One of the opening concepts of our course examined how social media can paradoxically be linked to feelings of disconnection. In terms of commodity fetishism, I believe it is possible to view social network programs such as Facebook and Instagram as perpetuating the ability to present oneself in the most ‘idealized’ form.

As a generalization, we tend to present ourselves on our social media pages in a materialised way. We only post the ‘best’ photos of ourselves, the most delicious looking foods we’ve eaten, the exotic locations we’ve visited, and those wild nights out with a cocktail or ten in hand. As we obsessively scroll through our newsfeeds we are constantly seeking to feel proud of and satisfied with our online profile. We compare and dissect other people’s posts, interacting with them through ‘likes’ or comments.

Does this online circulation of judgement and ego lead to deeper feelings of disconnection for users? Or, does it bring people together and create an environment where people feel comfortable to present themselves in a way that they cannot do in reality?

Even the types of social media’s we use shape our identity. LinkedIn profiles help to establish our professional identities, whereas Myspace and Facebook accounts function for primarily social reasons.

I’m somewhat torn on providing a definitive answer. My personal use of social media allows me to interact with friends and family who live far away. I am able to express myself artistically through my photos, engage in conversations with my friends, be entertained by videos which pop up on my newsfeed (dogs, cats etc doing strange things), and even become informed of current global news-stories.

I do, however, have reservations regarding the use of hand-held technologies and social media by future young generations. I recently went out to dinner with some family friends who had a couple of young children with them. The children, both under the age of 12, had an iPad each which they played on throughout the entirety of the dinner with earphones plugged into each ear. Yes, they were quiet and did not complain/cause any drama, but they did not interact with anything but the screen in front of their eyes. The little girl even ate one handed so as to still be able to touch the screen. It’s this kind of infatuation and saturation of technology which I believe could lead to detrimental social effects for the future.

 – Aimee.