#visualcommunities

Before the internet friends and family shared photos by taking film to get developed and having hard copies in photo albums. As the years went on and the internet became more prominent these photos would be taken digitally and stored and shared online. With the internet everywhere and in the palms of our hands Burgess et al. (2013, p. 3) identified it’s changed the way we capture, remember and communicate personal images of everyday and family life. When using traditional social media such as Facebook, it requires you to live an experience offline and post it later online to relive the moment and have your friends comment which starts the conversation (Herrman 2014). Social media has now evolved with the introduction of Instagram and Snapchat. On both of these apps you are able to share photos in live time. Snapchat started this trend which allows you to communicate with friends through photos, usually a selfie and a small amount of text can be used. This social imaging can be sent to individuals or added to your story for all your contacts to see. I use Snapchat as an easy way to take a quick photo of where I am or what I’m doing or even a pretty picture of me first thing in the morning to say hello to some close friends (lucky friends I know).

(Caleb Harrower 2018)

Social imagining allows you communicate through photos, although you can use social media to be a part of a visual community.  Instagram allows us to follow pages with others who share similar interests. A community I am heavily involved in on Instagram is the “Traditional Tattoo” community. Instagram provides me with a platform to follow traditional tattoo artists and shops from all over the world. I am able to gain inspiration from tattoos they post but also (this is the best part) see if an artist is coming to your city. Instagram has even allowed tattoo artist to promote when they will be a guest artist at another shop and this could be in another state or country. Recently an artist I follow from Perth posted he was coming to Brisbane (where I live). I doubt I’m making it over to Perth in the near future so through Instagram I was able to reach out and book an appointment with him while he was in Brisbane. In traditional tattoo community shops host “flash days”, this is where each artist at the shop will design a sheet of palm size tattoos and you line up in the morning to book in for that day. During these flash days I’ve able to meet in person people I’ve shared tattoo interest with and meet artist I admire.

(Alfred Street Tattoo, 2018)

Reference List

Burgess, J & Vivienne, S, 2013, ‘The remediation of the personal photograph and the politics of self-representation in digital storytelling’, Journal of Material Culture, 18(3), pp. 1-29.

Herrman, J, 2014, ‘Meet The Man Who Got Inside Snapchat's Head’, Buzzfeed, 28th January, Viewed 3rd June 2018. <https://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch?utm_term=.urRjgnLYJ#.vhMRpEj1a>

Image 

Alfred Street Tattoo, 2018, Instagram, 19th May. 

Anyone that knows me, knows my aversion to having my photo taken. As such, I really struggle with the concept of the selfie. I don’t need you to see a photo of me for you to be able to communicate with me! I do appear to be in the very small minority with these views if social media is anything to go by these days. However, I digress. What is a selfie? A selfie is a self-portrait that is taken of one-self. This self-portrait has created with the purpose of posting it to social media and is taken with a digital camera or smartphone (Qiu, Lu, Yang, Qu, & Zhu 2014)

The selfie has changed the way we express ourselves on social media and has seen the introduction of more visual based social media channels. Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are all forms of visual publics. Visual publics are defined by Ito (2008) as “Publics that can be reactors, [re]makers and [re]distributors, engaging in shared culture and knowledge through discourse and social exchange as well as through acts of media reception”. The introduction of Snapchat and Instagram, in particular, have seen a shift in the way that we post online. This is because they are both predominantly image and video driven social media platforms.

Online expression is an important form of communication. How we communicate always depends on the technology available to us at that particular time. Photography was, at one point, purely used for keeping memories or remembering a special moment in time. Now, with billions of people across the globe having a smart phone with an inbuilt camera in their pocket, citizens are now exploring new ways in which to express themselves online. Enter the selfie. The concept behind the selfie is all about your personal brand, and with selfies, you are branding yourself with an image. Young adults, in particular, are using these images as a way of building their online profiles.

Smartphone technology has created this trend of taking selfies and being so concerned with capturing moments and taking snap of almost anything, anywhere and anytime whether that be with family, friends, pictures of one’s pet or the sunset or even breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. With the developments in camera technology, pictures are always enhancing and the standard are set high for quality images and videos, purchasing a smartphone today must come with the benefit of a built in camera that will grant the user with the ability to capture moments and fit in a world that values photos over human interaction and time appreciation.

It has become a seriously alarming habit and a trend that many users fancy and take advantage of or else they may feel left out in some way, it is no longer about age or mindset, as I’ve seen toddlers to seniors taking pictures and it was quite interesting to my eyes. The act of taking constant self portraits has become a way of self expression, so rather than representing one’s thoughts, feelings and personal stories in written text and taking time to enjoy the experiences, expression is now reflected via photos and videos and so much time and effort is given to taking pictures rather than living the moments.

Photographers no longer have the same privilege they once had, as personal photography has almost replaced the need to visit the professional studio or take hardcopy photos by someone who is entitled for the job. ‘However, personal photography begins with the introduction of the Kodak hand cameras in 1888, making the practice of photography accessible to the mass market.’(Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp. 280) Social cohesion was previously experienced from close networks and family photo albums which were there to remind people of the good times and the talk would actually be in regards to the event and the feelings at that time rather than today where images are accepted based on perfection, quality and flawlessness as ‘material culture materializes identities.’ (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp.280)

A primary platform like Snapchat is successful with many users because it aims at overcoming the self-consciousness of being photographed and the discomfort that comes from stored images that can’t be controlled or altered. Snapchat even provides different filters that enhance the imperfections and make one’s selfie appear more pleasant and finely retouched, this is one reason why many appreciate selfies because they feel in control of the image, deciding whether it is acceptable to their eyes before its captured and seeing the best version of themselves through the filters provided. “The tension between experience for its own sake and experience we pursue just to post on Facebook is reaching its breaking point, that’s called Snapchat."(Herrman 2014) ‘Individuals are being remediated into new contexts of social visibility and connection through the ways that smartphones afford instant sharing of mobile snapshots with social networks via SMS, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or Twitter.’ (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp.282)

The increased behaviour of taking photos and videos can become a form of distraction where people find it difficult to do anythin but take countless photos while outing with family and friends where time is supposed to be valued and memories are to be cherished. Now, we are able to take numerous photos which are stored automatically on the camera roll, this means people’s self esteem is determined by how good or bad the images turn out what we choose to share over social media is based on what we keep or delete, this makes us judgemental of ourselves and therefore of other people’s posts because there is a really high expectation of how one is supposed to appear and if otherwise then they may be disapproved or disliked by those who follow, like and comment. This further creates competition and possibly jealously between one another as everyone tries so hard to capture and post the best images of themselves, focusing on what they perceive to be positive about their appearance which makes them stand out from the crowd and be socially accepted, and supposedly confident in their own bodies. ‘The practices that surround personal images in the digital era, including selection, editing, transformation and distribution are mediated by the realities of socially networked identity.’ (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, pp.283)

References: ADWEEK 2018, Snapchat Is Making App Install Ads More Targeted With Deep Links, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=snapchat&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CZqXoRQXTy3TIjjQdvSFux2hAvtsIB-X7d7xbTyrjLXS_1QCmCGXZQ-G63vLSQ8Iemu0mIQ29IFQhObcFvBdrwh3eGyoSCdB29IW7HaECEUb3Zau-GijoKhIJ-2wgH5ft3vER7u0hyP8KpAAqEgltPKuMtdL9ABEXKGfT-Tt9GCoSCaYIZdlD4breESe-6O5wOSAuKhIJ8tJDwh6a7SYR63cbBsfizP0qEgkhDb0gVCE5txFWsuhAEvp3fyoSCQW8F2vCHd4bEeBibpggC9uw&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqsMWY3orZAhUML1AKHSShDDEQ9C96BAgAEB4&biw=1330&bih=822&dpr=0.8#imgdii=Hq6StsyGfLU9KM:&imgrc=sqCiGK8s5cxbWM:

AppdAddict, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=snapchat&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsqsTI3IrZAhVEZVAKHSWbB2oQ_AUICygC&biw=992&bih=822#imgdii=vHgCIXqo-Kk9WM:&imgrc=tXUfCGke8WMzAM:

Bose, P 2016, 5 Best Photo Editing Android Apps for Great Selfies, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1330&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=aTF2WpqyK4_SwQLjzYewBQ&q=selfie+poses&oq=selfie+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.2.0i67k1l2j0j0i67k1j0j0i67k1l3j0j0i67k1.93438.93438.0.99201.1.1.0.0.0.0.144.144.0j1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.143....0.w6gho5sqBNs#imgdii=DZjxXGCeux0mRM:&imgrc=qSf1DkPC_vfgHM:

Herrman, J 2014, "Meet The Man Who Got Inside Snapchat's Head", BuzzFeedNews, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch?utm_term=.vqaM2KZapG#.ggv5gAQDWw

John n.d., The man who invented selfie Mr Bean Meme, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1330&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=gzB2WqWEOZKz0gWB2qnIDQ&q=selfie+meme&oq=SELFIE+m&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0l10.67639.71863.0.73372.4.3.1.0.0.0.173.415.0j3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.4.419...0i67k1j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1.0.nGBrAJSItxQ#imgrc=6ZLybsT286MtqM

Style 2016, Snapchat Beauty Filters: From Plastic Surgery To Body Image, Here's The True Cost, viewed 2 February, 2018, https://www.google.com.eg/search?biw=1330&bih=822&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=RzJ2WpGhOY_bwQKWgqzYBw&q=snapchat+filters+before+and+after&oq=snapchat+filters+bef&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0.103459.104058.0.105163.4.4.0.0.0.0.230.592.0j3j1.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.4.591...0i67k1j0i30k1j0i24k1.0.cUR19FrLv_A#imgrc=2rIamMXguoG-SM:

Majority of the time I spend online (when I’m not working) is divided between the wonderful world of Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Facebook keeps me informed about what is going on in the lives of my friends and family, including friends from high school that I never see or speak to and that I’m slowly culling from my friends list, as well as my daily dose of hilarious memes.

(Sizzle, 2016)

Instagram is my one-stop-shop for escaping my somewhat ordinary life and being transported away to a work of tropical islands, fresh faces of flawless makeup, foodie and style inspiration and celebrity updates.

(Style Magazines, 2017)

(Delicious, 2017)

(Foster Blake, 2017)

Lastly, Pinterest is a gem when it comes to inspiration of any sort, but at the moment, it’s assisting me in my quest to plan my perfect wedding.

(Authors own Pinterest board)

I can’t help it hey, I’m a Millennial baby and this digital world is my playground.

These social media platforms are referred to as visual communities, as images have become a crucial element to how we use social media and connect with other people digitally (Swinburne, 2017).

Do you remember the last time your family got rounded up and sent off to a Pixie Photo studio in your nearest Target store? Me either. I think it was in 1995. As technology and society as technology-loving idiots have evolved, the concept of personal photography has too. No longer is personal photography about collecting memories that represent togetherness or unity. The development of camera phones, social media and image-enhancing mobile applications have contributed to a new meaning of personal photography, one that places emphasis on self-expression, self-promotion and the creation of visible publics (Mizuko, 2008).

I remember my first camera phone, it was a Motorolla Razr (the ‘it’ phone back in the day for girls my age). I wanted a pink one but my friend already had one, so I stuck with a matte black. Stay classy. Many a’ selfie was taken let me assure you. But lordy, do you know how hard it was to fit everyone’s heads in front of that tiny lens?

Selfie culture has taken over the world now. Kim Kardashian published a book of selfies *sigh*.

Why do we love ourselves so much?

Now that we have the technology to do so, we use selfies and other forms of personal photography to construct and invent the identity we wish to be seen as (Wilken & McCosker, 2014, p.291 & 292). Visual communities, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat etc. come into play because they provide us with the means of visually sharing ourselves and aspects of our lives with a range of publics who then gives us the social tick of approval by dropping a like, a comment, tag or share.

I recently wrote my essay on the topic of visual communities and I argued that they bring out narcissistic behaviour in those who use them. I argued this because I know people in real life who have ordinary jobs, live ordinary lives and are no modern day celebrity, yet one glance at their Instagram page and you’d think they’d won the lotto were living a life of leisure. In other words, their digital presence is bull@#$%. It’s so common now to build your visual online presence to accentuate the most glamorous or exciting parts of your life, while eliminate the perhaps negative or dull aspects. Vivienne & Burgess (2014, p. 283) explain this through the concept of digital storying-telling, using technology such as social media to write a parallel history of the experiences and events in one’s life. I’m not going to lie, I do this too. If something awesome happens, put it on Instagram. Visual communities have given us that right!

However I personally only post selfies in the following circumstances (pretty much because I feel like a right jerk outside of these circumstances):

1. Special occasions, i.e. favourite cousin’s wedding 2. When I’m all dressed up and feeling a bit fly 3. Rare opportunities, i.e. in New York and I see the N.Y.P.D riding around on their horsies. Snap that in the background. So United States. Very Law & Order.

(Authors own image)

I do love visual communities though, as mentioned before, I’d be so bored and uninspired without Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. I’m just more of a gawker than a sharer.

References

Delicious, 2017, Chocolate tart image, Instagram, viewed 12th February 2017, <https://www.instagram.com/p/BQFBSkQDBy3/?taken-by=deliciousaus>  

Foster Blake, 2017, Zoe Foster Blake pregnancy announcement, Instagram, viewed 12th February 2017, < https://www.instagram.com/p/BQARb62guqb/?taken-by=zotheysay>

Mizuko, I 2008 ‘Introduction’, Networked Publics, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Sizzle, 2016, Destiny’s Child meme, Sizzle, viewed 12th February 2017, < https://onsizzle.com/i/kelly-can-you-handle-this-beyonc%C3%A9-canyou-handlethis-michelle-canyougrabustwoicedlattes-1142604>

Style Magazines, 2017, Flat lay image, Instagram, viewed 12th February 2017, <https://www.instagram.com/p/BQY5OQpD5C4/?taken-by=stylemagazines>

Swinburne, 2017, Week 9: visual communities and social imaging, Swinburne, viewed 12th February 2017, < https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-5949029-dt-content-rid-31715128_2/courses/2016-SO3-MDA20009-217733/UnitLearningMaterials/week-09.html>

Vivienne S & Burgess J, 2013, ‘The Remediation of the Personal Photograph’, Journal of Material Culture, vol. 18, no. 3.

This is who I am... welcome to my world

As I have discover so far, information technology has dramatically altered the way in which society functions, particularly the way in which individuals associate with one another.

Sociality today is looked upon as networks in which unique content (flows) are exchanged between nodes (people) in a variety of ways (ties) (Siapera 2012, p. 197). Through mobile connectivity, Internet broadband and social networking, people are now able to customise their online networks and access preferred publics to connect to others and meet their social needs (Rainie & Wellman, 2012, p. 11). In exploring these digital spaces, one emerging highlight is the increasing importance of the visual to the ways in which individuals choose to connect with others digitally within this social landscape. 

The use of the visual, whether through photograph or video, is not a new concept. Photography has maintained a central role in society and culture for more then a century. However, overtime the methods and motives behind capturing a visual image have evolved alongside society’s cultural, technological and economic changes (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 280).

This has seen photography move away from the professionally documentation of historical events and the social elite, to a personal photography obtained through mass production and affordable of the camera, first with film and then with digital capacity. Personal photography afforded the individual to develop and keep a personal record of their own narrative, which was often kept in photo albums (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281).

(freepik 2015)

The introduction of the web, and accessibility of content-sharing platforms such as Flicker, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram has allowed the individual to share their once personal visual narratives within visible publics (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281). As a consequence, the methods and motivations behind the sharing of visual images has once again changed.

The visual is now a means self representation, a way of connecting through a visual tie, from one node to another, communicating to others ‘this I who I am’. It has also become a method of creating familiarity by giving others insight into the producer’s world, as they invite others to be a spectator to moments within their everyday life. The downside of this networked visuality within publics is that it makes the producer vulnerable through exposure, particularity if that visual content is sensitive or detrimental in nature.  

Catering for users’ desire for ephemerality - the concept of things lasting only briefly, the time-limited instant messaging service Snapchat has experienced an unparalleled rise in popularity since it conception (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 358, Ephemerality 2015). It is estimated that at the beginning of 2015, there were over 100 million Snapchat users (Macmillan & Rusli 2014). Users send snaps (photos or video messages made through the Snapchat smart phone app, which can be customized with text, drawing and filters) to a controlled list of recipients. The user decides how long (between 1 to 10 seconds) a snap will be viewable on the receiver’s device before it disappears off the device (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 359). This is what sets Snapchat apart from the other popular content-sharing platforms used in image sharing, as they create an historical archive traditionally associated with publics.

(Busniessofapps 2014)

As the application has evolved, Snapchat have expanded to provided its users with a number of other features that foster self-representational communication, insight into everyday experiences, as well as a sense of belonging. The ‘stories’ feature allows the users the option to compile snaps into a narrative that can be viewed by selected recipients in chronological order, with each snap available for 24 hours after its posting (Etherington 2013). Users also have the option to follow ‘official stories’ of public figures and celebrities (Newton 2015). The recent addition of ‘Our stories’ (also know as live stories) provides a montage of contributed on location snaps at a specific event (Franzen 2014). 

  (Snapchat 2013)

Snapchat is a clear example of how visual communities are taking the digital citizen into new ways of being with others....

References

Ephemerality 2015, Merriam Webster, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemerality>.

Etherington, D 2013, Snapchat Gets Its Own Timeline With Snapchat Stories, 24-Hour Photo & Video Tales, TechCrunch, viewed 29 January 2016,<http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/03/snapchat-gets-its-own-timeline-with-snapchat-stories-24-hour-photo-video-tales/?ncid=tcdaily>.

Franzen, C 2014, Snapchat lets you watch and create group videos of live events with 'Our Story, The Verge, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6084221/snapchat-our-story-collective-snaps-from-live-events>.

Macmillan, D & Rusli, E. M 2014, ‘Snapchat is said to have more than 100 million monthly active users’, Wall Street Journal Blogs, 28 August, viewed 29 January 2015, <http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/26/snapchat-said-to-have-more-than-100-million-monthly-active-users/>.

Newton, C 2015, Snapchat rolls out 'official stories' to verify celebrity accounts, The Verge, viewed  29 January, <http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/13/9731440/snapchat-verified-accounts>.

Piwek, L & Joinson, A 2016, “What do they snapchat about?” Patterns of use in time-limited instant messaging service, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 54, pp. 358-367.

Siapera, E 2012, ’Socialities and Social Media’, in Introduction to New Media, pp. 191-208.

Rainie, H, & Wellman, B 2012, Networked : The New Social Operating System, Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 25 January 2016.

Vivienne, S & Burgess, J 2013, ‘The Remediation of the Personal Photograph’, Journal of Material Culture, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 279-98.

Images

freepak 2015, ‘The evolution of the camera’ [image], in Graphics, freepik, viewed 29 January 2016, <http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/the-evolution-of-the-camera_797907.htm>.

Snapchat 2013, Introducing Snapchat Stories (Feat. Guards), 1 October, viewed 29 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPzZevSbgGk>.

Week 9 - Visual communities and social imaging 

As popular as ever, the ‘selfie’, an arms-length mobile phone camera self-portrait shared via social media, has changed the world of communication (Swinburne Online, 2016). As of August 2013, Instagram was covered in more than 36 million photos tagged #selfie and 98 million tagged #me - it’s no doubt the ‘fad’ has become contagious (Humphrey, 2013). 

The world-wide phenomenon has even influenced technology, with the introduction in 2010 of the front-facing camera with the iPhone 4 (Humphrey, 2013).  

Martin Hand defines personal photography as a “inextricably part of personal life - whether the individual taking pictures, the images we use to represent ourselves, the pictures we collect for ourselves, or the sharing of pictures with others as part of personal communication” (2012, p.5). 

While it can be argued that the ‘selfie’ is a healthy influence to encourage self-expression and confidence, the negative impacts including self-obsession, the need for social approval and the pressure of portraying the “perfect life” online cannot be ignored. A research study from Harvard University revealed that social media users ‘”get a bigger neuro-chemical buzz from sharing information about themselves than sharing information about others” (Humphrey, 2013). But what does the goal of gaining a ‘like’ do to the self-esteem and self-image of social media users?

Psychologist Diana Parkinson suggests that the constant display of what we ‘have’ tends to be born from insecurity and a need for external validation (Stylist 2016). Particularly around this time of year, it’s hard to ignore the posts boasting of a work promotion, a new ‘healthy lifestyle’, a new home purchased, or Christmas holiday happy snaps across social media. January is usually the time of year when people are most anxious to project that image of “perfection”. 

A short film titled, ‘What’s On Your Mind’ illustrates just this - the story of a man faking working out, enjoying the nightlife and quitting his job, all in an effort to gain ‘likes’ from his friends online. With more than 10 million views, the 2014 video has since gone viral. 

Psychologist Dr Richard Sherry has warned that rise of visual communities and social imaging can lead to feelings of shame and worthlessness, adding that social media has the power to ‘undermine the coherence between our real, lived lives and memories’ (Telegraph Media Group Limited, 2015). 

So I plead - the next time you go to upload a photo or ‘selfie’, take a minute to ask yourself whether you’re portraying your “real self” or your “ideal self”. There is beauty in being able to look back and reflect on life through photo and images - but make sure we’re looking back on YOUR LIFE. Rather than focusing your attention and effort into meeting the social pressures of portraying that “perfect life”, use your time and effort to achieve the goals that will “align your real self with your ideal self” (Green, 2013). By doing so, you’ll find a real sense of fulfillment as your goals lead you to becoming the best “real” you.

References:

Green, K 2013, The social media effect: are you really who you portray online?, The Huffington Post, viewed 11 January 2016, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/r-kay-green/the-social-media-effect-a_b_3721029.html>. 

Hand, M 2012, Ubiquitous photography, Polity, pg. 5.

Humphrey, K 2013, As popular as ever, selfies are changing the way we communicate, Star Tribune, viewed 10 January 2016, <http://www.startribune.com/as-popular-as-ever-selfies-are-changing-the-way-we-communicate/219856941/>. 

Stylist 2016, The psychology of selfies, viewed 11 January 2016, >http://www.stylist.co.uk/people/the-psychology-of-selfies#art?>. 

If somebody was to scan through the pages of my Instagram and Facebook I wouldn’t be surprised if they concluded that I was a little bit of a narcissist. I’ll admit it, although arguably a hell of a lot less than a lot of the people on my social media feeds, I am partial every now and then to the posting of a selfie and why shouldn’t I be? It is indeed a common occurrence and necessity in the digital landscapes of today to build connections between individuals within a social network by sharing, among other things, images (Lange, 2009) from one’s life- including one’s perfectly filtered face for all the world to see.

I began to consider the sharing of selfies as a small part of sharing ones private life, after all isn’t the purpose of social networks that they provide us with an online platform in which we can partake in a kind of digital story-telling of our lives (Vivienne & Burgess, 2013)- or at least a heavily constructed view of our lives that we want people to see. From this I started to consider the notion of over-sharing, more specifically the increasing amount of members from this online visual communities feeling the need to share what may be considered traditional private and make it public.

A recent example of this where the social practice of the ‘selfie’ was utilised in a way that might be seen as a case of over-sharing was through the Tumblr page titled ‘Selfies at Funerals’ which was created by Jason Fiefer. As the name suggest, the tumblr page incorporates individuals posting pictures of themselves whilst at funerals. What makes this an interesting example is not so much the content of the uploaded material, but instead how it provided a catalyst to an abundance of varied responses which ranged from these actions being a form of digital respect paying to the deceased (Long, 2013), to a debates on what should and should not be shared in today’s digital communities (Hebblethwaite, 2013). This provides an interesting contrast when considering the fairly unrestricted level of interaction and communication that social networks allow their users- is the practice of sites such as ‘Selfies at funerals’ an example of narcissism and over-sharing or an expected outcome of the digital story-telling affordances of image sharing communities? 

REFERENCES:

Hebblethwaite, Cordelia, 2013, Trending: Selfies at Serious Places, Selfies at Funerals, BBC, Viewed 2 November 2013, < http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24754876>

Lange, P, 2009, ‘Videos of Affinity on Youtube’, Snickars, P, & Vonderau, The YouTube Reader, Mediehistoriskt, p.p. 70-78

Long, Heather, 2013, Is Taking a Selfie at a Funeral Bad Form, The Guardian, Viewed 2 November 2013, <http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/30/selfies-at-funerals-acceptable-or-not>