Technological Determinism

In the movie Eighth Grade, Kayla is living through her Youtube channel. There, she is well-liked, social and confident. This feeling is more or less opposite to how Kayla appears in person. In the scene of the pool party, we observe Kayla create a video, as if she was hosting, instead of attending. She exclaims how well the party went, but yet, in reality, she just wanted to go home. 

Kayla severely lacks social skills because she believes to be "cool" depends on how she appears on social media. This phenomenon is technological determinism. Technological determinism is the belief that what we do on social media affects our everyday life. Most of her grade is also affected by this. When Kayla attempts to talk to two other students, they don't even look up from their phones, furthering her impression of, to be cool is to use technology.

Author Nancy K. Balym explains how social media forms these societal norms for its users. As explained prior, Kayla and her whole grade are consumed in how they appear on social media. At one point, Kayla pretends to be a person she isn't to impress a boy. This is an example of following normalities created by social media. 

Technology is shaping the way that we believe we should appear to others. We attempt to live up to the standards that we are exposed to on social media. This past year during the lockdown, I found myself enjoying the simpler things in life. For me, social media became a platform to share the things I love most, whether that be a delicious meal or a spectacular view. 

Did your feeling towards social media during the pandemic also affect you? If so, in what way? 

By: Erin Cusack

 

Comments

  1. Jackson RawlinOctober 6, 2021 at 2:04 PM

    My feelings toward social media during the pandemic has honestly been tainted. Over the past year and a half I have only seen the divide between people with different opinions online grow wider and wider. Whether it is a persons political stance, outlook on the pandemic, vaccination status, etc., all I am seeing is people hating eachother for reasons that are not worthy of time consumption. Social media is acting as a medium that allows people to determine whether or not a person is worth respect based on their beliefs about something. I personally believe that people should be allowed to think what they want about issues regarding politics and pandemic for example and not have that be the defining factor or whether or not a person deserves to be liked or disliked. I would assume it would be the actions carried out by a person that would dictate whether or not they are worty of respect instead of what they choose to believe, especially if it does not impact the other person at all.

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  2. Katherine FitzpatrickOctober 19, 2021 at 11:18 AM

    Great points! During the beginning of the pandemic, my social media feeds were taken over by the tragedies of the pandemic, such as the number of deaths in certain countries, and more. This became very difficult to be constantly exposed to, so I limited my time on social media (while still keeping up with current events). When things turned more political regarding vaccinations, I continued to spend less time on social media, as I ended up feeling anxious and overwhelmed after. Instead of spending my free time on social media, I would go for walks, spend time with my family, and read. I felt productive and less anxious during these times. I did enjoy spending less time on social media during the pandemic, and would like to continue this in the future, although it can be very hard!

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  3. Sophie MagwoodOctober 20, 2021 at 9:28 AM

    Hi Erin!
    You wrote a really interesting blog post this week!
    With regards to your question, I think that my feelings towards social media affected me in a positive way during the pandemic. Being at home I found checking social media helped me to feel less isolated- as I could see the different ways friends, family, and even celebrities were busying themselves during the self-isolation. This helped to keep my spirits up and discover new fun activities I could take up to busy myself. I think that social media platforms, such as Instagram, also became more relaxed and playful during these times- as people were posting all kinds of new hobbies, crafts, and activities they were getting up to. It also provided me with a great way to keep up to date with any and all Covid related news.
    Great work!
    -Sophie

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