In the Prom Queen of Instagram (PQOI) article, the term “Technological Determinism” is extremely evident- Lilli Hymowitz only of 16 years old currently holds approximately 20,000 Instagram followers but only has about 10 posts. Lilli explains that she deletes posts as time goes on that she feels no longer “fit her current persona.” If someone is even the slightest bit interesting I would assume there’s more than 10 images that could be used to describe you and/or your lifestyle, but I guess that’s just what the cool kids are doing now. Lilli’s limited images on her profile can be thought of as a method she uses to keep the users “waiting and wanting more”- and also an example of her using this digital media platform to help define who she is as a person.
In Lilli’s interview her and her friends agree that she actually doesn’t have very many "real life" friends- although she is known within her age group all over NYC. Baym discusses the use of new digital media by stating “The more you use them, the more they use you, and the more you are influenced by them” (29) which couldn’t apply more than ever in Lilli’s case. The more she uses Instagram, the more it uses her, and the more it’s being used in general Lilli is receiving an arguably non-genuine sense of social status and has made it to the top of the teen social hierarchy. So there you have it folks- Instagram is now teen’s own PPP (Personal Portal to Popularity) But are you sure this is the kind of popularity you really internally desire?
I also encourage everyone to check out this other article relating to how external companies are interacting with Instagram to change society’s views of what is important. Buying Followers- is it ethical? is it necessary? You decide!
http://www.racked.com/2014/9/11/7577585/buy-instagram-followers-bloggers
Cheers!
http://www.racked.com/2014/9/11/7577585/buy-instagram-followers-bloggers
Hey Heather, great post! You raise some interesting points about youth on the Internet, in terms of being able to closely monitor and alter the image that they present. It fascinates me to compare the online world, to the paper and printing world, in terms of how we present ourselves. For example, in an autobiography that is published by print, what the author says about themselves is pretty much set in stone. The task of destroying every single copy would be possible, but extremely time consuming, given the mass production possibilities we have today.
ReplyDeleteSocial media, on the other hand, gifts users the privilege of closely monitoring how they present themselves, with the pleasure of deleting posts they may regret. Of course, one would make the argument that the data is still 'there', in some hard drive at Instagram HQ, but the reality is once you delete it, it won't be accessible to the public easily.
In response to your question, I don't agree with this mindset that followers are some sort of medal, especially if you are not portraying the 'real' you. In fact, I think deleting old and undesirable content is against the whole point of social media sites like Instagram. I believe Instagram was not meant for living in today, but a tool for archiving the events you cherished in the past. By deleting that content, you risk the possibility of deleting the memory you have of something that was once so important to you that you took a picture of it, instead of taking a selfie.
What do you guys think?
Hey Heather,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the points you’ve made in your blog post. It is clear that Lilli goes to great lengths to present Instagram with the perfect version of herself and the life she lives… i.e. posing for a picture of her topless in a bed covered by strategically placed sheets just for the sake of Instagram. I find it sad that so many people have become obsessed with Instagram, so much so that they allow this social networking app to have such a great impact on their lives. Lilli is definitely not alone – I know many people who care about how many followers they have and vice versa or how many likes a picture gets… even people that have gone to the extent of deleting a picture over the fact that the picture did not receive as many likes as initially desired. In addition to this, I also find it ridiculous that some people actually resort to buying their followers and likes – unnecessary if you ask me
Hey Heather!
ReplyDeleteI like the Baym quote you included in your post about the more that you use technology, the more the technology uses you, which leads to the user being largely influenced by that particular technology. I enjoyed your post because you were able to raise some important questions about how we use not just Instagram, but other social media technologies today.
Like Brittany mentioned above, I think it is unreal that people will resort to buying followers and likes on Instagram or even spend time commenting on famous celebrities posts saying "LB" or "L4L".
Hey Heather!
ReplyDeleteThe Baym quote you chose is so relevant to today's social media users. It seems more and more people who have (or desire to have) a lot of Instagram followers are purposely seeking out the coolest and most current food spots, fashion items, clubs and more just to post that perfect Instagram. To me, this perfectly illustrates what Baym is trying to get at when she says that the more we use technology, the more it uses us. The more and more people post photos that are "cool" or current, the more praise someone gets on a post. As a result of this praise they are receiving (likes, comments, follows, shares), the more it drives the person to go out and get more pictures that will get them that same level of praise and more. Instagram then becomes a driving force in a persons life, influencing exactly where and when they go to certain places.
In regards to buying followers, I do not think it necessary in most cases. If you are buying likes/followers, it is completely artificial and all of the positive feedback (through likes or followers) is not genuine. To me, I do not see a point in spending money to buy followers who do not actually care about your posts.
Hi Kate!
DeleteThanks for your comment, I appreciate you taking the time to read my post :)
I agree with you in that buying followers is unnecessary for the average individual, but I'm just wondering what your thoughts are on companies or corporations who are on Instagram buying followers? Do you think it's an unethical/unnecessary promotion method or do you believe it's a good idea for them?
I think to a certain extent it may be a good idea because companies who have more followers promote an image that they're widely known and/or liked and then are more likely to gain "real" followers, and then therefore gain more clientele who will purchase their product. (It's definitely a grey are for sure, though)
Great post!
ReplyDeleteI really like the quote you incorporated into your post. I think it is important to note that the more that you use technology, the more technology uses you. The idea of Lilli removing images as time goes on because they do not fit her image anymore creates a very interesting concept in relation to how she wants to portray herself on social media platforms. The more people, including Lilli, posts "cool" or up to date photos the more credit and praise she will get for it. The anticipation alone to see what Lilli has to post says a lot about the impact social media platforms can have on people.
In my opinion, the buying of likes and followers is somewhat pathetic. If an individual feels like they have to buy likes and followers for self validation then there is something wrong here. I understand social media platforms like Instagram have a large impact on people today and likes and followers are things like people look at as important however they if you are buying likes and followers then your image and validation is not genuine.
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the points you've raised, relating to "technological determinism", particularly when you mention how technology ends up using you once you use it. We may believe that we can control what we do with our social media platforms but it is also easy to lose focus when we put a greater emphasis on our online identity rather than our true identity, which ultimately leads to the idea of how technology controls the user. The link you provided below is a good example of how your online identity becomes less genuine to your true self. The whole idea of buying followers is controversial and it may, in turn, show the user's insecurity.
Hey Heather,
ReplyDeleteI really like the points you made in your posts, I think that it was really important of you to point out how her account only has 10 posts yet she is an extremely popular personal on Instagram. I think this is an example that hints at how social media can create anxiety. I think that with Instagram once you post a picture it is very easy to freak out about whether it was actually good or not and if people will like it. I know with myself even though I only have about 300 photos sometimes I will look at my profile and see older photos of myself and I get embarrassed about them and delete them. I can only imagine the anxiety that would arise with Lilli when she has so many people constantly looking at her profile with such high expectations. I can also see how it almost attracts followers because they know that they cannot simply look at her page whenever they want and see all of the photos she has posted in the past because she doesn't keep them up for long. This makes her even more interesting, in order to truly keep up with her life you must follow her so you know whenever she posts anything.