{"id":67,"date":"2019-05-02T13:26:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T05:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/?p=67"},"modified":"2019-05-02T13:26:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T05:26:53","slug":"facetune-a-simple-photofix-or-a-more-complex-identity-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/2019\/05\/02\/facetune-a-simple-photofix-or-a-more-complex-identity-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"FaceTune: A Simple (Photo)Fix or A More Complex Identity Problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abstract.<\/strong>
FaceTune (n.d.) is an application that allows for precision photo editing transformations that are particularly focused on the body. Use of the app has arguably become a major factor to the success of many Instagram (n.d.) influencers, with this resulting in the rise in everyday users taking on the role of editor and manipulating their own body image.This paper will discuss the impact that Facetune (n.d.) has on the construction and performance of identity online, through theories of identity performance and the role Instagram (n.d.) influencers play in development and expectations of these performances amongst their communities. To expand this further the argument will be made through discussions of opinionative texts of the larger concerns and implications in reality. Therefore, presenting the argument of how these unrealistic expectations of self, have led to a continually growing community that is bounded by the pressures to conform and encourages their dysmorphic view of what the human body should be.
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Keywords:\u00a0<\/strong>Social Media, Identity, Online Identity, Performance, Influencers, Communities, Body Image, Facetune, Instagram<\/em>
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Introduction<\/strong>
The manipulation of body image through apps such as Facetune has resulted in what can be considered a digital dysmorphia, that has developed within the realms of Instagram influencers and their followers; leading to the development of communities that pursue these inauthentic presentations whilst contributing to a larger concern over expectations for the human body and the unhealthy repercussions of this. This argument will be located within the context of the Instagram application, in particular the young female influencers and their followers. Facetune has grown tremendously since first becoming notable ins 2013, as an application targeted to young social media users (in particular young women) as an easy to use photo editing system that allows for the manipulation of body and skin appearance (Facetune, n.d.). The significance of this kind of body editing is exemplified through Boyd\u2019s (2007) explanation of the bodies role in identity performance as\u00a0\u201cconveying who we are to other people, we use our bodies to project information about ourselves.\u201d (p.11). This idea of the body as an integral part of our identity communication will be discussed further, as well as the role in which influencers take on as part of their communities and the resulting attitudes toward the body as an online representation of perfection and the ideal body image expected among users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facetune and the Body as a Messenger of Identity
<\/strong>The issue caused by Facetune at its basis, is one of body image, in that the concern over what this kind of extreme manipulation of bodies in the digital space will do to the thoughts and expectations of bodies in the physical world. The idea of body-image and the control it holds over individuals is explained by Jobsky (2014) as the expectation for \u201ctheir bodies to be malleable and controllable in order to adopt culturally and socially accepted features\u201d (p.8), Jobsky goes on to state the body as a possession that assists in the communication of identity. As previously mentioned, Boyd (2007) states the body as a key factor to identity performance, however in the case of Instagram that online users have far more control over how others see them with the ability to make particular and conscious decisions to ensure their identity is represented as they wish.\u00a0\u00a0Identity performance, as explained by Pearson (2009), was developed by Goffman (1959), as a reference to the theatrical term of performance in order to explain the \u201cact\u201d in which people use to best communicate and attempt to present a particular image to others. Pearson (2009) explains the online performance as a \u201cblurring between front\u2013stage and back\u2013stage\u201d (para. 8), this can be particularly true in the use of the body amongst Facetune users, as the so-called front-stage performance of their bodies is severely edited, often surpassing the physical realities of what the human body can be, whilst it is understood that this is different to the real appearance of the body in the back-stage or offline. By providing an opportunity to blur the lines between back and front stage, Facetune users may be tempted to do in the offline what they do online; by allowing the pressures of online appearances in the front-stage to impact on their views of their bodies in the back-stage. Whilst this is a common understanding of the possibilities of technology in the online realm, it does not speak to a disregard for this kind of editing as nonchalant, rather it often pushes toward a need to conform among this. It can then be said that the implication of Facetune is that it allows for the possessive view of the human body, and the manipulation of this performance further pushes the individual to conform to societal expectations of the appearance of the female body and what is considered attractive.

This manipulation of the performance through the use of Facetune can be considered a form of identity deception (Donath, 1999), however it is a form of which that has not been seen to this extent before amongst the layman\u2019s\u2019 use of the internet; as a deceptive identity through photographs of the actual self. Although there is argument to question what level of editing can be constituted as deceptive, for the case of this discussion, any form of editing that changes the actual self through use of digital manipulation can be considered so, as traditionally a photograph has been seen as a known, or factual representation of an event or person. Sturken and Cartwright (2009) explain this sense of fact as photographs having both epistemological and ontological sense, in that it they are able to provide the knowledge and proof that something has existed (p.193). It is to say that photographs have a sense of reality to them, as the presence of the camera is associated with the capturing of a real event or person within that time. Facetune has allowed for a disruption of reality due to the technological developments which allow for a person to be transformed beyond that of previously known editing effects available to mobiles. Unless the audience to the image, has the ability to view the person in the back-stage or real world, they must therefore take the front-stage deception as a reality and assume an honest or factual presentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Influence of \u2018Influencers\u2019 amongst Their Communities<\/strong>
Instagram (n.d.)\u00a0\u00a0is the social media platform where Facetuned images are most commonly found, as a social network based around the sharing of images and videos it has become a breeding ground for societal pressures to conform to, in both a visual and physical sense (Wiederhold, 2018). Influencers are often seen as the leaders of the online communities involved in Instagram; meaning that it is their actions that influence the actions of others within their community, therefore when influencers engage with Facetune they are allowing this activity to be viewed as an acceptable form of identity performance. Virtual communities according to Dennis, Pootheri & Natarajan (1998), as cited by\u00a0Ridings & Gefen (2006),\u00a0are characterised by\u201cpeople with shared interests or goals for whom electronic communication is a primary form of interaction\u201d (para. 5), within the context of Instagram and influencers, these communities tend to share interests and investments in the lives of influencers, often being drawn in by a common interest such as fashion or health. But it is the influencers interaction with their followers that allow for the term community to be applied, as they appear to form a sense of unity amongst them and often encourage regular conversations and shared experiences (Ridings & Grefen, 2006). Members of communities are respondent to those around them, as the sense of belonging can inform decisions, especially amongst those who hold influence over others. Huffaker (2010) addresses the influence on follower decision making as a result of the sociability of the influencer, or the degree in which they communicate and encourage this sense of belonging among them. Stating that \u201cleaders in successful online communities spend time motivating participation from other members in order to foster a sense of social identity within the group\u201d (para. 8), this idea of motivated participation therefore suggest that followers of influencers are more likely to participate in the use of Facetune and manipulation of body-image if the leaders of their communities suggest they do so. However, it can be observed that influencers do not necessarily need to state the use of Facetune for their followers to use it, but rather followers may take on use of Facetune in order to conform to the images portrayed by influencers unknowing that they too are edited (Pantelli, 2015), therefore the idolisation of the leader within their community can lead to an indirect response from followers that see their leaders posting images that display this kind of idealised body image and therefore feel the need to participate in order to be seen by others as similar to their leader or gain status amongst the peers of their community.\u00a0
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Digital Dysmorphia\u00a0<\/strong>
The prevalent use of Facetune amongst the influencer and Instagram communities has the potential to result in both concerning ideas over what the ideal human body in the online space is, as well as a broader concern over these ideals taking part in offline society. An opinionative article posted by Martinez (2018), addresses these concerns of Facetune and the blurred lines of front-stage and back-stage; suggesting that there is a possibility to be unable to distinguish between the front-stage and back-stage, or the edited and unedited, and therefore may have negative impacts on self-esteem (para. 7). Which could in turn lead to more serious concerns such as depression or eating disorders, this clearly exemplifies the possible repercussions on this kind of activity, and the larger concerns over what this means for their community. More specifically Wiederhold (2018) speaks on the concern this has on the younger users of Instagram or the followers to the leaders of Instagram, those more susceptible to influence and with less strongly held ideas of self. Stating that the platform itself, in its construction, \u201cis uniquely poised to set unrealistic expectations, feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem\u201d (para. 3). As an application that is solely used to shares images and videos, with little opportunity for textual context, Instagram provides a \u201chighlight reel\u201d (para. 3) of lives without the opportunity for imperfection. With the added deception of Facetune to an already selective view on lifestyle and the human body, Instagram enhances the pressures perfectionism both in the way in which user\u2019s others and themselves. The idea of digital dysmorphia is that of a disconnect between what is expected and the actuality of appearances, the possibility of users being exposed to deceptive representations of others with the intention for it to be seen as natural is of great concern. Much like the known concerns of \u2018photoshopping\u2019 amongst advertising and mainstream media (Jobsky, 2014) that has been debated in the past, it can be said that as much as one\u2019s identity is under their own control, there should be a level of social responsibility over this. Altering one\u2019s body image may not necessarily just affect those who are edited, but contribute to the larger problem of what the ideal body is; whether that may be imperfection free skin, skinny legs, a small waist or hourglass figure.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there is due concern for the younger users of Instagram and their interactions with Facetune, it can also be argued that the Influencers are not necessarily to blame for their part of leading communities, but rather they too are merely succumbing to the larger expectations of bodies and identity performance that society holds.  Martinez (2018) reiterates this view in stating that Influencers and celebrities alike are pressured to maintain this perfection as a result of their need for business, in which their value is measured by likes, comments and followers. Harris (2018) addresses these pressures amongst influencers as an \u201centire industry of people who get paid to make their lives look perfect online\u201d (para. 19), it cannot be assumed that these influencers are not aware of the possible repercussions of their actions, however they simply may not have a viable alternative to what is expected by the wider community of what an influencer should look like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong>
The use of Facetune amongst the communities surrounding influencers on the Instagram app, has resulted in an ever-growing pressure to conform to the societal views of both perfectionism and ideal body image, this trend of falsified and deceptive representations of self presents concern over the implications of technology as part of the performance of identities. As the body is a key element within the construction as well as performance of identity, the digital manipulation of the body extends past the simplicities of basic identity presentations, the formation of photographs in deceptive representations of self only further blur the lines between the front-stage and back-stage. The growing presence of influencers surround the internet as they develop and encourage to communication and participation of their followers or community members. As leaders of their communities; influencers hold a particular position of power over the decision making of their followers via sociability and the idolization that followers hold for both the leaders of the communities as well as the intention to build a status for themselves amongst their peers.\u00a0\u00a0
The larger concerns over the use of Facetune, however is that of the susceptible follower\u2019s feelings toward these heavily edited images and the real repercussions that can occur due to these intensified pressures over body image. Therefore, the use of Facetune facilitates various means for body image editing on Instagram that is resulting in Influencers succumbing to the pressures of perfectionism and therefore attracting communities that are likely to take on this kind of deceptive identity presentation, which is resulting in a concerning culture of unrealistic expectations for the human body and both a digital and physical dysmorphia.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REFERENCES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boyd, D. (2007). Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Volume<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.danah.org\/papers\/WhyYouthHeart.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donath, J. (1999). Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community. In P. Kollock, & M. A. Smith (Eds.), Communities in Cyberspace <\/em>(pp. 29-59). Retrieved fromhttp:\/\/smg.media.mit.edu\/people\/Judith\/Identity\/IdentityDeception.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facetune [application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.facetuneapp.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris, K. (2018). Instagram Culture Breeds Toxic Perfectionism. University Wire.<\/em>Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au\/docview\/2003285264?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huffaker, D. (2010). Dimensions of Leadership and Social Influence in Online Communities. Human Communication Research, <\/em>(36)4. 
Retrieved from DOI: 10.1111\/j.1468-2958.2010.01390.x<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram [application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.instagram.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jobsky, A. (2014). The Body-Image-Meaning-Transfer Model: An Investigation of the Sociocultural Impact on Individuals\u2019 Body-Image. Retrieved from https:\/\/ebookcentral.proquest.com\/lib\/curtin\/reader.action?docID=1640389<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinez, C. (2018). The Benefits and Burdens of Facetune. University Wire. <\/em>Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au\/docview\/2127865921?accountid=10382<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pantelli, N. (2015). On Leaders\u2019 Presence: Interactions and Influences within Online Communities. Behaviour & Information Technology,<\/em>(35)6. P. 490-499. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1080\/0144929X.2016.1144084<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pearson, E. (2009). All the World Wide Web’s a stage: The performance of identity in online social networks. First Monday,<\/em> 14<\/em>(3). Retrieved from https:\/\/firstmonday.org\/ojs\/index.php\/fm\/article\/view\/2162 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ridings, C., & Grefen, D. (2006). Virtual Community Attraction: Why People Hang Out Online. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1111\/j.1083-6101.2004.tb00229.x<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sturken, M., & Cartwright, L. (2009). Visual Technologies, Image Reproduction, and the Copy. Practices of Looking: An Introduction To Visual Culture, 2<\/em>. 183-222. Retrieved from https:\/\/link.library.curtin.edu.au\/ereserve\/DC60267026\/0?display=1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiederhold, B. (2018). The Tenuous Relationship Between Instagram and Teen Self-Identity.\u00a0Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking,\u00a0<\/em>(21)4. Retrieved from DOI:\u00a010.1089\/cyber.2018.29108.bkw<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abstract.FaceTune (n.d.) is an application that allows for precision photo editing transformations that are particularly focused on the body. Use of the app has arguably become a major factor to the success of many Instagram (n.d.) influencers, with this resulting in the rise in everyday users taking on the role of editor and manipulating their… Continue reading FaceTune: A Simple (Photo)Fix or A More Complex Identity Problem?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[26,25,27,17,24,28,22,23,21],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-identity","tag-body-image","tag-communities","tag-facetune","tag-identity","tag-influencers","tag-instagram","tag-online-identity","tag-performance","tag-social-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions\/70"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}