Inflating the Digital Ego A critical approach to narcissism on social media networks through a digital artwork
Abstract
With the advent of World Wide Web 2.0 and the subsequent rise of the social media networks’ popularity, the construction of a subject’s digital identity has evolved into an integral part of their social life. In this context, we observe an over-exposure of an edited version of the digital self and a forged virtual happiness, that often feeds the users’ narcissistic behaviors. Scholars study the reciprocal relationship between narcissism and social media activity, while digital artists take a critical stance on technologically mediated social interactions and power asymmetries produced at social networks. This article introduces the artwork inflated_ego which critically approaches these issues, focusing on the overexposure of an idealized image of oneself and the ceaseless effort of social media users to elicit positive reactions from their peers. The artwork consists of a data-driven interactive installation, which is transformed dynamically in response to real-time data retrieved from “Facebook”. The article discusses the relation between social media and narcissism, as well as the relationship between the overexposure of the quantified self and dataveillance. Then it presents the digital artwork inflated_ego and discusses how digital artworks can potentially provoke critical thinking on the aforementioned issues.
Article Details
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Antonopoulou, C. (2023). Inflating the Digital Ego: A critical approach to narcissism on social media networks through a digital artwork. Αutomaton: Journal of Digital Media and Culture, 2(2), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.12681/automaton.35473
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