# Reading Responses (Set 2)

## March 11: Shaped

#### *How does digital communication affect our ability to be mindful? How does it affect self-esteem; is it making us narcissistic?*

Take a cute photo, formulate a fun caption, hit "post," close the app. Simple, right? Out of sight, out of mind. Yet, that certainly is not the case for many adolescents (especially young women).

I've spent years with my best friends who post pictures to Instagram and instantly send a message to our group chat saying, "Hey, go like and comment on my post" or "Peep my recent." Then, as the night goes on, they refresh their phones frequently, constantly monitoring the number of likes and comments for the dopamine rush and self-esteem boost.

It's easy to write these people off as selfish and self-absorbed; however, the issue is more profound. Social media has become a colossal determinant of one's self-esteem.

Admittedly, I even deleted a post a few years ago, hours after uploading it because I thought it didn't get enough likes compared to my friends' profiles. I sympathize with people affected negatively by their social media feeds and those struggling to escape the cycle of insecurity. But unfortunately, social media is a numbers game, and amid a self-esteem spiral, it is common to lose track of reality.

On the upside, digital communication and social media can positively affect our ability to be mindful. So much of our digital routines consist of writing emails, sending messages, posting Tweets, and documenting our lives via social media. All of these things require some form of reflection to be done effectively. The more reflective we are, the more in tune we can be with how we come across to others. Yet, the quality of self-reflection is a double-edged sword. Too much self-obsession can result in narcissism and ignorance of the bigger problems of the world.

Digital communication, although we are "connected" online, is very isolating. At the end of the day, it's just us and our screens. It is important to remember that we have lives beyond our online profiles and not be so easily swept up into a narcissistic bubble.

## March 25: Finding Someone & Living Alone

***How has digital communication changed the relational landscape?***

Swipe left, swipe right, swipe left again. Isn’t that so romantic?

Online dating shifted the ways people find love in the 21st century. Instead of going out to a restaurant or a friend’s dinner party in hopes of finding that “special someone,” all you need to do is pick up your phone and tap, tap, tap away. Why be chivalrous with a memorable first impression when the mirror selfies of your #GymBod do the work for you?

As said eloquently in the OkCupid article, “the Internet is a great place to pretend to be someone you’re not." While I understand that using dating apps to branch out and meet people is convenient for many, it makes me question how it will affect my generation in the long run.

Will we all become digital pathological liars, or will we eventually grow up and learn to leave lies in the past? Okay, maybe I’m a bit of a pessimist about online dating, but I feel that initially judging someone from a few photos and a cheesy pickup line in someone’s bio is a horrible idea.

Aside from convenience and the potential to “meet” many people instantaneously, the most significant shift in the relational landscape is the demise of the actual first impression. Unlike older generations, most young people don’t have that “first glance at a local coffee shop” or a “blind date coordinated by mutual friends” because [48% of Gen-Zers use dating apps](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/06/10-facts-about-americans-and-online-dating/).

Digital communication is no longer a “networking tool” for communication in the way it is in an academic, social, or corporate context. It's changed the way we seek romantic interests and connect with potential romantic partners. While it's not inherently a bad thing, it is something we must be critically mindful about how we judge and perceive others online.

## Ads & Social Graph Background

#### *What are the main types of advertisements available online? This will be relevant to our algorithmic discrimination, online manipulation, and privacy discussions.*

Online retailers, marketing agencies, and large tech corporations *thrive* off the teenage girl & female, young adult demographics. After all, [we are the most impressionable demographic](https://www.inc.com/issie-lapowsky/inside-massive-tech-land-grab-teenagers.html) as we spend lots of money on merchandise, clothing, and other non-necessity items.

After learning that in a seminar a few years back, I became more conscious about online advertisements' role in my spending habits. For example, a [solar sunset lamp](https://thesolset.com/products/sunset-lamp?variant=42053928812761&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjwloCSBhAeEiwA3hVo_dIoctBXL_MfgIsQ5aEqOUapKaRSVcJcsJOuz7SGRsrYR8cl8pMvphoCm2IQAvD_BwE) went viral six months ago, and it skyrocketed in popularity on Tik Tok. I googled it out of curiosity before gawking at its unreasonable price and closing the tab. However, I saw ads for the solar lamp seemingly everywhere on my laptop and iPhone for the next four months. It became so bothersome that I eventually caved in December and ended up ordering the solar lamp (okay, I admit it's a pretty cool gadget).

I knew that our devices track our online footprint and keep tabs on our demographic information, digital habits, and frequently visited websites. Yet, until today's readings, I never understood the severity nor how our devices track nearly every detail of our online lives. So when we learned about cookies, I took them at face value and thought to myself, "Woah, that's pretty cool... why would sites even ask if we wanted to disable them?" because I didn't understand that think critically about the potential negative impacts of digital monitoring.

The Vox video clearly explained how cookies play a role in advertising, with the example of J-Brand jeans. While watching the Vox video, a light-bulb went off in my head. The solar lamp I caved in and purchased was just like the J-Brand jeans. Cookies were responsible for the constant resurfacing of the ad until I finally caved.

I've never thought twice about clicking "accept cookies" when visiting a new website because I only considered the convenience factors, such as remembering my language preferences. However, moving forward, I need to be uber critical about how cookies affect my life, especially since tech conglomerates know so much about most of the population because of them.

## April 19: Collapsed Context
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/7qWqDIBAXOR9u" width="480" height="360" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/carrie-frisky-shoulders-7qWqDIBAXOR9u">via GIPHY</a></p>

#### *What does it mean to be authentic online? Is it possible anymore to have more than one persona online?*

When I think of online authenticity, I immediately think of Carrie Bradshaw typing away about love, self-discovery, and relationships in her Upper East Side NYC apartment. Granted, she IS a fictional character, but she consistently blogged candidly, honestly, and vulnerably for her audience in the pre-Facebook era. Carrie Bradshaw is authentic.

Online authenticity is a rarity these days. This is partly due to how social media platforms are structured to be very "audience-focused" with user feedback. Authors Marwick and Boyd touched upon this in their [2010 research paper](http://www.tiara.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Marwick_boyd_TweetHonestly.pdf) by expanding upon the idea that users are writing for an imagined audience, not themselves. In doing so, users become less authentic and increase their levels of self-censorship because networked social sites have such heightened importance on followers' reactions and feedback.

Social media sites that emphasize audience engagement have been around for nearly two decades. Instagram likes and comments, Twitter replies and retweets, Facebook timelines, and friend counts are the features that define our online lives. We no longer post for ourselves. We post to be provocative and engage with our followers.

That is not to say that authenticity is impossible in the digital age – it is still the reality for many users who make the active choice to share their real experiences with their friends online. Honestly expressing one's emotions and experiences, posting unedited images, and refraining from Facetune are some ways to maintain authenticity online.

Since many users have niche accounts or profiles for a particular demographic, they begin to develop a specific persona that only captures one aspect of their identity. However, that does not make someone a "fake," they can still be authentic and genuine to themselves. We see this with people who have accounts for specific interests like art, activism, fitness blogs, and other passion projects. Ultimately, as long as a user stays true to themselves with a *truthful* message, their authenticity remains intact.

## April 23: Authenticity & The Age of Influencers (Part Two)

***Self-guided question: Are "fake" influencers really that damaging?***

Influencers, they're just like us... right? They candidly share their life stories on social media, give advice to their follower base, and chronicle their daily routines online. From an outsider's perspective, it seems like a relatively easy and mindless job with enormous benefits. For the greatest successful influencers, the role comes with numerous perks:
Lavish brand trips
Free merchandise from companies
High commissions on sold products
High-paying brand deals for social media posts

Many people see influencing as a "dream job" — just ask any group of adolescents, and I guarantee a large handful will say they'd like to become social media influencers. (In fact, 98% of surveyed teens said so in a [recent Bloomberg study](https://www.abc10.com/video/entertainment/most-kids-want-to-be-social-media-influencers-is-it-realistic/103-fc9d8b19-60c1-43a1-a774-8b5927e65244#:~:text=More%20Videos&text=According%20to%20a%20Bloomberg%20study,be%20a%20social%20media%20influencer.)).

In the past decade, there's been an enormous surge in interest & popularity in the influencer industry of social media marketing. Addison Rae is the new Jennifer Aniston. Kids these days dream of being influencers more than actors or singers because it's a lot easier to shoot a 45-second viral Tiktok than go through the intermediaries at casting agencies who determine their worth. Additionally, influencing is an independent job as content creators can take matters into their own hands by directly engaging with an audience.

Unfortunately, there isn't room for everyone in the industry, and many aspiring influencers are [faking brand deals](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/12/influencers-are-faking-brand-deals/578401/) to have a leg up on their competitors.

While it may seem harmless, the mindset of "fake it until you make it" can only last so long before it causes severe and long-term damage to the social media marketing industry. It harms legitimate influencers and cheapens brand reputation.

Legitimate influencers who have earned their careers by starting small and garnering a following over the years are the most at risk. For example, let's say two influencers are vying for one position as Dunkin Donuts ambassadors. The chances are that the influencer with the most brand deals will land the role, even if some posts are inauthentic and falsified because they are viewed as "more legitimate." Unfortunately, it's hard for the average user to determine what is real and what is a fake sponsorship deal. As a result, work opportunities are stolen from those most deserving.

Another damaging aspect of aspiring influencers faking sponsorship deals is that it may cheapen a brand's image. Most companies have a legitimate ambassador program for brand deals where employees monitor influencer-made content to ensure it's up to their standards. This vetting process allows brands to put their best foot forward in the eyes of their audience. If a fake influencer posts poorly-made content and the consumer associates said content with the brand, it is terrible for their reputation.

To ensure the future and legitimacy of the influencer industry, it is up to the "influenced" audience to think critically about who they choose to support and why. The tag "#ad" and "#sponsored" in the caption of a post is not enough to determine the authenticity of an influencer's post.