think of us prevail through the use of new media and the content we choose to share with the Internet.
Check out this link.. it’s how to have a “cool” Instagram profile, maybe Lilli
Hymowitz wrote this..http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/heres-how-to-be-cool-on-instagram-according-to-a-teen#.seWrY62O0
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. I agree with your idea of Lili's "fantasy" life as she uses her Instagram to create a modified representation of herself. As you mentioned, it is very common for people to get anxieties concerning the proper "etiquette" of Instagram. I know many people who over analyze their posts and consult friends to choose the best photo to represent their lives online. Though I chose to focus on the perspective of Technological Determinism, I can see the relevance of the social construction of technology perspective as its motto is "people have the power" (Bayam, 45). We can see how people have the power to alter the way in which the public perceives them, by using new technologies. People have the power to represent themselves online in a way that differs from their real identities.
I think you are right about the fact that people’s online accounts do not reflect who they really are. In fact, I recently saw the Instagram accounts of many people I personally know and I was surprised of how different they look on Instagram. I think many people see Instagram not as a way to express themselves and connect with others, but rather as a way to create a likable persona. Therefore, It is more common now to read articles as the one you provided, or to see social media celebrities giving tutorials on how to take the perfect selfie, edit your Instagram account, etc.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, there is a video on how to get people jealous of your holiday (here is the link if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eFEIfZAQFA ).
Hey jess I think your comment about the anxiety revolved around instagram is very relevant. Similar to your friends, one of my friends revealed to me the other day that she gets very anxious the moment she posts a selfie, and feels stressed until she receives at least 50 likes. Furthermore, there is an app that was developed called followers which tracks people who unfollow you from instagram, and keeps track of the mean amount of likes each picture received. Basically the app was developed to help keep monitor personal instagram fame. I think Bayms point about anxiety revolved around technology is very accurate.
ReplyDelete