Prior to taking this course, I thought I was on the right path when it came to navigating the use of AI and social media. However, I realized the multifaceted nature which AI can have upon the creation of my digital selfie, discussions of race, representation and professional portrayals of self. Tiidenberg’s analysis of women over 40 or 50 reminded me of how deep-rooted - ageism and body norms are in the digital culture. Women reclaiming visibility is always empowering to watch, but them being forced to do so due to post-feminist pressures to appear fit and self-sufficient was alarming. Personally, I feel that no woman should feel the pressure to shrink herself- emotionally or physically to subside to societal expectations.
Furthermore, Kim and Kim’s article on social media’s effects on self-esteem and body image also made me reflect upon ephemeral content. Ephemeral content like stories being liked to less social comparison while posts being tied to more stress posed a lot of concerns for me. It’s unsettling to realize how much time we invest in crafting an idealized version of ourselves. Without realizing, this is something that I have also fallen victim to, but now I am at a place where I value authenticity the most.
This is how I was able to consciously put out content of myself while maintaining boundaries. With renewed intention, I was able to express myself without making my entire life public and doing so with less focus on social comparison. Engaging with generative AI tools like DALL-E and Ghibli Studio allowed me to be both creative and intentional with my self-representation. It was refreshing to experiment with the curation of my portraits and have a sense of authorship over how I wanted to be seen. My vision of including my culture into these portraits helped me claim narrative control and think critically.
Ultimately, this course shifted my engagement with digital platforms as a conscious creator of my own narrative. I understood how the digital portrayal of ourselves is multidimensional due to being affected by social norms, cultural influences and the general pressure online. The reflection on social comparison and body image have made me prioritise authenticity so much more. AI has often been portrayed negatively in academia, however, this class taught me how to look it at alternatively. It has become a way of reclaiming agency. With this new approach, I want to keep utilizing digital spaces to reflect the true version of myself, than one who I am expected to be.
TiidenTiidenberg, 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. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1409988
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