Some questions to consider...
In Chapter 9 "Soul Stealing" Hipps writes about pictures, how people are uncomfortable in being in them, and in how advertisers has gotten in to the habit of enhancing them, to improve their appearance, thus creating a false sense of what is normal. How do you react when you see pictures or video of yourself? Are you comfortable with it?
In Chapter 11 "Our Nomadic Life" Hipps begins with a story about a women waiting to see pictures of her best friends new baby and final calls her to see when they would arrive. Her friends response was; "Oh, they are on my Facebook page." Have we become so accustom to Social Networking sites that we forget that there are some people who are not a part of the digital community?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
When I read the chapter on photographs, I laughed to myself because it is too true: I can only seem to see my big (what I think is goofy) smile. Thank goodness for Karen, who is working with me to see beyond that goofiness and who can select a picture that I look good in, since I cannot see it myself.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I am not totally comfortable seeing myself in any media really, but I am getting better at it. I think Hipps might be right and that these messages are far more subliminal and far-reaching than we may think.
I have been struggling with your second question for quite some time. I really don't like where we are headed as a society but I'm trying to not sound all doom and gloom about it and keep an open mind. That story Hipps told really hit home for me. Even amongst those who are in the digital community, what are we losing when we just post stuff without any other personal communication and just expect people to come and see it? How self-centered is that? And I can speak about this from both sides of the coin...I created a family website on MyFamily.com so that I could share my life with all my family on the West coast, which is all of them, minus my wife and kids. No one visits it! There are literally hundreds of photos and videos, spanning years, and "nobody seems interested". I was recently reminded of a conversation that my father and I had years ago when I first created the website. He stated his disappointment that I would not be sending him the photos via email anymore. He stated that he liked getting them personally and then calling when he got them to look at them while on the phone with us. I remember thinking that he was being very selfish because now I could share much more and with more people. But now I am realizing that it was that personal communication that made the photos come alive and meaningful for them.
ReplyDeleteHipps' statement about looking at photographs of one's self really hit home to me. When I see pictures of myself on facebook, my first reaction is exactly what he described: I pick up on every little flaw, I feel embarrassed, I feel upset. When our friends respond, "No, no, you look really good," they're only reinforcing the notion that physical appearance is what really matters. Image culture has made us obsessed with our own appearance.
ReplyDeleteI also fall into the trap of assuming everyone is on the internet. If one of my friends is not on facebook, well, I can at least email him or her. I think we've lost sight of the importance of human contact (like the story of the best friends who live a few blocks apart but hadn't seen each other in months) or even of writing a letter and sending it via snail mail. In an age where it's so easy to connect with so many, putting in a little extra effort and time can make a big difference in an important relationship.