Blog post #1: Fake it til you make it


Hi everyone! My name is Jamie Ogrodnick, I am a third year communications major. A technology in Canada that I find interesting, that is now used across multiple popular social media platforms, is the use of screen filters that alter the appearance of what is captured on one’s cellphone camera. Filters are now an option when opening the camera function directly beside the capture button on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, for example. The effects of these filters can put a full face of makeup on an individual or add goofy effects over top of one’s image or video. What I find interesting about this is how the use of these filters can change the recipient’s perception of the image or video entirely, in either a positive or negative way, yet we are often ignorant to recognize the affects of their falsities and altercations. I believe these filters contribute to the way that people interact with and react to social media regularly as they are capable of making us feel happy, silly, sad or even insecure. In the above image there are a few examples of social media filters. Why do you think they have become a standard application across most popular social media platforms over the past five or so years?

Comments

  1. Victoria BearaSeptember 21, 2022 at 8:59 AM

    Hi Jamie, I enjoyed reading your post as I, too, find the concept of filters interesting. However, I am not exactly sure why they have become a standard application across most popular social media platforms, as there may be many reasons. Personally, I think it's an issue and creates more harm than good. As you said, I believe it establishes emotions of happiness, silly, sad and insecurity, which is why people would feel the need to use them. I also think that they have become so normalized through influencers and public figures using them that the only way to achieve this fabricated look is through filters. We as an audience have identified many photoshop fails that have led influencers to come out and admit to their use of filters and photo editing. Yet, they continue to do it. I understand the use of filters when they are used in the sense of fun, but I'm afraid I have to disagree when they are used to create an entirely different identity and pass it off as their own. Overall great post!

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  2. Ashley Di PernaSeptember 22, 2022 at 11:53 AM

    Social media filters is not something that I often think too hard about, probably because I do not have Snapchat and that is the primary site where they are used. I think the main reason that people use a filter depends greatly on the type of filters. Filters that are obvious and over-the-top (ie dog filter, baby face, gender swap) are used for fun and because its trendy. Meanwhile, filters that are more subtle (ie ones that make skin look smoother) are used to make people feel more confident and pretty when they take a photo. The first type of filter doesn't really have any negative side effects, but the second type can make others feel insecure when they compare themselves, especially if they are younger social media users who may not be aware that a filter is being used.

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