OUGD505: Initial Research

After deciding I wanted to look into people's perceptions of reality and how social media can affect what people recognise as 'normal' and real, I found several articles discussing the negative effects of social networks and the way lives are portrayed in the media that may not be (and often aren't) anywhere near reality.  This can consequently effect the way we feel and cope with our own lives.


Marketing Magazine posted an article on 'Why social media is constructing a reality unworthy of your anxiety'.

This article pushes the opinion that social media users are selective in what they post, which I agree with.  People want to portray their lives with as few faults as possible; and through these platforms they can create the 'perfect life'.  

"the in-between moments that we aren’t posting"

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A visual output I recently came across in my research is a 140 second video where a man proves how easy it is to fake a perfect life on Facebook.  It talks through the steps of exaggerating real life occurrences to get peer gratification and approval through 'likes'.  Starting with the man scrolling through Facebook only to see his friends posting photographs of their amazing holidays and their current situation (or what their situation appears to be due to what they post), he begins to feel the need to compete by posting statuses and photos that make his life seem of a similar standard to everyone else's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1Y

"The rise of social media and the ‘humble brag’ has been cited in recent studies as a contributing factor to the increased pressure people, old and young, feel to live a perfect life and have the perfect body.

Embellishing the truth to impress friends on sites like Facebook may implant false memories, psychologists have also warned.

A fifth of young people admit their online profile bears little resemblance to reality, and that their recollection of past events has been distorted by their own fabrications."

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"Dr Sherry said that social media had the power to ‘undermine the coherence between our real, lived lives and memories.’

An opposing argument to this, Dr Sherry added:

"So recording our experiences through whatever medium, to later reminisce or revisit lessons we learned, is not only acceptable but desirable. In fact, looking back at our own past - however embarrassing or uncomfortable - is not just healthy but can be enjoyable."

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I found one of the main problems is what people actually post and share on social media sites - this content seems mind numbing and irrelevant to daily life and shows what the first world societies consider important. A common factor that's apparent in a lot of social media feeds are selfies, articles about celebrities (often about their looks) and generally articles that promote ways people can change their image, wealth or status to make them happier.

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1305632/why-social-media-constructing-reality-unworthy-anxiety
http://www.babble.com/tech/social-media-perception-reality/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11327120/Facebook-perfect-life-One-man-proves-how-easy-it-is-to-fake-it.html