Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
The Age of Image
There is a viral video of a toddler who is unhappy and disgruntled but as soon as she sees that she is being filmed the child strikes a pose and her demeanour is transformed. The child understands that self-image, as it appears on the screen, is paramount. Initially this footage is humorous but it left me feeling there was a darker side to what I had witnessed.
In essence, it leaves me wondering what is the impact of constantly seeing your image on a screen – either video or photo? I often wonder, what does this do to the human psyche – to be constantly captured in image; to be before us, looked at and commented upon by ourselves, by those who know us, by those who think they know us and by those we’ve never met? To be hyper-aware of all of your perceived physical flaws and faults that are what make us who we are? We all know from our own experiences growing up that we become incredibly self-conscious during adolescence but for this generation digital technology must be exerting an exponential pressure upon their sense of self.
In a speech on the dangers of writing biographies, the Australian historian, Inga Clendinnen, made an interesting point about photographs that intrigues me:
“But are our private memories like that? When I summon up a lost, loved individual, I don't see a statue. I see a sidelong glance, the slope of a shoulder, sunlight on a temple; I hear a voice, I breathe the distinctive smell of hair, of skin; I feel their beloved textures under my fingers. I enter an Eden of sense impressions which doesn't seem to fade with the years.
Does the strength and the sensuous range of my memories have something to do with my aversion to photographs? I don't take them; I don't keep them; if they fall into my hands I can't be trusted not to rip them up. I feel they murder experience at the moment of their taking. Does that mean that people who cherish photographs and (these days) videos actually remember differently from me?”
I think, in this highly dramatic image of “murder experience”, that Clendinnen is suggesting that a photograph can only portray a limited degree of human experience. It is unable to capture (no pun intended) the ‘full picture’ of that person. Seeing the image does not help us plumb the depths of the person. Furthermore, it becomes the possession of another to be interpreted as they see fit. The real personal experience is lost as it becomes a commodity. But as social media statistics indicate, we have become obsessed with the taking of photographs and videos: “Youtube usage more than tripled from 2014-2016 with users uploading 400 hours of new video each minute of every day. In 2019, users are watching 4,333,560 videos every minute. Instagram users upload over 100 million photos and videos every day. That is 69,444 million posts every minute.”
The art critic John McDonald, when writing about great works of art, commented on how many people are solely focused on taking photos of themselves with famous art works but have little real interest in the work itself. He writes:
“It has a lot to do with the smartphone and social media, which have diminished our attention spans and made us into curators of our own lives. Nowadays, if experiences are not photographed, posted and archived electronically, it’s as if they had no value.”
He goes on to argue that artworks take on a celebrity status, where people want to be photographed with the work but have no real intention to reflect on or about the work itself. He feels that people’s experiences are shallow and superficial and lacking nuance of thinking or deep understanding.
On the other hand, one might argue that by becoming the “curators of our own lives” people are taking a step towards having greater agency or control over their lives. Nevertheless, soaring rates of anxiety and depression would possibly suggest that not everyone is able to cope with this process. Psychologists are referring to this new problem as “image overload” which can result in issues such as heightened anxiety to memory impairment. It seems that in having to deal with so much visual material, individuals can feel low-grade anxiety, fatigue and pressure at having to monitor and create photo streams and to stay connected to other people’s burgeoning collections. Sociologist, Martin Hand, says “people often express concern over the inability to organise, classify or even look at all their digital images in ways that are meaningful for them.” There is also the thought that by being constantly attuned to digital technologies we fragment our capacity to concentrate – referred to as “continual partial attention”.
Digital technologies are here and have become an integral element within our lives and culture. As with all facets of living, parents as the primary care givers, have a powerful influence on how their children interact with these technologies. Having conversations about the images we create and how we use them is a vital first step. Ensuring that young people understand that the lived experience is much more important than the picture and responses to the image from others. Regularly discussing how they are representing themselves through a screen is also essential. Having discussions about the difference between image and reality will help to keep them grounded and hopefully resist some of the more negative pressures that build from clever on-line ‘influencers’.
To support you in this process, the College now has a wonderful resource that parents and guardians are urged to access on a regular basis. On the MCC website is a link titled ‘schooltv.me’. This has a wide range of outstanding materials from some of the best practitioners in Australia. I suggest that parents and guardians have a close look at ‘Body Image’, ‘Social Media and Digital Reputation’ and ‘Sexting’ in light of this article. Each section contains short videos and interviews that answer very common and specific questions. If you feel that your child has an unhealthy relationship with their smart technology, then this is an excellent place to begin in an effort to help them successfully navigate the age of the image.
Mr Mick Larkin - Assistant Principal - Pastoral