Course Reflection

Thinking back to the first assignment in relation to digital literacy and the learning that has occurred since then, I would say that I am surprised at the outcomes. That is to say I am surprised at my level of familiarity with the context, and surprised at how much there still is to learn. At the beginning of this course, I felt I had a reasonably high-level of understanding of digital literacy and tactical ability in relation to complimentary technologies. The course work showed me how the theoretical context adds depth to my understanding of new media. It also showed me and how the rapid evolution of digital technology is continually changing due to the nature of digital communication, yet strongly rooted within a historical framework.

While I started this course familiar with tools like podcats, pinterest and animoto, this was the first exposure I had to being the creator of these messages rather than the consumer. This in itself was a terrific learning opportunity and, by connecting the tactical experience to an academic framework served to enhance my level of understanding and execution ability.

The three main highlights for me include Selfies, Narratives of Protest and Technobiophilia. 

• The readings and work on Selfies definitely changed and enhanced my perspective on the selfie and the many roles that it fills on both a positive and negative light. Taken to the extreme, selfies are rooted in narcissistic behavior, however, I can now appreciate the selfie as a powerful message, a documentation of a passing moment, as identity formation and as an interruption (just to name a few).
• The Narratives of Protest module was particularly eye opening in the power of digital media and story-telling to both educate and influence. I was engaged by the robust nature of this topic and found the examples and theories behind this type of influence to be particularly meaningful and robust.
• Technobiophilia was a completely new concept to me that I found fascinating. Working on the readings and engaging with the author was a meaningful way to learn about the connection between nature and technology.

I also enjoyed all of the work by everyone in this class. Each week it was interesting to see a range of perspectives and interests related to the course work. I also think the introspective nature of some of the work enhanced my familiarity with individual interests and personalities adding to a more robust learning environment in an online setting. 

I am not sure yet if my digital behavior will change, but I am confident that I will be able to make more informed decisions as I adapt new technologies and perhaps let go of others.

The selfie and self-identification

Theories of self, serve to examine the ideologies of the actual self as well as the self that one hopes to develop and express in the future. According to Bargh, McKenna & Fitzsimmons, “Variation on one’s self are concerned with future, potential versions of self that do not yet exist in real time,” (2012, p. 34). It is this potential self that is perhaps the most applicable to the discussion of how selfies are used to create and control self image through the act of capturing and sharing self images online.

This blog will will examine the role that digital technology plays in shaping the nature of self, through the art and act of taking a selfie. This concept will be explored through an analysis using power, production, representation and identity as an underlying foundation to explore five categories of selfies:

1. Selfie as a powerful message
2. Selfie as documentation of a passing moment
3. Selife as identity formation
4. Selfie as a brand
5. Selfie as an interruption

Analysis: Narcissism and Selfies

What is a Selfie? 

Whatever your feelings are -- bored, excited, sad, happy, etc. you can record them with a selfie, and let the picture do the talking. Whatever your news are -- cut your hair, pierced your nose, got a new tattoo – selfies can speak for you louder than words. If you want to make a duck face – whatever that may suggest– you can snap a selfie and share it on social media.
 Hence, a selfie simply means a photograph of yourself, clicked by you. “[The selfie] is a genuine image, created privately with minimal filtration” (browntourage.com, 2014). The selfie is so popular that recently the term has been added in the Oxford Dictionary and named the term of the year in 2013: “Selfie (informal)-- A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media” (‘selfie’, 2015). “The “ie” at the end makes selfie a diminutive, which generally implies some affection and familiarity. [Thus], a selfie is a ‘little’ self, an aspect of identity”(Rutledge, 2013). Or else, “selfies . . .are about awareness of our own self-awareness (blog.oup.com, 2013).
From this standpoint, there are numerous people wondering whether the selfie is not a product of too much self-awareness: “Taking selfies is routinely derided as narcissistic, a procedure of solipsistic self-regard in which one obsesses over one’s own image” (Horning, 2014). Hence, the purpose of this article is to explore five variations of selfies, based on photo content and details, in order to get the whole picture in terms of the selfie meaning, and to appreciate if, indeed, its popularity is related to narcissism.

Selfie Assignment: Additional Resources

Image from here.

During our live chat this morning, students asked whether you should focus only on Miriou and Katz only. I said definitely you should refer to all the readings from the module:

1. Lauren Katz, (May 2014). “Say it with a Selfie: Protesting in the Age of Social Media,” http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/05/10/311143584/say-it-with-a-selfie-protesting-in-the-age-of-social-media
2. Pamela Rutledge, (2014). “Making Sense of Selfies,” Psychology Today, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positively-media/201307/making-sense-selfies
3. Adam Levin, (2014). “The Selfie in the Age of Digital Recursion,”  Invisible Culture, http://ivc.lib.rochester.edu/portfolio/the-selfie-in-the-age-of-digital-recursion/
4. Crisia Miriou, (2014). “The Selfies: Social Identities in the Digital Age,” Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association Annual Conference, Swinburne University, Victoria 9-11 July, 2014, http://www.anzca.net/documents/2014-conf-papers/796-the-selfies-social-identities-in-the-digital-age/file.html
5. Rob Horning, (Nov. 23, 2014). “Selfies without the Self,” The New Inquiry, http://thenewinquiry.com/blogs/marginal-utility/selfies-without-the-self/
6. Browntourage, (Sept. 2014). “A *Different* Selfie Article: Decolonizing Representations of Women of Color,” http://www.browntourage.com/magazine/look-at-me/
7. Lev Manovich, (2014). “Selfiecity,” http://selfiecity.net/#

And, this quote you might find pertinent:

"I think that selfie culture (whatever that might be) has come to the same conclusions about the punctum as Derrida did. It isn’t merely about framing or capturing the perfect picture–we’ve moved beyond the MySpace angle and the bathroom mirror. The selfie is not just about the creation of the self, of picking angles, of making my face look less dysmorphic and strange. Instead it is about attempting to craft a particular kind of punctum, a focal point, a haunting/lingering that stays with the viewer long after she or he has forgotten the studium of the photograph (clothes, facial hair, sand, umbrellas, the hotel balcony)."

And you might want to refer to these articles:

•  http://blog.oup.com/2013/11/scholarly-reflections-on-the-selfie-woty-2013/

•  http://liveyoungandfree.ca/young-living/social-media-self-vs-selfies/

•  http://www.straight.com/life/368086/putting-selfies-under-feminist-lens

• The selfie in the digital age: from social media to sexting. Academic JournalBy: Peek, Holly. In: Psychiatric Times. Dec 2014, Vol. 31 Issue 12, 28G; CMP Medica, LLC Language: English, Database: General OneFile

• The Feminine Art of Failure: queering feminist spectatorship El arte femenino del fallo: queering a la audiencia feminista Debra Ferreday Lancaster University

T'S SELFIE-EVIDENT: SPECTRUMS OF ALIENABILITY AND COPYRIGHTED CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

• Full Text Available
  
  

  Academic Journal

  By: Storella, Alison C.. Boston University Law Review , Dec2014, Vol. 94 Issue 6, p2045-2088, 44p, Database: Legal Source

Instafame: Luxury Selfies in the Attention Economy.

Detail Only Available

Academic Journal

By: Marwick, Alice E. Public Culture. Jan2015, Vol. 27 Issue 1, p137-160. 24p. 2 Color Photographs, 1 Chart. DOI: 10.1215/08992363-2798379. , Database: SocINDEX with Full Text

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Selfies, personalization and bioethics.

Editorial & Opinion

(English) By: Chadwick R, Bioethics [Bioethics], ISSN: 1467-8519, 2015 Mar; Vol. 29 (3), pp. ii; Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; PMID: 25655575, Database: MEDLINE

Module 7: #Selfies

Module 7: Identity, Representation & #Selfies (two weeks)

Monday, Feb. 16, 2015 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 Feb. 18: As practise for your Selfie Assignment, tweet two #selfies (in two separate tweets) and include a short critique using the remainder of your character count Feb. 23: As practise on weaving theory alongside your critique for your Selfie Assignment, read Lauren Katz’s “Say it with a Selfie: Protesting in the Age of Social Media” article and Crisia Miriou’s “The Selfies: Social Identities in the Digital Age” paper ALONGSIDE at least the first page of selfies on “Which Picture Would they Use?” at http://iftheygunnedmedown.tumblr.com/. How do you interpet the selfies and how does the representation fit alongside the two articles and the theories of identity raised? Post your findings in a 2-3 paragraph response as a COMMENT on my Module post on the class blog Feb. 27: Tweet your thoughts/reflections/questions about any of this module’s readings Theory of the Selfie Assignment DUE by 23:59 March 1

It's not all about the self(ie)

I have to admit, that while creating this board that oddly terrible song #SELFIE kept jumping into my head (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdemFfbS5H0It). It is a superficial, comedic song that attempts to portray the extreme sense of narcissism that can be linked to social media and of course the #selfie.

The selfie, a self generated photograph, has increased in popularity as technology (smart phones/camera phones) has made self image capturing easier and more socially acceptable.

While the term ‘selfie’ is relatively new, and even recognized as the 2013 word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries, the societal desire to capture portraits and snapshots of moments in time is not.

According to Rutledge, “a selfie is the documentation of a passing moment, not a larger expression.” This statement resonated with me in the way that I think it speaks to many aspects of photography and visual media beyond just the selfie. The act of taking a photo, on a non-commercial basis, is typically motivated by the desire to capture a moment in time or a memory. Birthday’s, vacations and celebrations are frequently documented by photos and even portraits, that create a sense of historical context rather than self-indulgence. This had me wondering if it is the ‘selfie’ that represents the self-indulgence or the way in which it is shared that creates a sense of social dependence. An interesting avenue to explore in Assignment #2 perhaps.

While there is often a negative association with the selfie, Katz brought forward some interesting concepts around using this social tool effectively and for the greater good. The use of signs and posters to generate attention has long been part of cultural norms and the selfie is no different. “Posting a photo of yourself with a message makes a bugger statement than simply tweeting a hashtag or anonymously signing a petition,” (2014).

The Pinterest Board I have created focuses on highlighting a few of the ways selfies can be used in a more positive light with relation to larger context as well as simple moments in time.

Follow Jaylene's board #Selfie on Pinterest.

Lauren Katz, (May 2014). “Say it with a Selfie: Protesting in the Age of Social Media,” http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/05/10/311143584/say­it­with­a­selfie­protesting­in­the­age­of­social­media

Rutledge, P., (2014). “Making Sense of Selfies,” Psychology Today, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positively­media/201307/making­sense­selfies

http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/11/word-of-the-year-2013-winner/

Assignment 4: Theory of the Selfie

Assignment 4 (25%) – Theory of the Selfie - March 1, 2015, 23:59

During this course and in the Selfie module especially, we have addressed and critiqued issues of identity and representation and the role narrative plays in that representation. Your task, is to critique at least FIVE selfies. You may choose your own selfies or selfies that someone else (celebrity or otherwise) has posted publicly online. You are to analyse each selfie in relation to ideas of power, production, representation and identity. You will address key concepts and readings we have done in class and on the blog. You will examine the selfies as both a “creator” and a “product/subject.” Also, you will need to address issues of publishing; how selfies are easily published today if one has internet access etc.

Your critical analysis of at least five selfies will be published on the class blog. You must include the five images to which you refer. Keeping multimodality in mind, you may embed videos or podcasts that help support your analysis. You may also refer to other students’ comments or work. All sources, including blog comments, must be cited using APA style and links.

You will also need to submit your assignment in e-class. To do so, please create a Word document that includes the your analysis and images and a link to your blog post and submit that.