Everyday Life, Just Prettier

I have talked a lot about how taking photos of ourselves, or taking pictures of what we are doing and experiencing as extension of ourselves, and how that promotes self-validation. This was a part of the general idea that we can invest energy and importance to ourselves as the subject, is in fact validating to our “I,” our selves. And Instagram is now one of the newest platforms for this expression. But what I am leaving out is more about how exactly we are talking these photos, and who is taking them.

Self-validation has been too broad of a term thus far in this blog. I believe that it is time to start narrowing it down a bit. People in their “real” lives, find validation for myriad of things. Some will find validation in their athletic abilities, their academic achievements, a poem, a song, a piece of art that they create, their appearance, and etc. (combine, add, remix these any which way you want). But with an app like Instagram, you are forced to convey your interests, what you want people to get from you, what makes you feel validated all in the visual. It forces you to be creative in the ways that you are portraying yourself. At least, in terms of how you are visually represented, of course.  As I have mentioned before you are creating a brand for yourself. So what is that brand saying about you?

I don’t think that the founders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom ( background in management science and engineering) and Mike Krieger (background in symbolic systems, focused in human-computer interaction) necessarily thought about what people would take pictures of. I believe that they just wanted to provide the opportunity to do so. They both had been interested in cameras as children, and as adults wanted to provide the opportunity for anyone to take interesting pictures. And it appears to be able to do so anytime, anywhere. Even the name of Instagram gives a nod to the instant visual connections it provides. On the FAQ about Instagram the founders say, “We loved how different types of old cameras marketed themselves as "instant" - something we take for granted today. We also felt that the snapshots people were taking were kind of like telegrams in that they got sent over the wire to others - so we figured why not combine the two?”

However, for those of you that have Instagram, how many people that are on your feed actually look like they are trying to be amateur photographers? My guess is that the answer is not many. I was talking to a fellow classmate about my project, and he mentioned that what he doesn’t get about Instagram is that it is supposed to look vintage, but at the same time it’s extremely modern (or postmodern I would argue). We also talked about his brother who has Instagram and does use it for photography, but at the same time will take the cliché pictures with his girlfriend.

On the YouTube video, Is Instagram the Best Thing to Ever Happen to Photography? From the PBS Idea Channel, they argue just that. The video argues that Instagram promotes art. That it makes people think about what message they are trying to convey with their photos. Also they mention that if Twitter provides a platform for everyone to be a potential journalist, then Instagram provides the platform for everyone to be a potential photojournalist. I would also like to interject into that idea, as long as the story fits into a 140 characters and the photo is within the boxed dimensions of the app.

Perhaps this little detour back into the origins and potentials that Instagram possesses may seem a little off subject, but I think it’s important for looking how we are actually interacting with it. I do believe that social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter hold great power in their instant connectedness. For example, I don’t know if the Arab Spring would have happened if weren’t for the influence of sites such as these. But on a daily basis, most Instagram users it seems are not using it for these reasons. 

So to come back to the theme of this blog, I believe that most people find the visual validation through the mundane, everyday moments in life. And are recording those moments. It seems that we want to feel connected and validated by these particular instances, but just filtered and made prettier than they actually are. One could also argue that recording these everyday moments in our lives is just another nod back towards the vintage, and the simple moments in life. That too can be another potential fully realized.