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Social Media as Self-Expression

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Social Media Art

Most people, especially those we might consider to be technophobes, would scoff at the notion of social media as art. Yet, if we define art as self-expression, posting is the new painting. Years ago, an artist would create a work of art–be it a painting, a story, a sculpture, or any other medium of self-expression–but find great difficulty in distributing that art. Now, with the advent of social media, production and promotion are one in the same.

You are what you tweet

The messages you send out about yourself–be they Tweets, Facebook status updates, Foursquare check-ins, Flickr photos, YouTube videos, etc.–are an expression of who you are. Tweeting that you love your boyfriend is an expression of the joy you are experiencing in your relationship with him. Uploading a video of you playing with your kids expresses how you value your family. Checking into church signals your religious affiliation. You are your content. What are you creating?

I link; therefore, I am

Social media isn’t just about you and your content, though. It’s about the external content that you identify with. It’s about the “Retweets”, the “Shares” and the “Stumbles.” It’s about what you link. This, too, is an expression of who you are. When you high-five other content, you are signaling that you share the same values. You are what you share. What are you passing along?

Follow the leader

Miguel de Cervantes said:

“Tell me what company thou keepest, and I’ll tell thee what thou art.”

With social media, we express ourselves by revealing who we associate with. Who do we “Friend?” Who do we “Follow?” Who do we “Circle?” Community is a huge part of how people interpret themselves as individuals. Social media, if anything, is all about community. You are who you connect with. Who are you following?

Social media is a platform for art. Now, more easily than ever, you can tell the world who you are. A word of caution, though, for businesses as well as for individuals: you are expressing yourself whether you like it or not. Social media can be either an opportunity or a threat. If your art is degrading, offensive, or embarrassing, you are telling the world that that is who you are. On the other hand, you are also sharing your identity if you are supportive and insightful.

So, ask yourself, “Who am I?” Now, take a look at your Twitter feed. Does it match? If not, maybe you’re not who you think you are. You don’t merely create your art; you ARE your art.

About

Doug Rice is an Internet marketing consultant and founder of Small Business Storyteller, where he helps small businesses attract and retain local customers through creative storytelling and online presence. As a sales and marketing enthusiast, Doug blogs regularly and actively particpates in social media. He enjoys coffee, wildlife, church, and conversation.

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{ 28 Responses }

  1. Shane says:
    I link; therefore, I am... Hilarious. I enjoyed your post.
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks, Shane! I appreciate that! Descartes would be riveted!
  2. Philippa says:
    I love this post! It's refreshing to be reminded that it's not all about clicks and retweets and shares and likes, but at its heart is actually that this is *social* media, and we are not just machines!
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I agree, just like any other form of marketing, social media isn't about the numbers. It's about the human being those numbers represent. Too many times, when businesses begin to think quantitatively, they lose sight of the humanity behind business. A hollow number--one that you aren't willing to nurture and interact with--is not a number at all. Besides, social media isn't just about business--it's about creating and sustaining social relationships with friends and family across time and distance.
  3. Andrew Thomas says:
    Lets make this discussion a little bit more interesting and me playing the devil' advocate, I shall judge the social media "art" of expression very poor, at best v.s. a good book, same as Rap "music" very poor "art" of expression v.s. classical music
    • Doug Rice says:
      Andrew, I don't define art in an academic or cannonical sense. What is and isn't art, for me, is entirely subjective. I could be wrong (it happened once on July 23, 1993 at 10:47am ;-)). But, I don't think rap music is any less of an art than classical music. If you think so, by what standard are you measuring it? Chances are, you are measuring it against the opinion of those who prefer classical music. Am I right? I don't know. Again, I think it's subject so it makes an argument about it rather futile. Art, like beauty, I believe is in the eye of the beholder.
  4. Noel Addison says:
    A refreshing look at social media. Thank you Doug! I've always looked at these as tools because I have no choice. I mean it is there easy to use and it's free and it has a lot of potential. So I never really thought about considering social media more than a tool.
    • Doug Rice says:
      Noel, Thanks for stopping by! Most of us business-minded folk tend to see social media as another sales/marketing tool. Indeed, it is. But, from a philosophical/humanitarian perspective, it is a revolutionary advancement in communication. Pretty awesome stuff either way! Thanks for the comment!
  5. Jessica Blox says:
    Hi.. Doug ya u r quiet right.. spreading or sharing your expressions with your friends and family basically mean social media.. So there is good link between social media vs self expression
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks for the comment, Jessica! You're absolutley right! Decades from now, sociologists are going to be writing about how the social media revolution transformed the definitions of personality and family. It's huge! Thanks for stopping by!
  6. Morgan says:
    You are what you tweet - YES! I've had to argue with one of my clients about how their tweets directly reflect them. They didn't understand why it was wrong to tweet about their drunken night out on their business twitter. They just didn't get the concept of holding back when it came to Twitter. You should absolutely be yourself, but you need to have a strategy and realize WHY and WHAT you should be tweeting about. Great stuff!
    • Doug Rice says:
      Hey, Morgan, thanks for the thoughtful comment! I was thinking more in terms of everyday users. Businesses, when using social media, are obviously more 'strategic' and less 'artful.' It's interesting, though, how people think they can tweet anything they want and it not reflect on other peoples' perceptions of them. Twitter, Facebook, G+--these are SOCIAL networks, not diaries that you hide under your couch cushion (not that that's where I keep mine or anything ;). It's only natural for us to look at the things people are sharing and make judgements about them based on what we see. If you don't want certain people to find out that your a partier on the weekends, you have to options: 1) Don't tweet it or 2) Don't do it! Excellent comment, thanks!
  7. Steve says:
    Doug, You are what you Tweet! For sure. It has to be more than about "just you" to get people interested. It takes enagagement and caring. retweeting and sharing. But not just ANY sharing. People should come to expect your tweets to be relevant and quality. When you tweet a link you are saying, "you will like this" to people who hopefully have fairly closely aligned tastes. If you dissappoint people too many times it just means they will ignore you or drop your follow completely.
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks for the comment, Steve! I'm with you 100%. People who only post things that THEY care about in social media can be likened to artists who do "art for art's sake" but have no consideration for their audience. When you SHARE, you are doing a SOCIAL thing; if it doesn't benefit others, keep it to yourself. Excellent points!
  8. JR says:
    Great post on social media, I think that there is so much information out there about social media that it's refreshing to read something fresh and useful. Thanks Doug!
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks, JR! I was worried that this would be construed as meaningless philosophical rambling. :-) I'm glad you found something useful in it. There is, indeed, a LOT out there about SoMe and it's frankly hard to come up with something new. Thanks for the comment!
  9. Andrew Thomas says:
    Doug, Interesting notion, but comparing a work of art–be it a painting, a story or a sculpture as a self expression to a few characters - barely enough to make a sentence is a big stretch and it shows lowering the standards of expectations from a modern society.
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks for your comment, Andrew! I guess it all comes down to the meaning of art and we can go on forever on that one, huh? "A few characters" can still be art. Maybe "minimilast" art? Idk, I just think social media has opened the floodgates of creativity. Some of the most profound things I've ever read have been in the comments of blog posts. No, it wasn't passed through an editorial committee and published by an academic with three PhDs, but it was profound nonetheless. Thanks for stopping by!
  10. kavya Hari says:
    In fact, social media is one of the best way to express by own and it has an lot of benefits in it. so, i would like to say thanks for given up here :)
    • Doug Rice says:
      Thanks for the comment! I'm with you on this. I think social media has been great for human interaction. There are the detractors who claim that social media has taken away from genuine human connections, but I think it has actually strengthened them. I've become closer to many people IRL from my interactions with them on the web. Proud to be a Gen Yer!
  11. Aaron Eden says:
    Doug, I love that you wrote how social media is an art... and for those who think it's all about a number game, I'd say rethink.. a lot! I believe that the more appropriate term would be: "The art of Social Media Engagement" and it is something that businesses must learn these days, if they ever want their brand message to engage people on an emotional, spiritual and intellectual level.
    • Doug Rice says:
      Aaron, you're spot on! I love Gary Vaynerchuck's quote, "What's the ROI of your mom?" Social media is not a numbers game and it's exactly that that should make it so appealing for businesses. People are showing themselves for who they are as individuals. You don't want them to be quantified. You want them to be qualified. Great observation and thanks for stopping by!
  12. carson says:
    Some people on the other hand only put their best side or their wanna-be side online for others to see.
    • Doug Rice says:
      Carson, excellent observation! It's an interesting phenomenon that people are more willing to share things online than they are in real life. Certainly, I would argue that face-to-face interaction is better and more authentic but, for whatever reason, we feel more at ease in expressing ourselves digitally. Sometimes, we let the real "us" or, as you say the "wanna-be side" of us, through online. You could argue that our social media presence is a more accurate reflection of who we really are inside. Thank you for your awesome comment. It's given me food for thought!
  13. Ryan Biddulph says:
    Hi Doug, Every piece of our social media content carries our signature, whether we pen one or not. We express ourselves by what we say, and who we hang with. People know us through our tweets, our Facebook updates, our content, and the crowd surrounding us. Thanks! Ryan
    • Doug Rice says:
      Ryan, thanks so much for your comment! I'm with you 100%. It never ceases to amaze me how huge of a platform each of has for expressing ourselves on the web today. Never in history have so many voices been able to be heard so clearly. Great comments, Ryan, thanks for stopping by!
  14. Doug Rice says:
    Thanks for commenting, Jill. I agree. What we tweet, post, link, update, plus, share, etc. says a great deal about who we are!
  15. Jill C says:
    I read a tweet in my timeline that says 'You are who you follow." I'd like to add that with "...and tweet".