Effects Of The Increased Use Of Cameras On Our Well-Being
Power is a term which is significant in our society. The ability to do anything with ease, allows us to be worry-free. Such authority exists in the form of a device, the smartphone. This object has the gift to keep us up to date with current events and helps us with menial tasks like cooking and organizing. But, one prominent power it holds is the capability to capture images and moments which will last forever. The ability to take photographs of valuable memories, allows us to gain a sense of control. Likewise, in the 1978 text, “Why We Take Pictures,” Susan Sontag an American author and human rights activist, emphasizes how the flourishing use of cameras in society and tourism, allows pictures to be perceived as a method to relieve anxiety and sometimes as a tool of power. She further describes, taking an image can allow us a temporary fantasy of power in an unfamiliar setting, while appeasing the anxiety of being new to an unknown environment. The sense of control felt is explained, as confirming an experience and taking ownership of space in a location where people might feel insecure. Another idea, she presents is that photographs can be modified to change and shape our reality. With that being said, I disagree with Sontag's claims because pictures increase our anxiety which makes us powerless, and creates a disconnection within ourselves and the moment.
Often, we as human beings strive to capture the perfect image. Whether it be a selfie or a family photo, we tend to make sure it is flattering and the best version of ourselves. Which, unfortunately, increases our anxiety as the self-beauty standards are often unattainable. These photographs, play a huge role in one’s self-portrayal and image. For instance, in the text, “What Your Selfies Say About You,” the author Peggy Drexler says, “And yet selfies are also a manifestation of society’s obsession with looks and its ever-narcissistic embrace…There’s a sense that selfie subjects feel as though they’re starring in their own reality shows, with an inflated sense of self that allows them to believe that their friends or followers are interested in seeing them lying in bed, lips pursed, in a real-world headshot…It’s like looking in the mirror all day long and letting others see you do it”. In this excerpt, we can see how selfies are consuming our time, and the obsession with being perfect is controlling our lives. While taking the ideal image, we are deluded, smitten, and obsessed with our thoughts about how we should look. Sadly, this is due to celebrities and models, like Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid, who posts selfies that make our attempts seem futile compared to theirs. Which in turn, we critique ourselves brutally to the point, that we are promoting narcissism. This narcissistic view provokes our anxiety to increase as the pressure of looking a certain way forces us to mold ourselves, to fit those unrealistic beauty standards. In the end, we tend to hide our imperfections and our real identity behind the lens. But, one thing to note is that as long as these ideologies rule our society, we as individuals will be powerless, ridden with anxiety and cover-up behind the tiny lens to alter our vision of beauty.
The act of taking a picture forces us to focus on getting the best shot, which in turn disengages us from reality. For example, in the text, “A Thousand Pictures for a Million Words,” author Lash Keith Vance, a faculty member in the University Writing Program at the University of California, Riverside states, “The lens of a camera creates an artificial barrier between the person and the event…Instead of living the moment, the person moves from being a participant to an observer”. This selection from text explains, how the camera makes us more concentrated in getting the best image rather than being present in the moment spending time with other people or nature. Unfortunately, our society heavily relies, on social media. And we as, people feel the need to update our followers and friends with our whereabouts. In efforts to make sure they see what we saw, we take photos as proof and shorten our experience as we were not engaging ourselves at that time.
These insignificant thoughts, unfortunately, hampers our connection to reality as we give more attention to such trivial matters than focusing on what's happening at the moment. In another example, about four weeks ago, during winter break I caught up with a couple of my high school friends as a reunion. During the gathering, we decided to visit a botanical garden called, Descanso Gardens, located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. What ended up happening was that, as we were walking and passing by beautiful attractions, I was caught up in taking pictures and looking for aesthetic shots that I forgot to devote time to pay attention to what my fellow friends had to say and immerse myself with them. While separating from their conversation, I felt very regretful as it made me seem as if, I never bothered to know about their feelings. Such disturbances create misunderstandings and sentiments of emptiness. In the end, the detachment from my surroundings caused me to lose precious moments to bond with them. For this reason, taking photos hinders our relations, whether it be a place or a person.
All these matters need to be understood because the increased use of cameras has affected our well-being. The understanding of images has changed drastically. In my own opinion, despite the increasing use of cameras and its benefits, the negative effects such as anxiety in achieving these unattainable “fake” standards in beauty and disengagement from reality have caused plenty of issues. In the end, even though having a camera to capture important memories is essential, remember that it can also hide some facts which can twist the reality of the picture.
