Blog Post #3 - Lauren Petrucci

 Throughout the film Eighth Grade that we had watched in class, it is clear to see that the experience Kayla was facing could be seen through a domestication of technology perspective. Kayla had grown up during a time where technology was a predominant aspect in her life. From the moment she woke up, to the time she went to bed, Kayla's phone was the first thing she would use, almost as if it was an addiction. Kayla's interaction on the internet, specifically social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, had become a part of her everyday life, therefore altering and distorting her views on the values, norms, and interests she had prior to the internet. In Nancy Baym's article Personal Connections in the Digital Age, she describes domestication of technology as technological and societal influence that impact our everyday life. She provided examples of social problems that could be interfered with due to the internet, such as strains in relationships (Baym, p. 52). We can see that throughout the film Eighth Grade, Kayla acts as if she has two identities - one on the internet, and one in reality. She uses the internet as an escape from reality, and uses this aspect of communication to help make herself understood. However, in reality, she appears very quiet, and lashes out at her father often. From having two identities, you can clearly see how it impacts Kayla's identification from trying to fit into the technological world, as well as the social world in which we live in.