Social Media is not real life!
a. This 18-year old self made model is a standing up for a principle, (in a way that will cost her a lot of money), can we decipher the principle and figure out if this is the best way to stand up for it?
b. What systems will shape the society that you know? Will these be beneficial or detrimental? To what degree?
c. What does it take to stand up for a principle? What paradigms do you need to adopt to accomplish the mission?
ReplyDeletea. Her principle is to stop using social media because it isn't actual communication it is just a way to interact in a way that isn't real. If you want to actually be real then you won't use social media. This will cost her money because social media is one of the main ways to get models famous. This is a great way to stand up for the fact that social media is mind controlling and taking over "real life." It is a little extreme to cut yourself completely off of social media because then you may not be up to date on all current events, but it has gotten people's attention so she's getting what she has wanted.
b. A system that will shape my society is the political system. With an election coming up soon we will have a new president of the united States, and with that comes new laws, a slightly different thought process, etc. With ever new president this happens but now that I am old enough to both understand politics and vote it is more detrimental. I will soon enough be doing my own taxes, paying bills, etc. and with our political system it will both be beneficial to me at times and be detrimental just depending on what the situation is.
c. You have to really be passionate for the topic. Without passion you won't be able to give it your all. You also must let yourself be known to the public and try to have your voice be heard through everything else going on in the world. If enough people agree with the cause you are fighting then they will join in and soon an even bigger voice will be heard. You must be strong enough to handle negatives that will come along, people fighting against or plans falling through, and you must push through the tough parts to get to higher ground.
This young woman is standing up against the idea of "perfect body image" or rather "skewed body image". She is using her beauty and influence to reach a larger audience rather than just those who long to look like her. She has so much credibility that she can use that to help promote a healthy image of one's self.
ReplyDeleteObviously, the way we portray one another and ourselves is a huge factor in how our systems run. This is detrimental to itself because it places unattainable standards for people and people develop unhealthy lifestyles and become ill.
It defiantly requires immense bravery and perseverance to stand up for your own principles if they go against those of society. Its, also an important skill to develop as we go though our education system. Ironically enough, some schools do promote standing up for principles, but when those principles are too threatening, it's no longer a promoted lesson.
This woman is standing up for something that she has deemed to be a strong principle. She is sacrificing her own monetary gain for an awareness that beauty is not confined to one image. She is considered beautiful and is using this beauty to advocate for acceptance of all types of beauty. I believe that social media will become even more influential in the near future. I think it will become one of the most powerful tools for change.
ReplyDeleteIn order to stand up for a principle, I believe that one has to have enough courage to be able to disregard what other people think. I also think that they need to be extremely confident in their own principles, so that they can risked being questioned without doubting what they stand for.
ReplyDeletea. I think that perhaps this is the best way to stand up for it because her goal seems to be to expose social media to as broad an audience as possible. Seeing as she has quite a large audience, I'd argue that her mission is being carried out pretty darn effectively.
ReplyDeleteb. I think something that will perhaps come in the future could possibly be a greater societal inclination to authenticity. Pursuit of the real and genuine has already been a fixture of counterculture for a long time, just consider hip hop, rap, and skater cultures which have been noted to scoff at those who are considered to be "posing" rather than real. Already our society is moving more and more towards the authentic and while it's pretty big now, I think it is going to get bigger as the trend increases. Events like this young woman becoming more authentic are indicators that this could possibly become even more of a presence in our daily lives. I think that as with anything, the new(er) culture will have good and bad facets, I mean, consider the Hippie movement of the 60s. Many considered hippie(ism?) to be beneficial, as it taught our society to love freely, be kind to the earth, and listen to our favorite jams. On the flip side, many accused hippie culture as being lazy, dirty, and in a constant state of drug-induced haze. For better or for worse, our society is changing, so really the only thing is to go with the flow and enjoy the ride.
c. To stand up for a principle, (I'm assuming against an already established paradigm, such as what the young woman did), it takes intense personal commitment. We have to be willing to risk becoming an outcast, one who thinks against the group, to spread our ideas because in our hearts we know what we are doing.
a. I think that perhaps this is the best way to stand up for it because her goal seems to be to expose social media to as broad an audience as possible. Seeing as she has quite a large audience, I'd argue that her mission is being carried out pretty darn effectively.
ReplyDeleteb. I think something that will perhaps come in the future could possibly be a greater societal inclination to authenticity. Pursuit of the real and genuine has already been a fixture of counterculture for a long time, just consider hip hop, rap, and skater cultures which have been noted to scoff at those who are considered to be "posing" rather than real. Already our society is moving more and more towards the authentic and while it's pretty big now, I think it is going to get bigger as the trend increases. Events like this young woman becoming more authentic are indicators that this could possibly become even more of a presence in our daily lives. I think that as with anything, the new(er) culture will have good and bad facets, I mean, consider the Hippie movement of the 60s. Many considered hippie(ism?) to be beneficial, as it taught our society to love freely, be kind to the earth, and listen to our favorite jams. On the flip side, many accused hippie culture as being lazy, dirty, and in a constant state of drug-induced haze. For better or for worse, our society is changing, so really the only thing is to go with the flow and enjoy the ride.
c. To stand up for a principle, (I'm assuming against an already established paradigm, such as what the young woman did), it takes intense personal commitment. We have to be willing to risk becoming an outcast, one who thinks against the group, to spread our ideas because in our hearts we know what we are doing.
I think that the guiding principle in this scenario is honesty. She is willing to admit that who she is on social media is not the true her and that must go against her personal values and principles if she is willing to sacrifice the money and the fame that her current life entails. However, I feel that it is empowering to see her stand up for something she feels is so inherently wrong, as our society has become so deeply and intensely fixated on the beauty and sexiness of women. Based on current events as of late, I feel that our society will become a lot more reformed and I think that true equality is on its way. With the gay rights movement and the black lives matter movement as well as the anti-societal standards of beauty movement and the large feminist movement, I think that society will soon be changing for the better as more people are realizing that everyone is different in their own way and being different is one of the best things you can be in the world. I think that in order to stand up to a principle, especially one as important as this, one must be willing to face ostracism by their peers and be accepting of the consequences. By accepting the paradigm that standing up for what you believe will be worth something, I think that anyone can do anything that they set their mind to, whether it be simple or complicated, easy or hard.
ReplyDeleteThis woman's crusade is contingent on her claim that "social media isn't real." That the promotional/consumerist nature of networks such as Instagram, which promote unrealistic body image ideals, shouldn't be used by young people to shape ideas of how their society looks and should look. The system that shapes society that she is criticizing is that of social networks, one I don't think anyone in this day and age would deny has a lot of impact in the world. I think she has a point. Consumer culture has taken over many of our social networks, Facebook is clogged with strategic campaigns, even Snapchat has found ways to promote businesses occasionally. But to say that EVERYTHING about social networks is thus bad, wrong, or even unreal is like saying that a highway littered with billboards of skinny women is no longer a real road. Social networks have a far larger impact than just promoting products. For example, 1.5 BILLION people use Facebook. There are very few things other than sleeping and eating that are so universal. Not only does this have the ability to connect the entire world, it has the ability to unite people under common causes. After the 2011 Japan Earthquake for example the organization created a campaign raising relief funds for the nation. Social networks also have begun to play a large role in politics. Many cite the involvement of Twitter in the Arab Spring as one of the reasons that movement truly took off. How powerful these networks can be in spreading ideas and movements is evidenced by governments, such as China, that deny their citizens access to such networks to keep them out of the international loop. I think this young woman is touching on a critical issue with American culture, that of obsession with consumption and the ceaseless nature of advertising, however I think that social networks provide a lot more to human kind than just the propagation of negative stereotypes.
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ReplyDeleteIn this instance, yes this seems to be the best way for this woman to stand up for her principles. Her principles are directly in conflict with social media and so therefore she is using social media to encourage awareness in other people- a great way to reach a larger audience. I applaud the bravery needed to stand up for what she believes in and knows to be true, and at the loss of monetary gain. She has experienced the toll social media can take on a person through first hand experience, and is therefore probably very passionate and qualified to bring this issue to the attention of young adults.
ReplyDeletea) The principle this girl seems to be following, is honesty. She is strong and courageous to be doing what she is, and I think it's important to recognize that, however at the same time, their is still a conflict with social media, because even though she is condemning her past actions, she is now getting more attention, which isn't necessarily a positive or negative thing.
ReplyDeleteb) The way in which individuals perceive themselves and others is one of the main systems in our current society. We choose to differentiate ourselves, and place one another in a different "category", and this can be very detrimental to our future.
c) In order to stand up for a principle, you must have willpower, strength, confidence, and true belief for what you're standing up for. It is also essential to accept the fact that not everyone is going to agree with you, you must be confident with your ideas.
I think Essena has a point, but I don't think she can blame all of social media for her unhappiness. In perspective all social media really is, is the creation of content for an audience to see. It may seem harsh but if she was on social media seeking validation through numbers, she should blame herself-not the platform. I admire her honesty and her principle of having integrity, but I don't think this was the best way of defending it. Social media is what the content creator makes of it. She didn't have to make it a game of numbers, but she did and that is why she was unhappy. Of course it feels great to post a selfie and get a bunch of "likes," but I don't let those "likes" define me.
ReplyDeleteI think she is standing up for the principle of self image. Social media skews a lot of people’s ideas of the way people should look. By totally unveiling the truth behind the pictures, it shows people how over rated her images are.
ReplyDeleteTechnology plays a big part in shaping the society that we know. People are constantly on the internet, which is pretty much an ever-growing database for people to store knowledge and opinions. Technology plays, and will continue to play, a big part in everybody's life. Computers might replace certain jobs and algorithms might become smarter than human brains.
To stand up to a principle, one needs to be an independent thinker and have the courage to broadcast their independent views. One needs to be willing to sacrifice their image to the public eye in order to show the importance of their principle.
I thought what she did was admirable, standing up against beauty standards is something a lot of people do, but not all can do it well. I once again agree with Skyler (I seem to be doing that a lot lately) in that a huge principle driving her is self image. I also think that standing up for your principles is one of the most honorable and honest things you can do. I greatly respect those who do, even if it resulted in something horrible, or they lost something because of I think it takes great courage to stand up for your morals and what you believe in. I think there are a lot of restrictions on society, but also a lot of freedoms. New political freedoms like same sex marriage, but also restrictions such as beauty standards and such.
ReplyDeletea. Major principles outlined here are morality and leadership. She, as a leader, knew the image that she was broadcasting was false and based on a lie. I believe the way in which she stood up against the issue was one of the most pragmatic ways it could be done. She, as a model, is able to say first-hand how awful her life was and how unhappy and dishonest she was being. This same story coming from a third-party ABOUT an Instagram model wouldn't carry as much weight, nor would it hit the people being affected as directly.
ReplyDeleteb. The society that I know is largely based on superficiality. This is detrimental, and to a large degree, as people are finding it more and more important to maintain a good image than to have that image represent the truth. As Mr. Christopher always says, "it is much more important to BE good than to LOOK good." This quote sticks with me, and especially in a case like this, Essena realized the importance of conveying the truth and morality over broadcasting a false but "perfect" image.
c. Often, when standing up for a principle, one must go against a common behavior or expose a certain immorality. If someone decides to stand up for a principle, this must be a certainty, and they must be prepared to fight for their beliefs. The paradigm that must be adopted while accomplishing this mission is that of steadfastness, independence, and mental (and perhaps) physical strength in standing up for their beliefs.
A) I think the main principle she is standing up for is truth. She is exposing the truth on social media and is telling people her pictures aren't real and aren't actually perfect. I think this is a good way to stand up to the "image of perfection" especially since so many of us use social media and many teens follow accounts like these. Girls and guys post these pictures of perfection that really aren't perfect at all. I really like the fact that she has made her own website Lets Be Game Changers, I feel this is really going to capture the targeted audience and expose the hidden truth that lies behind so many pictures. The fact that this is an 18 year old girl posting these pictures could be really detrimental to those struggling with body image. It is really common for teen girls to have body image issues and when these accounts are showing up on someones instagram feed, girls and guys are going to start comparing themselves to the unrealistic picture which could be really harmful.
ReplyDeleteC) It takes a lot of courage to stand up for a principle especially if it is on social media. If it is on social media where everyone in the world can see your post, it will have a lot of attention and possibly a lot of comments and disagreements with what is going on. Although it may be hard to take the criticisms for what you are standing up for, I think it is really important to stand up for what we believe no matter what. If you don't give up the campaign and you change even one perception on the subject, than you have made an improvement.
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ReplyDeletea) The principle here can be deciphered as self-image and the misconceptions that society has enforced upon physical forms of self love.
ReplyDeleteb) Our societal norms today are, unfortunately, largely influenced by social media. Whether these systems are beneficial or detrimental is a question of much debate. Take the recent terrorist attacks in Paris for example, Facebook is just one form of social media which has attempted to bring people together with their concept of the unifying French Flag Profile Picture. This action has been the source of much controversy as some people believe that this promotes media attention in the wrong areas. And that it favors some issues and some suffering as more valuable than others. The controversy, is, arguably detrimental but the movement itself is maybe beneficial.
However, this area of social media that the Instagram star has taken a stand against has more to do with societal beauty norms. Social media itself has been shown to promote self loathing, insecurity and loneliness. By the 18 year old taking a stand against the very thing which promotes these unfortunate realities, she is doing an admirable thing.
c) To stand up for a principle takes, as IB would put it, the ability to be a "risk taker" and to be swayed to feel that you are correct in your pursuit, whatever it may be. I would be interested to know what motivated this young woman to flip her own paradigm and begin advocating for the opposite of what she had previously been advocating for.
I struggled with where to find a starting place when answering the above questions. So, I did a little research, and found an article titled "Why We Fail to Change: Understanding Practices, Principles and Values is A Solution" by Pawel Brodzinski. His article focused solely on changing the work ethics in a technology-based company, but it hit on a few main points. The metaphor used to describe the levels of deciphering change was an iceberg, with the tip as the practices, the top of the submerged iceberg as principles, and the largest mass at the bottom as values. I interpreted this as follows:
ReplyDelete1) Practices are what we can see others and ourselves actually doing. Using dress code as an example, we don't have to talk to a person one on one if we see them wearing traditional garb, a school uniform, etc. The metaphor is appropriate, because the tip of the iceberg is usually out of the water.
2) Principles lie below the surface, but can easily be deciphered through conversation. Again, with the dress code, you may not know the specific occasion for traditional garb unless you talk with the person. The metaphor is again appropriate because in order to see the second portion of the iceberg, one would have to actively engage by putting their head underwater, etc.
3) Values compose the bottom of the iceberg, and an individual must be questioned or actively explored in order to truly see the bottom. Dress code- unless you truly understood the culture/ person you couldn't say from practice or principle what the meaning of the traditional garb was (without prior knowledge).
What might this mean for changing principles?
Well, in order to change a principle, a value must be altered or reinterpreted.
Then, the implications of a changed principle would be changed practices, which is where I believe, the most tension comes from. An entire shift in behavior can call certain things into question. So, in addition to altering or reinterpreting a value, an openness to practice change must be realized in order to successfully change a principle.
Essena is standing up for the idea that our society is absolutely obsessed with the idea of leading this "perfect" life and having a "perfect body to go along with it. This principle is not new to our current era of course, but with the rapid development and use of social media it has become a lot easier to promote, spread, and consume examples of these "perfect" men and women with "perfect" lives. A lot of times we're not aware of the fact that it's just not true and these people are being paid to post pretty pictures of themselves on Instagram. However, I think social media can be beneficial of course and be a great way to communicate. She may be extreme with her position in stating that social media caused all her sadness. She does take a strong stand however and this definitely may be necessary for the public to fully understand the damage social media can do. I think our society will continue to be shaped by social media as technology develops and expands. It's hard to say whether the effects of this will be more beneficial or detrimental but its safe to say social media won't be heading out the door any time soon. To stand up for a principle, like Essena did, I agree with rest of the tok fam that one needs a great deal of courage, especially now with the easy ability to comment one million negative comments all over the internet.
ReplyDeleteEssena believes that society is hyper-obsessed with the idea of not only leading a 'perfect' life within the current system, but also maintaining a 'perfect' body. Obviously, this is an easily defensible principle. Not a single person is perfect, and most people are significantly less than so. Personally, I believe that she is going the wrong way about this. I strive for perfection not only in intellectual areas I wish to achieve 'perfection' in (some of which are consistent with society's ideals), but also in terms of physical 'beauty.' However, I am fully aware I will never achieve this. My entire body is covered in moles, blemishes and scars. I believe Essena is arguing with fools--and in doing so lowers herself to their level.
ReplyDeleteb. In my opinion, there is one general 'System' that dictates the current methodologies of the world. It is highly flawed, only a piecemeal conglomeration of more successful systems throughout history. The two tenets of it are dependence (that is, lack of belief in oneself to be responsible for oneself) and bureaucracy. To coexist perfectly with the system, espouse these two ideas.
c. To stand up for principle is easy. To have consistent principles in the first place, and furthermore, to compromise those principles when necessary to achieve 'good' is what is difficult. Sure, Essena is sacrificing a lot of money. But she is also gaining a lot of publicity by being the model who 'thinks differently' and is willing to speak out. If she were willing to compromise on her principles, or hold them consistent so that another generation of young women wouldn't be held to oppressive beauty standards, that would be paramount of honor.
a. Even though this may or may not be the 'best' way to stand afar from the idea of perfection, it is certainly the most manageable and palatable not only for Essena but for many in the general population who believe in such a standard of perfection. Essena should be commended for what she has done, as it is significantly more than many, many other in her field have. To self-sacrifice in such a manner can be exceedingly difficult, and if it should benefit society then Essena is all the more heroic.
ReplyDeleteb. It is hard to argue that the current system of the world is flawed. However, every action and decision has pros and cons. Perhaps the problem is not with the system itself (as any arising system, ostensibly, would be an evolutionary advancing one) but with more minute details and factors of it. This is the dichotomy in society. Most people, political groups and governments believe that changing a few factors in the current system will be enough to ensure the system is beneficial. A few others (anarchists, libertarians, communists) believe that radical change is necessary in order to ensure real benefits from the current system. It is unclear which side is more 'right' but at least one is.
c. Standing up for principles, at least continuously and by the same principles, is incredibly difficult; if not impossible. Though not a paradigm, anyone who stands up for their principles to a significant degree must adopt a mindset of determination. Usually, standing up for one's principles lowers one's own status within society in many ways (as well as raising it in others) as even the most just of people (FDR, Thomas Jefferson, Mahatma Gandhi) propagate incredible violence (interment camps, owning slaves, beating his children). Anyone who stands up for their principles unilaterally is truly great.
No one is perfectly principled- as Koessler mentioned above. The difficulty lies in finding the line between being too principled (which makes it difficult to work cooperatively with others and accomplish things), and allowing your principles to fall too much by the wayside. In day to day life, principles can be hard to find. In my relatively limited experience I've noticed that it's very easy to be principled when the stress on your life is relatively low. As life becomes increasingly chaotic and demanding however, people are quick to abandon the very morals they once so closely adhered to. This is unavoidable. Life is messy, and there's no way to maintain a perfectly clear cut existence while truly engaging in life. I think it's commendable to a certain extent for someone to find it within themselves to stand up out of the muddle and wave their flag for something they believe in. Such a move generally gains attention, both positive and negative. It is for the fear of this very thing that people often do their best to fade into the background. It's easy for people to like someone who doesn't have anything that they fiercely believe in. There's nothing to oppose in such a person, and everything to agree with. To stand up for a principle is to make your peace with the fact that everyone will not like you. And that some people might just hate you. And to be ok with that. So obviously, it's not a very easy thing to do. But sadly, those who are too principled and unwilling to compromise often end up isolating themselves. I do not think this is a good way to go about life either. Isolation prevents the formation of relationships, and if you're not going to connect with people in one way or another, what's the point of being here in the first place? The answer to this problem lies somewhere between these two extremes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that her primary principle is honesty. She is attempting to show that people are not as flawless as they appear on social media and that social media itself cannot be trusted, to a degree. However, I'm not certain that that is entirely true. While it is true that people often post only the best pictures of themselves, is that really the point of social media in the first place? It all depends on the paradigm. I personally use social media to keep up with current events, peoples opinions (which are often quite varied), and what other people are up to. I frankly don't care if somebody posts a picture. When people post pictures of themselves and they wind their way into my feed, I usually click the "like". It doesn't really matter whether or not it's a spectacular picture, it's a "like" of respect. A lot of people hate to have their pictures taken due to low self esteem, and so they seldom post pictures of themselves unless they believe it to be near perfection. It's a "like" out of respect that they are overcoming something which is difficult in today's society, and of encouragement that they look nice, no matter their opinion. Of course, social media is becoming more and more relevant, and it gears different views toward us based upon our experience. Naturally, this does create a sort of biased news source. However, the probability that it's what one wants to hear is very high, as algorithmically it is designed to. It causes no more harm than one's bias already creates. One still sees the posts of those they know, whether they agree or disagree. I have a relative who is highly conservative. Of course I see their feed and their opinions. Ideas are only as censored and we allow them to be based upon our choices within social media. This is, of course, not to put down the work of the model. It's a hard thing to flat out state one's opinion, especially when money is on the line. It takes a belief that others do not agree, or know, of one's opinion, and the belief that they should. It's a hard thing to go out on such a limb as that, and it truly takes guts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many people above in that what she did was admirable. She realized that her original principle of what self-image should be, was wrong and went back to fix it. I also think she did this in a perfect way, she didn't accuse or correct anyone but herself and gave everyone and incite to what she thought was a better, more realistic principle of self-image. Social media is already one of the systems that is shaping our society. Through social media so many social trends and expectations are set for all age groups and many peoples principles conform to fit in with social media. This is also a big factor in why I think that what Essena did was so powerful because she was a source of the twisted body-image principles and she went directly to her own source to show how unrealistic and twisted those principles are. It also takes a big person to stand up against a principle that is a source of income and that you wholeheartedly had once believed in because you have to admit that you were wrong. She admitted that she was wrong and proceeded to help everyone to adjust their body-image standards through personal experience.
ReplyDeletePeople tend to believe everything social media presents to society about body image, which sadly means social media in a way has succeeded. Even though we are aware of photoshopping and that nearly every picture has been configured in some way, we for some reason choose to ignore this important piece of information and continue to believe that was we see is the reality. Essena, I believe, made this realization and chose to caption her pictures of what the reality truly was behind her photos, and by doing this it is a wake up call for all the women (and men), which is what I believe was her main goal.
ReplyDeletea) I think her principle is mainly honesty. I'm not sure that this is the best method to stand up for integrity, but it's a start. She's adding a smattering of reality behind the glamorous photos, and even if she may be putting her own actions down with this, she is taking a step in the right direction, and setting an example for other girls and people in general to follow behind her.
ReplyDeleteb) The social media system will shape society; it already has. It may be beneficial and detrimental, because it has the capability to connect people, but that connection is often artificial. It is almost expected now that everyone has some type of social media in which they communicate their lives. It has turned in to a social norm. It's detrimental because it separates people from actual human interaction, and closes a person in on a piece of technology that holds their most personal information. Self image is thereby promoted as instagram and snapchat and countless other avenues of social media gain popularity. Essena's pictures are proof of that.
I think that our collective responses to this story are very interesting. Many of the responses I read quickly jumped to crucify social media. The problem with these opinions is that social media does not by default promote the ideas about body image Essena originally tried to fulfill. Instagram has no bias, it is simply an avenue for society's biases to be shown. Before we criticize social media we need to realize that we, as a society are the ones who have made it how it is. We all play a small part in the way social media is used, and we all choose how we react to it. I think that social media is what we, as individuals make of it, and that attacks on social media are only reflective of our own biases.
ReplyDeleteIn the end any "system" that we see in our future will be a human creation. Although it may come to light in different forms, all systems created by humans will ultimately follow human nature. In essence I believe the true force at work behind any system is human nature. The reason there is such a body bias in social media today is because humans are physically hardwired to have this bias. In the end we are animals which have beed sculpted by survival of the fittest style evolution, and this heritage will always show through, no matter the system it is expressed in.
ReplyDeletec) I think being principled is a process that changes constantly. Depending on the environment and the people around you, you may be influenced into standing by certain principles. Its difficult to stick with them because of life's unpredictability, and different things that happen to people can alter their perspective of their principles and what they value. You have to change the paradigm to match your life, and be prepared to adjust your principles, as difficult as it is.
ReplyDeleteJonathan-
ReplyDeleteA. The principle that she seems to be standing up for is that social media is not an actual way of communicating. And this will cost her money because after all models get famous by using social media to advertise.
B. The systems that will shape our society are the systems that are popular with this generation.
C. It takes courage to stand for a principle. I think the models that it takes are those who have done it themselves and been successful.
The principle that Essena is standing up for is the truth. She previously had been broadcasting idea of perfection. Specifically for her, it was the idea of a perfect body, a perfect life, a perfect outward appearance that she displayed on Instagram for all to covet. But she is saying that this is not the truth and she is speaking out about this because she is aware that lies can hurt people. People would see the false life that Essena portrayed and would become jealous and upset that they didn't have a life like that. The truth however is much different than appearances may seem. The truth of it is that no one, not even famous instagram stars, are perfect and the notion that people are creates unnecessary grief and unattainable goals. The principle that we should all accept is the truth, because while it may sometimes be ugly, it also will set you free.
ReplyDeleteI think that what it takes to stand up for principle is the acceptance that you may lose material objects for ideologies. When you stand up for what you believe in extreme circumstances such as country’s going to war, a country can be completely destroyed. Now obviously this isn’t all cases, but if you stand up for principle you could lose things such as friends or feel exiled. To stand up for principle, one has to be willing to sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteOne system that affects society is college. To a great extent it will affect society in a positive and negative way. The benefits of college is that it helps educate people that are important for our society such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and many other professional jobs. Much university’s help fund research that helps our society. The path that many higher education schools I believe may become a strain on the society. The price of college is rising, as more and more professions are requiring a college degree. People are graduating with debt and are having a hard time paying that debt off, this can stress our society. There are now senior citizens who still have college debt. I believe this is hurting our society.
ReplyDeleteA-A- To be quiet honest I dislike people like this, I don’t think she is standing up for a principle at all. All she is doing is following a trend. It’s 2015 and the hip new thing is love yourself don’t let other people and their lives or bodies or what not get you down, social media is toxic, jazz like that. And I’m not saying that that’s a bad thing, I’m saying it’s a trend. The whole social media isn’t real thing is just a new extrapolation of a trend countless other internet or social media celebrities are doing. And I totally understand how pretentious I sound like “Oh look at her following a trend”, but what I’m trying to get at is that I have a certain distain towards individuals who try to market something as a new thing when it’s not. Given her past as an Instagram model she was no doubt aware of trends because she followed them. She is not doing anything new. Another thing is this declaration of social media not portraying real life is highly unnecessary, we all have social media we all know that photos are staged most of the time.
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ReplyDeleteB-I think that in the age my generation is living in social media is a rather large system that is shaping society. I believe that social media is shaping society in both a beneficial and detrimental way. One on side social media, Facebook to be exact, is the leading factor in youth migration. Migration leads to massive benefits such as developing or aiding an economy and diversifying a community. It allows people for all different cultures and walks of life to come together and interact. This lets us get deeper insight into the cultures, opinions, view points, and languages of other peoples. Though on the other side of this system there are detriments, communities loose young people and part of their workforce, the economic abilities are reaped elsewhere, people are losing bits and pieces of their language and culture as the world globalizes.
ReplyDeleteThis model is doing something refreshing in my opinion. I believe that by valuing principles over money is something that has become increasingly rare in today's society. People now days are driven by their greed and this leads to the disregarding of family values or personal principles.
ReplyDeleteTo stand up for a principle, one must feel strongly about that topic. This passion will lead the person to value this principle over distractions such as greed, power, or conforming to social norms. Also, they must be strong minded to resist those distractions.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this is becoming a more common topic of discussion as more people are realizing how trying to create the perfect Instagram can be degrading. However, no one has really done anything about it or made it a point to publicize it; especially not someone who has such a successful and trending Instagram. I feel like it is pretty powerful that she didn't only notice how unhealthy it was to create a facade of a life, but also that she was willing to change her entire image and reputation that thousands of people had of her and tell them that she was lying to them. I believe she is standing up for the principle of integrity and self worth by not lying to herself or others anymore. Although there are several other ways to address this principle, I think she did a good job within the context of correcting what she had already created.
ReplyDeleteI believe the systems that shape our society are the ones that are most popular; most seen. Television is a colossal source of information however it is becoming more and more unreliable. It seems like all are trying to create a facade, like Essena was, of anything they are creating to match their bias or societal norms. Since many of the policies and regulations on what true information is and what can be broadcasted can be very vague it is easy to share false, yet maybe more interesting information. This previously id not beneficial as it creates a society where it is hard to find the truth. However, as more and more people have video cameras and phones, it is easier for true, first person accounts to be recorded and shared. Although powerful media corporations can still have control over what becomes shared or popular.
ReplyDeleteThe principle that the model could possibly be promoting is the principle of truth. Through social media, humans create a façade, making people believe that said person’s life is perfect and better than it actually is in reality. By attempting to remove these societal perceptions of social media, this ‘model’ is giving users of social media the opportunity to realize that this is largely just a faced, that social media is mainly only a tool to portray the best of someone’s life, be that true images or artificially created ones. One main system that I feel will shape society in the future and has shaped it immensely in the past is perceptions of others in society. This can be beneficial for some people, as they use these perceptions to form a unique identity and feel like they are one of a kind in the world. Largely though, these perceptions will have and have had a negative impact on the general populous. These perceptions will make people conform to certain societal norms, outside of what that person will do normally.
ReplyDeleteI feel like most times a person stands up for a principle, the reason they are ‘standing up for it’ is because someone else has opposed it or has challenged it. This means that by standing up for the principle, the person will be judged by the human(s) that think differently and will positively be viewed negatively by this crowd. In order to accomplish this task, I think that it is necessary for one to temporarily disregard the thoughts of the others and for a brief moment narrow their mind and not accept anything but that principle. To stand up for something, one has to not budge on that stance, meaning that it is essential for that person to become almost stubborn and unbending, becoming unwilling to accept any other alternative idea under the premise that the other ideas will compromise the initial principle the person is standing up for in the first place.
ReplyDeletea) The principle that she seems to be standing up takes a stance against popularity in a consumerist sense. She exposes the truth behind her pictures on Instagram, removing the facade of beauty, and for many people, envy. Her way of exposing the reality behind her photos makes her seem more human and relatable. Social media is a website that makes people self critical and self aware so I think that she is doing a lot of good by taking a stance against society's unrealistic expectations of beauty.
ReplyDeleteb) A pertinent system that shapes the society we know is public opinion. Opinions drive people to make decisions that they wouldn't otherwise. For example, fashion trends only exist because of public opinion. People's views on current events are skewed by the views of their peers or parents. Public opinion can control one's opinion of others and one's opinion of themselves. Laws, norms, and ethics are all defined by public opinion. This system can be both good and bad in relation to society as a whole. It creates a paradigm that a majority agrees on, but also may limit one's ability to stand out as an individual.
c) To stand up for an opinion, one needs to be willing to go against public opinion. Doing this will make them visible and exposed in the eyes of the public. It takes courage and self-discipline to stand up for an opinion that the public sees as strange or abnormal. One can't be afraid to defend their principles from other's ideas. Despite all of these challenges, contradicting public opinion creates greater awareness for certain paradigms, and if done successfully, can bring such opinions into the flow of popular belief.
I might have a fairly different stance on this than the rest of the class. The stance on body image that is. While I do agree that yes, it is bad for social media and magazine covers and billboards to set an unachievable standard for how a body should look, I believe that the way to "positive body image" is at home. If you take anything on social media as the way things should be, you aren't very smart. Yes, facebook has connected the world and is a hige deal, but most of the content on the website itself is complete bullshit. Clickbait. Screaming for attention. The road to confidence in oneself needs to star with the examples set by parents. Parents should talk to their kids about their bodies, and how they should put very little worth into what they look like as ling as theu are healthy and functioning. If people are getting all of their body influence from the internet, they aren't very smart. I know that for some reason, men and women have to be different when it comes to these things, but if I see some dude on facebook who's ripped, with pecks the size of my head, and perfect white teeth, and amazing hair, I don't get all down on myself about my body. My parents taught me young that that wasn't at all important. And whats more, I'm a strong enough person to be able to categorize what is not necessarily worth my time in desiring, and what I should actually be doing to make myself feel better about myself. If I feel out of shape, I'll go work out, I'm not doing it to look like Channing Tatum. Screw Channing Tatum, I hope he has fun in the gym, and I hope he enjoys the way his edited photos look on magazine covers. This is a society of blaming others. Hold yourself accountable occasionally for how you feel about yourself. Be strong enough to categorize good influences, and bad influences, and be smart enough to know the difference.
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