My Module 5 assignment focuses on the topic of selfies. However, the way we're discussing selfies in this case goes beyond the filtered, front-camera snapshot of our faces. Instead, we're discussing selfies in terms of digital self representations that encompass how we portray ourselves online, our interactions with others and the implications of these interactions on others in context of the digital environment.
I chose my pins based on key points that previously stood out to me in our Module 4 readings. What's interesting is that I hadn't chosen what the overarching idea of my Pinterest board would be until after I created my pins. It wasn't until I saw them side by side that the common thread became clear: selfies are a vehicle that affirm a sense of self in ourselves and amongst others. Therefore, the final product became Selfie: Not Just About the Self.
Now that we've looked at the big picture, let's pin-down on the individual ideas (pun intended):
One of the topics I wanted to explore was how self representation has changed over the years. This took me back to the article about Edwardian selfies which describes the development of the self image since ages ago (O'Hagan & Spilioti, 2021). I found the discussion about "mediatization" interesting, because it got me thinking about content creators needing to zero in on a niche in order to thrive in today's media landscape. This is what fosters online communities, what TikTok is built on and what has been allowing everyday people with a talent for creating specific and insightful content to rise to fame. Mai, the American-Egyptian woman shown below, is a perfect example of someone who's leveraged her unique cultural background to create content that every Arab-Western hybrid relates to, and has consequently risen in the ranks. Speaking of climbing the ladder of fame, check out her recent meet-and-greet video with Kevin Hart here.
Not only can our online presence foster communities, but it can also strengthen the identities of marginalized groups, as discussed by Liu et al. (2017). An example of this is the aftermath of baklava. Well, not exactly the Middle Eastern sweet itself, but the video "Baklava Got Legs" which is based on the cultural insight that in Lebanon, women are often catcalled "baklava". The video was created as part of a larger campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of speaking up about protecting women from sexual harassment; a rebellious initiative given that speaking about rape is a taboo subject in the MENA region. This campaign sparked a new hashtag in Arabic which means "support Bissant" to speak up about a girl named Bissant who was raped in Egypt around the same time. This was a testament to the power of collective online action to rally and amplify the voices of a historically silenced persona; the raped Middle Eastern woman.
Finally, I wanted to discuss what motivates us to share our selves online or become engaged in the online activities of others. The below infographic summarizes that social sharing is our way of feeling connected with both the world, and ourselves. This is also illustrated in Tiidenberg (2017)'s analysis of 40+ year-old women's posting activities being underpinned by the aim to normalize the rhetoric around aging and empower other women. In other words, it's a manifestation of our inclination to embrace our unique selves and share this energy with others.
The selfie is the self amongst a network of many other selves, each of whom's activity has implications on others within that network. From building communities, to strengthening silenced minorities, to empowering others with similar profiles, selfies now embody online conduct that can result in more than just a few likes and comments on our pictures.
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References
Liu, F., Ford, D., Parnin, C., & Dabbish, L. (2017). Selfies as social movements: Influences on participation and perceived impact on stereotypes. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 1(CSCW), 1-21.
O'Hagan, L. A., & Spilioti, T. (2021). The Edwardian selfies: A transhistorical approach to celebrity culture and pictorial bookplates. Discourse, Context & Media, 43, 100522.
Tiidenberg, K. (2017). Visibly ageing femininities: women’s visual discourses of being over-40 and over-50 on Instagram. Feminist Media Studies, 18(1), 61-76.
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