Group Crits

We took part in the group crits on the 13/02/2017, next to Kelly, Naheeda, Lucy, Tayla, and Krisanthe. Having understood that social media was the thread that connected all projects, the idea behind our presentation was how social media users identify social networking sites. This presentation encompassed everyone’s project in progress through a visual representation of the research and work so far.

Word cloud presentation

The Miss Portrayed Magazine advanced project group used quotes in blue for their input in the group crits. Blue was the colour of choice, since the magazine handles issues related to social media platforms, and blue is commonly used as a marketing tool for these sites’ logos (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

Statements include names of social media platforms (“Facebook,” “Instagram”), thoughts on their influence on society (“If I get two likes, I feel like, whats wrong with me?,” “Instagram is not a reality, we only share the best of our lives on here”, “Flaws were only made by the media to make you feel less worthy of yourself and to make you question if you need to spend money on changing your appearance,” “Depressing”), and comments found online (“Beautiful,” “Stunning”).  Through this word cloud and these statements, the group made apparent how negative the social media impact is.

“Facebook” and “Instagram” appear on the word cloud mainly because the group’s primary research indicated that these two platforms are the most used. The survey included 71 participants of all ages and genders and thus, it was reveled that  Facebook and Instagram are the two single most used social networking sites on a daily basis.

The next two statements (“Instagram is not a reality, we only share the best of our lives on here,” “Flaws were only made by the media to make you feel less worthy of yourself and to make you question if you need to spend money on changing your appearance,”) were found on Instagram, with individuals confessing to social media pressure under the captions of personal images.

Turning to secondary research, “If I get two likes, I feel like, whats wrong with me?” and “Depressing” were found through an article published on The Guardian where women acknowledged the adverse effects social media had on them.

“Beautiful” and “Stunning” were comments left on Instagram user Amrezy’s photographs. An American public figure, Amrezy was utilized as an example to showcase the low self-esteem inflicted in her followers, who either develop a false body image, or go to great lengths to achieve the ‘perfect look’ that is being advertised on Instagram.