Post 6: Reflection on how the media present self image issues and strategies

The media seems to present self image both physically and intangibly the online self to be rather subjective. The utilisation of media by commercialized corporations presents self image to be more superficial, cliché and emphasize on the use of their products based on profiting goals. The media present the corporations making use of the agenda setting theory, by presenting advertisements with underlying subtext such as to be beautiful, people have to use a certain product to enhance their self image.

Government on the other hand seems to stand on promoting healthy self awareness through the cultivation theory. Using media, the government teach common values of self love and appreciation to cultivate the masses to maintain a healthy self image and confidence.

The media portray the audience as two debating sides. Some audience are vulnerable to the influence of how the commercial corporations use the media to present self image. They do not fight back but support the self image perceptions given to them through the social learning modelling theory.  They pattern and model after icons presented by media. They desire to look physically like them and do what is the “in” thing to promote their self image.

Another portion of the audience portrayed by media is showed to be more repulsive of the negative influence on the physical and online self image. Hence they culture jam on the internet and even on streets to voice out against the corporations and also to the masses.

The main cause of why some audience are subjected to the influence of self image portrayed on media by the commercial corporations is because of cultural imperialism and cultural colonialism. This is possible because the global media and cultural flows have been imbalanced where cultural flows are not emphasized by media enough. Furthermore, with the free flow of information accompanied by the rise of internet and advertisement influence, it’s inevitable for cultural imperialism especially western dominance to take over. Thus, audience subconsciously accept what is given to them through the media as though it’s their culture.

The main cause of why certain audience can “fight back” against the influence of media by corporations regarding self image is because of the functions of new media. New media today allows higher convergence, interconnectivity, interactivity, mobility, portability, digitalization and audience control on information flow.  With greater interactivity and interconnectivity, making use of the multidirectional model of new media, audience can post information from their phone directly to the internet and share with other audience their views. Furthermore, with audience control ability through new media now, audience can create media text to reach the masses which explain why culture jamming on self image advertisements by corporations is possible almost immediately.

   

The consequences of the repetitive negative influence of self image presented by corporations through media can affect the imbalance of self image in the long term, cause loss of self identity and even alienation and low esteem. These eventually lead to the vulnerability to leavisim where there is a loss of traditional culture on how the physical self image should be like and how online self is discouraged in the past.

To counter the media’s negative influence on self image, the individual and the government have to do their part. Based on the selective influence theory, audience should practice selective attention and exposure by not giving attention to ideas by media which degrades and superficialize self image. They should practice healthy selective perception and selective retention by paying attention to the subtext and the attribution of the meaning of certain information to avoid retaining the negative influences on self image

The government should practice appropriate censorship and rating on advertisements to restrict  negative influences from the media to the audience. The government should also make sure what the media portrays about the self image does not allow normalization and racialisation to take place. This can happen when self image is portrayed and generalised ideally to certain culture and races which can cause discrimination (dark = ugly, white = beautiful).

  

All in all, everything still ties down to media.  To ensure healthy self image, all players have to play a part especially the audience as they have the right to “protect themselves” from negative influences of self image presented by media. As the saying goes “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”, audience have the right to control their information flow and how they perceive information to build a healthy self image both physically and online.

No. of words: 749

Resources
pictures from yahoo :

http://sg.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0S0uPAE_5NPf1wAoqgl4gt.?p=self+image+&fr=&ei=utf-8&n=30&x=wrt&tab=organic&y=Search 

Post 5: How the audience counter the influence of media on self image through culture jamming

In this post, we shall look at how audience make use of the multi-directional/bi-directional flow of information in new media to counter the influence of media on the rather negative portrayal of self image through culture jamming. Using the multi/bi-directional flow of information model, audience now can feedback through various platforms to not just the producer itself (bi-directional), but also to the masses (multi-directional). 

Culture jamming could be done in both reality by literally coming up with posters on the streets and malls and it could be done on the internet today as well. With the availability of the internet, audience can subvert messages through co-opting the language and strategy of the targeted corporations that they feel are influencing negatively in their self image. It does not necessary limit to targeting a specific corporations, it could be done to jam a certain culture in the era, such as the perception of a healthy self image and beauty. Culture jamming could be done on the internet today through the spreading of online posters, self-made advertisements and self-made videos through the various platforms to photo share or video share. As the internet attracts a total of 2,267,233,742 users of the world population now, culture jamming can be spread easily to the masses and not just the producer themselves but also to express the views to other audience.

Below are the examples of culture jamming done online on the internet to counter the influence of the media on the physical self-image. These photos are created by individuals who wish to stand up and voice out what they think about what the commercialized corporations through the utilization of media, are doing unto them. This is so as to counter the  media's negative influence on their physical self image.

                                 

   

Examples of culture jamming done on the streets even in substations in reality against the influence on the physical self image can be seen below.

Refering to the picture below, many models are portrayed as having a certain stereotyped figure which is termed as "beauty" in today’s culture. To culture jam this influence on what the media portrays about beauty, individuals or culture jammers took their initiatives by sticking stickers of quotes, hoping to catch the attention of the masses, to change their views on their pursued self image.

Examples of culture jamming done to counter the influence of online self image can be seen below.  These images below are spread through the internet such as even Facebook itself which is an irony.  The subtext of this picture below shows how people got addicted to the internet and how they portray their online self till the point that they become so technical (computerised) and robotic which then loses their authentic self and thinking.

Facebook is culture jammed as fakebook, to emphasize the inauthentic self image of people online.

There are people who culture jam but do not target a specific commercial corporation. A good example is Curtis Kulig who came up with an independent initiative call “Love Me”, a tag line that he uses and spread around. He do so by drawing and writing the word “love me” at practically everywhere like underpass, walls, buildings, dustbins, skateboards and so on. He even brought it across continents by flying to other countries to showcase and voice out that the society today need to recognize that a healthy self image both physically and online, should be anchored on relationships where people love one another. With these basic words, he successfully gained recognition as even an artist who is highly sought after for his tag line and works.  He is an example of how the audience successfully culture jammed legally and recognized for his effort to promote healthy self image. Beside influencing the audience views on how important the healthy self image should be anchored on love itself, he also alleviates the normalisation of self image where beauty and online self is not judged according to races. He also promotes non-racialisation,  where a person self image is not anchored on his inborn culture like religion and race as mentioned above.

All in all, we can see that there are various platforms for audience to voice out and counter the influences of the media on self image using strategies like culture jamming to reach the masses. Even though corporations and commercial companies may seem to have the money to reach out to the audience on their message on self image, audience still can counter these influences and freely express (although not legal sometimes) their views on how the self image should be, with the advantage of the mutlidirectional information flow of new media.

Resources

statistics of number of population using internet : http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

pictures:

http://sg.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=culture+jamming+beauty&n=30&ei=utf-8&y=Search&tab=organic&ri=8

https://www.google.com.sg/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=culture+jamming+beauty&gbv=2&oq=culture+jamming+beauty&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_nf=1&gs_l=img.3...946.4266.0.4441.22.22.0.6.6.0.124.1162.13j3.16.0.mawvFtT9WVA

video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtQQvYjTpNw

video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plRjge_3tME

Post 4: How coporations utilize the media and its platforms to convey and influence audiences' self image

Corporations utilize media to reinforce the “importance” of self-image both materially in terms of physical looks and intangibly in terms of their self identity portrayed on the internet.  They do so by anchoring on the agenda setting theory where they present certain images and advertisements to the public usually with a subtext (to encourage purchase) under the explicit content. Usually for commercial benefits such as to reap high profits margin with their products.

Subjected to the influence of the media as leavisim (the lost of traditional cultures) caused by the perceived norm of cultural hybridisation (no clear distinct line between mass pop culture and traditional values) becomes prominent around these days, the audience or people are vulnerable to accept what is given to them. This is despite the fact that the new media now is multidirectional (audience can communicate and feedback to the corporations and to the mass). People still feed on what is given to them in the media as the exposure to media’s influence is inevitable and unavoidable.

Furthermore, with corporations making use of media to carry out the cultivation theory by teaching the audience values of what is beautiful (physical looks), can affect audience’s perceived self image. Anchoring on the social learning theory, audiences tend to model after what they see on the different platforms of media. Hence, the more exposed the audience are to the models that commercial corporations use, the more they compare themselves to them and this affect their self image and confidence.

The media often shows how commercial corporations advertise their products with an explicit tag line that seems to say how much they are concern with the consumer or audience ‘s health. When in actual fact, they are irrationally combining health together with physical looks. Audiences perceive looking good (eg. slimming down) as equal to having a healthy body and a healthy self image.

Like what the advertisements seen below, audience are led to perceive slimming down as being healthy, ignoring the fact that the capsule or product might be harmful when used in long run. Besides slimming down does not equal to being healthy as the method of slimming down is important as well.  

These advertisements show how corporations utilize media to reinforce the “importance” of self-image materially in terms of physical looks.  This further contribute and worsen the generalisation of beauty in terms of physical looks (slim = pretty, fat = ugly). This could cause internal conflicts within individuals and affect self esteem and confidence which pushes them all the more to consume the products advertised. Furthermore, with the readily available advertisements practically everywhere with the help of mass media, people are highly subjected to the media’s influence according to the corporations’ marketing strategies.  This could largely affect self perceived image and the ways of pursing an ideal self image in terms of physical looks, to be rather material, cliché and superficial.

Corporations also used what is available on the internet to sell their ideas to the audiences. The widely used networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace could affect and influence the self identity that the audiences wants to portray on the internet. With the high interconnectivity of the new media (the ability to transfer information to and fro across different platforms), people need not frequently update their statuses on their computers, they could do it even through phones. This encourage the frequent visits to the networking sites. Corporations such as Facebook started out as a networking site to ease the convenience of staying in touch with friends. However, it promotes the importance of the online identity where people start to update their statuses according to how they think people should see them.

What benefits such online coporations is that, with the frequent visits to their networking sites, they gain greater control over larger audiences, hence getting more paid advertisements projects on their sites.

The frequent updates and the consciousness of how people look at each other on the internet, people starts to be very aware about what they post, such as to change what people think about them in real life. Thus, through the power of media, online corporations could influence the self-perceived image and identity of people to be surreal, unnatural, and inauthentic as well.

In conclusion to this post, we can see that both the physical and online self image of people are subjected to large influence by the utilisation of media through different platforms such as print (poster) and online advertisements carried out by the different commercial corporations. In the next post, we will discuss how people are able to respond and counter these influences by media through cultural jamming, taking advantage of the multidirectional flow of information through media.

Resources


pictures from http://sg.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=advertisement+slimming+products&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-712&tab=organic&ri=2

picture from http://sg.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0S0uD4ePpJP1nsAddku4gt.?p=slimming+products+posters&fr=&ei=utf-8&n=30&x=wrt&tab=organic&y=Search+Images

picture from http://sg.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0S0uD25RpJP7ToAcCgl4gt.?p=facebook+ads&fr=&ei=utf-8&n=30&x=wrt&tab=organic&y=Search

Post 3: Perhaps the influence of media on self image is not so bad after all?

Could media possibly help us to gain further insights into maximising our fullest self potential?

 “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth”, said Malcom X, an American black militant leader. Indeed it’s true that media holds power to ruin or to build. The media to a certain extent did attempt to increase the confidence of people both emotionally and physically.

Through social networking sites such as Facebook, people could readily express thoughts and present themselves the way they want people to see them. This arguably increases the confidence of some who dare not speak up and allows them to take their first step out of their comfort zone to freely express. Infact through sites such as Youtube, people get to showcase their talents and hobbies. In some cases, people were discovered for their talents, and in some others, people found friends who share the same interests. Looking at the case of how Justin Bieber was discovered and how “Wongfuproductions”, a film company got their first signed overseas project with pop star Wang Lee Hom (both discovered through their videos on Youtube), we could see that somehow media did increase not just confidence, but also the acknowledgement of different individuals’ talents which builds up a healthy self image.

Furthermore, with the current increase in beauty and health products commercials, people are subconsciously introduced to the theory of “the world having no ugly people, but lazy people”. This motivated many to do something and even to try out some products to self actualise in a physical way to reach their “ideal self image”. This largely increases self confidence and assurance.

In contrast to the stereotype of media being all adverse and negative, perhaps, media do have certain positive effects on the self image and confidence. 


Resources/ video links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPHnayNNJhY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELsp2qjvTE&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL81C96652C0E4C7BE

Post 2: Does media inflict a negative influence on self image?

The media has been seen as influencing our self image negatively in certain ways. In terms of physical appearance, people are largely affected by what they see on media. After years of exposure to the “beautiful and handsome” public figures portrayed in media, many people somehow generated lower self esteem after comparing themselves to the so called “good looking”.

Pick up a fashion magazine today and we’ll see models who are thinner than 98% of all the girls and women in America. Turn on a television and see ‘sexy’ celebrities baring their flesh (Kelly Nault, 2005). It is evidently seen that these "role models" have subconsciously set the standard of what is "good-looking" in this evolving century. Out of 20 friends i interviewed, 11 of them would tell me they had attempted dieting. After probing personally into their personal reasons, i can draw close association of media's portrayal of beauty as the root cause. To support my assumption, according to the National Eating and Disorders Association, 51% of 9 and 10-year-old girls feel better about themselves when on a diet, after exposure to media's portrayal of "beauty". 

However, some think that this hypothesis might stand only to teenagers especially girls. But there are researches that shows even male adults when exposed to the seemingly “good-looking” through media, change their perception of their self image as well.

In a clinical report that researched on the association of male body image and psychological well-being, It has been found out that there are significant associations between participants' physical self-evaluations and psychological well-being. Appearance evaluation accounted for about 20 percent of variance in participants' psychological self-acceptance (Tager, Glen, Julie, 2006).This shows how much influence appearance has on healthy self image. Hence, exposure to media may significantly affect the pursue of the “right” self image in a much superficial and cliché manner, anchoring on just physical looks, when self image entails more than the physical.

However much statistics and findings points to the negative influence of media on self image, it is important to also know that media does not solely affects self image and actualisation. Parents and friends’ support to build a healthy self esteem and image plays an important role as well.  

Resources

Kelly Nault (2005). Teenage girl + media = low self esteem. Ezine Article. Retrieved march 11, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Teenage-Girls-+-Media-=-Low-Self-Esteem&id=96389

Tager, David; Glenn Good,; Julie Morrison,. "Our bodies, ourselves revisited: male body image and psychological well-being.(Clinical report)." International Journal of Men's Health. Men's Studies Press. 2006. HighBeam Research. 10 Mar. 2012, from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-159027487.html

Post 1: How has the media shaped the pursue of our self image?

“Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then, if i like being that person, I’ll come up: if not, I’ll stay down here till I’m somebody else.” Lewis Carroll penned those words back in “Alice in Wonderland” in 1865 before we even knew centuries later that “double identities” or “second life” would be widely used.

Through the evolution of technology, Facebook emerged as a new trend of networking platform to showcase our telepresence. No doubt it’s a richer way of representing ourselves through many of its unique functions such as photo sharing and more. “Our identity is a complex personal and social construct” (Shiao Yin Kuik, 2010, p.12). Indeed, people don’t just form their identity through their personal perception, but also from how other people respond and see them. Through Facebook, people learn to construct their own identity and also receive feedback, as if a check point for their self actualisation.

The increasing representation of beauty and success through media’s presentation of public figures like models and pop stars seems to have a certain impact on people’s pursued self image as well. Some people tend to see beauty and fashion as a key to success and prominence as derived from certain public figures. An almost irrational thought it may seems, but some generalise success and attraction to almost just visual image. Hence, these people start to pursue their dream image by mimicking the figures as presented by media. This certainly for some reason affects self actualisation to not just superficial, but also causes people to lose authenticity in character.  But for some who balance a healthy self image, this could be a stepping stone to further self actualise, where they see beauty as not just solely the main factor for success.

At the end of the day, are we forming a facade of a flippant self image and an inauthentic pursue of our self actualisation? Or perhaps, media has helped us to gain further insights into maximising our fullest self potential to self actualise?

Resources

Shiao Yin Kuik (2010). Through the looking glass. Will Facebook change the way we see ourselves? (pp. 10-15). Singapore: School of Thought.