Blog Assignment #3 - Irene Y

 


In today's generation, technological determinism is widely impacted in our everyday lives which can sometimes be a positive or negative attribute onto your life. Since technology specially the internet, cell phones are really prevalent in our lives right now, we tend to use it too much leading to the possibly of constant addiction. For example, the most popular apps on social media right now is TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, these platforms are very addicting and from what we learned in lecture today,  many students have said that they use their phones specially social media apps as a way to pass time. After reading the article on The Guardian by Damien Gayle, it talks highly about how Instagram is a toxic environment and how through the harmful effects of technology, on people's lives, partially teenage females, are very evident.  Instagram's originally intend was the ability to give people the power to build a community and bring the world closer (About Instagram’s Official Site,2022). Instead, Instagram has created a platform where they are making young individuals question their self worth which can lead to mental health issues (Gayle, 2021). In the article it talks about how “Issues like negative social comparison and anxiety exist in the world, so they’re going to exist on social media too (Gayle, 2021)." To expand more on this, since Instagram has a wide range of users, many celebrity influencers are on this platform, and based off of what they post many young individuals look up to them creating societal norms of how the perfect body should be shaped. This is why I strongly agree with the point how technological  determinism is affecting many people's lives. This can be evident in terms of the Kardashian's and how they look on screen vs off screen. They are people too, with the idea of Instagram and editing apps, they have created an idealized version of how, individuals,  specially women are suppose to look like. 

Comments

  1. Kalessy KeyesOctober 26, 2022 at 4:15 PM


    Hey Irene, Great blog post. The Kardashians are a strong example of celebrities who have made us believe that social media is real life. Therefore, we must look like these people if we want to be stereotypically pretty and fit in with the ideal beauty standard. In reality, as your photo shows, celebrities with large social media followings, such as Kim Kardashian, do not look like their posts in everyday life. Additionally, she and her family are known for commenting about how their natural beauty shines in their photos.

    Meanwhile, they are wearing makeup in their photos, which is obviously not natural. Technology determinism enormously impacts the lives of youth in our society. Who is basing the beauty standard off of photoshopped celebrities wearing makeup and doing way more than just working out and eating healthy to have the "ideal" slim bodies they do.

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    Replies
    1. irene yangOctober 27, 2022 at 6:13 PM

      Hey Kalessy,

      Thank you for commenting! I am glad you agree with how the Kardashians are a strong example of big social media influencers and make us believe that what they post is the reality. Yes, great point made on how her family comments on her natural beauty on Instagram making the public agree that, what she posts is the true/reality version of herself without any sort of filter.

      Another question is which other social media influencer do you think perhaps follow the same notions as The Kardashians.

      Best,
      Irene Yang

      Delete
  2. Alicia MaxOctober 28, 2022 at 10:56 AM

    Hi Irene, great post! The Kardashians are definitely an interesting topic to look at when it comes to social media and body image. While they deny that they've gotten any plastic surgery, it's clear that they have. The denial of plastic surgery has created an unattainable image of beauty for girls and women thus causing insecurity. The Kardashians are also always seen with a full face of makeup which is done by professionals in their everyday lives, even though they preach natural beauty to their followers.

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  3. Elizabeth KvilOctober 31, 2022 at 6:22 AM

    Hello Irene,

    I really enjoyed reading your post! I agreed when Gayle said that Instagram is a highly toxic environment. Considering the fact that women always have high beauty standards just according to the photos they see on the app is enough evidence. This app not only produces high beauty standards but it also brings down many women's mental health. I agree with you when you said that celebrities create these societal norms and what a body should look like. Which is exactly why many girls struggle with body image issues which is heartbreaking especially at such a young age. Overall, apps should not have such a major negative influence on individuals.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AntonyNovember 16, 2022 at 4:20 AM

    Hi, great post! I like the example you used of the Kardashians and how social media has popularised a specific look that everyone is trying to imitate. People use filters and different types of filters to create an idealized version of how a woman is supposed to look. When people constantly compare themselves to filters and unrealistic beauty standards they see on social media, it dramatically impacts teenage girls. In my opinion, the unrealistic beauty standards people see online is why people are starting to become more interested in having surgeries done to their bodies or their face to compete with the unrealistic beauty standards that society and social media have today.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jake McMorranNovember 16, 2022 at 12:13 PM

    Hi Irene,

    This is a fantastic post exemplifying the connection of technological determinism and social media and such following impacts on mental heath in relation to body image and more. I touched on a similar topic myself in how it is so easy with technologies of Photoshop and more to build a social media branding of yourself that is false to who you actually are and what you actually look like. The Kardashians are a prime example of this, as they teach girls from a young age what they should look like, and boys that this is what attractive women look like while providing edited images that hide imperfections in body shape and appearance. With this in mind teenage girls are put into a mindset of if they aren't as 'hot' the Kardashians, they need to take measures to get there which can lead to poor eating habits and the development of eating disorders, pills, and caking on make up to change appearance to have the 'hot' look due to being unhappy with how they look to begin due to the examples put before them.

    ReplyDelete

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