HW 1: Photography, Selfies, and Cindy Sherman

The rapid growth in social media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and more have affected the way photography has perceived itself. Originally, a photo immersed its viewers of the good times the person(s) in the picture are having. However, the scrutiny on the number of likes an uploaded photo can obtain has perpetuated the pressure of trying to become popular in the world of media. This is what Cindy Sherman is referring to in the New York Times article “Cindy Sherman Takes Selfies (as Only She Could) on Instagram”. She emphasizes certain body features with the use of different filters to show the deception of what is popularly known as the selfie. Although selfies presents the user the chance to show off their prized facial and body features, Cindy Sherman believes the smiles published disguise the true way many feel about their own selves. She encourages her audience to abandon the unwritten rules of what is “post worthy” to appreciate their own physical presence and expose a major concern for many young adults and teenagers which is the evolving demands of social media. In the phrase “a picture describes a thousand words” does not highlight the most important one, which is self-pity.