With recent technologies, the ability to photograph and film every aspect of life is at our fingertips. Scrapbooks and photo albums that were once dedicated to a full year's activities are now divided into monthly photos because the amount taken has increased. Facebook albums are uploaded more frequently, and photos are not simply taken at significant events, but just throughout everyday life.This boom in photography and film has spiked the interest of children of younger ages, making them more susceptible to negative side affects. In this article published by the New York Times, the amount of photos taken of children in today's society is questioned. My little cousin is obsessed with my phone, constantly asking me to take pictures and videos of her on it. But is this preoccupation with personal photos reason for concern? According to the article it may appear to be beneficial that a child become aware of his or herself in relation to others, but many studies have shown that this self-awareness can also lead to self-consciousness and a host of other problems, from anxiety to vanity.
According to Dr. Alain Morin, a psychologist from Mount Royal University, "frequently being photographed and filmed likely induces self-awareness and thus self-evaluation, self-criticism, and may lead to other aversive consequences." Along with these issues, children constantly being filmed increases the likely hood for personality disorders because children, and adults, tend to behave differently in front of a camera.
I definitely living in a digital era makes younger children more self-conscious. Anything could potentially end up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, so it has become culture to always look "camera-ready" when you leave your bedroom , no matter where you go. You'll never know when your friend may "mupload" a picture onto Facebook, or post a photo on Instagram. While an embarrassing picture to someone our age will be easily laughed off in a few days, to a 7th grader it may be the end of the world. It can spike feelings of self-consciousness or insecurity, which can cause problems down the road as the tween develops in high school. I think pictures are also influencing what children find appropriate; my 22-year old cousin found it inappropriate to post a bikini-photo as her profile picture, yet I see freshmen posing in their default like they are victoria's secret models.
ReplyDeleteAnother issue can stem from constantly photographing children. While my mom definitely took her fair share of pictures of me when I was younger, today my little cousin is overly demanding when it comes to pictures. Whenever she sees a camera, she wants all the attention. And her parents give it to her, snapping photos on cameras and iPhones every few minutes. Sure,it's cute for a three year old, but she could turn into attention-hungry 11 year old--which wouldn't be cute at all.
I think the situation works in both ways; camera attention can make younger children more insecure, pressing them to feel like they always need to look good in front of a camera, but oppositely to make them demanding to be the center of attention.
I agree with Christina , I think that living today with constant access to cameras can make children more self aware. I am guilty of taking countless photos of my two little cousins, ages five and three, and I have also witnessed them taking countless pictures and videos of themselves. I have noticed that recently, they have learned how to pose and have become more interested in seeing the pictures rather than just taking them.
ReplyDeleteAnother issue regarding cameras is reality TV shows that feature parents and their children. When John and Kate Plus 8 first aired on TLC, parents were bothered by the exploitation of the children and believed that they would behave differently in front of cameras and especially after viewing themselves on television. Another example of this is The Real Housewives of New Jersey, the young children on the show, especially the female Guidice children. The girls are all attention seeking divas and their mother has even admitted that they act differently after being filmed and are especially concerned with their appearance. I think that the desire to capture every moment of a child's life on camera is innocent however the repercussions can include increased self awareness and self consciousnesses.
I agree with both Cristina and Val. I personally think that with the invention of new technology, it has become a lot easier to take pictures. No one needs to carry around a big, heavy camera anymore because she can just use her phone. Once the pictures are on the phone, they can be uploaded virtually anywhere. Pictures that you may be embarrassed of can be sent to friends or social networking sites. I think that this has an effect on children's self esteem. If an embarrassing picture is posted, they may feel bad about themselves. A low self esteem can cause a multitude of effects on a person.
ReplyDeleteEven though it may be handy to always have a camera, the constant need to take pictures has become a problem in society today. People of all ages act fake in front of the camera and learn how to pose. They become obsessed with their appearance because they fear that they will be judged. The pool I work at over the summer is filled with little kids. All of the kids always come over by the lifeguards and take pictures of themselves on the lifeguards phone. They are becoming obsessed with "looking good" in front of the camera. As these kids get older, they will constantly want to look good in front of other people.
I agree that the amount of pictures taken has drastically increased since I was little. I have a few photo albums filled with pictures of me and my siblings from when we were little, but my younger cousins have hundreds of photos posted all over Facebook and most of them are under the age of 10.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I noticed is as you get older most people either hate pictures or they love them. You have the girls who are always behind the camera rather than in the pictures. Then there are the girls who are always front and center no matter the occasion. What does this say about those people? Do you think the ones behind the camera hate pictures because they are self conscious? I would bet they are. Even girls who are in the pictures are constantly checking their hair, making sure their shirt is right, and then checking to see if the picture is "Facebook worthy". I've watched my friends fight over their iphones to delete pictures because they were terrified the embarrassing picture would end up on Facebook.
If this is the reaction to mass amount of pictures that our generation has, I can't imagine what the reaction of the younger generation will be.
I agree that living in today's day and age is like living in a digital scrapbook. Everything we do is documented- from pictures, videos, even our thoughts. I really do think the ability to self-analyze and criticize ourselves is an extremely negative practice. Sometimes, I find myself looking through my timeline at pictures or videos on my Facebook wall from years ago. I can't tell you how often I think "Oh, I'm embarrassing" or even "Wow, I suck". I say it jokingly (for the most part) but there's a truth to it.
ReplyDeleteCandid photos, classic "tween" photoshoots, and videos to our "bffls" come back to haunt all of us. It seems like instead of dismissing these as simple childhood acts of the past, we obsess over how "weird" we were. The more we point out the negative, the more of a toll it takes on our self-esteem. There are very few times that I see a picture and mentally take note of how great I look, and that translates to how I picture myself. The more we document, the more we self-analyze, and the more damage it does to our self-image.
While I disagree with society's desire to document everything, I don't feel that it impacts our self esteem in a negative way. A few weeks ago I went to a concert in Central Park. There were plenty of fists up in the air, but it was not because they were fist pumping. They were so preoccupied with taking pictures and filming the concert that I'm sure that the full effect was lost on them. In that sense, our constant digital scrapbooking impacts us negatively in the sense that it takes away from our overall experience as human beings.
ReplyDeletePersonally, looking back at old photographs and watching old videos, BOOSTS my self esteem. I used to be very clumsy, awkward, and not put together. I have changed drastically over the years and looking back on all of those things reminds me where I came from and how much I've developed. It makes me feel better about my modern self and I think that's important. It is important to remember where we came from. My brother was the last of three children and there is hardly any documentation of his childhood because my parents had "been there, done that" and I feel like that's a shame. He'll never be able to watch his first soccer game or his first bath and those are all huge pieces of who we are in a strange way.
I agree that this world of documenting everything with photos and videos creates a cause for concern. Like Kasey said, constantly taking pictures and videos of events and gatherings takes away from the experience as a whole. I notice that when I prepare for a party or for event where I assume photos are being taken, I put in extra effort to make sure I am "camera ready" so I won't have to worry about a gross photo of me going up on Facebook or Instagram.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the availability of camera phones and webcams to children also has a negative effect on their self-esteem. Just the other day I took a picture of my friend's 7 year old sister. After seeing the photo of herself, she attested "Ew, I look gross!" and asked me to retake the picture. When I was 7 years old, I didn't even give a second thought about my appearance. All I was concerned about was playing at the park with my friends and having enough time in the day to attend to my Barbie dolls. Taking pictures and videos have almost replaced dolls and action figures as the newest toy or plaything for children, and it is clear to see how this can have a negative affect on their self-esteem. I think there should be more of an emphasis on children to focus on other things like playing with dolls and friends rather than playing with the camera phone.
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ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the whole fascination of documentation in this "digital age" is slowly consuming our happiness. As others said, the whole effect of an experience is lost on those who spend the entire time with their iPhone (or worse, iPad) up in the air, clicking away. The omnipresence of thing like social networks and digital photography has only made it easier to feel the need to live up to a persona, as well as look up to a certain snuff. Fun fact: I work as a freelance makeup artist as my side job and my number-one request from the clients I work on is a tie between looking "Kim Kardashian-y" or "camera ready". Even the makeup products I buy have the words "photofinish", "HD", or even "photo perfection" on the labels. I find the constant need people feel to always look perfect and documentable to be ridiculous, and also deterrent from the actual experience. I personally HATE stopping mid-action to be photographed, but I know many people live for it, and that's not their fault. Whether it's the pressure of social media or even the aptly- named makeup products geared toward a professional, Photoshopped appearance, society forces us into insecurity and criticism, even if we don't notice it outright.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little torn over the issue. While I think there is a POSSIBILITY that constant documentation can corrupt children, I don't think that's what happens to the majority of people. My two year old niece, Remy, loves it when I take pictures and videos of her on my phone. She'll pull out my phone and point to the screen, saying "see Remy please!" When I show her her picture or play back a video for her, she gets excited because she recognizes herself. As a curious two year old, I highly doubt this is out of insecurity or vanity - it's just a cool toy and it's exciting when she can see her own image on my phone.
ReplyDeleteI think what it essentially comes down to is how parents teach their children about virtual documentation. If parents are careful to only use photos and videos for fun and to catch a cute moment by their child, I really don't see a problem. It is when parents allow their children to think that it is okay to be vain and self-absorbed that the problems arise. Ultimately, it comes down to how it is presented to children by their parents. While constant digital documentation can have negative effects, in and of itself it is not a negative thing.
When I think about kids in this digital era, I immediately look to the second and third graders who have cell phones. At that age, what could you possibly actually need a phone for? My parents did not allow me or my siblings to get a phone until after we graduated eighth grade. And I won't lie, I whined and complained how I was "the only one" without a phone, however looking back as well as reading this post, I realize it is a good thing. Those grade school years are crucial in development, especially when the smallest things like an embarrassing photo seem life ending. If we are giving phones to kids that young, they are immediately going to become engrossed with their cyber image. Like someone else said, we might laugh at a bad photo but to younger, more immature kids, that tagged picture could cause serious psychological damage if they are over-concerned with their image. Bullying with pictures has also become rampant because it is so much easier to spread a photo on one of the many social media sites. This could lead to suicidal thoughts and depression at such a tender age. Or it could lead to destructive behavior.
ReplyDeleteA specific and extremely sad example is the story of Amanda Todd, a girl who went on video chat websites where she was called "beautiful." In seventh grade, she flashed another viewer, and the man who had the pictures used it to harass her by sending it to her school and friends. She moved multiple times but the pictures kept following her. She eventually and sadly committed suicide. If she had not been so concerned with her image, she possibly would not have felt the need to be reassured online. Here is a link of a youtube video she posted a couple weeks before her death explaining her entire story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRxfTyNa24A
I definitely think that we should be concerned with the fact that we feel the need to document everything since it is beginning to affect younger children. The fact that the 3-year-old child of the author of the article constantly asks to look at pictures of herself on his phone is a huge problem. A 3-year-old should not be concerned about what she looks like in pictures. If children these days are concerned about what they look like in pictures at such a young age, they are going to grow up to be extremely self-conscious. The part in the article where the author talked about how his daughter put her arm around her one-year-old brother just because she wanted a cute picture to be taken stood out to me. Nowadays, people do things just for the sake of having nice pictures to look at later, not because that is actually what was happening at the moment. Parents should try to limit taking so many pictures of their children's adorableness because they are becoming too self concerned about how they look and what they are doing in all of them. These children are going to grow up so self-conscious, as if teenagers these days are not already self-conscious enough when they compare themselves to other teenagers.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the video that Ashley posted and all I have to say is WOW. I do not believe that middle school kids or even younger should have phones, Facebook or twitter. I received my first phone in 5th grade but that was only because I played 3 sports and I needed to reach my mom if there was any problems with practice. Other than that, I do not believe that kids should have a phone under 5th grade. They are still young and should want to enjoy the moments of playing outside and being a kid before they have to grow up. They should leave the picture taking for their parents for special occasions. I am all for taking fun webcam photos but I do not believe it is necessary for middle school kids to be posting pictures for people to comment on. During the middle school days, many kids are very awkward and are just going through puberty so they are not used to their body. Uploading a picture and having people comment on how you look will not make things better. This will also result in low confidence. Young teens and probably most young adults cannot accept someone making fun of them and just brush it off their shoulders. Small little comments do have an effect one the mindset of a developing teenager. Documenting pictures at a young age is unnecessary and young kids should enjoy their youth while it last.
ReplyDeleteI watched Ashley's video and wow, what a horrible story. It is scary to think one picture could literally ruin a person's entire life. I do think photos are fine in moderation. They help preserve memories and are fun to look through. However, I think less is more. I personally would much rather one or two special photos from an event than a hundred poses and shots from one day. It just is not necessary to over do it. I also agree that photos are very hard during the middle school years. Like Taylor said, it is a very awkward time for people and kids can be really cruel. I think photos definitely have a very negative self-esteem effect on these ages in particular. I noticed it just the other day with my cousin. My cousin is 12 and was always a tomboy and someone that could care less with looks, grin for the camera, look goofy, etc. Now that she's in middle school though, I see a difference. She gives a smaller smile and shrinks back a little from the camera. I think that it is very difficult to see yourself in that transition period and cameras make it all the more difficult.
ReplyDeleteI have actually seen the video that Ashley posted about Amanda Todd before and it's actually horrifying how these things happen to people. While this girl did make a huge mistake, if someone were to have helped her, the end result might not have been as tragic. In response to Julia's article, I do think that the increase in photography and film over the years has been negatively affecting our society. Sometimes when I go on Instagram, I see the accounts of my friends' younger siblings who are in fourth or fifth grade and it makes me wonder what possessed them to begin using this type of social-networking site at such a young age. In my opinion, children of this generation are being exposed to and influenced by society much too early. By being so concerned about pictures and taking personal photos, they are going to become more self-conscious and maybe even depressed if they try to compare photos of themselves with their peers'. The effects of picture-taking are similar to the effects of Facebook on teens because people become too focused on having superiority over their friends. With photography and film becoming a daily trend in children's lives, our society is surely going to need some help in relieving peoples' depression and obsession with self-criticism very soon.
ReplyDeleteI understand how the preoccupation with taking and sharing pictures can stem into problems with self-esteem. So many of the pictures people take are to make themselves seem pretty, interesting, or fun. There are pictures all over Facebook of exotic vacations and wild parties. At events like football games and sleepovers, we feel the need to document how much fun we're having, as if to prove to the rest of the world that it happened. People can become so wrapped up in controlling the way they are perceived that they forget how the perceive themselves. They compare themselves to others' pictures they see. This is an unhealthy practice and can contribute to low self-esteem. And when the youngest generation is growing up constantly being photographed, they are at great risk of low self esteem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gabbie in that younger kids are becoming too obsessed with materialistic appearances and how the world sees them. When I was a kid, I can't remember ever looking in the mirror or caring about what other people thought of me. We all just enjoyed our lives, our friends, our games, and whatever our little world gave to us. Now, seeing the massive influence photos have on the adult world, kids are quickly becoming more aware of their appearance.
ReplyDeleteParents are even documenting every little tidbit of their children's lives, ruining the magic of being a kid. I only have a couple pictures from when I was a child, all from the most special moments in my young life. The important events were all captured and the few photographs I have bring back all the best memories. In our generation, parents are taking pictures of everything their kids do on their iPhones and with digital cameras, from swinging on a swing to eating pudding. I'm guilty of taking endless shots of my own little cousins, puppies, and even just with my friends, "just in case" I forget what they look like or for whatever crazy reason. This constant need to document our lives is ruining the preciousness of "moments," which are not meant to be lived over and over, but rather only once. Pictures are great to bring back memories, but can never re-create the real thing, no matter how hard we try.
While I don’t see anything wrong with taking a few pictures of your child and documenting their younger years, I think that posting these pictures to places like Facebook and Twitter can negatively affect them. Once you post a picture online, it can't be taken back. I think that when the children get older they will be angry or upset that their parents posted these pictures without their permission. Also, I think constantly taking pictures of your child with your phone and posting them online causes the child to always be concerned with how they look and trying to find ways to take a “good picture”. I have seen many children who waste their time posing for and taking pictures, because that is what they have been taught to do. I think people need to spend more time enjoying the present moments and rely on their memories instead of constantly taking pictures.
ReplyDeleteAs much as having too many photos can be a bad thing, it can also be very beneficial. Throughout high school I was always the one with the camera in my group of my friends. Sometimes I would take over 100 photos from one day and make a new Facebook album. I guess back then I was a mother I would be considered one of those moms that take a million pictures of their children to "capture every moment". But as time went on, I started taking less and less pictures at events. As Caroline said, less is more. A couple good shots from an event is worth it. But I think these people now who are constantly digitally scrap booking their lives and their children's lives will calm down over time and become more selective in their photos. Everything is okay in moderation, so I think these parents will realize that soon and their children will not be that negatively affected.
ReplyDeletePictures do hold memories and there is no reason why a few shouldn’t be taken but there is the difference between keeping memories and not even living the memories. Some people are so wrapped up with taking pictures that they never put the camera down and actually live it. I am guilty of this sometimes and when I go back to look at the thousands of pictures I took that day there are usually only a handful of good ones. I think the key is to keep everything in moderation. Taking pictures of kids isn’t bad as long as you are not acting like paparazzi.
ReplyDeleteI find it extremely interesting that the article brought up the fact that people constantly on film may develop personality disorders because they act different on camera. My uncle always had the video camera because that’s what he did for a living; but he brought that over to the family and also taped many events. My cousins all grew up acting in local plays, I don’t know if it has anything to do with it but it would be interesting to look at. The oldest, being exposed to the camera the most, went to college for acting. Living behind the camera as a child may have influenced those life choices and her personality.
There is definitely nothing wrong with taking a few memorable shots of kids, but there is a fine line between taking a few cute pictures and documenting every moment of a child's life, to the point where they become vain. I have family members who post pictures of their kids onto their facebook pages, but it isn't too excessive and I don't think it is harming the kids in any way. However, posting pictures of kids can easily go overboard, and young children have become more and more interested in taking pictures of themselves for many people to see. It has become very common for kids as young as middle or even elementary school to have facebook pages or instagram and post several photos of themselves in hopes to get likes or comments. They are at an awkward age where it is understandable that they want to be liked and thought of as pretty, but technology takes that a step further to the point where it becomes dangerous. These kids are simply too young to deal with the repercussions of posting an inappropriate photo online, and they can easily make such bad decisions. They should not have so much access to this technology, and parents should monitor their use of these photo-sharing sites. My cousin who is only 9 years old recently went around to everyone at my family party showing us the new picture she posted of herself to instagram. I realized that this is so common among girls her age, and this behavior could easily lead to bad decisions. It's a shame that young girls today are so entertained with photos and technology, and I think it's important for parents not to get their children into the habit of admiring their own photos online.
ReplyDeleteAs technology progresses, it becomes more and more integrated into people’s lives, and each generation is forced to assimilate to new lifestyles that involve those advances. This is especially true in regards to photography and the modern day youth, seeing as more and more young kids are getting Facebook accounts. The fact that almost every thirteen year old now has a profile creates the pressure to take more pictures, which are taken knowing that they will be posted to Facebook and shared with friends. Developing teenagers are forced to be active participants in the world of documenting, where they feel the pressure to always look their absolute best for their appearances are put under microscopes to be scrutinized by other kids.
ReplyDeleteDue to higher resolution phone cameras, almost everyone is a member of Twitter and/or Instagram in order to quickly snap and share people and activities of their lives. We all apart of this societal phase of documentation, even adults, who feel the need to constantly post photos of their young children. I agree that parents’ desires to document every moment of their child looking cute does instill the need to be “photo ready” at an early age; however, I see it primarily as an implementation of self awareness, rather than self consciousness. Perhaps it is a good thing for children to see photos of themselves so they develop an awareness of what they look like and how they present themselves. On the lines of what Stephanie mentioned earlier, I never had a true awareness of my appearance until I was at least thirteen, which is when I became very self conscious. Although puberty obviously plays a role in developing a low self esteem, my point is that maybe if I took more pictures and actually looked at them afterward, I would be more aware and as a result, more accepting of the way I looked.
I agree with exactly what Devon said about pictures taking away from living memories- I love photography as much as the next person, and I think it's amazing to look back on things and be able to have such vivid memories of some of the best times of my life, but when it gets in the way of allowing people to live, it becomes too much, which is why I completely believe that kids having their picture taken or taking a picture every second, it's completely detrimental to their growth, and their childhood. Kids will never learn to just be themselves and be "in the moment" (there was really no way to avoid using a cliche or two for this post) if they're constantly stuck behind a screen, thinking of what the rest of the world might think of such a moment. I know that, while I have loads of pictures of fun times as a kid, some of the best times I had would have completely lost their charm if I had a picture of that time, or if I'd been stuck focusing on posting a picture rather than just enjoying whatever it is I was doing.
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