Day 5: Reckoning: Understanding the World Around Us Through the Media Traces We Create

Reckoning is a fairly simple concept, with a complex worldly outlook. The media traces we create help us to understand ourselves, as well as the world around us. We can see the things we are finding worthy enough to post all in one place. This allows the opportunity for the world to make judgment on us, good or bad, and we find some kind of value in this. By posting these photos of ourselves, we see it from a different perspective, and experience it in a way we would not otherwise in the actual life event.

Reckoning allows us to scrutinize ourselves and others, which in return allows for a change in behavior. The posting of photos an examining of others photos is a form of self-discipline. Much like Humphreys suggests about families reading their children’s diaries. They wanted to encourage proper behavior and behavior changes. Personally, I write in a journal very frequently to work though personal issues and as an outlet for myself. Within the writings, I see the things about myself I need to change and I do so to value myself more, glorify God, and to keep my mental health in check. So, is there really a difference in writing in a journal and posting things about ourselves online? “The act of writing, and that is which written, becomes the reflection of both the self and society.” (Humphreys 92). This goes for the things we post. It creates a form of identity. It allows us to understand ourselves.

We must also take into consideration the censorship and interpretation of the thing we post, as well as the things we see being posted. Media Accounting is based on “evidence of actual events, activities, behaviors, or experiences.” (Humphreys 93) and as with all accounts of photography, it is subject to interpretation, both by the creator as well as the viewer. Much of what social media is today consists of the, “Look! I did a thing! Do you like this thing I did? Look how happy and awesome I am!”. It is the accounting of the event that made the event happen. I think we are all susceptible to this kind of thinking. I am guilty of this too. For the most part, I post on my media accounts as a place to collectively store the moments I deem to be most important, but every now and then, I just want to brag to the world and let it be known that I did a thing. But, as also stated by Humphreys, media accounting is also important from a historic standpoint. 

Family photos from my mothers side, dating back to the 1820s

Reckoning through media allows for an inside look at what the culture and society has looked like from time period to time period. Above is a look at some of my own family photos from the 1800s. (I guess big ears and big foreheads run in my family!) Much like old family photos and old diaries being put up in museums, it gives us look into the times gone by. What was the dress like? what did they do for fun? Who was in what family tree? Without all of this documentation, how would we know how we have progressed as a society and culture? In modern terms, we do this same thing.

We can learn professionally from this kind of reckoning. Looking at ourselves and others from a different perspective can improve the way we do things. Looking at Humphreys example with the GoPro, strapping this camera to our bodies allows us to account for the activity, as well as see the things we need to improve on for ourselves. It allows us to see the world in seemingly infinite ways. Ways to experience the world we might not otherwise experience. Like seeing vacation photos of a friend or celebrity. I would LOVE to go to Greece or to Morocco or to Ireland or to Italy, but the opportunity is not there, so I live the experience through someone else’s media accounting and of these selfies we see are an idea of self-surveillance.

Selfies as these should not be seen as self-absorbed documentation of oneself, but rather be seen as empowering. And these collections of selfies or collections of encounters with the world, known as aggregation, is also important in society. It is in these collections that we see the changes in a person or in society as a whole. I like to use a photographic series about living with depression. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3240571/Photographer-suffering-depression-captures-mental-illness-haunting-series-self-portraits-raise-awareness-disorder.html This photo series has always been a favorite of mine. We can see the self- documentation of the struggle, but we also are aware of his growth. On a less sad note, the example that Humphreys uses is the common over the years photo series. These photos create a picture of growth in a child and account for the life that has been lives. We can see the changes overtime that we may not have been fully aware of in the moment. For another example, take a look at your pets. Do you remember a time when they were still a little pup? The aggregation can document the changes we wouldn’t really take note of. 

The Aggregation of my puppy, Gracie Jane

            This leads to the next step in the reckoning process.

The aggregation process leads to reconciliation. Engaging with the media that is put out by ourselves and others, even if we do not know we are doing so. We often look back at old things that have been posted and this helps to support what we feel about ourselves and reinforce what we have been and do feel about the things we come across on social media. We see old things pop up on our timeline and often wonder if we have changed at all. Physical changes may be very prevalent, but what about mental maturity? It is a step into understanding your own personal growth. Much like reading back at my old journals, I can see tremendous growth! From an anger filled, severely depressed, atheist younger version of myself, to a recovering, growing, happier, God filled version. I can see that in my own media accounting as well. I have never posted such thoughts or photos I’ve taken as social media was not available to me, but I can still look back, recollect, and see my growth. I can see the growth of everyone around me as well. I can say a lot of major life events can definitely change more than one person. We can also see this through those #throwbackthursday and #flashbackfriday posts. We love to see change. We also love to be nosy and see other peoples change. All of these changes we see are just evidence of growth, change, and history of the culture we live in.