MiND ART THE CONCEPT OF YOUR CONCEPT MAY 2021 • $3
GETTING REAL ABOUT TECH, SOCIAL MEDIA, + YOUR "SELF" POSITIVES NEGATIVES
BEHIND THE COMMERCIALS / ARE WE IN CRISIS? / WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY / + MORE INSIDE
#ISSUESinPSYCH
from the editor I am in my final days of undergrad studying psychology and communications. throughout these 4 years, I have thought of many hypotheses, research questions, and theses. these days, something is on my mind: we interact technology devices and media — phones, tablets, lap and desktops, webcams, mice, cameras, controllers both remote and game, TV, social media, websites, apps — every. single. day. the pandemic has amplified the amount of times we scroll, watch, send, like, and share all the more. we are living in a digital world, and most importantly, one that constantly reassess how one looks, feels, and shows themselves to others. how is this obsessive use of technology affecting our sense of self? happy scrolling. Elisabeth Wulf
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THE SELF TECHNOLOGY AD RADAR EXPERTS POSITIVES NEGATIVES FUTURE 2
ID, PLEASE
"who am I?"
self + identity. self + concept. self + construction. self + perspective. self + structure.
all of these are essentially synonymous. self-concept is how you describe yourself. it's a set of perceptions that pertain to how you think of yourself. it's not 100% fixed, but relatively it is. "I am
."
it's how you think of the things you do, your skills, and the characteristics that make you YOU. it's important to note: self-concept
≠
self-esteem.
self-concept is what IS. self-esteem has to do with JUDGMENT.
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just two of the central theorist figures in the development of the "concept of the self" are psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
Rogers we want to someday have an "ideal self," the person we hope to become.
Maslow there's definitely an ideal self. how do we reach self-actualization? personal growth.
self-image: our real self. it's how we see parts of our personality, how we look, the roles we play in society.
there's a hierarchy of needs: self-actualization esteem
self-esteem: how do we value ourselves?
love & belonging safety needs physiological needs
we reach self-actualization when we prove to ourselves we are worthy of our wants. 4
we are always becoming.
modern tech + the self those late-night doom scrolls into the interface abyss. that "needing to record everything" feeling. posting that one picture, not the other one.
all of these acts and feelings a common in the digital world-affecting-the-real-world phenomenon that a lot of us, if we have the privilege to have access to mobile technology, have experienced at one point or another. we design ourselves on our phones through profile pictures, comments, statuses, stories. some of which can seem permanent. where do they go if we delete them? the cloud? what even is the cloud? why do we feel such a sense of urgency and automacy when unlocking our phones? we are living our lives ourselves, but are we? some of us have digitalized everything about our lives to the point of it affecting our psychological health and wellbeing. the world has become to live in extremes. in a time without social media (which is hard or even impossible to remember for some of us) or when technology was scarce, actual social engagement when we were growing up is what helped us form our selfidentities: friendships, opportunities like getting good grades, what we do for fun, the communities we're apart of. media is everywhere now and especially for our younger generations (Gen Z, anyone?). these are constant, overwhelming outside influences on our 'internal' sense of self. we Google one word and get billions of results in seconds. checking our email spam folder is just exhausting. there's not one way of cooking that recipe, there's 240,000. and let's be real, we don't want to sit there and comb through all of the information because it's information overload, so we use strategies and ways of finding the fastest results that are the most convenient to us, like our good ol' friend Siri. it seems as though media used to be more human-
"media used to reflect us." -centered. it is clear that in many parts of the world especially here in the U.S., media used to reflect us. now, media paints pictures of who we should be. scratch that — of who it thinks we should be. what's accepted, what's attractive, what's popular, what we should buy into either figuratively or literally. the social media and other digital algorithms (more on page #) are a huge factor in telling us who we ought to be. the advertisements we receive, the recommendations on where to go, what to buy to make ourselves look a certain way, the concepts of pop culture that we should be so connected to each and every day. in other words, our sense of self used to be ours, but now, it might even be a refleciton
of who the world thinks we are. if you have a social media profile, there are many things to think about as we've mentioned before: cover photo, things you re-share with your network, the apps you choose to edit with. our selfconcepts have developed more into the culmination of how we want to present ourselves based on how others are, social status, cultural or social group etiquette, norms, beauty standards, wanting to look a certain way, which most of the time is wanting to appear in a positive light. it has taken the idea of identity management and impression management to a whole new level. we have become to brand ourselves, or form and show our personal brand (also another term for social identity). has that replaced our self-identity? it's no wonder we often feel we need a digital detox from these hypothetical and hyper-personalized (or so these digital systems think) worlds, also known as our "highlight reels." have you seen little kids with iPads? that is the norm now. social media exists without regard to time and space, which can be extremely powerful but it can also be harmful. we'll get into that on the next few pages. in digital spaces, most commonly social networks like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Youtube, WhatsApp, we build digital identities along with the apps and sites themselves constructing their own version of who they think we are. we constantly are exposed to intimate looks into higher-status people, "influencers," creators, and celebrities. we have the constant opportunities to re-examine our close friends, long-distance ones, acquaintances, family members. these can refer to close or loose social ties. we also have a peek into how we appear in what we do for our communities and the rest of the world, or our social roles: jobs, volunteer, standing up for social justice movements, our political stances.
when it comes to self-esteem, since we are exposed to so many peoples' lives, looks, and apparent thoughts, social media and tech opportunities are breeding grounds for social comparison. this opens the door to seeing ourselves in a worse light than others, a.k.a. upward social comparison.
"it's no wonder we often feel we need a digital detox from these hypothetical and hyperpersonalized (or so these digital systems think) worlds, also known as our 'highlight reels.'"
MEDIA & AD RADAR: BEYOND THE ALGORITHM
least importantly, it involves a car. stay with us on this one.
psst! speaking of technology... scan this with your phone, or click the photo to view the commercial.
INFINITI USA released a commercial last month for their 2022 car. the "Beyond the Algorithm" campaign proves that car commercials can be more profound than we think. it starts off with man peering at an overwhelming amount of notifications. the commercial indicates that we are each born into this world with no outside, environmental factors inhibiting or motivating our sense of self. eventually, due to the rise of constantly needing to stay connected, how we see ourselves get morphed into what the world perceives, wants, and tells us. the narrator goes on to preach how digital algorithms tell us what to eat, what to like, and how to think.
"Is there digital version of you... really YOU?" this directly relates to the concept of the influence of emerging technology on our self-concept. the video reflects on how evolving aspects of technology — like the algorithm that is seemingly pervasive across all digital content platforms — essentially tells its users how to act, be, and look. the digital algorithm feeds off of the information and reactions you give it to in turn give you what it thinks it wants. it's basically a very passive way of telling you how to be yourself because without that tech, we are lost. literally. when is the last time you didn't use GPS for a travel that was more than 30 minutes from your home? they should have used that idea in the commercial.
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EXPERT SAYS PSYCHOLOGIST ON SELF-CONCEPT
What things affect our self-concept & vice versa?
Courtney E. Ackerman, M.A. is a renowned author and psychologist. She has written four published books and has a Master of Arts in Positive Organizational Psychology. She has authored and continues to write several blogs on PositivePsychology.co m about various topics: therapeutic practices, workplace and academic life, self-awareness, mindfulness, and many more.We sat down with her to ask about the work she has done on and her overall thoughts on the self-concept.
What self-factors contribute to our selfidentities?
"Our self-concept is affected by how we feel about ourselves and how we judge our abilities, competencies, and worth as a person. When we put some effort into boosting these selfevaluations, our self-concept will adjust to accommodate these changes. We have the ability to change how we think about ourselves by working to become more like our ideal selves." Ackerman says that the concept of ourself is formed throughout our life, but it is most susceptible to change when growing up.
"We have the ability to change how we think about ourselves by working to become more like our ideal selves."
The first point Ackerman starts off with is that the choices we make when buying things affects how we view ourselves. The role marketing plays is certain — how we self-conceptualize seeps its way into our buying behaviors. There's a term for it for all you psychology-lovers: self-concept attachment. Our selfconcept also impacts our academic and professional accomplishments and evolution, interpersonal communication, and our culture. She refers to research that shows students who have a more positive outlook on themselves in the academic achievement sense did better on tests, homework, and other assignments. In our daily communication with other people, selfconcept plays an integral role: "Our self-concept drives our motivations, methods, and experiences with communicating with others," she says. "For example, if you see yourself as someone who is always right (or who must always be right), you may struggle in communicating with others when disagreements arise."
it might be hard to believe, but there are some advantages to social media on self-concept.
WHAT'S THE GOOD?
social media builds up of a sense of belonging and part of identity becomes the group's identity. in digital spaces, there is a chance to form bonds with those in or outside of their social circles. the digital networking space is also a place for those who have felt loneliness or like an outside to add to a collective identity of other people they have things in common with. This happens across barriers of geography. social networking sites offer a way to engage in selfexpression. expressing oneself is key to identity development especially in adolescents' use of technology.
self-presentation behaviors have to do with selfexpression. research by Pempek et al. in 2009 shows that monitoring online profiles gives the user a sense of control, which is a positive feeling. people feel like they can monitor their digital identity.
social media sites also reinforces social, real-life relationships. it helps keep in touch with friends with messaging, photo sending, and publicizing life updates.
there is also a need to be "on" and have a Facebook-worthy look, something that Boon & Sinclair in 2009. online profiles can be fabricated so easily especially in a way that reinforces cultural and social norms. we've discussed a sense of belonging on the previous page for the positives, but this can also be a negative effect of social media on self-concept. the need to always fit in and follow social norms in the digital spaces can be a toxic way of selfpresenting.
WHAT'S THE BAD?
now for the negatives, which seem to be easier to think of than positives. social comparison was touched on earlier in the issue, but especially pertaining to self-identity formation and maintenance — the constant feed of seeing other peoples' seemingly happy lives, bodies, fashion, family and partner life, and events is a place for peer comparison to happen. it is as though the "ideal selves" are the online version of people's concepts. comparing ourselves to the selves of others may also bring about a lower self-confidence and self-esteem. the value that one has for themselves and how they value their attributes can be lessened when continuously seeing others' lives.
there are many ways to get to know your "self" — but not in the traditional, mythical sense.
PositivePsychology.com has questionnaires, scales, tests, and inventories that you can take to measure your selfconcept. no one/nothing knows your self-concept like your selfconcept, but that does not mean these tests can't curb your curiosity just a little bit.
write a letter to yourself. or keep a journal — whatever floats your boat. what are your hopes, dreams, and things you want to accomplish (ideal self)?
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE finish the sentences: go on a digital detox. if we've learned anything from this issue, it's that there's a lot of issues that can arise from too much digital use. some of it is okay, but remember — your "self" comes first.
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I am... I like... I feel good when... I feel sad when... I would like to be... The people around me are... I wish I did not...
MiND ART Magazine Minneapolis, MN Elisabeth Wulf St. Catherine University Spring, 2021
