4. It’s a Picture-Perfect World!

Produce, distribute, consume. Produce, distribute, consume. Produce, distribute, consume. A never-ending cycle. This is what the 21st century looks like. The revolution of technology has allowed consumption rates to skyrocket, as of recent years as a result of social media. In this post, we will be discussing the consumption of images that are created and plastered every nano-second of every day and how identity is communicated dominantly through appearance (Shumaker, 2017).

This consumer culture has made the impossible, possible, allowing individuals to fashion their own identities in innovative ways (Buckingham, 2008). Societies have reached the point where 10-year-olds are social media experts, teaching their parents how to use Tumblr or which angles are best for selfies. Such images are argued to be a form of self-expression that allows individuals to remember a particular moment in time which is connected to identity formation and also contributes to the construction of a specific personal narrative (Soerjoatmodjo, 2016; Van House, 2009). The notion of plurality has become a prime focus in the 21st century, particularly when it comes to image-creation. Individuals as young as early adolescence are able to consume and recreate images with their own twist from other image-productions they have seen online. In this light, it’s easy to understand how the line between producers and consumers intertwine with one another, leading to what Lister (2010) púts forward as ‘prosumers’.

Coming across a thousand user-generated images on Instagram a day is a hefty amount. Now try comprehending 95 million PER DAY or better yet, 40 billion since its birth (99firms Content, 2021). In 2017 in the UK alone, over a million selfies were taken every day (Fox, 2019). What is it about selfies that make them so compelling to capture and share with the masses? According to Rosenfeld (2016), the creation and dissemination of such content give individuals a leisurely space for experimentation, expression and gauge what others are doing. From a Freirean standpoint,

“Individuals engage in a manufactured mass exercise to publish photos, videos, and the like to show their individualism to the world” (p.68).

Computer-mediated technologies afford individual identities that are rooted in immense degrees of critical self-awareness (Tiidenberg, 2014). As mentioned in a previous blogpost, the looking-glass theory can be conceptualised in terms of social media platforms such as Instagram as Bosker (2014) notes how selfies are similar to ‘narrative clips’ that allow us to see ourselves through the eyes of another, or, in this case, an objective eye of a device (as cited in Rettberg, 2014).

From a Goffmanian perspective, selfies are on one level, a form of performance whereby individuals express aspects of themselves and on another, a way of proclaiming their identities. One can consider the process of the selfie a form of performance as they are consciously articulated with contributions of our identity. From the brand of clothing, you’re wearing, to your facial expression to the background to the caption, these are all calculated aspects that somewhat ‘control’ what audiences think about us. After this, one image is carefully chosen from a camera-roll buffet to be dispersed throughout social media platforms with the anticipation of interaction such as likes and comments. In other words, the selfie is a form of ubiquitous digital communication that enables identity practices such as self-expression and engagement. Furthermore, as Lister (2013) and Gabriel (2014) assert,

“the factors which make selfies recognizable as selfies include traditions of amateur photography, but they also are the product of certain ruptures in cultural practices and attitudes toward photography, image, representation, and selfhood, particularly in the context of understanding how we capture, caption, and share representations of life in ways which place us under increased scrutiny by one another” (as cited in Cover, 2015).

But what do selfies have to do with identity? More importantly, what connection is prevalent between identity, beauty standards and selfies?

Societies have gotten so remarkably clever at photo manipulation that contemporary standards of beauty have the masses second-thinking their lifestyles, their culture and their appearances, amongst a plethora of other characteristics that make one’s identity, their identity. The whole concept of embellishing what we see, (in this context, images) is no recent phenomenon. For example, in the 18th Century, ‘Claude glasses’ were extremely popular amongst travellers and artists as they augmented reality with lens filters that simplified colours and tones whilst simultaneously maintaining picturesque views (Bergman, 2014). Does this sound familiar? Claude glasses are essentially the historical antecedent of Instagram which enable the desire to manipulate our surroundings, our narratives and our identities into polished picture-perfect versions and in return, maintain visibility and popularity within social media environments (Lavrence & Cambre, 2020). Although the original intention of the selfie and filters were lighthearted, the shift to subtler, clever methods of editing has become indistinct yet normalised.

So the main question here is, is augmenting reality a good thing?

Constructing digital narratives that appear so seamless in turn create a standard of life, particularly in appearances, that exponentially rises day by day, making it harder for women, in particular, to live up to (Russello, 2009). Furthermore, Elias and Gill (2018) state that image-editing applications create an “unprecedented regulatory gaze upon women” as Dhir et al.’s (2016) research contends that women are reported to use filters more than men (p.59).

Photos and videos are considered to be a direct form of online-presentation as well as a social digital currency. Utilising enhancing and retouching tools perpetuates and normalises unrealistic body ideals which can become problematic for individuals, especially those who are going through adolescence.

This craze to control images stems from the lack of satisfaction that society experiences. Research has shown that body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem are linked, with sociocultural pressures to assimilate into the media-influenced ‘ideal’ body type, constraining individuals and their identity independence.

Body image concerns how individuals perceive their own body which is a part of one’s identity and sense of self that can influence mental and physical health (Wallis & Kozar, 2015). Many argue that media-reinforcements are largely to blame for body dissatisfaction, particularly in women (Watson & Vaughn, 2006).

As a result of such immense media exposure perpetuating socially constructed ideals of beauty, applications such as Instagram are ripe environments for social comparison. By consuming images of other individuals with perfect looking features and lifestyles, which are more often than not digitally altered, in turn, can lead to low self-esteem levels when measuring features such as thinness and attractiveness between audience and creator (Kalnes, 2013 as cited in Wallis & Kozar, 2015).

Social comparison theory was initially posited by Festinger in 1953 who elaborated on how individuals compare themselves with others who possess coveted traits. These comparisons in turn aid individuals to establish their identity (Russello, 2009). However, the longer individuals socially compare themselves, the more likely the media’s influence will be negative. For example, the media’s exploitation of thin bodies, dainty noses, clear skin, thigh gaps and high cheekbones can garner stress in women especially when such ideals have been perpetuated for numerous years, which can result in distorted self-image, identity and body satisfaction (Wallis & Kozar, 2015).

With Facetune garnering over 50 million downloads, we need to critically ask ourselves what effects such image-editing apps have on contemporary society. 50 million downloads mean hundreds of millions, if not billions of images that are enhanced, distracting us from reality and generating a Barbie culture where a rhinoplasty and lip fillers are normalised as ‘Sweet 16’ birthday gift. This culture is so prevalent that even Mattel’s official Barbie Instagram account is indistinguishable from today’s celebrity influencer social media posts (Bochicchio, 2018). Baudrillard’s hyperreality has undoubtedly materialised, leading individuals of all demographics into a comatose state of danger and identity existentialism.

https://www.instagram.com/theidentityanthology/

by Amy Sultana

This blog is a project for Study Unit MCS3953, University of Malta.

References

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