Generation
Do it Your(selfie): self-branding, self-promotion, self-expression
With the development of technologies
and communication mediums, the subject of the current state of media and how
its presence has affected its content and users is greatly analyzed. Because
New Media has become such a prominent and easily accessible form of media, its
user base range among all ages and generations. McLuhan’s theory’s which present
the intricate relationship between technology and media and their impact on
society is on that is undeniable. McLuhan expressed that “Once a new technology
comes into a social milieu it cannot cease to penetrate that milieu until every
institution is saturated” (McLuhan, 1964, p. 177) This societal change that has
been brought on by the advancement of technology is inevitably noticeable, not
only on a social level, but also in the way we obtain and disseminate almost
all information. The affects of new media has altered all aspects of society
from the process of education, politics, economics and social interaction.
Throughout the semester we have
discussed many of these changes and evaluated the aspects of “new media” and
“new new media” at a variety of levels. Going back to the wide range of new
media consumers, many of the overall effects that these developments have had
on its users differ between generations.
Among the generations that participate in the use of new media, those
born prior to the 1980’s have had the ability to observe the effects brought on
by the development of technology and the introduction of the internet. These generations have also worked to adapt
to these changes integrating new forms of media into their already established
day to day life. The younger generations however, have experienced a different
relationship with new media, therefore evoking its own respective effects on
the generation as a whole.
The intention of this term
paper is to discuss “generation selfie” also know as Millennials and how the
development of “new media” has seemingly shaped this entire generation. In an
article written by the New York Daily News this generation of “tech
savvy” individuals is referred to as “generation selfie” based on their overall
lack of conformity and interest in traditional institution. The article works
to identify this autonomous generation offering a positive perception that goes
beyond the “selfie” stereotype. Oxford Dictionary named “selfie” the word of the year in 2013 defining
it as “A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a
smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website” (Oxford
Dictionaries )
Looking passed its assumable “narcissistic” characteristics, the proposed intention
of the “selfie” generation is simple “Why ask someone to take my picture when I
can take it myself”
Before going any further,
we must first determine exactly who falls under “Generation Selfie”. This
generation, commonly titled Millenials or Generation Y, is the demographic
cohort following generation X: defined as those born in the 1980’s - early
2000s. Based on research from the United States census bureau using the years
1978-2000, there are approximately 76 million Millennials in the United States.
Often referred to as “digital natives”, Millennials are the first generation
that did not have to adapt to the digital era of internet, cell phones and
social media. When analyzing this generation it seems that majority of its
characteristics can be associated with the development of new media.
The New
York Daily News explains that “Half of Millennials now describe themselves as
political independents and 29 percent are not affiliated with any religion —
numbers that are at or near the highest levels of political and religious
disaffiliation recorded for any generation in the last quarter-century.” (Cupp, 2013) Although these statistics
are limited to the United States, this generation has proven to be distinctly
more liberal-minded across the globe. The article continues by describing
Millenials as “a generation
in which institutions are subordinate to the individual and social networks are
digitally generated rather than interpersonally accrued.” (Cupp, 2013) It
seems that with every meaningless “selfie” taken and
the absurdly irrelevant tweet or status posted, my favorites being “eating a
delicious sandwich” or “finally going to the bathroom”, generation “selfie” is
labeled as self-centered and egomaniacal.
Although I do agree that some Millenials have taken the “selfie” thing a
little overboard, I believe that this phenomenon proves to be a symbol
representing an independent, self-empowered generation. With the collapse
of the economy and its detrimental effect on jobs, healthcare and students
loans, it’s understandable that much of generation Y has detached from
seemingly failed Institutions and turned to entrepanourship for success.
“According to a report by the Young Invincibles, 11% of 18-to-34-
year-olds plan to start a business of their own in the next year.” (Cupp, 2013)
Having
grown up alongside the development of new media, it is inevitable that the
factors accompanying these mediums have affected this generation so strongly.
New Media
is generally defined by media ecologist Robert K. Logan as, “digital media that
are interactive, incorporating two way communication, and involve some form of
computing.” (Logan, 2010) Unlike older media
such as radio and television, new media include interactive digital based
mediums such as the web and use of email or chat. These forms of media are
individually accessed and allow for control/manipulation from the user.
These media sources are “experienced on an intimate level, each user
working alone with the screen and interface” (Logan, 2010) The use of new media
allow for a great deal of participation, allowing users to determine the
information they are interested in seeking or the ability to produce content
themselves.
Looking
deeper into New Media, Paul Levinson categorized the most current evolutions of
media as new new media. “New new media” separates mediums such as Facebook,
Twitter and Blogging (whose core concept allows every consumer to be a
producer) from the general “new media” of email or search engines.
Although each new new media
source offers unique components, the underlying driven factors all seem to
focus on self branding, self promotion and self expression. These factors, which
will be discussed in greater detail, have become an integral part of the lives
of generation “selfie” contributing to the original idea presented “why not do
it ourselves.”
Nearly all new media forms
start with the general concept of a “profile.” The information given range from
a basic profile including the users name, age, and contact information to more
detailed profiles: presenting the users picture and a variety of personal
details. The significance of a users profile is unique to each specific medium.
As explained above, one of the main factors of new media is interaction from
the user. The use of a profile often acts as a personal key or digital identity
allowing for interaction with the medium. When looking at new media such as
amazon or iTunes, which call for personal interaction with the source rather
than social interaction with other consumers, the profile creates the virtual
identity needed for use. The information provided in these types of profiles tends
to be standard and limited to information necessary for use. This information
may include residential address for shipping purposes or billing information to
allow for payment of goods or services. In cases such as this, the information
provided in a users profile offers some type privacy and is only accessible by
the producer. New new media on the other hand calls for a greater deal of
interaction, allowing all consumers to be producers, therefore making the
position of the producer interchangeable. Similar to new media profiles,
a new new media profile acts as a digital identity. In this instance however,
the profile often describes the identity of the producer. In many cases the
profile becomes the extent of the content. Facebook for example allows users to
create unique personal profiles including a variety of information and details ultimately
shaping a rounder digital identity. This identity can then socially interact
with other users sending messages, sharing pictures etc. Ideally, profiles
allow the consumer to produce their own identity, projecting an image of
themselves and how they want to be viewed by others. As almost all new new
media users know, the ability to control a digital identity is easier said than
done. Many of these mediums allow users to connect and contribute to other by
tagging in statuses or uploading pictures that ultimately become part of a
profile. This can result in a change in perception accompanied with a digital
identity. Fortunately, new new media sources have adapted to this with
different levels of privacy setting. Privacy settings give the user yet another
control factor in shaping their digital identity. Properly understanding the
privacy settings associated with a profile can be critical in obtaining and
holding up a user’s integrity, both on and off the screen.
With the ability to create
a digital identity, new new media also offers users the capability to promote
or market themselves along with the content that they have produced. Blogging
is a perfect example of how one can promote themselves or their work. The
number of consumers who have access to a blog can be endless, assuming that the
settings of the blog allow for it. Producers can also promote their blog on
other new media sources by sharing the blog link on personal profiles and as
comments of the profile or blog of another. Bloggers are given the freedom to
write about any topic they would like as well as control over its moderation.
When discussing blogging, Levinson describes comment moderation as gatekeeping;
moderating comments and allowing for discussions as well further promotion of
the blog post itself. Levinson continues the discussion of self promotion by
explaining that “entering a comment on someone else’s blog can be a very easy
way of promoting your own blog. If your comment is about an issue that you are
blogging about and you sign your comment, then readers of your comment can
easily find your blog”
As McLuhan originally
theorized, the content of any new medium often develops with that of another
older medium. “The content of the telegraph is print, and the content of print
is writing, the content of writing is speech, and the content of speech is
thought.” (McLuhan, 1964) To take McLuhan’s idea and integrate it into the
current state of media, the content of web
pages become blogs, the content of tweets become statuses, the content of blogs
become posts or comments. Bolter and Grusin defined new media in terms of
remediation by explaining that “we call the representation of one medium in
another remediation and we will argue that remediation is the defining characteristic
of the new digital media…..all mediation is remediation.”
McLuhan was quoted in 1957 stating that “Today we are beginning to
notice that the new media are not just mechanical gimmicks for creating worlds
of illusion, but new languages with new and unique powers of expression.”
(1957, 272; Logan 13) Self-expression acts as yet another strength of new new
media. The ability to express oneself at the click of a button acted as the
base of many forms of new new media. The contextual freedom, speed, and
quickness of expressing oneself through a blog post, Instagram picture, or
status updated, draws users to constantly think about what they can post next. As Logan stated “ new media provide an outlet
for creativity” (Logan, 2010) Logan provides more
information on this by referencing noted musician and virtual reality pioneer Jason
Lanier, who pointed out factors in regards to creativity.
“What we see with interactive media like the Web
is not only the end result of the creative process, but the creative process
itself, set down for all people to see and share.” (Brockman, 1996; Logan,
2010) This describes the general underlying creative capacity that new media
allows for.
Looking back at New York Daily News
article “Have Faith in Generation Selfie” we can conclude that much of the self-driven
aspects that embody the use of new media have projected onto the generation
that has grown alongside it. As we can see the development of New Media has
allowed for the ability to brand oneself and create an Identity along with the
power to promote that identity. Generation Y or Generation “selfie” have taken
that self-controlled, self-facilitating mindset and utilized it in every aspect
of their life.
Crossfire (Director). (2014). Generation Selfie:
We Do It Better [Motion Picture].
Cupp, S. E. (2013, Nov 20). Have More Faith in
Generation Selfie. Retrieved from New York Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/faith-generation-selfie-article-1.1522639
Karge, M. (1999). The digital Self in Cyperspace.
(2010). In R. K. Logan, Understanding New Media:
Extending Marshal McLuhan (p. 4). New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Oxford Dictionaries . (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/selfie
No comments:
Post a Comment