Photo-Sharing_Culture

Culture as a socially constructed shared meaning: Photos are meant to be shared. Culture is the world made meaningful; it is socially constructed and maintained through communication. It limits as well as liberates us; it differentiates as well as unites us. It defines our realities and thereby shapes the ways we think, feel, and act. So let’s cut up this definition and apply it to our media reality: Online Photo Sharing Culture is the world made meaningful; it is socially constructed and maintained through communication. Culture is man-made. Man, being a social being, makes his world a more meaningful place through building and sharing of culture. Since the popularization of online photo sharing, people are creating meaningful relationships and sharing experiences through online photo sharing. Now-a-days, it is very much accessible to upload a photo to loved ones here or abroad. Bottom line, online photo sharing maintains and aids in social construction of culture. Culture limits as well as liberates us; it differentiates as well as unites us. Through culture of online photo sharing, we are liberated to express ourselves through pictures we post or even those which we edit. People are so into online photo sharing because it is free and it is a good way of socializing. All one needs is a camera, an internet connection, and a good eye for a potential artistic shot. We become united through similar experiences shared when looking at a picture. Example: picture of Bagyong Ondoy. People are united and feel compassionate for those whose house was wrecked. Another example is when people are tagged in pictures. People who are tagged feel as sense of belongingness. Lastly, culture defines our realities and thereby shapes the way we think, feel, and act. Because of online photo sharing, people are now accustomed to believe that owning a camera is a more like a need than a want. In this day and age, cameras, like cell phones, are like appendages to people. Cameras only used to be brought to vacations or special occasions. But now, people, especially girls, bring cameras around everyday. Therefore, because of the whole “online photo sharing” phenomenon, the way people think, feel, and act are different compared to times when this phenomena hadn’t existed yet.