Digital Connectivity by Eve Willans

Digital Connectivity

School of Art and Design Fashion Marketing & Branding FMBR30001 Project Declaration Project: Research Project Stage 1 Eve Willans N0521899 This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulations on assessment contained in its handbook. Signed: ......................................................... Print name: Eve Willans Date: 22/01/2016

Fig. A

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We

are

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with

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are unconsciously communicating liesâ&#x20AC;?

Con

ten

Conten

Fig. B

Introduction

#16

#10

Methodology

Effects on Society

Effects on Brands

Need for Escapism

#20

#30

#33

#35

#41

Conclusion

References and Bibliography

Virtual Reality

Appendix

Introduction

The rise of social media has been hard not to take notice to, digital connectivity has made more progress in one decade than in the last century. This is only set to rise proportionally faster making the possibilities of the future endless. Not only has social media been adopted by all ages and demographics but businesses now class social media as a key part of marketing and public relations, reliance on social media to connect with the consumer can be compared to as how society relies on social media to connect with friends and family. Since the introduction of Facebook in 2004 it has been one of the main contributors to the change in the way people communicate and the type of information that is accessible to us about other people. We are able to stay connected with each other from one side of the world to another creating the term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;connected livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Connected living describes a world in which consumers use many different devices to experience compelling new services that integrate video, voice and data services to provide access and ubiquitous connectivity anytime and anywhere.

How are individuals constant connection

being affected to the digital

On the other hand social media has placed unreasonable expectations on people and their lives.There is a plethora of research into how an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiness is undermined by comparing themselves to how they perceive others on social networking sites.The idea of perfection and obtaining a certain lifestyle has been engrained in people through social media. So social media has affected individuals and businesses astronomically, helping us to connect in ways never before imaginable. With this new sense of connectedness to a digital world comes downsides, with people beginning to resent the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;digital worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and social media, as some of the main causes of self-esteem problems and a disconnection from personal relationships. The overall aim of this report will be to find out how individuals are being affected by a constant connection to the digital world. Chapter 3 and 4 will explore the effects on society and brands. This will lead into chapter 5 as the idea of an increased connected world causing a need of escapism is explored.

by a world?

Aims The researcher will aim to find out the effects of digital devices and social media is having on society, brands and individuals An aim of this research will be to find out if increased connectivity can be linked to an increase in the need for escapism? Can virtual reality create a way for consumers to escape elements the connected world, where digital devices are so vital?

Objectives To complete primary research to discover how individuals are interacting with their digital devices and social media To study a broad array of secondary resources to collect research on how digital devices can effect individuals To collect research on virtual reality and the future of VR and augmented reality regarding consumers

Rationale Key insights found during the future thinking project, influenced the direction of the research for this report. It was identified that a sense of disconnection from society was growing as a reliance on digital devices and social media grew. The idea stemmed from the initial research into the macro trend of digital connectivity. Key findings determined that digital connectivity was having a great impact in the way consumers and brands alike were communicating. A key reason to explore the topic of the effects of digital connectivity further was from everyday observations, in terms of the amount of people who were constantly connected to their smartphones. Some statistics could be interpreted as quite distressing, so an urge to further investigate into the effects of digital devices and social media grew. For example initial research found, an average person will spend 23 days a year staring at their mobile screen (23 days a year spent on your phone -, no date). Finally, this topic is important for fashion branding and marketing because it may affect consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behaviour as well as how individuals interact with social media. This is important for branding and marketing as these possible behavioural changes could affect how marketers conduct campaigns and communicate with their consumers.

MET HOD OLOGY

Fig. C

The researcher used a combination of primary and secondary research, to collect diverse and multi-dimensional theories around the subject. With a sampling size of 94, a survey to identify the use of digital devices and social media platforms was devised.The questions aimed to find out which social media platforms individuals were on and how they use social networking including how much time is spent on digital devices. The sampling was a combination of men and women from the ages 18-80. The sampling was kept this large to ensure the researcher found which demographics are most involved and affected by the use of digital devices including social media. From the results of this survey it was found that the majority of respondents on the most social networks and interacting the most with social media were the younger generation from 2025. The survey was conducted online, the main drawback of this method is the unreliability of a respondentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honesty as it is undertaken online away from the researcher. This influenced the next stage of research, as the researcher then emphasized on researching within the millennial generation to gather further insight and undertook interviews in person to ensure answers were given with enough thought, to improve the validity. Influenced by the results of the initial survey, the researcher conducted 12 interviews with millennials ages 20-30, as this age group showed to be the most influenced by social media. To gain further insights the interviews were designed to find exactly how these individuals are influenced and affected. 6 interviews were conducted with individuals that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have or interact with any social media, the other 6 interviews were conducted with individuals that were active on multiple social media platforms. The interviews were structured and the questions were designed beforehand, to be able to easily configure the results and contrast and compare the results. The disadvantages of this type of research were considered, the attitudes, opinions and data may be slightly altered if the recipient doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel comfortable with the truth.

Observational research techniques were also undertaken. The participants were kept anonymous, they were women aged 21. The participants were conversing about the effects of social media on young women. The conversation lasted around 6 minutes and because of the natural behaviour, this research is of high validity. The researcher chose to undertake observational research because of the trust and rapport between researcher and participant, meaning the outcome is truthful and unbiased. However, this method of research has a number of limitations, the views given can be interpreted as subjective, as well as time consuming meaning only one observation was undertaken. Interviews with industry experts included, the Director of Weber Shandwick PR. The interview was done via email, and consisted of 4 questions. It is important to be able to gain a perspective from an individual working within the field of the topic area to obtain current and relevant opinions and thoughts. The questions were kept short, so the respondent could give in depth and extensive responses. A possible limitation of this method of interview could be the fact the interviewer was not present to be able to prompt for the respondent to carry on or expand on an answer. Research into virtual reality was planned, a focus group of 5, would be given virtual reality software and a series of prompts and questions would aim to find out their opinion on virtual reality. Due to a lack of resources and funds the researcher was unable to carry out this area of the research. Secondary research was imperative as the subject matter is very recent and ongoing, a lot of secondary research was from websites as there is not a lot of literature around the subject. Along with other resources including books, journals, reports and TED talks.

Effects On Society

Fig. D

3.1 Psychological Theories

Research by Pew Research Centre supports a theory, that digital connectivity in itself cannot cause unhappiness or worsen well-being. A 2015 survey of 1,800 adults found no overall link between frequent use of internet or social media and higher levels of stress, in fact, women using Twitter, email and phones to share photos, actually reported lower stress levels. (GE Look ahead | The Economist, 2015)

The opposing argument supports the possibility that social media could be causing harm to people’s mental health and overall wellbeing. Firstly, Can human psychology be an explanation to the way in which individuals interact with social media and how it is affecting some individuals. Social influence is a psychological theory that can help make better understanding of how social media is so effective in society, humans have always had the ability to conform hence the creation of sub cultures. The influence social media has on society means it’s a perfect platform to imprint a set of lifestyle ideals onto a mass amount of people. This is based around the theory of conformity, changing behaviours to be more like others. This plays to the need of belonging explained in Maslow’s pyramid. Conformity can run deep, as people can even change deep rooted beliefs and values to be like their peers and admired superiors (Maslow). This theory that certain members of society are willing to change their ingrained beliefs to conform to certain lifestyles, is dangerous, as many people have expressed that social media does not portray accessible or true lifestyles but yet, highlights and showcases staged lifestyles. Thus, creating a group of people aspiring to a somewhat unattainable lifestyle.

Research also shows individuals and digital devices are beginning to merge fluidly together. Everyday lives are increasingly being influenced by our digital devices. In particular the millennial generation relies, in some cases, unknowingly on the digital nature of their everyday lives and daily routines. Nearly every aspect from interacting, shopping, working and communicating is impacted in some way by digital devices and social media. This suggests that lives can be elevated and benefited by digital devices (Ruvio and Belk, 2012) Therefore this suggests that the problem seems to be not the use of social media and digital devices but how individuals use it, in terms of how much time is spent on digital devices and social media platforms and how reliant an individual becomes. Data compiled from an initial survey into the way participants use social media found a majority of people, 46% were spending between 3-7+ hours a day on digital devices. Could this mean a majority of people are spending an excessive amount of time within the ‘digital world’.

3.2 Effect of social media on individuals Research found the effect on an individual can be substantial although a small of amount of their individual self-esteem can be excelled by short term contentment, comparing themselves and their lifestyles to others that are often unattainable can have a negative long term effect on an individual’s happiness and more importantly mental health. Research has linked psychotic episodes in patients to internet addiction and delusions. A recent study by researchers at University of Winchester concluded that’s ‘addicts’ of Facebook and Twitter faced withdrawal symptoms when they were denied access to their accounts for four weeks. (Sparkes, 2013)This is supported by primary research undertaken, with 70% of respondents claiming they accessed Facebook frequently.This is a high percentage of people accessing social media frequently.This clarifies that social media is becoming a significant element in people’s lives. This doesn’t mean people lives are being positively affected. The question of could addiction to the ‘digital world’ be explained scientifically arose, “Aric Sigman’s presentation to members of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health outlined the parallels between screen dependency and alcohol and drug addiction: the instant stimulation provided by all those flickering graphics leads to the release of dopamine, a chemical that’s central to the brains reward system”. (Pelling, 2012) If an individual’s excessive use and amount of time spent on digital devices could be partly explained by the way in which the brain works mean that an individual would not become overwhelmed and begin to opt out and crave escapism as it not being rewarded every time they use a digital device. The images show time spent on certain apps in a 24 hour period, from three millenials.

Studies have examined the impact of Facebook use, in particular. A survey collecting data from undergraduates found that individuals who had been using Facebook for a longer period of time perceived themselves as less happy and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hard done byâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in life. (Chou and Edge, 2012). Supporting this another study examined the negative social comparisons made on Facebook and what might be the mechanism that leads to depressive symptoms; results indicated that negatively comparing oneself to others can lead to rumination, which in turn can increase the risk of depressive symptomatology (Feinstein et al, 2013). This means social networking is creating a society of cloned opinions and attitudes. A disadvantage of social networking is that it can fabricate or completely create something that may be untrue or of no relevance. Basic human psychology shows if an individual sees something for example with a hundred shares, they are most likely to believe it than that of something with only twenty shares. This is comparable to someone with hundreds of likes, an individual is most likely to aspire to this person than the person with only twenty likes, even though this is often an illusion to the reality of this actual personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life/appearance.

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Fig. E

3.3 Individuals perception of social media It can argued that a majority of individuals do not develop a mental illness or addiction from social media, however further research into individuals perceptions of social media showed people realised the risks around social media and its influence. Findings from interviews found young women in particular often felt that they compare their lives to others on social media platforms, they felt the need to have the same things or experiences, and if they didn’t this made them feel less than. When asked ‘How does social media make you feel?’ one respondent replied “it can get me down as everything in Instagram is now perfect and it can brainwash me to feel that I need to be like everyone else” similar comments were made by multiple other respondents.This research supports the theory that social media can cause individuals to compare themselves negatively with other people, although they are clearly aware of the effects social media is having on them. Relevant and useful information was gained from a natural conversation observation. The conversation was based around the idea that social media is affecting, in particular, young women’s idea of how they should look and how it is affecting self-esteem.The conversation was between 2 women aged 21.The point was brought up that one of the individuals needed to ‘take a break’ from social media as it was making her feel bad about herself and she was beginning to recognise this. It was mentioned that from looking at other people online on platforms such as Instagram that it had made them wonder why they didn’t look the same way or have a certain lifestyle portrayed on social media. Both individuals mentioned this made them feel sad and expressed their feelings towards themselves were unhealthy. In conclusion the conversation showed young women are aware that social media platforms often showcase an unattainable ‘look’ and lifestyle and this is affecting the way they see themselves and is effecting their overall happiness. Finally, both individuals expressed an interest in taking a social media ‘detox’. This was an organic way of understanding how young women, in particular, feel about social media and its effects. These findings show that individuals can be negatively affected by social media, and it has the ability affect, what shows to be particularly, young people’s selfesteem. 14

Effects On Brands

Fig. F

# 15

4.2 Correlation between a brands social media use and sales

Social media and the influence of the ‘digital world’ will not fade and the longevity and sustainability of social media is supported by the affects it is having on brands, and in particular the success it has had in connecting consumers with brands. Research found new media and social media marketing is causing consumers attention span to shorten meaning although brands have a platform to communicate with its consumers their message needs to be short and visually effective.

Studies have shown that the influence of social media in sales performances are significantly noticeable. It has been proven individuals, in particular, women’s purchase choices are influenced by social media. For example a study by BI intelligence showed 19% of casual clothing purchases made from women were inspired by Instagram and 36% of occasion wear purchases inspired from Facebook. These figures show the impact a brand can have on consumers via social media platforms. (Smith, 2014)

4. 1 Effects on brands marketing and business

A correlation of a brands success can be made between their social media presence and overall scale of success. While individuals are scrolling through their daily Instagram feeds, they may be unaware that a brand is connecting with its consumer in an unprecedented way. Data compiled through primary research revealed 33% of respondents admitted social media inspires their fashion, this was the largest result, followed by food/restaurants. According to research by M by Macy’s, Nike has the most largest engagement rating on Instagram with 47.7 million hashtag mentions and 18.7 million followers this success correlated with their sales success as Nike rises 16% and holds the #17 spot on top global brands of 2015. As well as a rise of 5% to $7.8 million in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2015 (Earnings review: Nike continues its strong run, 2015).

Digital connectivity in particular the use of social media has transformed the way in which a brand/business conducts marketing and advertising, it has given brands a platform to reach its consumer directly. Traditional media is becoming less effective at reaching its intended target market, with statistics showing 86% of people skip TV commercials and 44% of direct mail is never opened (Plunkett, 2016). Social media has quickly become a marketing vehicle. There is set to be even more advances and changes in the next few years, as social media marketing escalates into nearly every aspect of a company’s business (Deen, Hendricks, and Deen, 2011). The use of social media platforms has escalated from being primarily used by the younger generation to being used by a broader demographic spectrum. Information obtained from primary research found 100% of individuals between the age of 51 and 60 were active on Facebook and the majority were also active members on YouTube as well as other platforms. This could suggest that social media is not just a platform for advertising for specific brands but an outlet all brands should consider to reach their target consumer. The research could propose that brands are able to have this connection with its consumers because of the dependence individuals have with social media.

Louis Vuitton follows closely, #20 on Interludes top global brands and a 16% increase in revenue in Q1 of 2015. With 6,098,023 followers on Instagram and 10,651,280 hashtag mentions. (On Instagram, one fashion brand dominates, but can you guess which one?, 2015). Adidas is another example to support this idea, being one of the most liked sneaker brands on Instagram as of 2015 with 78.8m followers, the result of a collaboration between Adidas and Kanye West which resulted in a product that sold out completely online and offline within 1 hour of release. The correlation between the successes can be linked to social media and the rise of influence of online celebrities, Kanye West’s wife is Kim Kardashian, a part of the Kardashian family which is now a well-known empire. The family has a combined following of 223,200,000 followers on Instagram.This supports the theory that social media has an evidential impact and influence on individuals and consumers alike. Information collected from interviews revealed that consumers look to social media for inspiration on purchases.

4.3 Technology brands Technology brands have seen a growth of success in the past decade. Some of the top global brands are technology brands. Interbrand’s top brands of 2015 included, #1 Apple, #2 Google, #4 Microsoft and #7 Samsung. Thirteen technology brands were included in 2015, representing more than a third (33.5%) of the tables USD $1.7 Trillion total. Making it 2015’s leading sector by value. A top rising brand was Facebook, it succeeded in changing the way people connect around the world and how individuals stay in touch. A new entrant, PayPal has transformed how businesses and consumers transact. Technology brands are succeeding for a multitude of reasons, one being their ability to possess a large market size. As well as a low barrier to entry. This is because it is predicted that 70 percent of the world’s population will own smartphones by the end of 2016, for example. (BEST GLOBAL BRANDS 2015 BRANDS AT THE SPEED OF LIFE, 2015). This suggests that technology brands have a lot of power over consumers. This presents as a possible reason for individuals feeling overwhelmed by the constant connectivity to technology. This correlates with the power social media has over individuals, research revealed that people are beginning to realise that some of their thoughts and emotions are being controlled by social media. A respondent during an interview stated they felt, “social media is more powerful than ever, controlling people’s emotions on a daily basis”. This is an insight into how brands can have an effect on consumers indirectly, contributing to the ideation that technology is becoming overwhelming for some individuals. Although because individuals rely on social media to gain acceptance and inspiration they see social media as mostly positive.

Fig. G

What does this mean? Positives

Thus meaning although there are negative repercussions of a rise in influence of social media on individuals, social media will not simply diminish and die out and research suggests individuals will continue to engage online and with their digital devices.

As this research shows the correlation between successes that digital devices have allowed brands to experience, and the way connectivity has been improved within society. It is clear that individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives can be improved but there is evidently a thin line between a healthy use of social media and an over use and reliance. Digital devices have the ability to become a seamless integration into individuals everyday lives, the risk seems to be when social media is accessible 24/7 and a user becomes over reliant, this is when it can become a negative. When individuals begin to realise that social media reliance can become a burden on their lives this is where escapism will be craved by society. So can individuals find a way to escape whilst still remaining connected. Before touching on the possible disadvantages in terms of negative effects on individuals, of this new age of digital devices and the recognition of the need for escapism, it is important to realise the advantages, as previously discussed in this report, digital devices have changed the landscape of how a business markets and advertises especially concerning the communication between the business and the consumer. Research indicated, it can be argued that the rise in digital connectivity opens up a world that was unavailable before, the benefits may overpower the disadvantages. Dating back to 1973, when the first cell phone was made, it is clear that digital devices and even electronic media before tablets and smartphones has opened up a world where time and space does not exist. Individuals are able to re watch a moment in history years before they were alive or speak to a relative across thousands of miles. This alone is an advantage that makes it hard to remember a time without digital devices or electronic media. So what are the reasons for individuals beginning to crave a sense of escapism?

Esca pism

Primary research revealed individuals felt digital devices and social media could offer a sense of escapism from daily activities. This is supported by Kohler, from their research into procrastination and escapism. The survey results revealed the need for members of society to escape from daily responsibilities and stress. The researcher came to the conclusion that individuals feel a need to delay priorities and do this by escaping to social media (A Pychyl, 2015). It could be argued that people are now not only escaping too social media but more recently actually away from social media. This is supported by information collected from the researchers observation of a conversation between two women aged 21, the participants discussed a social media ‘detox’ and the recognition that they were beginning to feel trapped in a social media bubble, that they recognised as being unhealthy and was affecting their self-esteem and daily lives. Although this method of research can lack validity because the outcomes can be seen as too subjective.

So why are individuals craving escapism from the ‘digital world’…

Fig. H

5.1 Losing personal interaction

The evolution of digital connectivity has decreased the significance of physical presence and the experience of being within people and social events.The walls that surround an individual no longer confine them from the outside world, as a whole new world is accessible to them from a device. There still remains a physical presence but how in the moment are we, does the constant need to check in on social media platforms or watch the latest viral video onYouTube imprison an individual into a digital world.Throughout the research for this report it was key to find out how much time an individual spent on a digital device, and how this could possibly affect their happiness and health. During Sherry Turkle’s ted talk ‘Connected, but alone?’ in 2012. The ideation that real human connections will become less and less important as individuals become more reliant on digital devices. “We expect more from technology and less from each other” this idea of individuals becoming more reliant on their digital devices is supported by observational research, it found that as soon as someone is alone they reach for their device i.e. waiting in a queue, Turkle also touches on the subject that as soon as a human is alone they reach for their device rather than learning to be alone in solitude. This becomes a problem when considering younger people and concerns how they develop and learn. Turkle mentions in order for individuals to learn how not to be lonely one must earn to be alone. Solitude is where one can find oneself, and if individuals cannot be alone than the risk that an individual can never find oneself occurs.

A 2014 research study found that people can be so irked by solitude and quiet thinking that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d rather administer electric shocks to themselves than be left alone with their thoughts. (Wilson, T.D., 2014). The theory Sherry comes to is that if a person cannot learn to be alone then they will always be lonely. (Turkle, 2012). Turkleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideation is supported by research from Reed Larson, professor of human development and family studies at the University of Illinois, his studies into the effect solitude has on the development of teenagers and adolescents found that through the uncomfortableness of being alone, it ultimately creates more positive emotions and helps prevent depression. (Porter, 2015)

Fig. I

Human connection with each other becomes brief and as a constant and excessive amount of time is spent on devices even when in the company of friends or family.This means the amount of information individuals get from each other becomes smaller, this mimics the relationships upheld and made over digital devices, texts emails and posts only allows snippets of information to be shared as well as an individual’s ability to edit, delete and retouch themselves. This makes texting etc. more appealing to younger people as they become afraid of in person conversations and real time connections. During research it was heard that some people expressed “I’d rather text than talk”. Other researchers question the idea that constant connection to the digital world diminishes personal relationships. Nancy Baym, principal researcher at Microsoft Research, her research suggests that digital communications enhance relationships and that “the evidence consistently shows that the more you communicate with people using devices, the more likely you are to communicate with these people face to face”. She says although new and emerging technologies are likely to cause a fear that it will lesson society’s human connections, we will eventually be able to adapt (Baym, 2010). However this research could be discredited as the information comes from a research centre within a technology company, therefore their intentions may be biased as their outcome would need to favour technology overall. This could then be interpreted differently. Although her theory may be supported and in fact if an individual does connect with someone online, their more likely to communicate offline, but this just proves communicating is easier online and not that it is makes relationships more fulfilling or strengthens personal connections.

Social Media

# 25

5.2 Social media The introduction of social media shows a shift in individual’s behaviour much more noticeable than any other innovations introduced in the previous decades (such as email, fax etc.). Since Facebooks launch in 2004, individuals are able to stay connected with friends and families on an everyday basis no matter their location or time of the day. “Honestly, I sometimes truly wish that ‘tools’ such as iPhone, laptops, iPads, tablets etc. hadn’t been invented. Sure, they’re great, incredibly useful, and fun time-killers. But the way teenagers abuse them, and turn them into mini social control rooms is frankly awful” this was said by a sixteen year old as part of an assignment into how social networking influenced relationships with friends and family. This reflects quite a lot of young people’s opinions on social media. As shown in the following research, The same idea of how social networking affects relationships, was reflected by the young people interviewed in ‘Tomorrow’s change makers: Reclaiming the power of citizenship for a new generation’ the young people interviewed claimed that face to face interviews would make them more motivated to make a change in the world (Price-Mitchell, 2015). Arguably, this idea of making positive differences in the world is more important for a generation than connecting with and often comparing themselves to social media celebrities or friends via social media platforms. So the question arises what motivates society to become reliant and in some cases addicted to social media, some theorists found two primary reasons as to why people are driven towards social media, in this case particularly Facebook, they found the reasons to be, a need to belong and a need for self-presentation (Nadkarni and Hoffman, 2012). Similarly, research found Facebook profiles help satisfy individuals need for self-worth and integrity (Toma and Hancock, 2013). An array of other research supports this premise that generally people are using social media to maintain existing social connections and acquire information about others.This is where it was realised that social media can go from a healthy way of communicating and maintaining connections to comparing one’s life to another. The increased reliance on social media has caused Facebook (and other platforms) to become an integrated part of people’s lives, so much so that is somewhat a continuation of offline activities (Yang and Brown, 2015).

A solution to the problem?...

5.3 Reconnecting with the natural world The idea and rise of reconnecting with the natural world could be a product of the dissatisfaction with social media and the digital world. With the rise of the digital world becoming so prevalent are individuals starting to crave the natural world, this is a question that has been widely written about and studied widely by geographers. Part of building a stronger relationship with the natural world is awareness of the interrelationship of humans, the earth’s biological systems, and the inevitable impacts of urban life (Bartlett, 2005). In the context of the digital world, individuals are mostly experiencing online which lacks the human touch and pleasure that can be gained while remaining connected to nature itself. The power of connection to place becomes even more relevant when a lot of our everyday activities and interactions take place in a digital world.This does not mean individuals wish to live in woods and forests, as the inevitability of the growth of urban environments means many of us will live within a city environment, but it means to remain in sense of place. Sense of place simply means to involve human experiences in a landscape, and being able to identify oneself in relation to a piece of land on the surface of planet earth.Wendell Berry famously stated “if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are”. In a world where on average individuals spend 11+ hours on devices (Richter, 2015) and where everywhere from Starbucks to public transport has internet connection, means many of us have little connection to a sense of place.

An article by The Times found links between the rise in the use of smartphones, tablets and other digital devices to longer working hours, higher stress levels and blurred lines between online and offline activities. (Having a work smartphone only leads to stress, 2016). So the question arises can this idea of escaping to the natural world help societies individuals. Surveys and interviews have shown individuals, specifically women emphasizing the power of activities such as garden programs. The activities can be a source of stress relief and relaxation. It is making time to escape from everyday connections that can become overpowering. Women stated about a particular program “Helps lift everyone’s spirit” “like a tranquilizer”. On the other hand, the inevitability of the future means there may be a complete shift into virtual reality, this isn’t galaxies away, and rather virtual reality will lay its foundation this year, 2016. This could mean, although individuals may crave an escape from the digital world of social media and constant connectedness. This may not be a long term solution to the problem. Key insights from the future thinking report, highlighted the rise and progress of virtual reality and augmented reality.

28 Fig. J

Virtual Reality

Fig. K

Augmented reality/Virtual reality Virtual reality combines the real world with computer graphics. In effect, VR brings the computer world to the individual.VR requires only a way to capture the world around you and the means to experience the computer world. Because the requirements are minimal, many of today’s smartphones are ideal VR devices. There are Augemented Reality applications already available on most smartphones. Virtual reality/augmented reality seems to be a natural progression from the escapism element gained from social media networks. If virtual reality was to become a part of everyday life, even an extension of ‘offline’ life, more and more people may prefer to spend a majority of their time in virtual spaces. Ray Kurzweil, a futurist, predicts “by the 2030s, virtual reality will be totally realistic and compelling and we will spend most of our time in virtual environments… we will all become virtual humans” (Kurzweil, 2003)

What does this mean for the consumer?

The inevitability of the future may mean a complete shift into virtual reality, this isn’t galaxies away, and rather virtual reality will lay its foundation this year, 2016. Samsung revealed the first mainstream social virtual world at the end of 2015, Oculus VR, the company is owned by Facebook and uses ‘Samsung gear VR’ which requires a Samsung phone. Although the current experience is limited and basic it is just the beginning of a whole new world opening up of connecting and communicating within the digital world. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook said about Oculus Rift “is really a new communication platform. By truly feeling present, you can share unbounded spaces and exper0iences with people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures” Virtual reality will allow users to interact directly with people, for example turning one’s head seeing what is on the right and left, as if in a whole new world. Users will even be able to make eye contact with each other while possibly being thousands of miles apart. And just like with current social media platforms, an individual is able to only show a snippet of themselves, they will be able to a create a virtual ‘twin’ of themselves but a version of themselves they want the world to see. Ultimately, the VR world will be a place to escape to, just like watching a TV programme has been in previous years. A virtual world can offer a vastly preferable place to be than some individual’s reality. (Elgan, 2015)

Mark Zuckerberg also predicts “one day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people.” This comment is supported by research that found companies investing a lot into Virtual reality. Google has invested $542 million in the augmented-reality start up Magic Leap, along with Sony and Samsung both developing virtualreality headsets (Kim, 2015). A serious weakness with this argument, however, is that this does not mean the potential consumers of these products most importantly will be as receptive to this technology as they have been with previous technologies. Due to a lack of resources, the researcher was unable to conduct some proposed research. The research would have aimed to gain perspective on consumer’s opinion of virtual reality. This would have helped predict the likeability that such technology could become something of the future, the research idea was outlined in the methodology. Instead of this method research, secondary research found that half of all current smartphone owners believe these devices will no longer be relevant in the next five years as there are so many technologies being developed. “Consumer interest in new interaction paradigms such as Al and virtual reality, as well as in embedding the internet in the walls of homes or even in our bodies, is quite strong” Head of research at Ericsson Consumer Lab Michael Bjorn noted. The evidence seems to indicate that consumers are willing to accept new technologies, and accept and grow with new technology. (Consumers will define the future of the technology industry, 2016) Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick discussed the concept of escaping to virtual reality, rather than simply escaping to for example a TV show. Knobloch-Westerwick noted that “as people cannot truly ‘leave’ reality, the concept of escapism appears to lack precision”. Therefore making the idea of virtual reality or augmented reality somewhat of a game changer. As individuals can choose to replace an unhappy reality with a better, virtual one (Knobloch-Wester and Knobloch-Westerwick, 2008).

32 Fig. L

Conclusion

“We are not actually communicating with each other, we are unconsciously communicating lies”. This quote has a profound impact, and in context, the way that individuals are constantly editing themselves to be perceived a certain way, and the ability to sculpt their lives online, this quote encapsulates this idea. Throughout the report research led to how digital technology is diminishing the quality of personal relationships because of the growing lack of emphasis there is in maintaining personal face to face relationships, as society is being overshadowed by the digital world, especially within the millennial generation. This was specifically made apparent in chapter 5.1, the chapter explored the lack of personal interactions in the rise of digital connectivity. Sherry Turkle’s ‘Connected, but alone?’ TED talk, concluded the lack of ability in being alone is the product of a socially disconnected society caused by an overreliance of digital devices. This was supported throughout with primary research findings, these showed that millennials especially admit to obsessive behaviour with their devices and social media. An inevitable outcome for the future seems to be either a shift in behaviour with a need for escapism from the digital world, or a completely virtual environment which is already proven to be beginning here, in 2016. Throughout the report it was clear individuals were affected by social media in particular, and its potential impacts when overused or over relied upon. It was particularly made clear from research findings that currently millennials are the most involved and affected by their digital devices. A limitation of the study is the fact that much of the research was undertaken in one geographical location and due to lack of resources and time limitations, the sampling was kept under 100 which in context of a global issue is relatively small. Finally, the question of how are individuals being effected by a constant connection to the digital world? Cannot be concluded in one report, and the outcome is extremely subjective. But from the research findings it was made apparent that the issue lies with how individuals interact with their devices.An unhealthy relationship with the digital world can result in a sense of loneliness and unhappiness. The research found millennials, in particular, women are the most affected by the current constant connection to the digital world. Although it is hard to imagine a world without all of the current technologies and it is apparent that it is only the beginning for the digital world.The rise in digital technology has transformed the landscape for marketing and advertising and it can be predicted that there will not be a future without digital devices, it is a matter of how they are used that will determine the future of digital devices and social media. An area that can be explored further is the potential of virtual reality integrating into individuals lives through social media, communication and possibly shopping experiences. The technological advances in virtual reality could offer an opportunity for consumers to communicate with each other and brands in a more exciting and more personal way, Could the future be virtual?

How are individuals constant connection

being affected to the digital

by a world?

Ref ere nces

Books Bartlett, P. F. (2005) Urban place: Reconnecting with the natural world. Edited by Peggy F. Barlett. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Baym, N. K. (2010) Personal connections in the digital age. Cambridge: John Wiley & Sons. Deen, H. N. S. Al-, Hendricks, J. A. and Deen, N. Al- (2011) Social media: Usage and impact. United States: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Knobloch-Wester and Knobloch-Westerwick, S. (2008) Choice and preference in media use: Advances in selective exposure theory and research. London: Routledge Member of the Taylor and Francis Group. Nadkarni, A. and Hofmann, S. G. (2012) ‘Why do people use Facebook?’, Personality and Individual Differences, 52(3), pp. 243–249. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.007. Price-Mitchell, M. (2015) Tomorrow’s change makers: Reclaiming the power of citizenship for a new generation. United States: Eagle Harbor Publishing. Ruvio, A. and Belk, R. W. (eds.) (2012) The Routledge companion to identity and consumption. New York: Taylor & Francis.

TED Talk Turkle, S. (2012, April). Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ sherry_turkle_alone_together?language=en

Reports BEST GLOBAL BRANDS 2015 BRANDS AT THE SPEED OF LIFE (2015) Available at: http://interbrand.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BGB2015-report.pdf (Accessed: 22 January 2016). On Instagram, one fashion brand dominates, but can you guess which one? (2015) Available at: https://mx.macys.com/ most-instagrammed-fashion-brands/?LinkshareID=TnL5HPStwNw-K_269GVLNrnLMrcaoSYdlQ&PartnerID=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc=LINKSHARE-_-5-_-63-_-MP563 (Accessed: 22 January 2016).

Journals Chou, H.-T. G. and Edge, N. (2012) ‘“They are happier and having better lives than I Am”: The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others’ lives’, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(2), pp. 117–121. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2011.0324. Feinstein, J. S., Buzza, C., Hurlemann, R., Follmer, R. L., Dahdaleh, N. S., Coryell, W. H., Welsh, M. J., Tranel, D. and Wemmie, J. A. (2013) ‘Fear and panic in humans with bilateral amygdala damage’, Nature Neuroscience, 16(3), pp. 270–272. doi: 10.1038/nn.3323. Toma, C. L. and Hancock, J. T. (2013) ‘Self-affirmation underlies Facebook use’, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(3), pp. 321–331. doi: 10.1177/0146167212474694. Wilson, T. D., Reinhard, D. A., Westgate, E. C., Gilbert, D. T., Ellerbeck, N., Hahn, C., Brown, C. L. and Shaked, A. (2014) ‘Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind’, Science, 345(6192), pp. 75–77. doi: 10.1126/science.1250830. Yang, C. and Brown, B. B. (2015) ‘Factors involved in associations between Facebook use and college adjustment: Social competence, perceived usefulness, and use patterns’, Computers in Human Behavior, 46, pp. 245–253. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.015.

News Articles Having a work smartphone only leads to stress (2016) Available at: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/news/article4316963.ece (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Pelling, R. (2012) ‘How technology is taking hold of our children’s lives’, The Telegraph, . Plunkett, J. (2016) TV advertising skipped by 86% of viewers. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/ aug/24/tv-advertising (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Sparkes, M. (2013) Twitter and Facebook ‘addicts’ suffer withdrawal symptoms. Available at: http://www.telegraph. co.uk/technology/social-media/9986950/Twitter-and-Facebook-addicts-suffer-withdrawal-symptoms.html (Accessed: 22 January 2016).

Articles 23 days a year spent on your phone - (no date) Available at: http://www.mobilestatistics.com/mobile-news/23-days-ayear-spent-on-your-phone.aspx (Accessed: 22 January 2016). A Pychyl, T. (2015) Media use, Escapism and procrastination. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ dont-delay/201508/media-use-escapism-and-procrastination (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Consumers will define the future of the technology industry (2016) Available at: http://www.talentinternational.com/ consumers-will-define-the-future-of-the-tech-industry/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Earnings review: Nike continues its strong run (2015) Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/06/29/earnings-review-nike-continues-its-strong-run/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Elgan, M. (2015) Why virtual reality is the next social network. Available at: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2999819/social-media/why-virtual-reality-is-the-next-social-network.html (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Kim, M. (2015) The good and the bad of escaping to virtual reality. Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-good-and-the-bad-of-escaping-to-virtual-reality/385134/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Kurzweil, R. (2003) Foreword to Virtual Humans. Available at: http://www.kurzweilai.net/foreword-to-virtual-humans (Accessed: 5 January 2016). Porter, J. (2015) How solitude can change your brain in profound ways. Available at: http://www.fastcompany. com/3052061/lessons-learned/how-solitude-can-change-your-brain-in-profound-ways (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Richter, F. (2015) Americans use electronic media 11+ hours A day. Available at: http://www.statista.com/chart/1971/ electronic-media-use/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Smith, C. (2014) Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how retailers are really using social media to boost sales. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-are-using-social-media-to-boost-sales-2014-4?IR=T (Accessed: 22 January 2016). The sense of place | the art of geography (no date) Available at: http://www.artofgeography.com/info/the-sense-ofplace (Accessed: 22 January 2016).

List of Illustrations Fig. A I Phone 6 http://pngimg.com/upload/iphone_PNG5724.png Fig. B Woman hand smartphone desk https://static.pexels.com/photos/6471/woman-hand-smartphone-desk.jpg Fig. C Books magazines building school https://static.pexels.com/photos/2757/books-magazines-building-school.jpg Fig. D Brain Sketch http://previews.123rf.com/images/tonybaggett/tonybaggett1208/tonybaggett120800023/14915094-An-engraved-illustration-of-thehuman-brain-from-a-Victorian-book-dated-1880-that-is-no-longer-in-co-Stock-Photo.jpg Fig. E Womans Face https://maxcdn1.laprogressive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/woman-face.gif Fig. F Yeezyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sketch http://41.media.tumblr.com/ff31aacfbce1ae0491203a9c0b2b7b6c/tumblr_nkau2l3pAJ1qio1zho1_500.jpg Fig. G Skyscraper https://static.pexels.com/photos/26325/pexels-photo-large.jpg Fig. H Black and white person https://static.pexels.com/photos/3351/black-and-white-person-woman-girl.jpg Fig. I Concrete blocks https://static.pexels.com/photos/14613/Life-of-Pix-free-stock-photos-blocks-sky-monument-davideragusa.jpg Fig. J View through phone https://static.pexels.com/photos/7543/pexels-photo.jpeg Fig. K Landscape https://static.pexels.com/photos/34920/pexels-photo-large.jpg Fig. L Stars https://static.pexels.com/photos/6656/sky-night-space-galaxy-large.jpeg

Bibl iogr aphy

Articles 23 days a year spent on your phone - (no date) Available at: http://www.mobilestatistics.com/mobile-news/23-days-ayear-spent-on-your-phone.aspx (Accessed: 22 January 2016). A Pychyl, T. (2015) Media use, Escapism and procrastination. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ dont-delay/201508/media-use-escapism-and-procrastination (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Bell, A. (2015). Digital Vacations. [online] WGSN. Available at: http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_view- er/#/59175/ page/8 [Accessed 2 Nov. 2015]. Consumers will define the future of the technology industry (2016) Available at: http://www.talentinternational.com/ consumers-will-define-the-future-of-the-tech-industry/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Earnings review: Nike continues its strong run (2015) Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/06/29/earnings-review-nike-continues-its-strong-run/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Elgan, M. (2015) Why virtual reality is the next social network. Available at: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2999819/social-media/why-virtual-reality-is-the-next-social-network.html (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Fernholz, T. (2014). More people around the world have cell phones than ever had land-lines. [online] Quartz. Available at: http://qz.com/179897/more-people-around-the-world-have-cell-phones-than-ever-had- land-lines/ [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. GE Look ahead | The Economist, (2015). Digital happiness - | GE Look ahead | The Economist. [online] Available at: http://gelookahead.economist.com/digital-happiness/ [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. Graham-Rowe, D. (2013). Digital connectivity: a space odyssey. [online] Vision.ae. Available at: http://vision. ae/articles/ digital_connectivity_a_space_odyssey [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. Kim, M. (2015) The good and the bad of escaping to virtual reality. Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-good-and-the-bad-of-escaping-to-virtual-reality/385134/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Kunde-co.com, (2015). Kunde & Co. [online] Available at: http://www.kunde-co.com/blogs/2014/globali- sation-and-digitalisation-%E2%80%93-a-marketing-executives%E2%80%99-greatest-challenges-yet.aspx [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. Kurzweil, R. (2003) Foreword to Virtual Humans. Available at: http://www.kurzweilai.net/foreword-to-virtual-humans (Accessed: 5 January 2016).

Lunden, I. (2015). 6.1B Smartphone Users Globally By 2020, Overtaking Basic Fixed PhoneÂ Subscriptions. [online] TechCrunch. Available at: http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/02/6-1b-smartphone-users-globally-by- 2020-overtaking-basic-fixed-phone-subscriptions/#.hnwyc6t:RPIH [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. Martin, T. (2014). Pocket computing: evolution of the smartphone | Pocketnow. [online] Pocketnow. Availa- ble at: http://pocketnow.com/2014/07/28/the-evolution-of-the-smartphone [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. Porter, J. (2015) How solitude can change your brain in profound ways. Available at: http://www.fastcompany. com/3052061/lessons-learned/how-solitude-can-change-your-brain-in-profound-ways (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Richter, F. (2015) Americans use electronic media 11+ hours A day. Available at: http://www.statista.com/chart/1971/ electronic-media-use/ (Accessed: 22 January 2016). Singh, S. (2014). The 10 Social And Tech Trends That Could Shape The Next Decade. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/sarwantsingh/2014/05/12/the-top-10-mega-trends-of-the-decade [Accessed: 22 January 2016]. Smith, C. (2014) Here’s how retailers are really using social media to boost sales. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-are-using-social-media-to-boost-sales-2014-4?IR=T (Accessed: 22 January 2016). The sense of place | the art of geography (no date) Available at: http://www.artofgeography.com/info/the-sense-ofplace (Accessed: 22 January 2016).

TED Talks Turkle, S. (2012, April). Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ sherry_turkle_alone_together?language=en Lewinsky, M. (2015, Mar). Monica Lewinsky: The price of shame [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/ talks/monica_lewinsky_the_price_of_shame Golbeck, J. (2013, Oct). Jennifer Golbeck: The curly fry conundrum: Why social media “likes” say more than you might think [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_golbeck_the_curly_fry_conundrum_why_social_media_likes_say_more_than_you_might_think

App En Dix

Survey

Results

Observation

This observation was undertaken to research into the thinking of young millennials around the subject of social media and its affects. The observation outcomes, if used within the report, will keep participants anonymous and confidential. Participant A I think I’m going to join the gym soon Participant B Yeah I was up last night shopping for gym stuff (laughs) why? Participant A Yeah I’m kind of stressing about life I think genuinely need to take a break from social media. I’m feeling really bad about myself it’s actually terrible Participant B Oh no don’t worry, by the way you’re going you’ll be absolutely fine! What do you mean!? Participant A Like I was stalking people and I was thinking why don’t I look like that and stuff, I’m so sad Participant B Join the club though, I had a breakdown today Participant A I know! Like we shouldn’t feel that way! It’s not healthy Participant B Oh no you’re not sad, everybody does it. I literally sent my home friends this photo of this girl who has it all today and thought why am I putting myself through stupid stress like this? Exactly, and you can’t trust social media because it’s mainly all fake! Hence why I posted that photo on my Instagram today because I was just full of jealousy today of people’s lives and looks and made me panic about life Participant A Yeah we’re just adding unnecessary stress to our lives for no reason. I think I might do a detox I’m going to delete the apps for a while

Participant B We just have to learn to ignore it at the moment because we have bigger issues to worry about you know? Participant A Yes there are! And we could be in a much worse position Participant B Really? Well sadly, I don’t think I could do that but good luck! Exactly, just feel lucky to have working limbs and healthy body Participant A I think I might just start with snap chat and Facebook Participant B Here’s me talking positive but really I’m never positive about myself. No! Don’t leave snapchat and Facebook. I would’ve said delete Instagram cause that’s the main app that gets to people’s heads I think Participant A It’s difficult though! People don’t see the good in themselves! I don’t know I’ll think about it Participant B But in terms of distraction, yes Facebook and snapchat need to go if it’s about focusing on work Participant A Yes for sure Participant B I don’t think I’ll ever be happy with myself but I do believe everybody else should eventually learn to love themselves because it’s not healthy at all (as you said) Participant B These photos on social media are just angles and filters. We all know you’re beautiful in real life Sedi but we have no idea about these people on Instagram we look up to, especially their personality too.You’re such a warm and friendly person, also hard working which is a bonus on top of your looks so don’t worry darling! You’ve got this! Participant A Oh Natasya! Thank you! And you too! Yes it’s all just fake. And the same to you too! You’ve made me feel better

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