Representing ourselves

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Representing ourselves: blog task

Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Who are you - Everyone constructs an image to shape and communicate their identity; there is a difference between the person we think we are, the person we want to be and the person we want to be seen to be.

I think, therefore I am - How we perceive ourselves and how we present ourselves is based on the social constructs that define the groups we find ourselves in: class, religion, gender and the predetermined roles. (The past)

From citizen to consumer - Edward Bernays (Public relations consultant) stated that people no longer act like "active citizens but as passive consumers"; advertising was starting to convince them that they should indulge in their desires and buy what they want as well as what they need. (This links with the psychologist Freud's theory on the id)

The rise of the individual - Between 1960 and 1970, people began defining themselves as 'individuals' and wanted to do and have things that would express their 'difference' and 'uniqueness'; Lacan suggested that everyone has a 'fragmented self' that they wish to complete. 

Branding and lifestyle - The 1970s and 1980s saw the rise in lifestyle marketing and the importance of branding. Brands began associating themselves and their products with a personality in order to convince consumers that they need their product in order to be themselves.

Who will we be? - Social media sites and new technology allow individuals to construct their public image' Chandler stated that "constructing a personal home page can be seen as shaping not only the materials but also (in part through manipulating the various materials) one’s identity." (1998)

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Apple - Sleek, modern
Nike - Comfy, trending, reflects my style
Instagram - I love using Instagram and posting pictures on there
Clean & Clear - Have used their products for many years
Disney - Grew up with Disney and will always love Disney

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?
I agree to some extent that modern media is all about 'style over substance'. This expression means that individuals care more about how they appear to others when constructing their personal identity rather than focusing on reflecting their true selves. I believe this is somewhat true because social media has raised the expectations of what people should look like and how they should behave. Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube are just a few of the platforms that have allowed people to glamorise their lifestyle, therefore making others feel that they have to live in the same way.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.
Baudrillard's theory of media saturation discusses how the media alters the true reality of a story. This theory is especially true when talking about the news- each news channel broadcasts a different version of an event, they create non-events that are easily ingested by a society that has been trained to accept advertising, suggestion and disinformation. 

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?
I believe that my social media is an accurate reflection of who I am. I have removed pictures before but that was simply because I didn't like the picture, not because of what I thought it said about me.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?
I believe that data mining is a clever way for companies to sell their brands and it does benefit the individual as they can find what they were looking for. However, it is quite creepy that all this data can be stored and used by these big companies. I believe that we should have a choice on whether we want data mining or not.

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