Blog Post #2: Society's construction of social media



            In Baym’s second chapter, Making new media made sense, she provides an in depth analysis of each perspective regarding the causal relationship between technology and the social. In the case of Katherine Pommerening; however, I believe the social construction of technology (SCOT) perspective best describes the anxieties Katherine faces in relation to new media and interactivity. The social construction of technology perspective states that social factors influence the invention of new technologies, arguing that “a wide range of social, economic, governmental, and cultural factors influence how people take up and use media” (Baym, 2016, p.46). It also discusses how the original intention to develop a technology can be modified by social groups with other interests and needs. For example, the internet’s original intention was to be a tool for the military, but as we know today, its function has shifted drastically from that to a platform of communication.

Derived from the internet, social media platforms have heightened the necessity we all feel to remain in contact with people near and far. Katherine Pommerening is a prime example of this. She is constantly glued to her phone and the applications within, to the point where she is unaware of the world around her. Her anxieties revolve around this “necessity” to be connected and her fear of missing out. Baym also discusses the influence of peers on the behaviours and attitudes of media users and their perceptions of media uses. “Katherine Pommerening’s iPhone is the place where all of her friends are always hanging out. So, it’s the place where she is, too. She’s on it after it rings to wake her up in the mornings. She’s on it at school, when she can sneak it…” (Contrera, 2016). Katherine doesn’t want to miss out on what her friends are doing online, I even feel this same anxiety when I am not using my phone for a certain amount of time. In addition to the anxieties provoked for young users, there are also anxieties for their parents. The idea of moral panic is brought up in the text; it focuses on the well-being of children and teenage girls in relation to exposure to inappropriate material. This is something Katherine’s father became anxious about when he learns of her extensive social media use.

Furthermore, society has put pressure on how to properly represent yourself online. A “like” or comment on Instagram, for example, has become a symbol of popularity.  Katherine describes this phenomenon when she says “Over 100 likes is good, for me. And comments. You just comment to make a joke or tag someone… The ones that don’t get enough likes, don’t have good enough lighting or don’t show the coolest moments in her life must be deleted.” (Contrera, 2016). She turns to social media as a place for validation and acceptance, like many people do, and if this validation is not enough, she gets rid of a post altogether. Western society has made technologies such as the mobile phone and social media a crucial aspect of our lives to the point where it has become the norm, forcing members of society to conform and participate in order to fit in. Katherine Pommerening is only one example of how society has constructed technologies as mediums of communication, validation and interactivity in which anxieties are provoked.

References:

Baym, N. K. (2015). Making new media make sense. In Personal Connections in the Digital          Age (2nd ed., pp. 44-51). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Contrera, Jessica. (2016). “This Is What It's like to Grow up in the Age of Likes, Lols and Longing.” The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2016/05/25/13-right-now-this-is-what-its-like-to-grow-up-in-the-age-of-likes-lols-and-longing/?utm_term=.f08640736a75.     

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