The importance of getting the "perfect photo" or the most likes has changed the way that people (mostly teenagers) post content to their social media. In the video below, I followed Marissa as she went through her routine for taking a photo to post on Instagram. In total this process took us about 3 and 1/2 hours from beginning to end. To start off, she starts by picking out an outfit or multiple outfits depending on how many locations she is going to. Then she begins to apply her makeup; this is the most time consuming part of the process. It usually takes her about 1 1/2 hours to complete her makeup but it could take longer depending on how complicated of a makeup look she does. Then after her makeup she does her hair, this part is generally the fastest because she leaves her hair down so it will frame her face. Then after about 2 1/2 hours it is finally time to take the photos. When taking her photos, Marissa likes to have about 10 shots of each pose. She also likes to try several angles to see which one makes her look the most feminine and poised. After the photos are taken, Marissa then selects the few that she likes and edits them before she post them. In the video below it shows the complete process that Marissa follows to take her photos and how she edits them.
Social Media's Influence on its Users
Social media has a huge influence on the youth of America, when a teen scrolls through Instagram they are looking at what society has deemed to be perfect. They see people that have been photoshopped to an unachievable standard of perfection. They see celebrities selling diet products that have helped them achieve the "best shape of their life". On top of seeing an unachievable standard of perfection, teens can also be subject to a lot of harassment on the internet. Cyberbullying has become a huge part social media and it has a huge effect on the way teens use social media. These pressures by society and other celebrity influencers cause teens to change themselves in real life and change the way they post things on social media. Society does not help the issue of teens striving to be perfect because there are apps and YouTube videos that show people how to transform themselves into something they are not. Social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat have filters that will automatically cover blemishes and slim your facial features. so these app developers make it incredibly easy and accessible for teen to edit themselves, which is aiding their users to project an image that is not really them.
How Does this Affect our Humanity?
The influence of social media on the youth of America has taken away certain aspects of their humanity. Social media takes away users freedom by using ads and celebrity influences to construct a picture-perfect life. Users show off only the perfect parts to their life and even go to extreme lengths to changing themselves with editing software or diets. This leads to them creating a life that doesn't actually exist and their social media shows a superficially unrealistic version of their life. Social media users focus so much on projecting a perfect life that they loose their individuality, freedom of creativity and parts of their humanity to fit in the outline that society has given teens for being perfect.
How Do the 70's Compare to Today?
In the seventies people did not have social media like teens do now, they had magazines and things like radio commercials and tv commercials that influenced their fashion and social behavior. People in the 70's used these sources to emulate the celebrities life back then, just like we use social media to imitate celebrities and create the perfect life online.