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.