Please type up and post your entry in the COMMENTS section of this post by 8:00 pm on Wednesday, Sept 19. By class on Thursday, type a 100-200 response to one of your classmates that agrees or disagrees with their points. It's important that you have a draft in google docs or some other platform in order to have a copy of your work. This will help you avoid any frustration if the blog doesn't post your entry.
“The self-portrait is an easy target for charges of self-involvement, but, in a visual culture, the selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you’re feeling, where you are, what you’re doing.
And, as our social lives become more electronic, we become more adept at interpreting social media. A texting conversation might fall short of communicating how you are feeling, but a selfie might make everything clear in an instant. Selfies are tools of communication more than marks of vanity (but yes, they can be a little vain).
We all have different reasons for posting them, but, in the end, selfies are avatars: Mini-Me’s that we send out to give others a sense of who we are.”
Task: Do you agree with Franco that selfies give others a sense of who we are? Write a brief (250-350 word) response agreeing, disagreeing or qualifying (a little bit of both) his claim. State your REASONS for agreeing or disagreeing and don’t forget to back it up with EVIDENCE. In order to receive full credit, your response needs to include a brief introduction in which you state your position and two paragraphs supporting your claim.
Here is a checklist to help you as you write. I understand that this is your first attempt at this type of assignment. Do your best.
- Briefly summarize Franco’s argument, using the templates from They Say, I Say and if it’s useful, the prompts at this link: They Say, I Say.
- Respond. Do you agree, disagree, a little bit of both? Feel free to use “I” in this response.
- Provide reasons and evidence that support your stance. Evidence may include:
- Personal experience
- Expert opinions
- Examples from history, current events, or popular culture
- Observations
- Hypotheticals
- Comparisons
- My blog post is fully developed; it’s the equivalent of one notebook page in length
- Is developed logically. It is centered on one important idea and is organized into one or two cohesive paragraphs
- Uses transitions to connect my ideas
- Uses varied sentence structure and a conversational tone to engage my specific audience
- Contains few errors in spelling, grammar, and conventions
- On time
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ReplyDeleteJames Franco In "The Meanings Of A Selfie" acknowledges the importance of a selfie. Franco Is Known for taking many selfies, in fact he's been called "The selfie king." He goes on to talk about why people post selfies in the first place. Franco argues that people post selfies because "Everyone wants: attention. Attention is power." Moreover, he states the difference between the "Celebrity selfie" and the "Personal selfie." The celebrity selfie is something celebrities post in order to gain more like and followers, with the intent of gaining more money. While, the personal selfie is posted for people to show their personal life, and to show others who they truly are. Franco concludes by saying, "Selfies are used to give others a sense of who we are."
ReplyDeleteOn one hand Franco argues that people post selfies to grab the attention of others, on the other hand he claims all people post selfies to give others a sense of who we truly are. I personally agree that people post selfies for attention. For example, when I scroll through Instagram I often see selfies, when you then go to this persons profile they often post a picture on their story saying, "Like my recent." People do this to remind others to go like their selfie, ultimately this person wants more likes and followers!
However, I disagree with Franco's claim that states, people post selfies to show others who they truly are. I think that Franco is mistaken because he overlooks the fact that some people portray a false image to their followers. For example a person could be feeling sad, but in the picture they are smiling. This is an example of how someone can portray a false image of themselves in a selfie. All in all selfies are one of the biggest things in society today, we shouldn't make assumptions of people because of a selfie, instead we should just appreciate the fact this person feels comfortable and is confident enough to give us insight into their personal life.
I agree with what Nikos is saying, as he both agreed and disagreed with James Franco's claim. Yes, it is true that people post selfies to get other people's attention. This is something Franco made clearnin his article, both in the celebrity world, and the world of regular people. However, Nikos also disagreed with Franco in the claim that selfies show a part of who we are. I personally agree with this, as I wrote in my response to Franco. Selfie' are oftentimes filtered and take lots of effrt, so it is actually a misrespresntation of who we really are. Due to tgese reasons, I agree with Nikos' assessment of Franco's article
DeleteJames Franco, who is a male actor, writer, director and etc. claims that the selfie is a photo that contains several benefits. Franco suggests that it allows growth of attention, shows off ones private life, and communicates with an audience of all types of different people. I qualify with Francos ideas as there are many benefits of a selfie. For example, when I post a selfie or even an image of myself, I do notice that I get more attention as my likes increase and I do in fact get to show people what my life consists of. Julia Malacoff of Shape Magazine discusses a study investigated and its results in an article. The results showed that one could use just a smartphone camera to feel better about themself and connect with other people. Malacoff portrays that selfies do ultimately allow one to feel less lonely and more accepted. However, the downside of selfies is that there can be people on the Internet who may use your selfies for something you don’t approve of. For instance, one can use your image for his or her site without permission or to send to someone and act as an intimidation of you. According to an expert named Scott Shane who writes for the New York Times, states that Facebook and Twitter pledged to congress to do more to try and decrease the rate of fakery that has polluted their sites. This displays just how much a selfie can affect a social media community poorly. Fake accounts can lead to several downfalls such as cat-fishing and even as far as having a personal conversation with someone you have never met before.
ReplyDeleteEssentially, selfies may have their advantages and downfalls. It can allow one to have the sensation that they are approved in a community. On the other hand, it can provoke an increase of false accounts on the Internet. Although Franco argues that selfies are beneficial, it is safe to say that they do not entirely offer only good outcomes. They can very easily vary.
I agree with your final argument, the outcomes of selfies can easily vary. However, in my view, your argument on the fakery behind selfies and social media outweighs the benefits like attention and belonging that they may bring. For instance, one may feel accepted in the moment, when the likes of their image are increasing, but may then feel completely ignored when surrounded by these same people in person. For these reasons, I strongly agree with your points that contradict what James Franco is arguing, more so than the benefits of selfies.
DeleteA specific point that I did not mention in my own personal response, is this idea of fakery and cat fishing. I agree that there are several risks behind selfies, and that anyone can easily take an image you feel positively represents you and completely distort it and use it for messed up reasons. Anyone can easily take someone's selfie and impersonate them through a fake account. Therefore, I agree that although selfies can make us feel accepted sometimes, the consequences and fakery that results from them often reveals that they may not always reveal the type of person someone is in real life.
I agree with your conclusion that selfies can result in negative outcomes, such as someone pretending to be someone else. However, I feel that your argument fails to portray the positives behind selfies, such as attention and the friends that are made from a simple photo. I agree with your arguments that contest the claims by James Franco, such as "selfies are posted to show other who we truly are."
DeletePoints that I failed to bring in my argument that go against Franco's is cat fishing. Which is when someone takes an image of someone else and posts it, pretending to be that person. People often do this to feel accepted because they aren't in real life. All in all, I agree selfies have positives, however they do not represent to society who we truly are because of things like cat fishing, and putting on a "different face" behind the camera.
Brushes Mujeeb stated that she disagreed with what James Franco said in the article The Meaning Of The Selfie. She stated that although it is true that posting a selfie does bring you a sort of power because you receive more likes and attenuation. She went on to say that one does not know where these pictures will end up, as people can use them on their own sites without consent. She used an article of the New York Times by expert Scott Shane. I have mixed feelings about what Mujeeb is saying, I agree that selfies bring one a sort of power from the attention and likes that it receive as Franco was saying. But I also agree with what Mujeeb is saying that once it is out there you lose control of it. You do not know what will happen to it. Because of this I have mixed feelings towards both writers beliefs.
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ReplyDeleteJames Franco argues that the selfie gives others a sense of who we are as a person. He claims that selfies can reveal insight into our lives, express how we are feeling and showcase our personalities. I both agree and disagree with this statement because although it may express how we are feeling and what we are doing in the moment, it gives people a false sense of our personalities in real life outside of social media. Instead, the comment underneath the selfie reveals more about who we are as people because words have greater impacts than an image that might be telling a lie.
ReplyDeleteInstagram for instance, proves my point on this idea of showcasing “false” personalities and emotions. Around two years ago, I used to have gymnastic classes with this older girl who was very nice and funny. After adding her on Instagram, I saw that almost everything she posted was in black and white and that even her selfies were rarely of her actually smiling. Thinking back to this, any one of her followers who did not actually know her in real life, could of easily classified her as someone who is too serious or who is an introvert when she really wasn’t. A scenario which implies that selfies do not always reveal the type of people we are in the real world.
Likewise, going against Franco’s point about selfies revealing insight into our lives, the comment under a selfie is what truly provides this. For example, just recently, social media has been blowing up about Demi Lovato’s nearly fatal drug overdose, and a post of just words was able to inform her fans of what she was dealing with. If we were to have just looked at her selfies online, we would never have been able to see the struggle of addiction she was actually facing in real life. Rather, people might have just assumed she was living a happy and fun life from her other posts. Ultimately coming together to show that selfies do not give people the entire truth or picture of what is actually going on in others lives.
I agree with your point that disagrees with James' idea as a selfie can very easily showcase a personality that is false. I made the point in my post that on one hand, a selfie can show off ones personal life and increase their attention, whilst on the other hand a selfie can also result in a lot of fake accounts and theft of photos one may not desire to be used elsewhere. Along with my disagreement of Francos idea of a selfie being beneficial as it shows off ones private life, due to it provoking fakery, I also believe after reading your post that having a false personality being showcased of yourself to an audience is quite unacceptable and should not be the case for something as simple as a selfie.
DeleteMoreover, I agree with your idea that a selfie can have poor affects as it can lead to someone believing your personality is something that it is not.
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ReplyDelete"The Meanings Of A Selfie" on New York Times, the author, James Franco, an actor, writer and teacher provides his take on what selfies are meant for. He specifically argues that they are self explanatory ways of determining what a person is like. Their mood, their personality and so much more since they are, as the author puts it himself, “Mini - Me’s”. However, I would have to disagree with him.
ReplyDeleteMy disagreement stems from my belief that there are better ways of showing people who we are such as interaction, friendship and so much more. So when James Franco suggested that, “A texting conversation might fall short of communicating how you are feeling” that assumption is entirely false. For example, talking to my parent would perhaps be a more effective way of conveying my problems than to send them a pouty selfie. We post selfies because we like to show off. We take multiple selfies and then choose one out of them to post. We want people to see an enhanced illusion of us. Thus we cannot tell much about a person from a picture unless we are trained in the art of deduction. Selfies are what we a rhetorical situation.
Rhetoric situations are, in short, when the audience determines the outcome, in this case, the selfie. We post aiming for our audience’s appreciation. An article on Psychology Today suggests that the humans are programmed to interpret pictures a certain way. It says, “The human brain continually searches for patterns and a meaning beyond the content, such as ‘what does this represent?’ with selfies we know who the photographer is so we wonder about the moment they have captured and less about the identity”(Rutledge, 2013). The author of this article is trying to negate the idea that Franco suggested with the claim that an audience is not receptive to knowing who we are but to what and why we are posting. Overall, I believe that selfies are not good for determining what a person is like and can only be used for documenting events.
You argued that selfies do not give others a sense of who we are because there are many alternatives in doing so, and I agree because selfies are a huge part of social media that causes people to post them, making them consider like it’s “part of their everyday life”. This is mainly because they are trying to get attention from their viewers. This is a point that needs emphasizing since so many people tend to view someone they see online as their true self. This will lead them to automatically think that is the way he or she acts in real life when actually could be the opposite. Adding on, selfies can lead to many other consequences, such as, judging your own physical appearance, finding ways to make themselves look better in order to fit in and becoming who they aren’t. In order words, selfies are not an effective way of determining how someone is like because it shows false identity, but is also good because it may capture moments of your pictures you actually enjoyed. But in the end, selfies aren’t good for demonstrating who we are because of how it doesn’t bring out all of our character.
DeleteJames Franco suggests that selfies help communicate someone’s personal life to a greater audience. On one hand, I agree that selfies are a way to show off worthy moments of your life that brings attention from viewers. On the other hand, although selfies can show what’s happening, it doesn’t mean that behind those selfies are a story that no one knows about.
ReplyDeleteFranco says selfies are self-portraits to show who we are. Uploading a selfie can be considered a way of displaying their life. According to Franco, “We speak of the celebrity selfie, which is its own special thing.” Basically, Franco is saying how selfies bring attention because it's popular. It also can capture different aspects of ourselves from these moments. When I was a child, I used to believe that selfies are taken to store memories in life that makes you happy, but that wasn’t the case. Although I agree with Franco, I cannot accept that his overall argument that selfies give others a sense of who we are because it doesn’t show our honesty to how we are.
In contrast, selfies don’t fully express our emotions and mood. For example, someone could post a selfie with a smile, but in reality, they’re actually feeling down. This demonstrates how people post selfies to represent an image that describes themselves when they’re actually not who they are in real life. As the media psychologist, Pamela B. Rutledge says, “Selfies are beyond informal. They are not meant to stand alone as a single message..” (Rutledge, 2013). In other words, people can still hide behind those smiles without anyone realizing it because he or she aren’t showing their true self. I have always believed that when posting a selfie, people would always post their best ones online and delete the rest because it looked “terrible”. Therefore, selfies aren’t exactly a good way to show people who we are because it filters out our reality instead of presenting who we actually are.
Selfies are becoming one of the most popular part of media. James Franco a famous actor and writer talks about this in the article “The Meaning of the Selfie” he claims that a selfie is a very common thing to see on social media, such as Instagram. Franco says that a picture can share personal details in about a person's life that very quickly and he goes on to say that because of this a selfie is better than a text as it is. The extent of selfies is especially seen in his case, being a celebrity, a selfie gives him a sort of power. He is giving these pictures that any news article would love, he is hinting at personal facts about his life that many fans want. He can also decide what facts he wants to share, and what he wants to hold back.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what James Franco is saying in this article as it is true, a selfie share where one is, what their doing and other things in a matter of seconds and this itself is a form of power. In the article it states “These stars know the power of their image, and how it is enhanced when garnished with privileged material– anything that says, ‘here is a bit of my private life.’” A celebrity has power because they are living the life that many wish for, and because of this fans will take any chance they can get to receive a piece of that life. Furthermore the things that they share are often something no one else can capture. The attention that a selfie captures also has benefits, it can bring more opportunities to the person, in James Franco’s case it brings roles for movie characters and writing scenes. Furthermore, Franco can also decide when to give these selfies, which is a small thing but often leaves the fan waiting and anticipating.
To conclude, I agree with what James Franco said in the article, that a selfie can bring a person power, as they are able to decide what to share, when to share it and the benefits received from these selfies.
I agree with your idea Kaia. I think celebrities who post their selfies have the power to decide what they want and not want to share. In my post, I said that selfies can show their lifestyle and appearance. However, it does not share what the person is feeling. This relates to what you said about how one can hold back what they don't want to share. I like how you talked about selfies can bring more opportunities to the person. I think many people only see the negative side.
DeleteI disagree with james franco because i think the selfie can be manipulated to make everyone else feel worse about themselves Instagram is know to be one the the damaging forms of social media. A study was published that tested witch form of social media is the most damaging for teenage girls. Instagram and snapchat were on top as the worse while youtube was the only one that had a positive effect on them. Also selfies can be photoshoped to make the person look better creating a false standard that is impossible to reach. This is awful because ever since photoshopping in instagram has become popular the rate in teen suicide relating to self esteem has risen drastically. The only way for a selfie to represent what james franco they can't be altered in any way.
ReplyDeletePlastic surgery has rise in recent years and this is because people don't feel comfortable in their own bodies. May might say the false standards portrayed by these social media outlets has caused this recent boom. In an article by webmd they state “According to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPS), more than 236,000 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients ages 19 and younger in 2012. Some of the most common types of plastic surgery teens choose include nose jobs, and correction of protruding ears, too-large breasts, asymmetrical breasts, and scarring caused by acne or injuries.” that number is because teen these days don't feel comfortable in their own bodies because of stereotypes perpetuated by social media.
You argued that selfies just make everything worst and that it is a big factor of why issues like plastic surgery and teen suicide exists. I agree with your statement because James Franco overlooks the fact that social media determines who you are. People shouldn't just change how they look just to have more publicity and attention.Also I could add on because selfies could cause lots of harassment because many people become to critical and start to throw words and disrespect at others. This demonstrates that people should focus more about socializing more in public and not being open to change yourself based on how the media wants you to be. Therefore your statement is true because James Franco doesn't realize that many people are changing there image and personality meaning that people should focus on being themselves and shouldn't really be focused on promoting false pictures that doesn't represent them.
DeleteMilan I fully agree with your point that selfies are a part of why Instagram is so damaging. The idea of creating what is trendy and “perfection” has driven people to take intense measures to achieve something just for the purpose of showing off. There is also the factor that selfies are not taken to keep to yourself they are meant to be shared, according to James Franco. However what he doesn’t take into account is average people who are not celebrities actually try to get more followers on instagram and Snapchat and so on so that they can get more likes. Likes make people feel good and not getting them makes them feel as though something is wrong with them. Celebrities automatically have people wanting to follow them since they are such a presence anyway. The aftermath of selfies on social media is definitely an added harm and can often degrade self presence more than express it.
DeleteThe author of “The Meanings of the Selfie”, James Franco argues that selfies are tools of communication to express yourself and your feelings. He has many fans who are waiting to see his personal life. As one of the celebrities who post selfies often, he claims that it gives a sense of who we are. However, I have a mixed feeling about this. On one hand, I agree that selfies can show your appearance and your lifestyles. On the other hand, I still insist that what’s on the surface doesn’t really tell the entire story.
ReplyDeleteMany of us use Instagram, Snapchat and other social media to interact with other people. One of the reason I use Instagram is because I love fashion and art. Although I don’t follow many super-famous models, I still follow small clothing brands and their models. They inspire me through their fashion style, makeups and photography. So, I agree with James Franco about selfies are beneficial because it can show a fancy appearance and lifestyles that influence others for good.
Nevertheless, it’s just social media and you cannot get to know what the person is actually feeling. I believe social media is just what you want others to see. In the article, he says “Of course, the self-portrait is an easy target for charges of self-involvement, but, in a visual culture, the selfies quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you’re feeling, where you are, what you’re doing.” I disagree with James Franco’s view because many people only post what they want to be seen as. It is obvious that they wouldn’t post any pictures that would bring them down. Especially, for the users with many followers, they should understand the outcomes of sharing their feelings. To conclude, there are many benefits by getting attention and likes, yet, sharing your feelings with thousands of people is overwhelming and not efficient.
We never really wonder how or why we take and post selfies, it has become something in our everyday lives that we’ve just gotten used to taking and posting. But what affect can one simple picture of ourselves have towards others? How can the selfie express who we are and what is the true significance of the selfie? Well In the article “The Meaning Of A Selfie” by James Franco, James argues that the purpose of posting selfies on social media is to express a side of your life that is not shown in public but also meant to drag the attention of others and to satisfy our need for it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points James Franco states in the article about the selfie, how they are a gateway to express yourself without the need to do it in public, and how it is used as a form of gaining attention. When a selfie is posted many people are intrigued about the picture, because you are showing everyone who you follow or even those who lurk, the kind of person you are, whether you’re doing something with family or friends in the picture. The people surrounding the social media account will soon gain knowledge about you. In the article, James Franco insist “In this age of too much information at a click of a button, the power to attract viewers amid the sea of things to read and watch is power indeed.” In other words, Franco is suggesting that by doing simple actions in social media such as liking pictures or commenting, you gain a sort of confidence within yourself. Also how easy it is to gain the attention of others by the push of a button. Franco complicates matter further when he writes that “Hell its what everyone wants, Attention. Attention is power”. This demonstrates the effects selfies have when posted, as it attracts the attention of others to the person who had posted the picture. It is clear that when you gain a vast amount of likes, that a great joy is run through your system and can be called “Popular”.
James Franco also mentions how selfies are a form of expressing a side of yourself that is not publicly viewed towards others. How you become a sort of alias in Social media by acting distinct from how you would to people you know in person. Posting the selfie is not like posting any regular picture, the detail around the photo can create ideas of the kind of person you are. According James Franco “Non- celebrity selfies are a chance for subjects to glam it up, to show off a special side of themselves”. In other words James believes that selfies are a method of expressing a side of your life that you aren’t very fond of doing in public. It is a safe zone for those who are more comfortable with being themselves in an environment that isn’t with classmates or co-workers. When I was a child, back in middle school I used to feel so cool and felt a sort of confidence boost in my ego whenever I posted a selfie and got so much attention from it. Seeing my phone getting filled up with notifications really made my day at times, selfie by selfie I used to exceed the likes I got from the older posts and so on. This demonstrates the great impact selfies have on ones mindset/ ego because it drags attention their way, no days am people want is attention is by posting simple picture of themselves they can get a lot of attention from others by a push of a button.
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ReplyDeleteIn the article “The Meanings of the Selfie”, James Franco talks about the different selfies that people take. He argues that selfies are avatars (mini-me’s) and let other people see our true selves. I agree with Franco that selfies give others a sense of who we are because people want to express their inner selves but also disagree because some people post selfies to gain attention.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Franco that selfies give others a sense of who we are because there are people who actually feel proud of who they are. According to Ann Steele, a marriage and family therapist, she stated, “This is a statement that says ‘Look at me. This is who I am.’ At times, it can be a very powerful statement and inspire people on to great things in their lives, while at other times, it is simply something that helps them get through the day” (Steele, n.d.). This supports the fact that some people want to reveal their true selves to the world and block out judgement. Thus, this is why I agree with James Franco that selfies let us reveal ourselves to the world.
However, I disagree with Franco as well because there are normal people and celebrities who post selfies that they think/know the public would generally like. For instance, I’ve noticed on my social media that people who want attention are those who thank people for following them. There may be another side to them but they don’t show it because they are concerned about people judging them. However, celebrities are different because no matter what they post, fans love them. For example, on Selena Gomez’s post, she got around 9.5 million likes just for a selfie. If a non-celebrity posted a similar selfie, he/she would definitely not have that many likes on his/her post because he’s/she’s not famous. Trying to be someone else isn’t the same as being yourself and letting others get to know the real you. Clearly, this is why I disagree with Franco.
I agree that selfies take pride to display your own for the public, and it shows that you are confident enough to do so. Further supporting what James Franco claimed, that selfies give people a sense of who we are.
DeleteJames Franco a famous actor and writer argues in the article “The Meaning of the Selfie” the importance of a selfie. Franco emphasizes that selfies are used for media to grow for attention, allows to communicate with others, and express who we are as a person. I think that Franco is mistaken because he overlooks that selfies represent everything about us as a whole. On the same hand, as we post pictures of ourselves it does not necessarily represent how we are feeling and sending messages/words can be a clearly option to express our feelings
ReplyDeleteInstagram and twitter for example, further acknowledges my point of how this rapper named Mac Miller was seen in pictures with his friends singing having a good time, but selfies did not express how he was feeling inside. According to TMZ about 1 week ago Mac Miller suffered from severe depression and a apparent overdose that lead to his death. Furthermore, all of this media portrayed Mac Miller as a innocent happy person living the dream of a classical rapper, but in reality he was lost emotionally who needed help. No one expected this to come from Mac Miller because, everyone thought he was doing fine by his profiles and images. In conclusion, this scenario which implies that selfies do not always reveal the type of people we are in the real world represents a “false” image of ourselves on media.
As my own view on Franco’s arguments I insist that there are better ways to interact and engage with others then sending pictures. According to Franco in his article, he states “A texting conversation might fall short of communicating how you are feeling”. I highly disagree with Franco’s ideas. For clarification, talking to my brother about issues in school will be more efficient then sending him some selfies. Posting pictures of myself does not represent what the issues in school are and by talking to my brother there isn't this mis-clarification of how “selfies” can mis-communicate my feelings.To build upon I can post a images of me and people at school that can lead to my brother thinking they are my friends but in reality they bully me. Overall, communicating verbally allows to send others a clearly message of how we actually feel.
Bergen wrote that above
ReplyDeleteJames Franco dissects the meaning of a selfie in a New York Times article. The selfie has become a consistent method used by many especially within media. Some may even say that it has become the new form of communication. James Franco’s definition of the selfie includes a positive perception of the selfie claiming that it “easily shows, not tells, how you are feeling, where you are, what you are doing.”(Franco,2017) I disagree with Franco’s statement selfies have become a false method of communication between people. It creates a distorted persona for each individual, which only adds to the illusion of selfies being truly genuine.
ReplyDeleteSelf portraits have allowed us to have control over how we are portrayed. Social media has been a tool for us to paint inaccurate representations of ourselves. Physiologist Mark D. Griffiths and Janaranthan Balakrishnan did a study on people with excessive selfie taking. "Typically, those with the condition suffer from a lack of self-confidence and are seeking to 'fit in' with those around them, and may display symptoms similar to other potentially addictive behaviours,"(Balakrishnan,2017) Selfies have been temporary self esteem boosters and triggers for body dysmorphia, because people naturally compare each other to one other.
James Franco communicates that selfies have been tools to show how people feel. But this has been a misinterpretation because selfies have been depended on for emotional satisfaction. A picture can never fully grasp how a person is feeling if that person has authority over how they are perceived. This only continues the cycle that surrounds social media, a platform for all people with false images of who they are.
James Franco a famous actor and writer argues in the article “The Meaning of the Selfie” the importance of a selfie. Franco emphasizes that selfies are used for media to grow for attention, allows to communicate with others, and express who we are as a person. I think that Franco is mistaken because he overlooks that selfies represent everything about us as a whole. On the same hand, as we post pictures of ourselves it does not necessarily represent how we are feeling and sending messages/words can be a clearly option to express our feelings
ReplyDeleteInstagram and twitter for example, further acknowledges my point of how this rapper named Mac Miller was seen in pictures with his friends singing having a good time, but selfies did not express how he was feeling inside. According to TMZ about 1 week ago Mac Miller suffered from severe depression and a apparent overdose that lead to his death. Furthermore, all of this media portrayed Mac Miller as a innocent happy person living the dream of a classical rapper, but in reality he was lost emotionally who needed help. No one expected this to come from Mac Miller because, everyone thought he was doing fine by his profiles and images. In conclusion, this scenario which implies that selfies do not always reveal the type of people we are in the real world represents a “false” image of ourselves on media.
As my own view on Franco’s arguments I insist that there are better ways to interact and engage with others then sending pictures. According to Franco in his article, he states “A texting conversation might fall short of communicating how you are feeling”. I highly disagree with Franco’s ideas. For clarification, talking to my brother about issues in school will be more efficient then sending him some selfies. Posting pictures of myself does not represent what the issues in school are and by talking to my brother there isn't this mis-clarification of how “selfies” can mis-communicate my feelings.To build upon I can post a images of me and people at school that can lead to my brother thinking they are my friends but in reality they bully me. Overall, communicating verbally allows to send others a clearly message of how we actually feel.
Bergen argues that selfies do not represent each individual person's character. Bergen states, "As we post pictures of ourselves it does not not necessarily represent how we are feeling". I agree with this because selfies are not always used to express emotion, they are used to express a look. In addition, people are using selfies to mask how they truly feel. Some people can use social media as a way to escape the problems they face in life. It is important to communicate issues that you feel through actual conversation, rather then the media. Talking with someone in person is different from talking to someone over text, people should remember this.
DeleteIn “The Meanings of the Selfie” by James Franco, Franco argues that selfies allow celebrities and other people to present their lives in one picture making them important to life and the media. I agree with James Franco that selfies give others a sense of who we are because it allows celebrities to show their private life and it allows for people to communicate much easier.
ReplyDeleteFranco argues that selfies allow celebrities to show non celebrities a glimpse of their private life. As Franco himself puts it, “These stars know the power of their image, and how it is enhanced when garnished with privileged material - anything that says, ‘Here is a bit of my personal life’” (James Franco). Although some people believe selfies have no importance behind them, James Franco insists that selfies allow celebrities to give their fans a chance to relate to them through a picture of their personal life. In sum, then, his view is that one of the meanings of selfies are for people to relate to others. I agree with this point because when I look at pitures of certain celebrities doing everyday activities that I do, I feel more connected or related to them.
James Franco goes on to explain various other meanings behind selfies. Specifically, another meaning James Franco gives for selfies is the fact that they allow people to communicate easier. James Franco writes, “in a visual culture, the selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you’re feeling, where you are, what you’re doing” (James Franco). Although some people believe selfies have no importance behind them, James Franco insists that selfies allow people to express their emotions along with what they are doing with one picture. In sum, then, his view is that one of the meanings of selfies has to do with communicating and expressing each others lives to others. I agree with this point because some people like to send pictures to each other to communicate rather than calling or texting each other because it will explain and show more than one text.
In class, we read the article, "The Meanings of a Selfie" by James Franco, which is about how selfies portray who people are, From Franco's perspective. James Franco is an actor, director, instructor, and author. Franco describes selfies as a way to understand people before meeting them, in his words, "Selfies are avatars: Mini-Me's that we send out to give others a sense of who we are". However, I disagree with Franco's perspective because selfies are typically used to show physical characteristics, a background, and memories. We cannot judge or assume someone's character based on a selfie, if this were the case, it would defeat the purpose of getting to actually know someone.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, selfies cannot be used to determine someone's character. It is simply wrong to assume how someone acts based on one picture. Nowadays, people post selfies for attention, or likes. Social media has become such a vital part for everyone and getting likes is what people aim for. What Franco points out is that selfies are becoming popular, as he states, "But a well-stocked collection of selfies seems to get attention. And attention seems to be the name of the game when it comes to social networking". This proves MY point of how selfies are used for social media purposes, not to show people who they really are. People can be different behind that camera lens. When it comes to selfies, people generally take them to show how they look. Which ultimately leads to likes. The whole idea of a selfie connects to how we view each other on social media, people often have mixed emotions when people post selfies.
Furthermore, it is likely that the majority of people can state that the reason they post selfies is for looks. However, I have taken selfies just for memories of where I have traveled. For example, I was in Austria, I took a selfie of the background. I wasn't aiming for looks, I was aiming for the background, and to show everyone "Hey I'm Here!". However, this photo doesn't necessarily mean that I like to travel, which is why we can never assume what someone is like based on a selfie. This has been proven in a social experiment. As stated by Neil Petersen, a writer from the website "blog.allpsych.com" states "n the study, researchers asked 191 participants about their selfie-taking behaviors and personal characteristics. The researchers were especially interested in people’s motivations for taking selfies, and they identified three overarching themes in why people take selfies:
Self-approval,Belonging,and Documentation (Petersen, 2017)". This proves my point of how selfies cannot be used to assume how someone acts in real life. A picture can often be deceiving. According to the data collected in the experiment, people believed that the reason they took selfies where to feel like they belong on social media, to show off looks, and to show where they were. This piece of evidence disagrees with Franco's claim that selfies can show people who they are. It is important to note that selfies can be taken for many different reasons, judging someone for taking a selfie is simply wrong. You should get to know someone before making any assumptions on their character.
I agree with Benett and his beliefs on a selfie that, we cannot judge someone based on their selfie. I agree with this because people can always show you what they want you to see, not who they actually are. So, you will never know who they actually are. I do believe that people post who they want to be whether it’s happy, in love, or success. However, no one will ever post their struggles because people don’t want to show that side of themselves, they want to show who they aren’t. This all ties back to what Benett said about how you can’t judge someone with a selfie because even though that’s their real face that’s not their real life.
DeleteJames Franco is a well known actor, and author of the article “the Meanings of the Selfie.” Franco argues that selfies are a way to give others a sense of who we are and gain attention. He believes they are “mini me’s” we show to the world. Although I disagree with Francos view that selfies represent who you are, I believe he is correct in stating that selfies are a way to gain attention from others. Selfies do not represent your true self, but rather an image you wish to present. For instance, I know a girl who meticulously plans her instagram posts. She obsesses over every detail, from her outfit to the background and takes hundreds of pictures before deciding on one. Resultantly, she appears entirely different in her pictures in real life. Her selfies on social media do not reflect her personality, in fact they sometimes mirror posts of instagram models. However, the captions that accompany these pictures show bits of her personality that can only be conveyed with words. This leads me to believe that selfies do not capture one's true self, they depict a version of you for others to see.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, selfies are a definite way to receive more attention online. I noticed that selfies are often the posts that receive the most likes and comments. Franco even acknowledges increasing likes are the reason he began to post more selfies. I believe attention, in the form of likes and comments, are the main reason for posting selfies. It makes people feel powerful to receive such responses online, and that seems to justify the time and effort spent on achieving the perfect selfie. In summary, selfies don't show others our true selves, but rather an image carefully designed to gain attention.
Selfies are turning into a necessary component of social media. James Franco who is a famous actor, filmmaker and writer argues that selfies give others a chance to identify who we are as a person either by emotion or personality. He also states that “ celebrity selfies” constantly have a value because it allows them to gain more publicity and a larger fan base which leads to more profit. Therefore all of these ideas show that people take selfies just to get recognized and appreciated through the media. But do people really promote their true selves on social media or just alter it to get attention?
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I disagree with Franco because people could portray an inaccurate image of “ who they truly are.” When I scroll through my Instagram feed I see many of my friends putting out false images of themselves. I had a friend at my basketball camp who was very funny, always made me laugh, and always had a smile on his face. But when I followed him on social media the images that he put out of himself made me think of him as a different person, a person who was sad and looked very lonely. Therefore Franco leaves out a point that people are portraying themselves differently in public and social media. Many people across many social media platforms choose to photoshop themselves in order to get more “attention” and “power.” For instance, according to Adam Ottke, he states “ 68 percent of adults take to some kind of photo editing before they share any photo with another person or online. As desktop and mobile editing tools become easier to use.” This demonstrates that if people were to meet with one another they will be introduced to a whole new type of personality or emotion. Therefore people should just socialize more in public because there is no meaning of people posting selfies if there are false images and personalities being put out.
On the other hand, I also agree with Franco because many people take very descriptive selfies to try to get attention and feel appreciated by others. For instance, many of my friends tell me about how they got so many like on a photo that they posted. This shows that people post pictures to try to be famous in social media like the other celebrities that have millions of followers. Therefore selfies make people feel like they have power because it could make them feel like they have a connection to the world and the other who show them appreciation. To conclude selfies can somewhat show what type of person you are, but t only works if you are portraying the correct personality of yourself.
Adam argued a point in his writing of how we use Photoshop on photos to portray a different image of our self's. I agree with Adam of how this is creating a "false" image of who we are. We should just be our self's. In addition, people use photo-shop for the media to gain likes and create this profile that really isn't them as they are completely different in reality. People may do this as a marketing or to grow on social media by acting different then how they are in real life.
DeleteAdam makes a great point about how photoshop is used to gain attention on social media. I agree that people use photoshop for attention and to present a falsified image. Photoshop is often used by celebrities and many with large followings have been caught using it. I also agree with Adams point that photoshop presents a false image. This exemplifies why selfies do not represent our true selves.
DeleteIn the article “The Meanings Of a selfie” James Franco claims that selfies give others a sense of who we are, and I agree because being in a generation where people of all ages own an instagram account has showed me that this is true. Since we post them on our instagram, which is a page dedicated to pictures of ourselves, we are intending on revealing something, that’s usually positive, about ourselves. Whether your intent is to show that you just got your hair done, or makeup done, or you’re including the nice background of where you visited, or taking a selfie with a friend, you are always sharing something about yourself. When you look back at history you can see that before instagram and selfies taken on your phone, people were getting self portraits of themselves. Not to hang in their house and stare at, but for others to admire and get a sense of who they are. Selfies are the modern day self portraits that are easier to share with a click of a button, rather than being hung up in your home. I have found selfies to become a habit of mine. I take them on a day to day basis because I feel confident enough to do so, and the feedback I get is usually positive. This goes to show that there is a reason behind every selfie, just as mine is a display of who I am. You will find this to be true with any person you meet who has taken a selfie. Of course some might object that selfies aren’t to give others a sense of who you are because a selfie doesn’t show what’s happening behind the person’s life. Although I concede that you are sharing a picture to the public not solely for yourself, I still maintain that the purpose of doing so is to give others a sense of who you are, whether you are feeling down and choose to post a selfie looking happy, you are trying to give others the sense that you are indeed happy. Essentially, this proves why James Franco’s idea that selfies give people a sense of who we are is correct because there’s always a message behind a selfie. The question is, is what we’re trying to portray behind a selfie, true or false?
ReplyDeleteTayo
ReplyDeleteJames Franco on the subject of “selfies”
James Franco, a famous actor with dozens of entertaining movies, argues that the role of “selfies” in society has increased substantially in the last decade. Franco believes that “selfies” give the world a vision into who you are, and helps describe you without verbally saying anything. Franco suggests that the “selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you’re feeling, where you are, what you’re doing”(Times, Franco). While I believe that “selfies” have definitely garnered an infamous role in society, they may not have the impact that Franco claims they do.
My personal view of selfies is that they are meaningless, and almost boring, in comparison to a normal photo or video. My reason for believing this is that selfies have become a staple on almost every social media platform, making them almost too common to have any impact on an audience whatsoever. Adweek describes that “There are 93 million selfies each day, which would represent 2,583,333 rolls of film”(Adweek, Cohen, 2016). This statistic describes the vastness of selfies in the world, and how meaningless they are in comparison to a normal photo.
James Franco believes that selfies are utilized as tools, more often than meaningless pictures “Selfies are tools of communication more than marks of vanity”(Times, Franco). However, in my experience, most people who take selfies don’t really have any meaning behind them at all. More often than not, a selfie is a photo that is taken and forgotten, without any real consideration behind posting it. Elsa Bogart, a celebrated psychoanalyst looks deeper into the meaning of selfies and has linked an even dangerous narcissistic obsession with the activity. “What may look like straight-forward narcissism can often be insecurity and a craving for reassurance: a reassurance that you can only ever get from ‘likes’”(Telegraph, Walden, 2016). This shows that selfies are mainly posted when a person is using the image to garner more attention for themselves, and not to communicate anything as Franco suggests.
Sources:
Walden, Celia. “We Take 1 Million Selfies Every Day - but What Are They Doing to Our Brains?” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 24 May 2016, www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/we-take-1-million-selfies-every-day---but-what-are-they-doing-to/.
Cohen, David. “Selfies, Narcissism and Social Media (Infographic).” – Adweek, Adweek, 6 Jan. 2016, www.adweek.com/digital/rawhide-selfies-infographic/.
Lucie DiLorenzo
DeleteTayo agreed with the point that Elsa Bogart made when she stated "reassurance that you can only ever get from ‘likes,'" and that leads me to agree with him. He made the point that people post selfies these days are to get the attention from their followers. Current generations have gotten obsessed with seeing their pages blow up with likes and comments because it brings them great joy. It is the reason that some people with low self-esteem constantly feel the need to be posting and getting "reassurance" from their followers. In conclusion, I agree with Tayo's claim that selfies really do not have much meaning behind them, and that they are used to draw attention to the person who posted it.
In the article “The Meanings Of a selfie” James Franco claims that selfies give others a sense of who we are, and I agree because being in a generation where people of all ages own an instagram account has showed me that this is true. Since we post them on our instagram, which is a page dedicated to pictures of ourselves, we are intending on revealing something, that’s usually positive, about ourselves. Whether your intent is to show that you just got your hair done, or makeup done, or you’re including the nice background of where you visited, or taking a selfie with a friend, you are always sharing something about yourself. When you look back at history you can see that before instagram and selfies taken on your phone, people were getting self portraits of themselves. Not to hang in their house and stare at, but for others to admire and get a sense of who they are. Selfies are the modern day self portraits that are easier to share with a click of a button, rather than being hung up in your home. I have found selfies to become a habit of mine. I take them on a day to day basis because I feel confident enough to do so, and the feedback I get is usually positive. This goes to show that there is a reason behind every selfie, just as mine is a display of who I am. You will find this to be true with any person you meet who has taken a selfie. Of course some might object that selfies aren’t to give others a sense of who you are because a selfie doesn’t show what’s happening behind the person’s life. Although I concede that you are sharing a picture to the public not solely for yourself, I still maintain that the purpose of doing so is to give others a sense of who you are, whether you are feeling down and choose to post a selfie looking happy, you are trying to give others the sense that you are indeed happy. Essentially, this proves why James Franco’s idea that selfies give people a sense of who we are is correct because there’s always a message behind a selfie. The question is, is what we’re trying to portray behind a selfie, true or false?
ReplyDeleteLucie DiLorenzo
ReplyDeleteSept.19
Ms.Candlin
Response to James Franco’s “The Meaning of the Selfie”
According to James Franco, selfies have the ability to give people a sense of who you are. I partially agree with his statement because selfies can convey certain things about people, but I also believe that they are used for attention more than communicating. Below I will explain in one paragraph why I agree, and in another, why I disagree.
When you are on a social media site such as Instagram, and you go to someone’s profile and all they have are selfies, you can assume that they are a bit full of themselves. On the other hand, if someone has no pictures of themselves on their page, you can assume that they are shy. Franco states, “The self portrait is an easy target for charges of self-involvement, but in a visual culture, the selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you’re feeling, where you are, what you’re doing.” I agree with this statement because we do live in a society where we would rather see a picture of a person on the Internet and “liking” it to show our affection, instead of sending them a text or giving them a call. In the low-effort community that we have created, a selfie is a good way to see how someone is doing, but it is very likely that the way that people portray themselves on the Internet is not the way that they are in real life. This is an issue that has existed before advanced social media sites, and one people have been taught to ignore or even report when they come across it on the Internet.
Today, selfies are posted by social media users to get a positive response from their friends, family and followers. Our phones have caused most of us to become addicted to getting likes and texts because of the endorphins that our bodies release when it happens, such as dopamine. This leads me to believe that selfies are more for attention than for anything else. James Franco states, “Selfies are tools of communication more than marks of vanity (but yes, they can be a little vain).” I disagree with this statement because I actually believe that it is the other way around. Selfies are much more for vanity and the feeling of being liked and accepted by our peers, than showing others how we are doing. Going back at what I hinted at in the previous paragraph is that people lie on the Internet. I have noticed with my generation that people will complain or say that they are sad for the sole purpose of getting someone who is concerned to text them and check up on them. I have noticed on my own that the main reason that people post selfies is to get attention from others, but they cannot be blamed for doing so. That is because society has caused us to be addicted to the opinions of others and sometimes allow our happiness to be based on it, especially my generation.
Celina Niemann
DeleteI think Lucie raises an excellent point. Social media is a way for us to quickly and easily look at someone’s selfie and like it, which is pretty low-effort. I agree with this because simply liking a selfie will produce a feeling of social well-being. However, this feeling is a lot harder to achieve in the real world. Lucie also discusses that posting selfies are a way for people to get more attention and likes. In our society, people have become addicted to this. I agree with this point as well. I think that a lot of times people will post selfies for more attention and sometimes people will even lie on the internet to get attention. I somewhat agree that a lot of people are addicted to the opinions of others. A lot of people just want to look at how many likes they get and how many people wrote positive comments. Although I do not think that this is not everyone. For example, people that aren’t on instagram or other social media that often or are just starting out may not be looking for attention with selfies. They could simply be communicating with their selfies.
I believe that James Franco is correct, and selfies can give people some insight into someone’s life and who they are. In the article James Franco wrote, The Meanings of the Selfie, he claimed that selfies can make people feel connected, and give a sense of knowing the person taking/posting it. He said that people love celebrity selfies because they feel like they get to know the celebrity on a more personal level, and get insight into their life at the same time. When someone posts a selfie you can analyze it to see their thought process and what they chose to do with it. What someone chooses to put in the background, foreground, what they chose to wear, who they chose to take it with, and what objects are in it are all things that the person who posted chose to put in the picture. Based of all of those choices they made you can make some simple inferences about that person’s life and who they are as a person. For example, if someone takes a lot of selfies with the same dog, you can assume that the dog is theirs, and can infer that they like dogs and/or animals. If someone take a lot of pictures with the same person/people, you can assume that they know each other, and infer that the other people/persons are family, friends, or a significant other. It’s small inferences and assumptions like that which make people feel connected when they see someone else’s selfie. When it’s a celebrity selfie, those assumptions make the viewer feel connected to the celebrity, and that can boost their popularity in and out of movies. Selfies make people feel like they have a sense of who someone is, and that kind of feeling is the essence behind taking/viewing selfies.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCelina Niemann 11B
ReplyDeleteSeptember 19th 2018
In “The Meanings of the selfie” by James Franco, the author, who is a famous actor, claims that selfies are a form of communication because they’re versions of us that we send out to the world. Franco informs the readers that selfies show how you’re feeling, what you’re doing, where you are, etc. often better than a texting conversation can show.
I agree with this argument because usually when I take selfies, they aren’t marks of vanity but rather communication. For example, when I take selfies with my friends or family its so that we can remember or capture the moment in a picture. Posting selfies display a version of ourselves to our followers and giving them a sense of who we are.
I also agree with Franco’s point he made that people are curious about celebrities’ lives. For instance, I follow celebrities on social media and I can see that its mostly their fans that are curious to see what they’re up to. This is another form of communication because its how celebrities communicate with their fans, through selfies.
Although some might object that people take selfies beacuse of their vanity rather than communication and that selfies don’t tell you that much about a person. However, I disgaree with both of those claims. In some instances, people do take and post selfies because they are vain. However in a lot of circumstance, people post selfies so that others will get a sense of who they are by showing an aspect of their lives to their followers. I also disagree that selfies don’t reveal that much about a person. People can take selfies anywhere wearing what they want and doing what they want. For example, people can take selfies at the park, at the beach, in the gym, etc. and they could be showing off their new outfit, haircut, etc. People can also show their emotions in the selfie like if they’re smiling or frowning.
Therefore, a selfie can reveal a lot about a person’s life which allows the person to send a version of themselves to their followers. In conclusion, I agree with Franco’s ideas because it matches with my experience taking and posting selfies and following celebrities on instagram.
I agree with Nikos when he says people can post a picture that shows a false representation of their life. In my view, the pictures some people take can portray a completely different lifestyle than their own. For instance, someone can post a picture of themselves with a sad face to try and get attention from others when in reality they are actually perfectly fine. In addition they can be trying to get people to want to show them attention to make themselves feel loved or wanted. Some might object, of course, on the grounds that some people can post a picture of their actual life and how they actually feel trying to show people who they really are. Yet I would argue that this may be true, but the main point is that not everyone posts the truth about their lives and that many try and live a fake life on the internet. Overall, then I believe that selfies can also be used to show a misinterpretation of someone’s life.
ReplyDeleteJames Franco wrote a very interesting article on a very relevant topic, the selfie. Embraced by the younger generation, but criticized by the older, the selfie culture has been subject to much debate. James Franco attempted to sway the critics, saying that the selfie isn't all bad and actually has several different valuable uses. He stated that for a celebrity like himself, the selfie is a way of promoting themselves through social media. He even noticed that when he posts a selfie, he gets way more likes than if posts an image of a sunset for example. For common people, the selfie is a way of giving others a glimpse into who they are. While Franco is right that the selfie is a way of showing your own personality, this glimpse is extremely limited, and often times misleading and unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteWhen taking a selfie, most people pay close attention to every detail to make sure they have the best selfie. This has even gone a step further with the introduction of selfie filters. These filters can get rid of any “flaws” or blemishes you have, helping you achieve the “perfect selfie”. While your selfie may look great, it is not a true representation of you. This is also true when you are trying to show people an event you are attending, or even who you are with through a selfie. As humans, we tend to only show off the highlights of our own lives. It is not a totally accurate glimpse into who you are and can mislead people to think that you are something you're not. In reality we have abused the selfie and turned it into a enhancement of our own image.
According to James Franco, the meaning of a selfie is to let people know who we are and to reveal our interests. Franco suggests a difference between the celebrity selfie and the “normal person” selfie. As a celebrity you have a excessive amount of fans who obsess over you, fans typically want to know all there is to know about you. Selfies being a perfect way to let fans know how you’re feeling, what you’re doing, and your interests. In addition, as a celebrity often you can't control how the paparazzi portray them, leaving selfies as a way for celebrities to control how they’re portrayed. The normal person selfie is the same as the celebrity selfie, comically normal people like me and you are from being a celebrity. But, normal people have the same intention with a selfie, to keep people updated in their life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with James Franco’s meaning of a selfie because whenever I take a selfie, its for other people to see it. To see, how I’m feeling, what I’m wearing, or if I feel pretty in that moment. Selfies are vain but they’re also insecure at the same time. To post a picture for other people is insecure, but to also post it to brag about your life is vain. I believe that's why selfies have power because both being vain and insecure are extreme feelings compacted into a picture for the world to see, and to perceive you.
I remember being in eighth grade, when I finally turned thirteen. I begged my parents for an Instagram. My thirteen year old self did go slightly over board with the selfies but, not gonna lie, it was fun. I liked that I can take pictures of myself on my new phone and feel good about the pictures, it was empowering. Eventually, I got to school and my “friends” at the time would say things like, “you post too much” or “why do you show your face?” and “you look stupid.” At the time it made me feel insecure because maybe I was stupid and maybe taking pictures of myself shouldn’t empower me. I got home and was ready to delete my instagram completely, and never look back. I started to look at who liked the pictures, and my friends did...they liked my pictures. Afterward, I realized that it wasn’t me who felt insecure, it was them. The point of this story was to shine light on sometimes it’s not always the people who post the selfies that are insecure, it can also be the people who like them. Overall, my perception on selfies made me feel empowered more than insecure because I am now comfortable enough to post a selfie, not caring if people will feel insecure about it, because they aren’t sure of themselves.
I agree with the points Sarah states, how selfies are a way to gain online attention from others however she opposes the idea of how selfies represent who you are. She states that it doesn’t, in my writing I also stated it is a way of gaining attention. This has opened my thinking even more and she made me realize that maybe it might not always represent who you are, but for some individuals it is.
ReplyDeleteJames Franco talks about the meaning of a selfie on social media in his article, “The Meanings of the Selfie”. He basically says that a selfie is something used by others to show people a slice of their life, show people who they really are. Franco says that a selfie introduces the person in the selfie with whoever scrolls past their page. He also says a selfie shows how someone is feeling at that moment in time.
ReplyDeleteI honestly disagree with this statement from James Franco. He says that a selfie is something that can communicate to others how you’re feeling, where you are, who you are, and so on. This isn’t always the case, since it’s very easy to “pose” for a picture. If you're taking a picture of yourself, you can simply put on a different face than how you're really feeling or who you are. For example, say you’re dreading being at a party and your friend comes up and says “hey, let's take a selfie”. You obviously don’t wanna show you’re bored as all hell, so you put on a smile, or hold up a peace sign, or whatever just to not make your friend feel bad. The friend posts this picture on social media and it looks like to other people that you’re a party person, you love going out with your friends, and all these other things that are probably not true. All because you put on that mask to hide that you hate parties and wanted to be at home playing video games that night. It’s also not just that you can put on a mask to hide your true self/emotions. If you put up a selfie of yourself on instagram, people who see you will stereotype you. Your selfie won’t give people “a sense of who we are,” as Franco says. It’s very natural for people to stereotype others, or put labels that aren't true on others for what they look like, and that's exactly what will happen when people see pictures of others they don't know anything about.
I agree with Nikos point of view on selfies. Nikos believes that selfies give people a distorted vision of yourself, and can be easily manipulated to make you appear as someone you aren’t. I also agree with Nikos opinion on a reaction we should give to people who post selfies. Nikos states that we should “appreciate the fact this person feels comfortable and is confident enough to give us insight into their personal life”. I agree with this statement, as ultimately if we scrutinize a person for posting selfies, we are shunning someone for an action we have all once been guilty of.
ReplyDelete