In today's day and age, I think we can all agree that
throughout the years, our ways of expressing ourselves visually and literally
have changed, mainly due to the advancements of social media. Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter are all popular networking sites used by many people of
different ages, cultures and genders as a form of self-expression.
As it was discussed in this week’s lecture, through on-line spaces, others can construct your identity based on what you choose to post. Instagram is one of the highest trending social media sites, whether you are a Celebrity, business owner or middle class individual, this site is a popular way of visually representing yourself to your followers from an artistic angle. Agreeing with Tuan’s words when he says “Place is security, space is freedom”, my Instagram account was an on-line space with no reflection of myself as an individual I then created a comfortable and secure sanctuary to express myself and share my photos with my followers. However, with only the ability to post one image with a small caption, you as an individual are leaving the post in the viewer’s hands to perceive it however they want. Trending Instagram accounts that are owned by celebrities are continuously having their posts monitored and their identity continuous constructed by their viewers.
Overall, we can see that any social media outlet can easily
be transformed from a space into a place,through your personalized posts of your day to day life. You are handing the viewer a microscope, and they are
left to think for themselves and construct an opinion on you as a person.
References:
Tuan, Y. (1977). Space and place (p. 3). Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press.
Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place Lecture 3: Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation. (PowerPoint slide) . Retrieved from: http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
References:
Tuan, Y. (1977). Space and place (p. 3). Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press.
Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place Lecture 3: Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation. (PowerPoint slide) . Retrieved from: http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Image Credit:
Jordan, I. (2015). Instagram how to guide. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irina-jordan/instagram-howto-guide_b_7773340.html
I agree with your discussion in terms of creating an online identity or genre which is shared among thousands and gives access to one’s life in progress (McNeill, 2012), in my opinion, this is very important in the positioning or angle of judgement being perceived by follower. Like other social media platforms such as Facebook and even twitter, the account holder has the power to create their own unique online world and personalize this to their heart’s content. However, once published on the World Wide Web, the, as you mention “microscope” is given to viewers, followers and followers of other followers in the interconnected network of online sharing. I too, have also chosen to study Instagram and the habits of its members and how they each (including myself) have created their own sense of place. Before social media was created, each of us would still create our own visual expressions and genre, however with the introduction of the online space and “multi-platform” interaction, we can now share our lives with the entire world by the press of a screen…
ReplyDeleteReferences:
McNeill, L. (2012). Language and New Media. Linguistic, Culture and Technological Evolutions: A Genre Moves From Page To Screen. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press