In the new media today, communication between individuals have evolve drastically. Using social media, people are able to communicate with one and other through posting of messages, uploading photos and videos. With a click of a finger, each one is able to know what the other is saying, doing, living. Social media has given convenience, but at the same time it has affected the way people express themselves.
One way is through selfies. According to Jerry Saltz (Saltz, 2014) the era of selfie is here. Selfies are self-portrait taken with a smart phone device that are spontaneous and unplanned, which means that if a person felt like taking a selfie, it could be done without a hassle. Also, Vlogs (Video-logs) are another way of people showing what they do or how they look like to whoever wants to. It allows people to record themselves and let others view, share and comment on the video. With selfies and vlogs, deeply personal photos and videos are shared without concern of how others would react to it. Michael Welsh stated that vlogs could stimulate people to show who they really are (Welsh, 2009). However, is who they are on camera real matters or what we see of them matters more? Perhaps to better understand this, is showing off a million dollar car vain, or is it vain because we assume it is, as we generally conform to social norm?
The truth is, social media attracts narcissistic people who wants to show off their glorious lifestyle with constant bombarding of selfies on Instagram and videos showing their luxurious day off on a yacht. On the other hand, there is those who wants to keep up or compete with others as pressure of social hierarchy causes them to achieve an impractical image. Therefore, are these people vain? Or are they just drawn into a social media delusion that the others’ lives is the life they need? What do you think?
Food for thought: Does Social Media really changed the way we communicate with one another as seen in the comic?
References
Saltz, J. (2014, 1 26). Art at Arm’s Length: A History of the Selfie. Retrieved from Vulture: http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/history-of-the-selfie.html?mid=twitter_nymag&utm_content=buffer18f61&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Welsh, M. (2009). YouTube and You: Experiences of Self-Awareness in the Context Collapse of the Recording Webcam. EME, 19-34.
Mar Lynn the Petite Potato says... 