Blog Post #4- Mahaila Milne

Throughout the semester, a concept that has really stuck out to me is the ways in which social media distorts self-perception and alters the ways that we interact with our environment. We are constantly surrounded by social media, and it has become such a large factor in our everyday lives. This idea directly relates to Coudry and Hepp's concept of mediatization, in which media is fundamentally interwoven into the texture of everyday life. In this sense, social media is ultimately enfolded into everyday life and changing the ways in which life is perceived. In my opinion, I think that social media makes people more vulnerable and truly dissects our understanding of the world and reality in general. Edited photos and inaccurate depictions have become so normalized, and because of this people's expectations have become extremely distorted, which is worrying to think about. In this course, we spent a large majority of time discussing popular apps such as TikTok and Bereal. These apps both demonstrate different ways in which people can avoid reality, as social media platforms can create an outlet for comparison and inauthenticity. We discussed the ways in which Bereal, an app that preaches about authenticity and "realness", does not necessarily accomplish what it claims. After considering this idea, it can be argued that there is nothing authentic about social media, and although Bereal attempts to limit the ability for edits and exaggeration, social media as a whole is incapable of producing genuine and accurate content. Society as a whole has given social media a power over us, as people rely on it and have so deeply integrated it into their lives. Throughout the course, it has been interesting to examine and consider the effects that social media will have, and the potential future implications that will arise due to the power that social media possesses.