This week’s Workshop chat revolved around the topic of ‘Authenticity On Social Media’. Here are some of my thoughts:

1) On Facebook/Snapchat/Instagram/whatever – image trumps authenticity
These narcissistic platforms are solely used by teens and young adults to construct a grossly fictionalised and ideal version of themselves that they think people will be impressed by. Well guess what, I see through you all.

2) Twitter has integrity
Kind of… well, at least in comparison to other social media sites. Twitter prioritises personal opinions rather than personal aesthetic. And I would rather read some dumb opinion than look at some photo you keep shoving down my throat.

3) Free speech is the best thing about social media
I was shocked that my classmates thought saying whatever the hell you want is the “worst” thing about social media. It is by far the best. Why are people afraid of ideas? If they’re stupid, ignore them. And what is with everyone always complaining that nobody is hearing their precious and important “voice”? This could not be further from the truth; today, everybody has a voice. Everybody. And it is annoying as hell. But this is what social media is all about!

4) Tumblr is a cesspool full of pseudo-hipsters/intellects/artists/activists
Need I say more?

Using Edward De Bono’s ultra-happy ‘Six Thinking Hats’ (four in class) as criteria for our first assignment was ultimately ineffective. Three of the four hats lean towards to the positive side of the spectrum, while the black hat is (in theory) more negative. This, to me, is a problem; there is not enough of a balance. The real problem, however, was that using this system is impractical for a class that has barely been together for two weeks.

Using a system that blindly favours positivity in groups denies one an opportunity to give and take honest criticism. This is largely out of fear, which in our context is perfectly natural. We are in week two, adjusting to a new climate, and nobody wants to be known as ‘that person’ who gives criticism. I myself felt uncomfortable giving negative feedback, despite my belief that it was appropriate. However, I feel we must address this culture of cowardice if we are going to succeed in such a ruthless industry.

I feel this generation has a problem giving and taking face-to-face criticism. We have grown up in an age where we have been shielded from reality. We hide behind our computers, where we have access to all, and therefore, think we know all. The moment we are faced with genuine criticism, we take it personally, despite its intentions. I don’t know about you, but I want to be criticised. I want to hear other people’s views. I want to be truly open with one another. I am not going to make it in this industry without a few harsh lessons along the way. We should embrace criticism, and change this culture of ultra-positivity.

If we were to have had this project solely assessed by our tutor, I feel we would be able to receive honest feedback. If we were to present in groups again, perhaps we should be encouraged to express our views.

There is no such thing as a bad idea. Except there is.

“Gold stars for everybody”

After a self-imposed Bieber Ban™ (out of disgust, rather than addiction), I was forced to watch and listen to one of his newer music videos, the profound  ‘Love Yourself’, from his latest masterpiece ‘Purpose’. After watching this in my Workshop, it was fair to say I was not impressed. Here are my problems with the video:

1) It was utterly predictable
Ten seconds in I was saying “here we go”. From a narrative point-of-view, you could tell how this was going to unfold; man wants her attention, man can’t get her attention, man moves on, etc, love yourself. From a physical point-of-view, I was bored. This whole robotic style of dancing is overused and an exercise in tedium (literally). Try harder.

2) It was incredibly pretentious
“It’s all based off of love. And love isn’t ‘you do this for me and I’m going to do this for you’, that’s not what love is. Love is ‘I’m going to do this for you ’cause I want to do this for you'”. The moment those words were spoken I naturally cringed. So contrived, so ostentatious, so cheesy. And I’m not even going to bother dissecting the ‘Love Yourself’ note at the end of the video.

3) The iPhone ‘trick’ didn’t impress me
I was surprised with how my class responded to this; I think I was the only one who was not even slightly impressed. Once I saw the two iPhones placed next to each other, I knew what they were going to do. It was excruciating having to watch and wait for the ‘big reveal’, as it had already been revealed. This was truly a shame, because it was the only moment of the video where something relatively interesting could have occurred (eg. have one iPhone in the frame, then pan to the other at a different angle).

4) The choice of video was an obvious ploy to show Bieber’s more ‘human side’
I’m all for celebrities giving opportunities to those who don’t get widespread recognition, however, I don’t like it when they are doing it disingenuously. The idea to use a dance video of two virtually-unknowns was clearly a decision made by Bieber’s PR team to make Bieber look generous. Justin Bieber does not make any creative decisions (despite the video listing him as the ‘Creator’) and anybody who falls for this PR stunt has no idea how the mainstream entertainment industry works.

Trigger Warning: This video contains distressing material