In her book, Jose Van Dijck
argues that the “culture of connectivity”:
is a culture where the organization of social exchange is staked
on neoliberal economic principles. Connectivity derives from a continuous
pressure—both from peers and technologies -- to expand through competition and
gain power through strategic alliances. Platform tactics such as the
popularity principle and ranking mechanisms… are firmly rooted in a ideology that
values, hierarchy, competition and a winner-takes-all mind-set” (Van Dijck,
2013, p. 21).
Last year, Essena O’Neill, an Australian
social media “influencer,” quit social media. In a YouTube video she called
“Why I REALLY am quitting social media,” O’Neill said that everything she did
was for views, likes and followers. She had turned social media into a career
with sponsors and a modeling contract.
O’Neill’s actions would be characteristic
to what Van Dijck refers to as “neoliberal economic principles” of the culture
of connectivity of contemporary social media platforms. In a story from Time Magazine titled “Instagram star
Essena O’Neill breaks her silence on quitting social media,” O’Neill said:
“I
was lost, with serious problems so beautifully hidden … If anything my social
media addiction, perfectionist personality and low self esteem made my career,”
she said. “Over-sexualisation, perfect food photos, perfect travel vlogs – it
is textbook how I got famous. Sex sells, people listen to pretty blondes, I
just happened to talk about veganism a trending thing on YouTube.”
From this quote we can
understand how O’Neill performed in order to gain popularity. While some
aspects of her life, veganism for instance, may have been authentic, she admits
in the YouTube video mentioned that most aspects of her life were inauthentic.
Like Van Dijck says, she felt pressure to gain more followers, and in turn,
power, through alliances with advertisers exploiting people like her to sell
products.
Reference List
McCluskey, M. (2016, January 5). Instagram
star Essena O’Neill breaks her silence on
quitting
social media. Time Magazine.
Retrieved from
O’Neill, E. [iKaryn]. (2015, November 3).
Why I REALLY am quitting social media
[Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1Qyks8QEM
Van Dijck, J.
(2013). The culture of connectivity: A
critical history of social
media. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hi Alexandria! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your incorporation of specific quotes from Essena O'Neill's video as it helped to better understand the topic you were discussing. I agree with your statement that O'Neill's argument is characteristic of Van Dijck's "neoliberal economic principles" as her actions were motivated through the promise of more followers and likes, which turns into fame, power, and money through brand sponsorships.