For my Final Major Project at
University, I have been working on creating issue seven of Third Floor
Publication. The above images are a sneak peek into one of the editorials I
have styled recently. The theme delves into isolation, but more importantly
focuses on the current issue of isolation through technology. We all know how
often we walk along staring down at our phone screens and Instagramming or
Tweeting, but this has become a growing problem for social interaction. We now
live in a world where before you eat anything you have to take a picture of it,
so you can share on social media. With trends developing from this such as the
#nomakeupselfie campaign raising awareness for cancer, social media has proved
to be beneficial, I'm not suggesting a world without it here, just bare with me.
By becoming so reliant on
technology, it has now moved towards a stage where people are isolating
themselves from the outside world. By this, I don’t mean staying in your room
staring at your phone and never leaving the house, that’s a different issue.
But through the use of an excessive amount of social media use, we are missing
key things and opportunities in life just from walking along the street being
aware of what is happening around you. You never know, you could meet your
future partner if you had just looked up from your mobile.
I for one know, when I'm out with
my friends for dinner we will all have our phones sitting on the table, with
easy access ready to Tweet about our evening or Instgram that delicious looking
chocolate fudge brownie desert! As fun as it can be interacting through social
media and raking up your Instagram likes, this is actually ruining normal
conversation – sure most of the evening consists of talking amongst each other,
however you’re never fully engaged when starring down at your mobile, I'm one that’s
guilty of this for sure!
This photo shoot looks at how
society are becoming more aware of this ever growing issue and are now trying
to change the way they use technology. I was out for lunch with my partner last
week when I noticed us both starring down at our phone screens, what must we
have looked like to the family across from us? I then suggested us both putting
our phones in the middle of the table and the first person to reach for their
phone then has to pay the bill, this worked for all of around twenty minutes
when my partner picked up his phone to check the football scores! So, even when
the problem is made aware of, why is using technology so hard to resist? I
personally really want to stop looking down so much and start engaging more!
So, what would happen if next
time you left the house you left your mobile indoors?
