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University for the Creative Arts

(Open College of the Arts)

Digital Image and Culture

Assignment Three: Critical Essay

What is your understanding of the 'digital self' and what is the effect of our everyday use of photography upon it?

Chantelle Ward

510157

Date: 10th March 2020

https://chantellegracephotography4.wordpress.com/

Word Count

Total Word Count (Including Quotations): 3211

Total Word Count (Excluding Quotations): 2636

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Digital Image and Culture, Assignment Three: Critical Essay

Contents:

1. Introduction 3-5

2. Digital manipulation and the negative affect it is having on advertising 5-6

3. Digital manipulation and the negative affect it is having on our health 6-7

4. The self-portrait 7-8

5. Celebrity influence on social media and the negative impact they 9-10

are having on their followers

6. The negative impact on our mental health 10-11

7. The vast number of photographs being uploaded online daily 11-12

8. Your safety online and fake accounts 12-13

9. Summary 13

10. Bibliography 14 - 16

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Introduction

The human body is made up of DNA and RNA. It is what make us who we are as human beings. However, our online digital beings are made up of code which document and save our personal data, for example our names, date of birth, medical records, addresses, bank account details, our friends and family, things we purchase, things we watch, places we have visited and much more. These codes are like sponges, they absorb everything about us and store the information gathered on large external hard drives and servers. These hard drives are owned by companies worldwide and are situated in remote physical locations. They are often referred to as 'cloud storage', and many of us have used them to store photographs, in order to keep them safe, in case our devices accidentally delete them. We can access our photographs and documents remotely via devices that are connected to the internet.

But how safe are these cloud storage locations. The job of all data storage centres, is to keep our data physically safe, in order to prevent theft or destruction. However, over the years, many news reports have shown that computer hackers have managed to decode the encryption keys used to protect our personal data, and have sold information on and have even held the NHS to ransom when they hacked into confidential medical records back in 2017. 1

In 2018, the Data Protection Act was implemented in the UK, thus meaning that anyone or any company, who are responsible for using peoples personal/confidential details, must adhere to strict rules called 'Data Protection Principles'. 2 These new rules essentially keep our personal information, our online DNA, safe.

However, it is not just the responsibility of these data storage centres to keep our information protected, it is also down to us as individuals to protect what information we put online. Most of us have some sort of social media account, whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. We have all uploaded our photographs onto these social media sites, for our friends and family or work colleagues to find us and communicate with us. But what we upload onto our social media pages, can often be completely different to who we are as people in real life.

1 NewStatesman, online article, How Hackers Held the NHS to Ransom, by Madlen Davies, 15 May 2017 2 The Data Protection Act 2018

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There is a saying online that quotes, we all have three faces...

'The first face you show the world, the second face you show to your close friends, and your family. The third face, you never show anyone. This is the truest reflection of who you are'. (Unknown) 3

Figure 1. By Unknown

Our social media accounts are essentially our online diaries, and are made up of our comings and goings, and photographs that document our lives. They are your internet persona; they are used as a presentation of oneself. You openly invite others to view your online diary, every day. However, it is down to the individual as to what internet persona they want to use and the reason behind it.

Before digital photography, film was used to capture portraits. The first documented self-portrait was taken in 1839 by amateur chemist and photography enthusiast Robert Cornelius. Cornelius set up his camera in his Philadelphia shop, removed the lens cap, stood in position, posed, then covered the lens back up. On the back of the photograph he printed, he wrote,

"The first light Picture ever taken. 1839." (R. Cornelius, 1839) 4

Figure 2. Robert Cornelius, Self-portrait, 1839. Copyright Robert Cornelius and Library of Congress

3 Figure 1 taken from a photograph on Pinterest. By Unknown 4 Robert Cornelius, 1839. Figure 2. Robert Cornelius, self-portrait, taken in 1839.

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Film photographs were often edited using ink, paint, or the cut and paste method. In 1948, Polaroid launched their first instant camera with self-developing film, enabling photographs to be held instantly rather than waiting for film to be developed and printed. Digital cameras were then invented, and not long after, a photo editing software called Adobe Photoshop was released in 1987, enabling the user to retouch or airbrush their photographs with similar tools once done by hand, but now they could be done faster, digitally.

Digital manipulation and the negative affect it is having on advertising

Digital manipulation became accessible to everyone. Advertising companies, food companies, brands and even fashion photographers, began using digital editing software to manipulate their photographs, in order to deceive their target audience. By doing so, they believed that their product would sell better; the better the product or person looked, the more appealing it would be. In 2009, Ralph Lauren were held accountable for a photoshop disaster for their new Blue Label Jeans, by which their art directors and editing department published a noticeably slimmed down version of the 8 stone model Filipa Hamilton.

Figure 3. Ms. Filipa Hamilton, Ralph Lauren, Blue Label Jeans, 2009.

Filipa Hamilton was 'fired' from her contract with Ralph Lauren. After extensive criticism, a spokesman for Ralph Lauren released a statement.

"as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us [We have fired her]….For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity...After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body....We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.’ (Ralph Lauren Spokesman, 2009) 5

5 Ralph Lauren Spokesman, Statement, 2009.

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In response to the Ralph Lauren photoshop disaster, Dr. McAneny from The American Medical Association released a statement.

"The appearance of advertisements with extremely altered models can create unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image. In one image, a model's waist was slimmed so severely, her head appeared to be wider than her waist...We must stop exposing impressionable children and teenagers to advertisements portraying models with body types only attainable with the help of photo editing software." (Dr. McAneny, 2009) 6

The USA passed a new bill, Truth in Advertising Act of 2014, which requires the Federal Trade Commission to,

'submit a report to Congress that contains: (1) a strategy to reduce the use, in advertising and other media for the promotion of commercial products, of images that have been altered to materially change the physical characteristics of the faces and bodies of the individuals depicted.' 7

Digital manipulation and the negative affect it is having on our health

Deceitful, digitally manipulated photographs used in advertising and on social media are extremely harmful and are leading to a rise in eating disorders. From 2017-2018, there were 16,547 hospital admissions, 91% of which were female, where an eating disorder was recorded as either a primary or secondary diagnosis, double the amount since 2010. In a recent 2020 NHS survey, from 2018-2019, 19,040 admissions of all age groups, were for an eating disorder. 8

Figure 4. House of Commons Library, NHS Digital

6 Dr. McAneny, The American Medical Association. Statement issued in reference to Ralph Lauren. 7 Truth in Advertising Act of 2014, United States of America. 8 NHS, Finished Admission Episodes (FAE’s) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of eating disorder, 19th February 2019.

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock released a statement regarding the rise in patients being admitted to hospital for eating disorders,

"I've been appalled at how easy it has been for young people to access online content that promotes eating disorders...Social media companies have a duty of care to their users, and we are clear that they must do more to remove this content and keep children safe...We are developing legislation to improve internet safety and make sure that the UK is the safest place in the world to be online." (M. Hancock, 2020) 9

Tom Quinn from the eating disorder charity BEAT quotes,

“Some content on social media can be very harmful for people suffering from an eating disorder. So-called pro-ana and pro-mia content helps perpetuate the illnesses for people who are already suffering, and is widespread and easily accessible online...We strongly encourage social media platforms to do more to ensure such content cannot be posted, in the same way as they are now cracking down on images of self-harm.” (T. Quinn, 2020) 10

I myself have seen a rise in sensitive content warnings on certain photographs online. There has also been a rise in body positivity groups on social media, especially Instagram, and there are more social media influencers, bloggers and celebrities now showing off their natural beauty and celebrating their flaws in their photographs. By doing so, they are showing their followers that everyone is different, and it is ok to be who you are. However, despite these progressive steps towards being more inclusive and kind to each other online, there are countless groups, celebrities and users of social media who still upload visibly edited photographs daily, in order to keep up their internet persona, which go against being true to oneself. Most of these photographs have been taken using filters, lenses, or camera apps, which can digitally manipulate their photograph in order to achieve their desired effect.

The self-portrait

In 1999, Japan released a mobile phone with a front facing camera which enabled users to take photographs or self-portraits of themselves whilst holding their mobile phone. As technology advanced, and mobile phones became more updated, photo editing apps were invented, giving instant access to photo editing tools used in software like Photoshop. Users could airbrush and adjust their own photographs from their hand-held devices, then share and upload them online. Your photograph could be seen by someone on the other side of the world within minutes.

The sharing of one’s self-portrait pre-dates technology and the internet. Paintings, drawings and sculptures were popular choices for those who wanted a piece of art which would represent themselves in a flattering way, which could then be given to others to admire. Take for example the portrait of King Henry Viii, painted by Hans

9 Matt Hancock, Health Secretary. Statement issued relating to the rise in eating disorders, 2020. 10 Tom Quinn, member of the eating disorder charity BEAT. Statement issued relating to eating disorders and social media, 2020.

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Holbein the Younger in 1536–1537, showing a strong, healthy, majestic king, in all his regalia, ready to lead his country.

Figure 5. King Henry Viii, 1536-1537. Hans Holbein the Younger. London, England.

However, this was far from the truth, and at the time of this painting, Henry Viii was suffering from ill health. This is an early example of deceiving the audience in order to portray yourself as something which you are not. During the 1850's, Cartes de Visite, were popular little postcard portraits, economically accessible to the middle and upper classes, which could be given out like business cards. These little cards were a way of promoting yourself to others, showing off your beauty, wealth, interests and were also a way of dating.

In Greek mythology, Narcissus was known for his beauty. He was so proud of himself that he distained anyone who didn't love his beauty as much as he did. Some loyal devotees would often take their own lives to prove their love. The term narcissism is based upon Narcissus.

‘[Narcissism]…too much interest in and admiration for your own physical appearance and/or your own abilities'. (Cambridge Dictionary, Narcissism, 2020) 11

11 The Cambridge Dictionary, Narcissism, 2020.

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Celebrity influence on social media and the negative impact they are having on their followers

Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian West and her family, are known for their narcissistic personalities and online personas. Her sister Kylie Jenner has a current Instagram following of 167million and 6,355 posts.

Figure 6. Kylie Jenner, Instagram. Screenshot taken 10/03/2020.

Kim Kardashian West currently has 163million followers and 5,070 posts.

Figure 7. Kim Kardashian West, Instagram. Screenshot taken 10/03/2020

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In 2015 Kim released a photobook titled 'Selfish', containing 352 selfies. The photograph book was intended as a gift solely for her husband, but her narcissistic personality meant that she took the decision to publish the book for her fans to purchase. Similarly, to Narcissus, Mrs. Kardashian West wants her followers to love her beauty as much as she does. I can see a rivalry between these sisters to see how many followers they can get, and how many likes they receive on a photograph. This rivalry in the past has led them to upload naked photographs of themselves, in order to gain more viewers and to outdo one and other.

"Just like with other forms of behaviour that push the edges of the social envelope, those who create provocative selfies to get attention will not only not get the kind of attention they really want, but may find that they have created something that they have a hard time getting rid of." (Dr. P Rutledge, 2013) 12

I strongly believe that Kim Kardashian West, her sisters, and many other celebrities, online influencers, bloggers and social media users, have narcissistic behavioural traits, and may suffer from mental health illnesses. In order for someone to upload regular 'selfies' onto their social media accounts during the week, or publish a 'selfie' photobook, in my opinion shows a person who isn't truly happy with themselves for who they genuinely are, either because of the way they look, or because of their true personality or even because of where they live. They are individuals that impose themselves onto their followers in order to gain admiration, compliments, love, desire, respect and to achieve an almost God like status amongst their followers. But even then, it isn't good enough and they want more.

The negative impact on our mental health

This God like status and unattainable beauty, can often lead to their followers themselves suffering from mental health illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-harm and much more. From the hundreds of selfies posted by the one person, many of their followers will try comparing themselves to their idol, which often leads to them noticing differences with the way they look. Followers will then worry about how others may perceive them; will others find them attractive or interesting. They often believe that they will never be as beautiful as their idol is.

"We enjoy opportunities to experiment with different identities - and the selfie allows just that.... We all want to be able to 'try' on a new image and imagine how we would feel as that part of ourselves." (Dr. P Rutledge, 2013) 13

But what these followers aren't realising, is that almost all photographs uploaded are digitally manipulated either by their idol or a company. These photographs are fake, they are lies. Critics often accuse celebrities such as Kim Kardashian West and her family, of having plastic surgery or medical enhancements in order to achieve their desired looks; the look that will get them the most likes and followers on their social

12 Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Centre, Boston. 2013 13 Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Centre, Boston. 2013

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media accounts. If this is the case, then surely this is an example of being deceitful, especially when you deny all claims of having plastic surgery or enhancements, and you promote yourself as being 100% natural beauty and only working out and eating healthily.

The pursuit of unattainable beauty and wanting to be like their idol, can not only lead to mental health illnesses for followers, but can cause cyber bullying, and suicides. In 2018, the Office for National Statistics published a report showing that there were 6,507 suicides registered in the UK. 14 In 2019, The Mental Health Foundation did an online survey about body image and found that one in eight people aged 18 and above, have been so distressed about their body image, they have thought about killing themselves. 15

“There has always been idealised body representation across media, but it’s the quantity of those images and the frequency in which we see them [now] – that’s what we’re worried about. Let’s be proactive in increasing the diversity of, and range of, bodies across our media that people see....Many people identified social media as an important factor causing them to worry about their body image - and the majority of respondents felt the Government needed to take more action.” (M. Rowland, 2019) 16

The vast number of photographs being uploaded online daily

Millions of photographs are uploaded onto social media sites daily, and we must question who the 'officials' would be, from either social media platforms or the government, that would be entrusted to view these photographs and how will they be able to monitor and make official judgement regarding whether or not a certain photograph is deemed acceptable to be posted online. With the vast number of photographs being uploaded, I find it hard to understand how any group of people would be able to look at all photographs uploaded during the one day.

The sheer scale of photographs being uploaded daily, can be seen in photographer Erik Kessels 2011 installation at the FOAM Gallery in Amsterdam, called 24 Hours in Photos.

14 The Office for National Statistics, Suicides in the UK, 2018 registrations. 2 September 2019. 15 The Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Foundation Survey, 13 May 2019. 16 Mark Rowland, Mental Health Foundation, Chief Executive. Statement 2019.

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Figure 8. 24 Hours in Photos, 2011, FOAM, Amsterdam. Erik Kessels. Copyright Erik Kessels

This installation was intended to explore the situation of discarded digital photographs which vanish into the digital ether every single day. Kessels printed off every photograph that was uploaded onto the photo sharing website Flickr, within a 24hour period. The prints were then piled floor to ceiling of the gallery, and viewers could walk on and around the mountain of discarded photographs.

"Thanks to the wealth of image sharing sites and the availability of digital cameras, the world is subjected to an avalanche of new photos every single day." (E. Kessels) 17

You can see from his installation, that the number of photographs being uploaded daily is enormous and is impossible to supervise. Therefore, if social media platforms are unable to keep on top of the amount of photographs being uploaded, then it may be down to us as the users of these sites and the uploaders of the photographs, to make judgment ourselves and to not only report photographs we find offensive or deceitful, but we must make our own judgement before we post a photograph as to whether or not you want this photograph online indefinitely.

Your safety online and fake accounts

The photographs you upload online can be seen by the world, and anyone can use your photographs and steal your identity in order to manipulate others for their own gain. Social media and dating websites can be full of fake accounts. Users can go by aliases and provide false information. Photographs can be uploaded, many of which don't belong to them, and have been taken from search engines or other people’s accounts. Dating website users may post old photographs of themselves in order to present themselves at a time when they felt more attractive or portray themselves as being younger than they really are. By doing so, they believe this will attract more interest in them. Fake accounts can also be created to attract a certain audience, for example young children. Sexual predators are then able to groom children and adults by deceiving them. The MTV show Catfish 18 exposes fake social media accounts that are used to

17 Erik Kessels. 24 Hours in Photos. 18 MTV, Catfish the TV Show, 2012 onwards.

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deceive others. We as social media users must consider our safety online and should either make our profiles private or regulate our uploading of personal photographs.

Summary

Knowing that your photographs and digital self are open for the world to see and use, gives me an uneasy feeling, and I often keep my social media private. Safety online is important, and we need to take it more seriously. Photographs we post stay there indefinitely, even after you delete them, they are still stored on a hard drive or server somewhere. These can be seen by everyone including past and future employers. Things you may have forgotten about will always be visible to others and can affect your life in the future.

We are taking photography for granted and are not appreciating it. Everything is an instant snapshot, with no consideration about what it is we are photographing, the composition, lighting, or any other technical skills used in photography. We rely on our devices and editing software, apps and filters to do the job for us. We constantly edit photographs we have taken of ourselves because we are not happy with how we look, thanks to the media, advertising and social media giving people high standards to try and look up to or compete with others. People on social media are deceiving others in order to manipulate, bully, commit offences and much more. I believe that certain aspects of social media are dangerous, and the never-ending bombardment of photographs are causing serious harm to us both physically and mentally. For some, their digital personas are hard to keep up with and maintain, thus leading to mental health illnesses and suicides. Our physical and mental health should be our priority. We are spending more time on our devices instead of socialising with friends and family and enjoying the world around us. The skill and beauty of photography is not being appreciated anymore and I find this extremely sad.

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Bibliography

1. How Hackers Held the NHS to Ransom, online article, NewStatesman.com, by Madlen Davies, 15 May 2017. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/health/2017/05/how-hackers-held-nhs-ransom (Accessed 10/03/2020)

2. The Data Protection Act 2018. https://www.gov.uk/data-protection (Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 1. Unknown. Photograph taken from Pinterest

3. Your Character’s Three Face, online article, TheWritePractice.com, by Ruthanne Reid, 2016. https://thewritepractice.com/three-faces/ (Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 2. Robert Cornelius, Self Portrait, 1839, Copyright Robert Cornelius and Library of Congress.

4. Cornelius, R. (1839) The First Ever Selfie, Taken in 1839 – A Picture from the Past, online article, TheGuardian.com, by Karin Andreasson, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/picture/2014/mar/07/first-ever-selfie-1839-picture-from-the-past (Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 3. Ms. Filipa Hamilton, Ralph Lauren, Blue Label Jeans, 2009.

5. Lauren, R. [Spokesman] (2009) Ralph Lauren Apologises for Digitally Retouching Slender Model to Make Her Head Look Bigger Than Her Waist, online article, TheDailyMail.co.uk, by Mail Foreign Service, 10 October 2009. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1219046/Ralph-Lauren-digitally-retouches-slender-model-make-look-THINNER.html (Accessed 10/03/2020)

6. McAneny, Dr. (2009) What’s Photoshop Got to Do with It, online article, PsychologyToday.com, by Carrie Arnold, 29 June 2011.

(Accessed 10/03/2020)

7. Truth in Advertising Act of 2014. United States of America. https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/4341(Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 4. House of Commons Library, NHS Digital.

8. NHS, Finished Admission Episodes (FAE’s) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of eating disorder, 19 February 2019. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/find-data-and-publications/supplementary-information/2019-supplementary-information-files/obesity/finished-admission-episodes-faes-with-a-primary-or-secondary-diagnosis-of-eating-disorder (Accessed 10/03/2020)

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House of Commons Library. Debate Pack, Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Number CDP 2019/0055, 26 February 2019. By Dr Sarah Barber, Tom Powell, Carl Baker, Nikki Sutherland. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2019-0055/CDP-2019-0055.pdf (Accessed 10/03/2020)

9. Hancock, M. (2020) Eating Disorders Soaring Amid Warnings Over Impact of Social Media, online article, Telegraph.co.uk, by Laura Donnelly, Health Editor, 2 January 2020. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/02/eating-disorders-soaring-amid-warnings-impact-social-media/ (Accessed 10/03/2020)

10. Quinn, T. (2020) Eating Disorders Soaring Amid Warnings Over Impact of Social Media, online article, Telegraph.co.uk, by Laura Donnelly, Health Editor, 2 January 2020. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/02/eating-disorders-soaring-amid-warnings-impact-social-media/ (Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 5. King Henry Viii, 1536-1537, Hans Holbein the Younger. London, England.

11. The Cambridge Dictionary Online - Narcissism. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/narcissism (Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 6. Kylie Jenner, Instagram, Screenshot taken 10/03/2020

Figure 7. Kim Kardashian West, Instagram, Screenshot taken 10/03/2020

12. Rutledge, P. Dr (2013) Self-Portraits and Social Media: The Rise of the ‘Selfie’ online article, BBC.co.uk, 7 June 2013. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22511650 (Accessed 10/03/2020)

13. Rutledge, P. Dr (2013) Self-Portraits and Social Media: The Rise of the ‘Selfie’ online article, BBC.co.uk, 7 June 2013. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22511650 (Accessed 10/03/2020)

14. The Office for National Statistics, Suicides in the UK, 2018 Registrations. 2 September 2019. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2018registrations (Accessed 10/03/2020) 15. The Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Foundation Survey, 13 May 2019. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/news/one-eight-adults-uk-have-experienced-suicidal-thoughts-or-feelings-because-concerns-about-their (Accessed 10/03/2020)

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16. Rowland, M. (2019) One in Eight UK Adults Have Suicidal Thoughts Over Body Image – Poll, TheGuradian.com, by Haroon Siddique, 13 May 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/13/body-image-survey-one-in-eight-uk-adults-suicidal-thoughts (Accessed 10/03/2020)

Figure 8. 24 Hours in Photos, 2011, FOAM, Amsterdam. Erik Kessels. Copyright Erik Kessels.

17. Kessels, E. (2011) 24 Hours in Photos, 2011, FOAM, Amsterdam. https://www.kesselskramer.com/project/24-hrs-in-photos/ (Accessed 10/03/2020)

18. MTV, Catfish the TV Show, 2012 onwards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfish:_The_TV_Show (Accessed 10/03/2020)