A View into the Looking Glass Self

Hello Beautiful People,

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This week is a wacky one to talk about. Let's jump into it! I was focusing on the looking glass self and how the 'selfie' is involved in social media. I took a different approach for this week as I felt it was a little more personal. A big difference with self-identifying photos is a 'self-portrait' is more about what you can gather about the person, from one photo. However, 'selfies' express the existence of the person, that's pretty much it. Of course, doing more for "selfies' can say a bit about the person but it is more of a mirror perspective. 

I tried expressing the personal struggles I have with posting on social media, especially photos that show the person's looks. I played with the idea of creating the 'perfect' photo that is worthy of Instagram, and a photo that passes by in life. Both could be considered selfies but both have something to be said. 

As an example, in Jurgenson's book "The Social Photo: On Photography and Social Media", he talks about how photos of someone can portray who they are or they want to be presented as. He claimed, "While much of this prep time goes unrecorded, selfies can capture that backstage work: the effort to set the scene, the staging, and prepping and practicing of the self," (Jurgenson, 56). This was very important while I was taking these photos of myself. I tried playing with different ideas and most of them consisted of being outside. I wanted to show how I enjoy being with nature and my curiosity about the world, hence my stare at the flower.

A photo of me holding a flower

My reflection on the vending machine

The second photo with my reflection was an interesting experiment. As a part of my story, I wanted to compare and contrast an Instagram-like photo with one that was grounded in reality. It was simple yet intriguing to view. I really liked the grittiness and mystery of the photo since it seems real. I did not pose much for this photo compared to the first one. My reflection is combating the empty rings of the machine and it requires a moment to fully take it in. I like how simple it is and it can trick the eye at a first glance.

As I viewed my work for this week, I noticed how my insecurities and deep connection to social media affected my way of thinking. Also, thinking about the 'selfie' changes how I see photos posted online. Jurgenson's idea is that selfies are more about existing than anything else. You can spice up the selfies to look cool, nice, etc. The mirror view of a selfie seems more like a reminder that a person exists. Jurgenson talks about the attachment of social media like this: "The deep infiltration of digital information into our lives has created a fervor around the supposed corresponding loss of logged-off real life," (62). This made me ponder how I viewed social media. Even though I can go a while without checking, I still have a need to check it to see what is happening. It evolved into an obsession with viewing the lives of people we like or don't. Unless that is what the person wants us to think their life is like. Like Amalia Ulman whose presence is fake and played up to prove a point.

This week was a curveball since I had to think more about my self-image rather than the memories I had. I like how it switched up my style but I think it will only happen every once in a while. Or I might explore it more. Who knows! 

I hope you enjoyed this week's post and I will see y'all next week!

With lots of love,

Libby