Representing ourselves

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

'Who are you?' - With the contribution of lifestyle and fashion we construct our own identity but there is a difference between the person we think we are, the person we want to be and the person we want to be seen to be.

'I think, therefore I am' - This was a time where the notion of the individual was less central than it is now is - our identity was based around aspects of our lives that were constructed outside of our selves; class, religion, gender and the predetermined roles that were part of the accident of the family we were born into.

'From citizen to consumer' - The consumer boom was based on convincing people that it was no longer enough simply to buy what you needed to survive, essentially the idea of creating wants and desires.

'The rise of the individual' - During the second half of the 20th century, people began defining themselves as individuals, and so wanted to express their ‘difference’ and ‘uniqueness’; they were empowered by being encouraged to ‘be themselves’.

'Branding and lifestyle' - Branding is the association of a ‘personality' with a product. 

'Who will we be?' - Social networking sites allow participants to create a public image of themselves to be consumed as a media product by others – and this is part of the appeal.

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

• Apple - I have apple products such as an IPhone and IPad which I use every day without failure.
• Nike - I wear nike product, both shoes and clothes
• Adidas - ""
• Cocoa Butter - When I have dry skin or lips
• Playstation - TV, entertainment, gaming

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

I agree to quite a large extent that modern media is all about 'style over substance' which means people value the appearance of something over what it contains/ the content of it. 

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

The increasing dominance of the mass media and what Baudrillard calls ‘media saturation’ results in high cultural value being placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion sense over internal traits such as intelligence or compassion.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

No, I barely use social media and when I do it is a somewhat accurate reflection of who I am.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?
I think that data mining is a smart way to appeal to a specific audience in order to make more sales. Although it can be seen as an invasion of privacy, it is quite effective as it identifies products that would actually appeal to the person.