In Nancy Baym's article she discusses a perspective in which I find is highly evident in the "Meet the Prom Queen" article called technological determinism. Technological determinism is the concept that the technology prominent in a society drives its social forces. It is an ideal that believes technology shapes culture, it is the cause and society is the effect. Because technological determinism puts so much power into technology, in the article's case social media like Instagram, such a simple form of communication contains an immense amount of influence. I believe that there are many factors to Instagram that can cause social anxieties. In the article despite the fact that this girl has been chosen at the young age of 16 as having one of the coolest and most popular Instagram page, Lilli still shows signs of insecurities and anxiety. In interviews she has been quoted saying that people think she's cooler than she is. This is a common issue with social media platforms because they allow you to create a profile of yourselves. With computers people have the ability to reinvent themselves and express their best selves which can be deceiving. In the article the interviewer mentions how in real life Lilli was not perfect, having chipped nail polish and looking her actual age not in her twenties like her pictures suggest. This false portrayal of self can create anxieties because you are setting certain expectations of who you are and what you stand for and when you meet people they expect you to be that person. That is why I decided to pick technological determinism because the technology that we have access too is allowing us to show ourselves in unrealistic ways in attempts to be popular and have more "friends" when what it is really doing is creating anxieties of what people think of us and trying to constantly stay relevant.
Hi Dana!
ReplyDeleteFirst off I just wanted to say how hilarious I think the picture you posted is! I think many of us feel this way when our friends tag us in pictures online versus pictures we choose to make our profile pictures (which are the ones we think we look best in).
With that being said I also think that you pointed out some really great points that I definitely do agree with in terms of technological determinism and the prom queen article. I believe that your point discussing how social media creates a great amount of influence is incredibly valid. A lot of people do take social media outlets like Instagram extremely seriously by making sure their accounts display their 'ideal' self. This is evident within Lilli as she must uphold this persona she displays online through her posts to ensure her followers aren't 'disappointed'. As well as this leads to her false portrayal of self online which displays anxieties regarding social media and the self.
Hi Dana!
ReplyDeleteAlso would like to say that the pic you chose is hilar - and so true. This is the reason I have all of my tagged photo's on Facebook hidden from my friends so that doesn't happen to me haha. I want to avoid that unfortunate circumstance at all costs.
I really liked the point that you made about how "computers have the ability to reinvent you" and how this becomes a "false portrayal of self". Your point makes a great connection to the issues of body image in the media as well. Due to technology permitting individuals to portray themselves as someone they are not, or an enhanced version of themselves - this establishes an unrealistic normative, therefore leading to people reaching or attempting to achieve an unachievable goal. Young girls, including Lilli are influenced and manipulated by this corruption of the media.
Hey Dana,
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic post, and I think that your choice of picture really helped tie your post together and help make it relevant to everyone in the class. I think most people know the terrifying feeling of having a wild weekend only to have a heart attack when receiving notifications on Monday morning, just in case it's alerting you that you've been tagged in an extremely questionable photo.
I think the idea of creating a profile or the reinventing of oneself that often occurs on Instagram is really interesting. While people such as Hymowitz are extremely picky about the photos that they put on their profile, the other things that Instagram has caused us to be picky about speaks to the power of technological determinism. Discussions over filters last hours, learning that someone unfollowed you can ruin your month, you have to keep your following-to-follower ratio perfect, and you've always got to be up to date on the latest cool lyrics or memes to use as your caption - you can't let the lameness of your first Instagram posts that used 25 hashtags be dug up to embarrass you when you're carefully sculpting your flawless online persona. All these different ways that we have changed our lives and they way that we act - or at least the way that we want people to think that we act - show us how technological determinism is absolutely present in this age of social media.
Hi Dana!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the points you stated in your posts. Instagram is starting to have such an influence on how some people live their lives. The idea you pointed out about people reinventing themselves in their posts is very valid and something we are starting to see more and more of with the rise of "Internet fame". The image you included in your post is hilarious, but it also points out the "anxieties" behind the self people choose to share on their profiles. It does so by proving that people will only select the photos that they believe displays them in the way that they wish others would view them. Your friends can tag you in photos that you would never post on your own profile because it may show a side that is different from what your own profile says about you, which proves just how selective people are in what they choose to post of themselves today.
Great post, Dana!
ReplyDeleteAs someone with two cats back at home, I have a strong appreciate for the picture you've chosen for your post this week. I think it really enhances the key points you've made. Because the photos that we share are ones shown to several friends or acquaintances (hundreds in most cases), the photos we chose to share of ourselves tend to be the ones that represent our best selves. When friends decide to post photos of us, they may not be considering this. It's all about appearances. We want to update our profile picture to one where we believe we'll beat 100 likes. It's all a game of comparing others now. If our friends have nearly 200 likes on a photo, that's what we aim to have. It's a sad reality of how obsessive we are over profiles and how they appear to others.
Hi Dana,
ReplyDeleteYou've made great points on how technology is the cause and society is the effect. I agree that we often take advantage of these social media platforms that allow us to reinvent ourselves which becomes an inauthentic version of ourselves. I feel that teenagers, especially, are more vulnerable to these social media standards. The picture you included on your post, which is hilarious and something I can agree on, is a great demonstration of how signs of insecurity and anxiety exist. We selectively choose what to post on our own social media networks but we lack control of what other people show of you. In honestly, I have untagged myself in posts where I am tagged before, and perhaps you can say, is also a sign of insecurity. Technology allows us to cater to our ideals rather than our true identities.