For one of my units i am to explore and create work based on the theme "Environment".
Brain storming and mind mapping i decided that i wanted to use social media as an idea of our digital, social environment.
I am starting my research by looking into the physiology behind social media use.I would say now, in many ways the Internet has become the backbone of society in most countries because the number of users it is constantly growing, and because of this marketers and advertisers seek to get noticed by social media users that love to network. Hence creating an entirely new environment inside an invisible world.
But why do people obsess over using social media? Well apparently using social media causes oxytocin levels to rise in the brain. If that is true then it is addictive. Oxyticin is known as the love hormone because it is released when people cuddle or bond socially.
One web sight i looked at claimed that research shows that people devote about 30–40% of all speech to talking about themselves. But over social media, these numbers increase to about 80% of posts. The reason for this is because socializing in person demands more emotional and physical contribution.
Have we become more emotionally detached from one and other from being so able to contact each other more than ever before? I suppose social media eliminates having to observe body language or read facial expressions, instead we prefer to look at photos and take our time to refine our comments and interact with each other in a more controlled way.
But using Social media makes us focus on self-presentation.... Where as in person you don't feel the need to do this as much... on facebook, for example, we present ourselves in a way that will increase our self-esteem and confidence... we post the impressive news, the best photos and check into the popular places.
All that has changed is the angle and body position. What one do you think is considered in our social media world, more attractive? the better image? The more accepted emotion to present to the world? The one she would keep and be happy to present? The images are not that different, but at the same time, are completely different.
These ideas we have about our appearance in a digital world is, for a lot of people, there whole world. I decided to do some digging around on Instagram and found pages and pages of people who only posted selfies, and got 1,000's of likes and followers because of how they presented themselves online.
So in this world where we give, receive and share approval over our own and other peoples accomplishments in life how do we, or should i say how did we, come to this conclusion of what is worthy of admiration and what is not?. Technology has given us everything we could ever want, but taken everything we really need to thrive in ourselves. It has stolen the ability to feel satisfied because now on screen is someone else, doing more, doing things we feel we could never do and thus making us compare ourselves to them.
I know i need to make digital work, i know i need to respond to this and i know i need to speak about it.
Brain storming and mind mapping i decided that i wanted to use social media as an idea of our digital, social environment.
I am starting my research by looking into the physiology behind social media use.I would say now, in many ways the Internet has become the backbone of society in most countries because the number of users it is constantly growing, and because of this marketers and advertisers seek to get noticed by social media users that love to network. Hence creating an entirely new environment inside an invisible world.
But why do people obsess over using social media? Well apparently using social media causes oxytocin levels to rise in the brain. If that is true then it is addictive. Oxyticin is known as the love hormone because it is released when people cuddle or bond socially.
One web sight i looked at claimed that research shows that people devote about 30–40% of all speech to talking about themselves. But over social media, these numbers increase to about 80% of posts. The reason for this is because socializing in person demands more emotional and physical contribution.
Have we become more emotionally detached from one and other from being so able to contact each other more than ever before? I suppose social media eliminates having to observe body language or read facial expressions, instead we prefer to look at photos and take our time to refine our comments and interact with each other in a more controlled way.
But using Social media makes us focus on self-presentation.... Where as in person you don't feel the need to do this as much... on facebook, for example, we present ourselves in a way that will increase our self-esteem and confidence... we post the impressive news, the best photos and check into the popular places.
But surely by doing this we then start to compare ourselves to everyone else on out news feed. People bragging about where they have been on Holiday, how well there career is going, relationship statuses... making you feel insecure about yourself and your accomplishments. So when you have nothing to brag about, what do you post? A selfie? why... there is no logic behind why people take selfies of themselves, and lets be honest, they look nothing like the person! i am guilty of this as well. BUT WHY?
Yes its true, self portraits have been around for a long time, I have always thought a portrait of someone, even yourself, was a way to express a human feeling or emotion... But i haven't seen any selfies of someone for example... crying. I think we use selfies as a way to brag. A way to feel good about yourself. In our society being attractive is, in a way an achievement...
Yes its true, self portraits have been around for a long time, I have always thought a portrait of someone, even yourself, was a way to express a human feeling or emotion... But i haven't seen any selfies of someone for example... crying. I think we use selfies as a way to brag. A way to feel good about yourself. In our society being attractive is, in a way an achievement...
As an example here is two photo i took of my sister, minutes apart.
All that has changed is the angle and body position. What one do you think is considered in our social media world, more attractive? the better image? The more accepted emotion to present to the world? The one she would keep and be happy to present? The images are not that different, but at the same time, are completely different.
These ideas we have about our appearance in a digital world is, for a lot of people, there whole world. I decided to do some digging around on Instagram and found pages and pages of people who only posted selfies, and got 1,000's of likes and followers because of how they presented themselves online.
And on the other hand we have a person who volunteers to teach children and a group of women who run to raise money for charity.
So in this world where we give, receive and share approval over our own and other peoples accomplishments in life how do we, or should i say how did we, come to this conclusion of what is worthy of admiration and what is not?. Technology has given us everything we could ever want, but taken everything we really need to thrive in ourselves. It has stolen the ability to feel satisfied because now on screen is someone else, doing more, doing things we feel we could never do and thus making us compare ourselves to them.
I know i need to make digital work, i know i need to respond to this and i know i need to speak about it.
Good observations - could be some great visual mileage in this
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