Social Media and Social Life Winter 2024

In the film Eighth Grade, we see Kayla navigate social life and relationships while staying connected through various social media platforms. Through the perspective of the domestication of technology, we can see the integration of social media and the notion of staying connected within Kayla's everyday life and many of her peers. For example, we see clips of Kayla aiming to interact with her peers including Kennedy, Steph and Aiden. When Kayla tries to push herself out of her comfort zone and talk to her classmates, she's met with them staring at their phones while half paying attention to what Kayla is saying. These scenes convey how technology has become so woven into the fabric of their everyday life, and the extent to which the eighth graders rely on technology to get through their day.  Similarly, this is seen throughout the scene when Kayla sits at the dinner table with her father, staring at her phone trying to drown her dad's voice out with the music in her earbuds...

  The social shaping of technology perspective is relevant when looking at the hidden research about Instagram's impact on teenage girls, as reported by The Guardian. This perspective emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between technology and society. In the case of Instagram, its design, including interactive features like sharing pictures and receiving likes, is not a neutral tool but is socially shaped to influence user behavior. The anxiety about interactivity becomes evident in how Instagram's design, influenced by societal values, contributes to issues like body image concerns among teenage girls, as highlighted in the leaked research. The social shaping perspective allows us to understand that the platform's features and their impact on well-being are not isolated but are interconnected with broader societal values and norms, reinforcing the concerns raised by Nancy Baym regarding the anxieties arising from interactive digital media.

As an eighth grader navigating the obstacles of growing up in the digital age, Kayla is described as quiet and reserved. A major part of the film revolves around her experiences with social and personal anxiety brought on by digital media. Through social media (YouTube videos), Kayla keeps an active online presence and shares tips on socializing and confidence. However, she finds it difficult to follow her advice and needs to be more comfortable in real-life social situations. In the movie, Kayla's constant comparison to other people on social media adds to her anxiety about fitting in and being accepted by her classmates. She frequently browses through her feeds, feeling unworthy of her classmates' seemingly flawless lives. When communicating with people in person, Kayla feels more at ease via digital means. The movie shows how she relies on social media and texting to communicate, emphasizing how digital communication affects her social anxiety. This is even demonstrated when...

           The film "Eighth Grade" portrays Kayla's struggles as an eighth grader and how she copes with the anxiety of new digital media and its interactivity. One example is that Kayla often uses digital media, such as her daily online journal, to share her thoughts and give advice. However, her experience with her peers took a traumatic turn, and she began to feel anxious and judged when people started mentioning her videos.   Another example of anxiety that arises from digital media is Kayla's social media use. She would consistently compare herself to other students based on what they post on Snapchat and Instagram, making her insecure and want to change her values to fit in.       Kayla's adoption of heavy digital media use has caused a significant shift in how she perceives herself and others. Unfortunately, this has led to feelings of anxiety and fear, which the use of digital media can be harmful, particularly for younger g...

Although the social network the Tiktok is quite addictive and takes a lot of time to those who consume it, I think it has very interesting profiles with which you can learn a lot. I personally like a lot @blanca_guilera, a Spanish girl who talks about historical characters or events, curious history facts, legends and myths... a lot of things with which one learns a lot. My favorite section is one called "canceling historical characters", where she talks about relevant people in some field throughout history and of whom certain things are taught in schools but not everything. She tells facts that are usually omitted because otherwise they would be canceled but she tells them so that we are aware of who they really were and that every story has two versions. It is true that maybe it is not a profile for everyone, but I personally like the story so I end up watching all her videos when they appear on my for you page. This girl has come so far in Spain, that sometimes the high s...

 

One of my favourite Instagram accounts is called @celebface , which posts before and after photos of celebrities and influencers who get plastic surgery or overly edit their social media posts. I like how this account challenges the increased use of filters or editing apps like PhotoShop and FaceTune on social media. I believe the excessive altering of online photos by people, whether they are famous or not, has created unrealistic beauty standards. This can be especially harmful to young people on social media who may not be able to differentiate between edited and non edited photos, or who believe someone naturally looks how they do without plastic surgery. That’s why I really appreciate how this Instagram account is helping clear up these misconceptions and the unhealthy expectations they have resulted in. The posts can help tremendously with the self image of social media users who may be comparing themselves to the altered photos they see. 

I already posted this in the comments under "Blog Post Question 1", but I'm reposting it since I just figured out how to create my own post (lol). Here it is: Hi everyone! Anyone whose had a class with me before has probably heard me talk at length about how I'm an amateur long-distance runner. It's a huge passion of mine and my favourite hobby. One thing that makes the sport much more enjoyable for me is the online community of runners, from Reddit to Instagram to YouTube. It's really motivating to feel like I'm part of a worldwide culture of people going through similar training and experiences. Additionally, being part of online discourse around running solidifies the sport as part of my identity. I find that identifying with a hobby/activity makes one much more likely to continue pursuing it, which is important qua difficult things like exercise. For me, a particularly helpful and fun way to feel like I'm connected to the community is by watching p...

  There is a Spotify playlist called “Homegrown” which I listen to very often because of the amount of artists and their songs that are included in it. I am a big fan of country music and the playlist contains many of the artists that I enjoy, such as Sam Barber, Zach Bryan, Josh Meloy, etc. This playlist has a variety of different types of songs that I would listen to while completing many tasks throughout the day. I like to listen to a pretty wide range of songs and “Homegrown” is a great playlist for that. I know many people here do not listen to country music, but if so, I really recommend this playlist!

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 One thing I find interesting on the Internet is Pinterest. At the risk of making this look like a personal social media plug, I am going to reference my own Pinterest account. I love the freedom Pinterest gives me to see things related to my own interests, as well as the freedom it gives me to share things I find interesting. I think it is super cool that you can create different boards for each individual interest and, as someone who loves to be organized, Pinterest helps me feel like I can be creative while being organized in that creativity.  In class we discussed that social media gives us the opportunity to express ourselves and I believe that is what Pinterest does for me. I can find new ideas, share ideas with others, and post things in ways that show my friends and followers what I like. It is a really good way to gain inspiration and, similarly to Instagram and TikTok I find myself scrolling.  However, unlike Instagram and TikTok, Pinterest has always been a pla...

  I have always taken interest in other people's lifestyles and why and how they and how they have accepted to live a certain way.  Recently I have found out about this  YouTube creator by the name of Tyler Oliveria.  Tyler goes to these places where there are a lot of issues and documents as well as interviews the people that live in these communities.  Tyler gives insights but also figures out why things are the way they are from the people that live in the unfortunate situations.  I have always found this kind of content interesting because I wondered why people live certain ways  but through the content I have realized that it is not always a choice and people get put into bad situations.  The link to his YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/@TylerOliveira where you can watch and find his videos. 

Something I've recently started watching with my roommates are the Buzzfeed unsolved true crime documentaries on YouTube. It is a series of different famous cases in history that went unsolved with explanations of the events and possible theories. Not only is it something I have interest in, but since all my roommates love it as well it creates something to bond over and spend time watching. There are hundreds of videos posted covering famous cases, with some of my favourites being the Zodiac case and Jack the ripper. I really like how the hosts look into possible suspects and put forth their best theories on the unsolved cases. I as well like how the hosts make the content very easy to understand and follow along with, allowing anyone to quickly get attached.  https://www.youtube.com/c/BuzzFeedUnsolvedNetwork

Something in social media that I like and find particularly interesting is a podcast called ‘Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast.’ I listen to a wide range of podcasts at night because I find that they help me wind down before bed. This podcast in particular is my go-to whenever they post a new episode, because I find that it helps me with motivation to keep a healthy lifestyle. In the podcast, they discuss topics such as: daily nutrition tips, tips for an effective workout, and tips for keeping motivated in your daily lifestyle.  What I like the most about this podcast is its ability to refresh my mindset in terms of motivation before I go to bed so that I wake up the next morning in a good headspace. I also like how it helps to slow my thoughts down before bed and helps me to relax and fall asleep quickly. I believe that the tips and information that this podcast discusses are a lot more effective to listen to in order to relax rather than scrolling through social media platforms th...

 Hi everyone, the social media platform I have chosen to discusses YouTube, and specifically the podcast titled "Nightcap" which is hosted by two former NFL players, Chad (Johnson) Ochocinco, and Shannon Sharpe. The podcast highlights drama from around the NFL in regards to locker room issues, team play, or something a player, coach, manager, analyst or whoever may have said in an interview. The podcast heavily focuses on sports, specifically the NFL, but the two also go off topic a lot and discuss stories from their careers, lives, and everything in between. The two pair very well together and they way they interact provides a lot of humour and entertainment for the viewer watching. The two also have many guests come on the show, with the most notable, and recent guest being Katt Williams! This podcast is something I watch a lot as a daily source of entertainment and humour, and could be something others may be interested in.  https://www.youtube.com/@NightcapShow_  

Yes Theory is a captivating YouTube channel that stands out for its emphasis on embracing discomfort, pursuing adventures, and fostering personal growth. The channel follows friends' journey of saying "yes" to various challenges and experiences, often involving travel, social experiments, and inspirational endeavours.   The particular episode I linked is titled " Asking Strangers to Throw a Party in Their House." the episode follows the Yes Theory group currently living in China and delves into the complexities of creating content within a society known for its privacy, social norms, and language barrier. The challenge they undertake involves persuading Chinese citizens to open their homes for spontaneous parties. Yes, Theory did the impossible by looking for an individual within this society who would agree to this, as the episode did end up successfully, as a random father of two who decided on this spontaneous adventure.  Yes Theory interests me because of it...

One of my hobbies is listening and reading about true crime, because I find it so compelling and interesting to look into. One of my favourite podcasts is “Crime Junkies” and I listen to it when I’m on long drives or walks, because the discussion between the two hosts are very easy to follow. One of the cool things about their website and platform that goes along with the podcast, is that it always has extra features like links to 911 calls from the case, maps of houses involved in the case and other visuals to assist in the understanding of the crime at hand. What I love about crime junkies is that it exists as a tool to help deliver awareness of unsolved cases, and if listeners happen to have any information on certain cases that they may only have understood they knew after hearing the podcast, they can assist in solving the case. This has actually occurred before, where a listener of the podcast heard information on an unsolved case and was able to reach out and give the informatio...

Hey everyone, attached here is a link to VICE TV. I have been watching multiple different videos from this channel on and off for some time, however, in the last month or two, I have been watching a lot of their videos. I enjoy VICE TV because it shows the various moving parts of our society. With topics from celebrity news to organized crime/illegal activities, VICE TV has it all. Another key reason why I like this channel so much is that VICE TV reporters are live in the action, sometimes interviewing drug smugglers, gang members, and even celebrities within popular culture. They also have different VICE accounts, so they basically cover any topic you can think of. https://www.youtube.com/@VICE-TV 

    Just to break the ice and to acquaint you with the blogger platform, share with us something in the social media and/or internet universe that you like or find interesting and compelling. It can be a website, a YouTube or TikTok video, an Instagram Page, a Spotify playlist, a Dischord chat, a subreddit, etc.  Link to it (or screenshot it) and tell us a bit about what you find interesting about it. Your blog entry need not be more than a paragraph or two at most. Post your blog entry by no later than 6 PM on Monday, January 22nd, and, then, post comments to at least TWO of your classmate's entries by 6 PM on Friday, January 26th.

                    Greetings denizens of CS 371 Social Media and Social Life for the Winter 2024 term!  Welcome to the collaborative class blog! This blog is for: • Sharing resources, ideas, links, and feedback with your classmates • Maintaining engagement with the themes and concerns of the course • Using social media platforms and practice to write for a closed and supportive audience Remember THINK HARD AND HAVE FUN