Hyperdrive into an unknown reality
With the push to go forward and progress as a society the emergence of more advanced technology has advanced with us.
within the recent 19 years we have gone from buying DVDS at our local Videoezy to having any movie within a click of a button on the internet.
The immersion of new online social interactions allows for more people to get into contact with each other and as society has adapted to this new ability so have peoples online identities. New technologies allow people to design their preferred and desired face or body. Apps like Facetune allow people to distort their real faces into their own hyper-real perception of their desired outcome.
This raises a question of when does it go too far? When can how much can people change of themselves before its too much? psychology professor Dr Alex Jones claims that photoshopping images can "Damage the way people think of themselves" (Morgan, 2019). The outcome of these apps is creating a hyper-reality online of what people are creating themselves to look like, which has a domino effect on people who are observing these pictures and creating an unhealthy mental image of what is now the "norm" and comparing themselves to it.
John Searle's theory of social reality deconstructs everyday life and how majority of its components are in fact virtual (Danaher, 2017). He explains how the construct of money, rights e.c.t. are all already "virtual" in nature, online personalities would also come under this construct. the way certain people want themselves perceived is how we see them online. This explains the online hyper reality that we experience which becomes detrimental to our societal beauty standards. The detrimental effects that this virtual reality will create on society is the problem where society cant tell the difference between real and fake (a hyper-reality), the beauty standards and wanting to achieve continual happiness due to people observing that exact reality online only creates a perceived reality in the persons mind which is why the hyper-reality online is becoming dangerous. Children who feel "ugly" due to online standards are more likely to eat unhealthily and also disengage in physical activity which creates a strain on the health care system due to those children having an unhealthy mental reality of their bodies thus leading to risk taking behaviours such as drinking and drug abuse.
Children growing up with an unlimited amount of social media feel constantly on watch and feel pressured to portray a certain online alias. with the image obsessed new generation we are teaching children to place their mental efforts into body image rather than their social life, studies and physical abilities (Ramsey, 2014). So with all this pressure to perform in a certain way in a society that cannot tell the difference between reality and hyper-reality online it is becoming a toxic and harmful environment for younger generations.
As a community helping younger generations distinguish between hyper-reality and reality can help with a more healthy relationship between the internet and societies mental wellbeing before we progress into even more advanced online technology.
references
Danaher, J. (2017, September 18). The reality of virtual reality: A philosophical analysis. Retrieved from https://ieet.org/index.php/IEET2/more/Danaher20170918
Morgan, Z. (2019, January 27). Behind the apps: Why we want to look different online. The BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-46048102
Ramsey, M. (2014, September). Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/meaghan_ramsey_why_thinking_you_re_ugly_is_bad_for_you/transcript?language=en
Solon, O. (2018, March 9). FaceTune is conquering Instagram – but does it take airbrushing too far? The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/mar/09/facetune-photoshopping-app-instagram-body-image-debate
within the recent 19 years we have gone from buying DVDS at our local Videoezy to having any movie within a click of a button on the internet.
The immersion of new online social interactions allows for more people to get into contact with each other and as society has adapted to this new ability so have peoples online identities. New technologies allow people to design their preferred and desired face or body. Apps like Facetune allow people to distort their real faces into their own hyper-real perception of their desired outcome.
(Morgan, 2019)
John Searle's theory of social reality deconstructs everyday life and how majority of its components are in fact virtual (Danaher, 2017). He explains how the construct of money, rights e.c.t. are all already "virtual" in nature, online personalities would also come under this construct. the way certain people want themselves perceived is how we see them online. This explains the online hyper reality that we experience which becomes detrimental to our societal beauty standards. The detrimental effects that this virtual reality will create on society is the problem where society cant tell the difference between real and fake (a hyper-reality), the beauty standards and wanting to achieve continual happiness due to people observing that exact reality online only creates a perceived reality in the persons mind which is why the hyper-reality online is becoming dangerous. Children who feel "ugly" due to online standards are more likely to eat unhealthily and also disengage in physical activity which creates a strain on the health care system due to those children having an unhealthy mental reality of their bodies thus leading to risk taking behaviours such as drinking and drug abuse.
Children growing up with an unlimited amount of social media feel constantly on watch and feel pressured to portray a certain online alias. with the image obsessed new generation we are teaching children to place their mental efforts into body image rather than their social life, studies and physical abilities (Ramsey, 2014). So with all this pressure to perform in a certain way in a society that cannot tell the difference between reality and hyper-reality online it is becoming a toxic and harmful environment for younger generations.
As a community helping younger generations distinguish between hyper-reality and reality can help with a more healthy relationship between the internet and societies mental wellbeing before we progress into even more advanced online technology.
references
Danaher, J. (2017, September 18). The reality of virtual reality: A philosophical analysis. Retrieved from https://ieet.org/index.php/IEET2/more/Danaher20170918
Morgan, Z. (2019, January 27). Behind the apps: Why we want to look different online. The BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-46048102
Ramsey, M. (2014, September). Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/meaghan_ramsey_why_thinking_you_re_ugly_is_bad_for_you/transcript?language=en
Solon, O. (2018, March 9). FaceTune is conquering Instagram – but does it take airbrushing too far? The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/mar/09/facetune-photoshopping-app-instagram-body-image-debate
Hey Bethany, this is a wonderful blog that highlights and describes the effects of Photoshop and virtual reality on a person. I find the correlation made between the 'idealized norm' to the average person quite interesting.
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