Do I Look Okay? is an installation which centers around the topic of self representation online; focusing on our need as a society to hide our issues from social media curating the images that we post so only the good times are reflected. Using the medium of film and photography, Do I Look Okay? was created to challenge people to think differently about what they see and post online in regards to themselves. The use of film and photography will help reveal the tension between online and off line representation. I hope to discover if the use of an installation will help raise awareness surrounding this issue in a more interactive and engaging manner.
Social media is a prevalent part of our society today; with 3.196 billion active social media users in January 2018 and an increase to 3.484 billion active users in Jan 2019. (Smart Insights, 2019) There are multiple platforms that allow users to show case their life on full display for other users to view and interact with. Each platform has is own algorithms and display options. Snapchat primarily focuses on one to one communication through the use of image and the use of filters. Snapchat does not have a like or comment feature per say such as Instagram, or Facebook. Facebook primarily focuses on text an image posts that can be shared with friends or used to promote businesses. For these reasons, I chose to focus on the use of Instagram. Instagram focuses heavily on receiving likes based on the images that users post. Images can be posed and set up then later modified before being posted. According to a survey by Photoion Photography School, 68% of people admitting they ‘Photoshop’ their images before sharing them with others.(Ottke, 2019) The images are carefully curated by the account holders, the more likes, the more popular the user tends to be in terms of followers.
Self Presentation or Self Representation
Taking the premise of Instagram, that users images are curated, it seems comes down to the a matter of self-representation or self-presentation. The content the users post and share are a show of their self image or rather a self presentation, whether their images are purposeful set up image to capture how the user wants to be portrayed by their followers or whether it is an image used to capture something for the memory of the user. ‘A representation is an object, a sign that is seen as constructed in some way, and that stands instead of an object to which it refers. A presentation is an act, something that a person does.’ (Medium, 2019) Stuart Hall, in his textbook Representation, describes three theories of representation: reflective, intentional and constructive; however most scholars today see representation as constructed. Due to these statements, I will refer to selfies posted on social media as representations, something that is constructed. Does Instagram create a space for self representation online or is it possible to use this space for self reflection. Does this online platform allow its users the freedom to create a self image of their choosing which may not always be the truth. Or can Instagram create a space which allows users to look at what they are posting and reflect on what sort of person they are and what they truly desire when they post their images. Is it that they want to share and store a particular moment from their life spontaneously or is that they have spent hours setting this image up and editing it before posting to create a specific persona in order to receive a high Level of interaction from other users through likes.
In the beginning, the author set out to create a simple photography and video installation piece that viewers would watch, and would be challenging about what they post online or what they see online. However, once they stepped away from the installation, there was nothing to continuously challenge them. From studying Vertighost, the work of Hershman Leeson, it began evident that there was room for expansion within my project, rather than in the form of video but in the form of a social media hashtag. Stickers were designed and developed to be placed with the installation which would look like an Instagram feed but house the information about the project and the hashtag they would need to use to get involved. The author also wanted to include a more personal aspect to my project, again following in the footstep of Hershman Leeson, creating a website to house videos and further information surrounding the project, including how to get involved with the hashtag on Instagram. The author hopes by using this approach that the project continues to challenge people’s perceptions of what they see and post online and consider the reasons that they post the images that they do.
How to get Involved:
1.Follow do_i_look_okay_project on Instagram
2.Post your images and testimonials using the #doilookokay? and #doilookokayproject
3.Please do not disclose confidential or sensitive information with in your posts, keep those involved in your testimonial anonymous.
1.Follow do_i_look_okay_project on Instagram
2.Post your images and testimonials using the #doilookokay? and #doilookokayproject
3.Please do not disclose confidential or sensitive information with in your posts, keep those involved in your testimonial anonymous.