Blog 2 - Qingyang Jiang

According to the Guardian report, the mental health impact of Facebook and Instagram on teenagers, especially girls, reflects the social shaping of technology. The social shaping of technological perspectives represents a two-way influence between technology and society, reflecting the reciprocal relationship between the two. For Instagram, concerns about body image and social values of perfection shape the platform’s functionality and design. Examples include algorithmically recommended content, filters, and photo editing features on Instagram. These technical features prompt users to focus more on themselves and aspire to achieve an ideal appearance, leading to anxiety. At the same time, Instagram influences social norms and behaviours, perpetuating and reinforcing standards of 'beauty.' Especially vulnerable groups such as teenagers will begin to internalize these standards, which can affect their physical and mental health. A cycle exists between society and technology, where social values shape media platforms, and platforms, in turn, reinforce and amplify those values.

Comments

  1. Brynn PepinFebruary 5, 2024 at 11:27 AM

    Hi great post, I agree that body image and social values shape instagrams functionality and design. I had a similar idea that the way platforms such as instagram are created ultimately result in the issues among young people, from the structure, algorithms, and fakeness. The idealistic portrayal of peoples lives creates anxiety for people that their own lives are not good enough, a reflection of the influence of technology on society.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Abby KFebruary 7, 2024 at 1:29 PM

    Hi Quingyang, great post.
    I also pointed out how the Guardian report underscores the intricate interplay between technology and society, particularly concerning the mental health impact of platforms like Facebook and Instagram on teenagers, especially girls. The cycle of influence between social values and platform design raises important questions about how we can mitigate the negative effects on vulnerable groups. How do you think can we reshape social values to foster healthier interactions with technology, particularly regarding body image and self-esteem among young users?

    ReplyDelete
  3. NDARLINGFebruary 9, 2024 at 1:48 PM

    Hi Quingyang,
    Thank you for highlighting the Guardian report's findings on Facebook and Instagram's impact, which align with the social shaping of technology concept. Your examples of how these platforms influence body image and societal norms are insightful. It's concerning how Instagram's features exacerbate anxiety and perpetuate unrealistic standards, especially among teenagers. Your insights stress the importance of promoting digital literacy and fostering self-acceptance in navigating digital platforms. As we delve into the interplay between technology and society, addressing these issues becomes crucial. Thank you for sharing this perspective, and I look forward to further discussions.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog Post #1

Image
  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!
Read more

Blog Post #2 - Colin McKay

      In the movie Eighth grade it follows a young girl by the name of Kayla who is having a hard time not only fitting in with her peers at school, but also has trouble fitting in online as well. Kayla demonstrates a high degree of social anxiety, and it is very evident she just wants people to like her. Kayla, with limited people to talk too and virtually no friends, leans on creating YouTube videos in order to connect with others. Kayla's videos consist of her providing advice to her viewers, such as how to always be confident, and tips on how to socialize to others, things that she has no real experience in. These videos give Kayla a way to connect to not only her peers but other people around the world, and also give her something to feel good about as she's helping others. Kayla also adds to her anxiety by constantly scrolling though social media, and ignoring things such as her father trying to talk to her. Scrolling through social media has Kayla compar...
Read more

Blog post 1- Cole Culina

  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. 
Read more