Jerome Rand: 1033334
A Freudism Analysis of Facebook Photography
For this group blog I will be analyzing a variety of
Facebook profiles pictures and the reason as to why they were chosen as representation
of that person’s self from the outlook of freudism. For privacy reasons I shall
keep the identity of each person in these photographs anonymous by referring to
them as (Fig.1), (Fig.2) and (Fig.3).
The Freudism theory of personality is separated up
into three different parts, part one is the ‘Id’ is based on the principle of
pleasure its purpose is that it is the part of unconscious mind. It disciplines
our drives, instincts, compulsions and urges. Freud felt that an infant is the purest, most unblemished form of
‘Id’, demanding instant diligence to have the basic of functional needs, i.e. changing of clothes
and nourishment etc fulfilling biological urges without thought for others.
Part two is the ‘Ego’ it’s fundamentally based on reality, the
purpose of it is whilst conscious is that is has authority over the functions
of the ‘Id’. The ‘Ego’ is receptive to the demands of the ‘Id’, though it
comprehends the key factors such as regard for others, this may elongate
satisfaction; focusing on direct satisfaction, yet the ‘Ego’ focuses on a
realistic sense of satisfaction.
Interacting and learning from the external surroundings is the
‘Superego’ the last part of the personality. When the ‘Ego’ meets obstacles the
‘Superego’ develops in relieving the ‘Id’. The formation of this function is
that it has ethical values and moral restrictions. Deciding what’s right and
wrong in the socially approved whilst suppressing the ‘Id’, if desires and
needs are conflicting with socially accepted notions. The ‘Superego’ restricts
the appeasing of the ‘Id’; the ‘Ego’ may conceal the Id’s need into the
unconscious state of mind in order to avoid internal conflict.
Looking at these different parts of Freud’s theory of
personality I will use this to give me more understanding of the three Facebook
profile pictures I chose at random to analyze. In today’s
vastly growing social networks i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr etc. What
separates us from these other people on these networking sites is personality,
though what makes this differentiated fundamental is that we are influenced by
different things thus creating personality; basically a sense of self. For
example how we show our hair, face and clothes is all influenced.
“As
children experience the demands and constraints of reality, a new structure of
personality emerges- the ego, the Freudian structure of personality that deals
with the demands of reality. The ego is called the executive branch of
personality because it uses reasoning to make decisions.” (Essortment, 2011)
When uploading pictures on to Facebook accounts people use ‘the
ego’ as Freud says to make decisions as to what they wish to show. However their
personality affects this by how they wish to be preserved in their mind by
others.
Firstly looking at (Fig.1) she has shown a picture of herself
clearly wearing excessive make-up, artificially tanned skin and wearing
lingerie. Looking closer at the reason as to why she chose to use this
photograph to portray herself;
“Freud
believed that the mind was either in a state of consciousness or
unconsciousness. Consciousness is an awareness of perceptions, memories,
thoughts, fantasies and feelings.” (Strehlow, 2011)
(Facebook, 2011, Fig.1)
Conscious
of her decisions (Fig.1) took this photograph in a conscious state, so she was
perfectly aware of the photographs perception for she may of felt this was
beautiful. Though her idea of beauty is influenced clearly by popular culture, (Fig.1)
is aware that she is only demonstrating herself wearing a bra in this
photograph also exposing her cleavage. To any person looking at his photograph they
would interpret this as provocative, for she chose to expose herself like this.
(Fig.1)’s ‘Id’ makes her ‘Ego’ perceive herself in
this perspective for her biological urges are what’s taking over her views of
what’s she deems beautiful and socially attractive.
The ‘Superego’ decides what’s right and wrong, in
what’s socially acceptable whilst suppressing the ‘Id’. Clearly she feels that
in order to be socially wanted she has to expose herself in such ways. Though
it’s wrong for (Fig.1) to claim acceptance in this unnecessary way. (Fig.1)’s
‘Id’ wants to feel beautiful and accepted by society, fulfilling her biological
needs. However the ‘Ego’ elongates these needs, while the ‘Superego’ tries to
rationalise them by searching into societies popular culture; where sex and
beauty is flaunted in a particularly indulgent and promiscuous manor.
(Fig.2) is an ambiguous photo; it demonstrates the
woman’s body language is content and quirky, however looking deeper into her
eyes, and how her jumper hangs to one side with carelessness, it also reads as
a melancholic photograph.
Storey (2009,pp.93) writes that First, we are born
with an id, while the ego develops through contact with culture, which in turn
produces the super-ego. In other words, our ‘nature’ is governed (sometimes
successfully, sometimes not) by culture. What is called ‘human nature’ is not
something ‘essentially’ natural, but the governance of our nature by culture.
This means that human nature is not something innate and unchangeable, it is
something at least in part introduced from outside.
(Facebook, 2010, Fig.2)
Freud says our nature isn’t always
successful on the path in culture e.g. society, the environment. It seems that
(Fig. 2) has had such a variety of untamed experiences, which resulted in
shaping her unconscious resulting in her absence of identity. Therefore she
thinks through society she is happy, however because she has been filled with
so many social and environmental changes she can’t find her true self, to be
internally content. The conflicting thoughts of (Fig.2) thinking she is happy
yet subconsciously she is not, perhaps because of an imbalance in the
‘Superego’ dominating the ‘Id’.
(Fig.2)’s ‘Ego’ is demonstrated in a
rough, blissful way; it is almost alluring, but this is shadowed by the obvious
pain in her eyes; this is typical of Indie pop culture. When looking closely at
her facial expressions, she’s smiling but not completely; which indicates, not
only how she feels, but also who she is; which is happy, but not completely,
which is sad, but not completely; basically incomplete.
This indicates (Fig.2)’s ‘Id’ is
suppressed to the unconsciousness; the ego has taken over giving a sense of
happiness. However the ‘Superego’ recognises that the ‘Id’ is confused which
has subsequently surfaced through her facial expressions.
Lastly (Fig. 3), shows a stigmatised
gang cultured photograph. The stance that he is holding is passive aggressive.
The fact that he is wearing sun glasses over his eyes, almost indicates he
doesn’t want to give away all of his identity, on the other hand, this could be
an imitation of what he considers to be, socially likeable and acceptable.
Storey (2009,pp.93) writes that the
essence of repression’, according to Freud, ‘lies simply in turning something
away, and keeping it at a distance, from the conscious’. In this way, then, we
could say that repression is a special form of amnesia; it removes all the
things with which we cannot or will not deal. But Freud (1985) makes clear, we
may have repressed these things, but they have not really gone away: ‘Actually
to be a renunciation is really the formation of the substitute or
surrogate.
(Facebook, 2009, Fig.3)
Freud says the renunciation is the formation of the
surrogate therefore (Fig.3) has encased his ‘Id’ within this stereotypical gang
culture. He has accepted what society expects of him consciously acting on this
façade that pop culture has influenced him forcing him to embrace this new
‘Superego’.
The ‘Ego’ of (Fig.3) is executed with him dressed in
clothes with a variety of logos on them which really are just labels of
clothing, though the very clothes he wears portrays the vey man he has become
which is labelled by society but manipulated into thinking its socially
appealing.
The ‘Superego’ has used the sunglasses to hide
inevitable conflict between his ‘Id’ and his ‘Ego’, to be socially conforming
to what’s acceptable within this stereotype he has embodied.
To conclude learning about the freudism theory of
personality it has shown me that the human mind and its conditions can be
drastically altered. If a person’s influence of their surroundings is
impressionable enough to effect or even change them temporarily or
permanently. Using Freud’s theory on
these particular individuals it has given me a vast insight as to how Freud’s
theory can apply to different people of different mindsets, by using Freud’s
three parts of the psyche The ‘Id’, ‘Ego’ and ‘Superego’.
From writing this essay it has made me think of my own
‘Id’, ‘Ego’ and ‘Superego’, and how my influences and surroundings have
affected me past, present and will in the future; So this has really given me a
lot to contemplate about myself and the workings of my unconscious and
conscious state of mind, but most of all how I perceive myself and how others
perceive me to be.
Overall learning about Freud’s theory of personality
it has changed my outlook on the way I read people and their decisions, of how
they approach their sense of self as to come to a result of what they chose to
expose of themselves photographically on Facebook as there profile photograph
and in real world.
Bibliography
Engler, B.,
2009. Personality Theories. 8th ed. Boston: Houghton Miffin Harcourt
Publishing Company.
Storey, J.,
2009. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture An Introduction. 5th
ed.Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
Fig.1,
2011.Profile Pictures. [online] Available at:
<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150411905314037&set=a.427711074036.222165.730994036&type=3&theater>
[Accessed 21 April 2012].
Fig.2,
2010.Profile Pictures. [online]
Available at: <http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=449931271211&set=a.461802011211.257451.528211211&type=1&theater>
[Accessed 17th April 2012].
Fig.3, 2009,
Profile Pictures, [online] Available at:
<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=239335103915&set=a.487575183915.265745.513613915&type=3&theater>
[Accessed 17th April 2012].
Essortment,
2011. Freud's
Personality Theory. [online] Available at: <http://www.essortment.com/freuds-personality-theory-21639.html> [Accessed 17th April 2012].
Strehlow,J.,2011.Three-Stage
Model of Personality Development, eHow, [online] Available at:
<http://www.ehow.com/info_10002734_threestage-model-personality-development.html> [Accessed 17th April 2012].
Word Count: 1544
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