I am obsessed with my digital camera. I seriously doubt that I am the only person in the class who feels that way, let alone the only person in America. Seemingly everywhere I go, people are whipping out their tiny, pocket-sized cameras and snapping dozens of photos. Digital cameras seem to simply be one more incarnation of America’s obsession with tech gadgets.
Then again, Americans have been fostering an obsession with cameras since back in the 1840s when the daguerreotype was invented. By the early 1900s, Brownie Cameras, with their modest price of $1, were in the hands of quite a few Americans. Maybe the narcissistic urge to preserve your image isn’t a new one at all, but it’s definitely a concept that we seem to have perfected in this country. A combination of emerging technology and record levels of self-absorption among today’s generation of young adults (the so-called “Me” generation) is taking this exhibitionist phenomenon to new levels.
The instant gratification afforded by digital technology is a major part of this. In just a few hours, you can take hundreds of photos of yourself, upload them to a computer, delete any unflattering pictures, and upload them to the internet. The ease of this process has afforded Americans a major opportunity to create their own online celebrity. Photo-sharing and social networking websites such as Flikr, Facebook, and MySpace, have allowed Americans to happily put their entire lives on display. It was an exciting day when Facebook added photo-sharing capabilities, because now you could display entire albums of silliness and debauchery in addition to a carefully chosen profile picture. Of course, there would be no point to this if there was no comment feature allowing instant feedback from Facebook friends and the internet at large.
And that’s really the main reason for putting up photos – wanting attention. I am by no means putting people down for this, because I am certainly guilty of it myself. Of course, there are times it crosses a line – when you post thousands of photos of yourself in under a month, or when you spend hours sitting alone in your room, taking MySpace-angled photos of yourself in the mirror, and then act shocked when 40-year-old men comment on your swimsuit poses and try to add you as an online friend.
Photography is a great activity to share with friends and family. However, a lot of Americans aren’t taking photos for the sake of art, or even to preserve memories. They are doing it because they can, and because they love looking at themselves in their tiny LCD screen. Camera manufacturers know this and are raking in the dough. Other corporations know this as well, and you can be sure they will be Googling you to see how many drunken party pictures they find before extending you that job offer. As long as you know that your professor, boss, and future mother-in-law are likely to see any photos you take, click away!
My friend Caitlin and I spent last night taking silly pictures of ourselves at Arundel Mills. Then a mall cop made us put the camera away, because shots of the inside of the mall are no longer allowed due to the threat of terrorism.
Then again, Americans have been fostering an obsession with cameras since back in the 1840s when the daguerreotype was invented. By the early 1900s, Brownie Cameras, with their modest price of $1, were in the hands of quite a few Americans. Maybe the narcissistic urge to preserve your image isn’t a new one at all, but it’s definitely a concept that we seem to have perfected in this country. A combination of emerging technology and record levels of self-absorption among today’s generation of young adults (the so-called “Me” generation) is taking this exhibitionist phenomenon to new levels.
The instant gratification afforded by digital technology is a major part of this. In just a few hours, you can take hundreds of photos of yourself, upload them to a computer, delete any unflattering pictures, and upload them to the internet. The ease of this process has afforded Americans a major opportunity to create their own online celebrity. Photo-sharing and social networking websites such as Flikr, Facebook, and MySpace, have allowed Americans to happily put their entire lives on display. It was an exciting day when Facebook added photo-sharing capabilities, because now you could display entire albums of silliness and debauchery in addition to a carefully chosen profile picture. Of course, there would be no point to this if there was no comment feature allowing instant feedback from Facebook friends and the internet at large.
And that’s really the main reason for putting up photos – wanting attention. I am by no means putting people down for this, because I am certainly guilty of it myself. Of course, there are times it crosses a line – when you post thousands of photos of yourself in under a month, or when you spend hours sitting alone in your room, taking MySpace-angled photos of yourself in the mirror, and then act shocked when 40-year-old men comment on your swimsuit poses and try to add you as an online friend.
Photography is a great activity to share with friends and family. However, a lot of Americans aren’t taking photos for the sake of art, or even to preserve memories. They are doing it because they can, and because they love looking at themselves in their tiny LCD screen. Camera manufacturers know this and are raking in the dough. Other corporations know this as well, and you can be sure they will be Googling you to see how many drunken party pictures they find before extending you that job offer. As long as you know that your professor, boss, and future mother-in-law are likely to see any photos you take, click away!
My friend Caitlin and I spent last night taking silly pictures of ourselves at Arundel Mills. Then a mall cop made us put the camera away, because shots of the inside of the mall are no longer allowed due to the threat of terrorism.
7 comments:
I just got a digital camera for a gift, so I can relate to what your saying. The concept of the digital camera is how a person wants their picture to be displayed. With a digital camera you can zoom in or out or can delete pictures which are not desired to keep. I like to conclusion paragraph on how pictures can affect a persons future on they way people display their pictures. There was a special on ESPN on student athletes getting suspended because of picturez displaying undergae drinking and drug use.
I think that your analysis of the camera and it's place in our current society is right on. I completely understand and agree your point of view on this individuals who seem to devote their life to taking provocative photos, and then act offended when the pictures get their desired response.
I feel that you could have discussed how our current self indulgence with these personal cameras, and accompanying technology will be viewed in the future.
Jen, I'm with you, I LOVE my digital camera and pretty much take it everywhere as well. I really liked how you got into the Facebook/Myspace aspect of things, talking about how people really do put their lives on display. That being said, what were there before photo blogs? Photo albums? Anyway, I think you did a great job talking about what American's actually do with their camera's; that they don't use them so much for art as you said, but more to take pictures of themselves.
I liked this blog because you are so right about everyone's new obsession with the digital camera and the instant gratification of taking pictures. Everywhere I go I see people taking pictures and one of the first things I say is "thats going on facebook" I thought it was good how you mentioned the networking sites where people can share and comment on pictures. I also thought it was good that you included some background on the camera and your personal experience you encountered in the mall.
I loved your blog. I use to carry my digital camera with me everywhere until I dropped my purse a little to many times and damaged my camera. So I ran out and bought another one. It's great how you can look at the photos and delete the ones you don't like and then post them on the web or print them. It would be great next time if you could tell others how its best to have the photos taken to a photo store to have them printed because I was reading that basically the ink from the home printers will eventually fade faster than those printed at a photo shop.
Good Job and very detailed.
Digital cameras are responsible for the increase inthe crazy pictures you might see on some networking sites or other stupid/funny sites. I dont think that half of the amusing things we get to see would make it other there without it. And camera cell phones are at the cutting edge of portability. This is the only way most guys will carry them because most of us dont carry purses.
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