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Personal assumptions around my topic of Inquiry...


I believe my inquiry title will be ...

“How does social media effect a professional dancers body image’


The gap in the research I have found seems to be, that there Is lot's of research on how social media can effect people positively and negatively and theres lot’s about how dancers view their body image. So I will inquire about, what is the link between social media and how professional dancers view their body image? Is there a link? How is it effected?


Today whilst rereading the handbook I came across a page that was about ethics and personal assumptions and It made me honestly think about why I chose my topic and what my own personal assumptions are.



I enjoy being on Instagram, I love that I can look back over my profile and be reminded of all the wonderful memories over the years. However, I realised that I sometimes look at social media and feel a pressure to look a certain way. I am strong willed and I would say I’m not easily influenced at all, but sometimes when I look at photos of other people, I think I naturally compare myself and this brings me a mix of feelings. Sometimes it’s a positive feeling, but it can often be a negative emotion.


With lockdown I felt that everyone on my Instagram feed was recording themselves working out, or posting about their achievements with their 5km / 10km runs, or what online dance classes they were doing. This sometimes made me feel guilty, because I wasn’t doing these things or somedays it motivated me to get fitter and use my time ‘wisely’. I have very mixed personal feelings on the topic and I think I look at social media in both a positive and negative light.


I came to my topic because, I find it interesting to know what other female professional dancers experiences and views are. (I am going to research and focus on people who identify as female, as this is how I identify). But boys feel free to comment too haha!


 I will admit I only post the positives on my Instagram account and it mainly consists of my travel photos; which I have been lucky to have travelled with my professional practise, some show photos of me that are related to my practice and then some personal photos (my account is also private)
My Instagram isn’t a professional profile, I personally have never had to get a job from my social media accounts; only live auditions , show reels and my CV, however I understand others have had a different experience with this.


Instagram is a social norm now, the majority of people have a profile. I understand that it’s a privilege that we have access to internet / wifi and have a device to run our social media accounts off.


This is such a huge topic and there are so many perspectives to look at!


Do you have a social media account like Instagram and what do you use it for? 


This is a great video I came across today about how social media effects body image and I think its so relevant in this modern day society.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bnNxGhnLQo



Comments

  1. Hi Emily, great blog and such an interesting topic! I can relate to what you said about identifying yourself as being strong willed, I have never really let other peoples opinions get the better of me and I have always been very confident about my own decisions/following my own path etc. However recently I have deactivated my instagram account. Like you, I only used it for personal reasons, sharing my adventures and experiences with others. I didn't use it as a professional platform or a way to 'sell' myself a certain way but I found when looking back, my documented experiences were all doctored in some way or another (the 'candid' selfie on the beach took 30+ attempts to get) you get my drift! The decision to deactivate my account was a bit of a 'spur of the moment' type one - I'd had a bad day and I found each post that appeared on my feed only made me feel worse (regardless of the fact that I knew most of them were staged because you know been there done that). Now, I am actually enjoying the break from social media and the 'pressures' of maintaining a certain lifestyle which got me thinking... what are these 'pressures'? It's something that gets mentioned a lot nowadays 'the pressures of social media' but where do they come from? Surely they are subject to the individual? Do we create them ourselves? Let's face it no one is forcing me to post happy smiley photos each day, no one is telling me that I must achieve or accomplish a goal to stay relevant, so why is it that we feel the need to do so? Maybe this is something that will come up in your research! xx

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    1. Thanks so much for your comments! Yes I often have to remind myself that images are edited. I recently started following some accounts that call out the Instagram lies and they show you how simple it is for someone to edit a photo! Also the insta famous accounts often have professional photographers capturing their staged 'candid' shoots. Which yes we have all been there!!
      I think I too felt worse about Instagram during the pandemic, I don't think I ever used to think too deeply into things and I think my time spent on my phone has increased loads (which isn't healthy) I am glad you're enjoying your social media detox! It's something I should consider doing haha!
      Thanks for your thoughts!!

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  2. Hi Emily, this is such a great post! I completely agree with what you said about how social media (and Instagram in particular) can be a real double-edged sword. During lockdown especially whilst everyone is spending more time on social media it's very easy to get sucked into a downward spiral of feeling guilty for not being as productive or 'successful' as others. I also feel a huge pressure to have to promote myself as an artist on social media, especially at the moment where there aren't any real life classes or workshops, and honestly it's not something I feel very comfortable doing, nor am I very good at it. I really look forward to reading your future blogs, and best of luck with your research! x

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    1. Thanks for your comments I appreciate your insight!!

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  3. Hi Emily, it was lovely to read about your topic and hearing a bit about how it relates to your practice. I found that when I was on board, I didn't use social media. Like you have said, it wasn't necessary for my job, but wasn't always accessible. So when lockdown began last year, I found that I was using social media a lot more and becoming influenced by what other people were doing. I recognised I wasn't using social media for the right reasons so I started logging off my accounts. I only check my accounts a couple of times a week now. It's important for people to realise that most people only post the best aspects of their life online, which is why I think it's so refreshing to see people sharing 'realities' on their social media accounts. It would be amazing if people do this more! It's such an interesting topic and could take you in so many different directions. I am excited to read more about your research!

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    1. Thanks Alice! I think part of this has stemmed from working on ships you're right! I am used to have no Internet connection or just logging in to talk to family as we have to pay for our service! I think naturally out of having it constantly and the boredom of lockdown that I have been on my phone loads more!! I think logging off and controlling it like that is a great first step for feeling less can I say addicted?

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  4. Such a good blog and interesting topic Emily. You've covered so many thought provoking points here. I rarely use my instagram account but you only have to look at the feeds to know peoples lives are shown through 'rose tinted glasses'! I'm not really of the Insta generation and it scares the life out of me what my 8 year old daughter (and my sons!) will face as they grow up. I hear so many stories of the pressures that arise through social media but, like you say, with the negatives come the positives and as a marketing tool its amazing as you get to control what people see of you! Hope all your research has gone well, genuinely interested to read more about your research as its such a relevant, interesting topic!

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    1. Oh the Rose tinted glasses is a perfect description. I was shocked actually at some of the content I have come across which shows how people completely edit their features so they look totally different but we are people viewing the feed would believe that's how they look! You wouldn't recognise that person if they walked pats you in the street, it's kinder creepy but also very very sad!
      I don't have children yet but it would freak me out to at the thought of them using social media in this day and age! Also with children obsessing with tik tok, it can be so much fun but also the wed is dark too!

      Thanks Jen! I can't wait to follow your research journey too!!

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