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Brooke Cannon

Unit 4 Rough Draft

Prof. Locklear

22 April 2017

Were Losing Our Senses

All around the world technology has been growing at an alarming rate, and with it comes

dangers that most people do not even recognize as a problem. With each positive, there is a

negative aspect, and usually it falls down to the safety of the artists in the world. Social media

and the internet is negatively affecting the art enthusiasts and it just continues to grow worse as

technology further advances. The arts can be defined as television, music, actual artwork, theatre,

movies; you name it, its anything entertaining. One of the positives forming are the arts being

revitalized by social media and the internet. Tsukayama, a consumer reporter for The Washington

Post, had an interview with the creator of the X-Files, and asked about the effects of the social

media on his show. X-Files stopped filming in 2002, however, the creator has found a growing

fanbase for the show from exposure on the internet/social media which revitalized the show and

allowed for it to begin filming again. However, with every positive there is a negative. This

exposure just opens the door for people all around the world to send negative comments.

Basically, there is a negative to every positive and with an awareness and mindset to stop it, the

world will help encourage the art world to grow.

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Interestingly enough, instead of having to go in a museum now to view artwork it is

transforming into a digital journey. Artwork is being viewed more online than in person, which

some artists believe this is great. Cho, a blog writer who used to be a major in theater, has two

different viewpoints. The most positive found in his blog, was that social media brings in more

revenue and opens doors to artists all over the world rather for the viewers to travel across the

world to view it where it is behind a glass box in a museum. Even an artist, Yanez, finds that the

work made is viewed more online, rather in person. Viewing online takes from the museums

though, which is supposed to be a personal experience. People are worried more about their

phones and posting online about what they are seeing rather than going to a museum to actually

see and experience the feeling of seeing iconic artwork. Even if seeing artwork online makes

more money by bringing in museum gowers; it begs the question on if the viewers are really

seeing the artwork or are they just there to post about seeing it. Skubasteve, a Tumblr profile,

posts artwork that answers that question; you can see it on the right. It is a man tied to a phone

with different social medias, and the phone application holding him down. It symbolizes how

everyone is tied to their phone and even Houseman reports that it creates an anti-social,

community. Why go to a museum when you can see it online and dont have to worry about

dealing with people in the flesh looking at it? Hafy answers that question. She too, is a blog

writer, and finds that in this day and age, there is a pressure to have a, perfect post. Playing

into the anti-social comment, this perfect post is what gets people in this generation to go out

and try new things. They, the viewers, want to conform to society as well to make themselves fit

in. Museums are no longer are found to be personal because the people there are just trying to

show off what they are, looking at, however; some museums are fighting back to keep it

personal and from being destroyed by the outside world. Cho reports that a museum found in
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Amsterdam no longer allows for phones or photos to be taken to help preserve the artwork, but to

also keep peoples creative eyes open to what they are truly looking at. Not only that, but the

museum has stations where you can color and draw what you see when you are looking at the art

on the wall. So there are options forming in the world to keep museums personal, hopefully

people can look up from their phone long enough to see it.

There are social media and creative outlets being created in order to have an interaction

between the artist and viewer which can be beneficial to the growth of support throughout the art

world, however, also helps grows other concerns. The Brunswick news shows where an

interaction between the viewer and artist is positive. An exhibit in Georgia is created where the

artwork is social media inspired and the artists included links that allowed for the viewers to talk

to the artists while at the exhibit looking at it. Basically, the viewers could see the work, and then

if they liked it- they could go onto the social media platform and like it and comment as well in

real time with the artist themself. However agreed that this is

useful for interacting with artists, there are definitely some

worries on the museums having to conform to have this kind of

interaction. For example, Mittleman wrote an article about a King

Tut exhibit that travelled all throughout the US and it documented

thousands upon thousands of people who came to see the exhibit purely off the experience of the

exhibit. However, now museums are having to transition to have games and technology to keep

people interested, to give them a purpose to even be there in the museum. Basically, the worlds

museums are not about what is in them, but the experience. The technology is taking away from

the personal experience of while you are in a museum and replacing it with games and screens
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that arent the artwork. Basically, the technology is taking away from the whole purpose of the

museum, to view iconic artwork in awe or criticizing eyes.

The most common problem found within the arts, is the safety being jeopardized from the

artists because of the internet or social media. With the artists going to social media to share

work with more people it equates to negative effects forming and instead of just the surrounding

area being able to attack, people from all over the world can. The negative effects include;

negative comments because of the artists posts (pictures/tweets/opinions) and it can even cause

stalking and safety concerns to viewers being obsessed over the artist or attracted to the lifestyle

the artist might be living. For example, Kim Kardashian, an idol on social media platforms and

also a reality TV star, can post anything and will gain thousands of likes and admirers. Late last

year, Mrs. Kardashian took a trip to Paris for business and was robbed of over ten million worth

of jewelry after sharing a picture on Instagram. Vanities reported about it, and while in the

article, you see an interview with the Chief of Police in Paris who had responded to the robbery.

He had gotten the call at 3 AM, not knowing who THE Kim K was and googled her, because he

didnt understand the urgency. He found that she, had a lot of likes on Facebook. With

continuous research, the Chief saw that of the 15 Instagram photos she posted from Paris, surely

the most tantalizing for thieves would have been posted

the day after her arrival. This begs the question of

what did the picture look like? Obviously, it was bad

enough for her to get robbed. Kim K was shown

sporting , diamonds in her mouth and a 20-karat-

diamond ring on her finger; the ring being valued over

$4 Million.
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It is believed there was an inside job that allowed for her robbers to get access to her

apartment she was staying at, and the chief believed the robbers had to have been following her

on social media, because that is where she gives all her information out. However, some might

believe that the artists are putting themselves out there on social media, and basically asking to

be judged or have things said to them, as well as should not have the right to be upset when they

opened that door to many people. It can be agreed that the artists opened that door, but disagreed

with the fact that it can be dangerous and can sometimes be considered bullying. With Kim K, it

unfortunately turned out to be dangerous for her safety and in person, but most of the time it is

online, on social media where people are attacked. Rost, the writer of Digital Social Norm

Enforcement, talks about the different forms of bullying, and capitalizes on the fact that, social

media gives ordinary people the power to communicate norm violations to a very large

audience. He also says how, in social media, people who are geographically completely

removed from each other can assault each other verbally without fear of bodily harm. This

simple statement is important. Anyone can attack and they can do it anywhere in the world

without fear of the repercussions of posting something. Hafy, a blog poster, got a question in

from a reader of hers who was struggling with self-thought because of the things she was seeing

and being told on social media. An eye-opening response she wrote was to make awareness to

those who are commenting or posting hateful things, and it was simply put that, regardless of

your personality type, everyone has a tendency to be affected by the things we see and read on

social media. All those images we see dont vanish from our memory. This leaves the lasting

impression of being aware of what youre posting around you because it affects those reading it.

Although, this can be pushed into two different examples as well. Ladybug007, posts a picture

that is meant to leave a very concerning, heart wrenching message. It is a picture of a theater. The
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sign says Earth, with a polar bear floating. The point of this movie is to give awareness to

anyone's actions and the results in the environment. You scan down the picture, and you see a

worker just shaking his head, because even after some people sat watched about the reactions to

our actions, they had left trash everywhere in the theater. The irony is unreal and disappointing

and leaves the final message of there are warnings everywhere, but whoever is watching, is not

listening. The other end of the spectrum is just an example of an artist who was getting directly

impacted is Demi Lovato. Demi Lovato is a musician, who has been on television, and is a huge

activist that is trying to end food disorders and the discrimination against those with bipolar. So

many people disagree with her and her views that she can not even go on social media without

being attacked, like you can see below.

She makes valid points on asking why people care so much about her life and HAVE to

say something. She shares for those who are inspired by her, but there is always that negative

nancy in the bunch and it makes her and other artists just want to quit and stop doing what they

do. For those fans of Demi, they would be devastated because of what she stands for and how
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she helps them. Artists are attacked every day and their safety is jeopardized by those who want

to be them or those who are jealous, you name it.

Although there are positives to social media opening the doors for the worlds creative

side of life, it is found to have some pretty big negatives as well. The art being revitalized by

internet is great and allows for this new technology generation to see into the past, but opens

doors for museums to lose the personal touch they once had as well as takes away from the

whole purpose of the different arts; which is to be viewed in person. Technology is taking over

the world and allowing for the artists to be attacked by those who use social media and the

internet to view the work of those who work hard to make a difference. With some regulations

and maybe some more art enthusiast support, the IN-PERSON art world will not disappear with

the digital growing and would keep the negative atmosphere from growing and growing.

Works Cited

Cho, Jamie. The Impact of Social Media on Museums, Art. Daily Bruin. N.P., 20 Jan. 2016.

Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Ddlovato. So excited for 2017. 3 Oct 2016- 4 Oct 2016, Feb 2017. Twitter. Accessed 27 Mar 2017.
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Hafy. "Hidden Dangers of Social Media: Validation, Comparison and How To Solve It." Hafymo.

N.p., 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

Housman, Donna, Richard Boyce, Larry Schlack, Beth Rosen, and Muriel Schleider. "The

Antisocial Effects of Social Media." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Apr.

2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

Ladybug007. "Shocking Illustrations by Luis Quiles." Imgur. Imgur, 05 Dec. 2014. Web. 30 Mar.

2017.

Mittelman, Karen. "Museums In The Age Of Social." Humanities 37.2 (2016): 38-41. Academic

Search Premier. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.

Rost, Katja, et al. "Digital Social Norm Enforcement: Online Firestorms in Social Media."

Plos ONE, vol. 11, no. 6, 17 June 2016, pp. 1-26. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155923.

Skubastevee. "Skubastevee." Skuba Stevee. Tumblr, 02 Jan. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Seal, Mark. The Inside Story of the Kim Kardashian Paris Hotel Heist. Vanities. Vanity Fair,

21 November 2016. Web. 15 Apr. 2017

"Social media provides artistic expression." Brunswick News [Brunswick, GA], 5 Sept. 2013.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Accessed 8 Feb. 2017.

Tsukayama, Hayley. "How technology changed 'The X-Files,' on-screen and off, according to its

creator; Q&A." Washington Post, 4 May 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Accessed

8 Feb. 2017.

Yaez, Rio. "Aztln On Blast: Social Media Art." Aztlan 38.1 (2013): 255-264. Academic Search

Premier. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.