Nostalgia - Post #3

 Instagram

Many of my personal social media posts are commemorations of loved ones' birthdays, graduations, trips etc., all deemed to be special events. We often post things because we don't want to lose feelings associated with a certain place or people. When does social media turn from being an indulgent vehicle for self-celebration and transform into a near tangible documentation of the past? Can it be both?

Jurgenson states that, "social photography turns the ephemeral into something tangible and our life into something collectable, consumable." (26). Even though we can't physically collect or touch the posts we take, we develop a sense of ownership. For instance, I have countless pictures of my 11 week year old puppy, Hudson, on my phone. Some of them I took myself, some of them were sent to me by my parents. Even though I never posted these pictures (until just now, I suppose), I still have an associated sense of sentimentality. Why? I am holding onto memories of him being a six and a half pound ball of fluff. I already look back on these pictures with nostalgia, even though they were taken earlier this month.     

My mom and I at Jewel Osco, c. April, 2020  (arguably one of the grandest grocery stores in the midwest)

 

   

Hudson photography

Social photography all boils down to the innate human desire to capture a moment. But, social photography is curated by us, and often falsely represents the past. I have countless photos and videos from the pandemic in early 2020 that document the insanity of the northwest side of Chicago (from people taking family walks with gas masks, priests chalking messages on the sidewalk and plain old selfies). When I look back on these images now, I have a sense of nostalgia. For some bizarre reason, I crave the whipped coffee trend, social distanced picnics and early morning drives to Jewel Osco. Is this a result of some warped sense of reality? Or did my social photography convince me to be sentimental of a time of uncertainty?  I would say both.