Identity, Images andVisual Communication

Vandra Caldwell

• Social media has transferred over time– Expression through words, now

photographs

• Moments captured are “picture perfect”– Largely manipulated/slightly

tweaked• Cropping, filters, photo editing

tools

• Society focuses on portraying a “picture-perfect lifestyle”– Motivation to keep seamless self-

presentation on social networks

• Purpose of the paper:– To analyze self-presentation on

Instagram (considered teen’s most important social network)• What we share

• How we share

• Why we choose to share

– Unveil whether or not these social interactive decisions are conscious or subconscious• Explore these means by looking at nature of

identity, images and visual communication

• Social Network Site (SNS) Paradigm Shift:

– Photo sharing first exposed as way to store images online

– Digital photography advanced with use of camera phones

• Reshaped the meaning of photo sharing

• Camera phone images evolved into form of communication– Now a resource that strengthens social connections (e.g. FB,

Twitter and Instagram)

– Exchange of personal photos

• Trace of people’s personal networks

• Sense of belonging

– Instagram allows for such communication

• Images are fragments of one’s life– Exist to be viewed, commented on, and exchanged

– Affirm identities

– Mark collective groupings

• Instagram images can broken down

– Eight types of photo categories

1. Selfies

2. Friends

3. Food

4. Captioned photos

5. Pets

6. Activities

7. Gadgets

8. Fashion

– 46% of users’ photos are Selfies and Friends

• Instagram used for:

– Self-promotion

– Networking purposes

• Selfies

– Support for identity expression

– Communicates gratifying message from sender

• Social Network Site (SNS) Paradigm Shift

• Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) and Images

– How do individuals who have a positive perception of themselves portray positivity online?

– Are their motives intentional to receive gratification?

• Conscious or subconscious?

– What photo alteration techniques are used to create a picture perfect scene or selfie?

• Identity and Visual Communication– Why do users choose to post positive fragments of

his or her life on SNS?

– What types of photos are shared that enhances the perception of self-worth or identity?

– Do individuals post images that receivers perceive as negative?

• The Future of Selfies– Will self-portraits remain as an outlet to

communicate identity that allows users to receive gratification?

• Analyzed/Deconstructed scholarly journals, books, and blogs, utilized group and one-on-one discussions

• Resources:

– UNO’s Criss Library Database

– Google Scholar

– The Social Media Handbook (Hunsinger and Senft)

• Discussion:

– Little research examines SNS Instagram

– Ethics of false self-representation

– Consciousness of what is posted to gain gratification

• Limitations:

– Cyberbullying on Instagram

– How to properly use the site

– How to gain followers

• Future Research:– Awareness of:

• How users portray themselves• Sense of belonging by gaining followers• What the sender thinks the audience expects from him/her• How the sender perceives others

– How it all correlates

Hu, Y., Manikonda, L., & Kambhampati, S. (2014). What We Instagram: A First Analysis of Instagram Photo Content and User Types. Eighth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Medio, 595-598.

Scifo, B. (2009). The Sociocultural Forms of Mobile Personal Photographs in a Cross-Media Ecology: Reflections Starting from the Young Italian Experience. Technology & Policy Knowledge, 22(3), 185-194. Retrieved October 10, 2014.

Staff, M. (2014, April 9). Instagram Now Tops Twitter, Facebook as Teens Most Important Social Network. Retrieved November 22, 2014.