Bloggerholic

Growing up in an Italian household, my dream had always been to explore my origins buried in the rich history of Italy. And this year I was given the opportunity to retrace my family roots.

Over the course of five weeks I had decided to document my trip with at least one or two photos posted to Instagram. The purpose of these photos were not only to show my friends and family at home the beauty of the country, but to act a a reminder and memory of my trip ahead.

However, not only was I posting to highlight the beauty and simplicity of the cities and coastal towns I was visiting. But I was drawn to the feedback and ‘likes’ I was receiving for every photo.

I found myself aiming to take flawless photos to post, to spark interest in my trip and to inspire. Exploring the concept of media space, has caused me to explore the layout and interests of my own media spaces. Facebook contains news, personal updates, food and memes. While my Instagram is not only filled with my family and friends, but also my daily ‘inspo’, from fitness to food and travel.

Doreen Massey describes space as being “simultaneity of stories-so-far.” In this case I have utilised the social media space of Instagram to highlight my journeys thus far. However it is not only on our five week journey I’ve had the constant desire to post, it is also through my day-to-day life.

It is increasingly evident that young teens are now out and about attempting to find an ‘Instagram worthy’ photo. I can put myself in this category, we look for landscapes, foods or cool objects to post or blog about and catch people attentions.

While the addiction to social media may be an increasing problem, when used in the correct way it can be a form of personal and social expression. The ability to be proud of who you are, what you are doing or what you have seen.

My social spaces highlight what I cherish in life and also bring out my own personality. As I aspire to become a journalist, promoting myself and my work is a big part of forming my social space and my social identity.

Nowadays with smartphones, Internet TV, tablets etc our connectivity to the cyber world is so instantaneous. Could we say that our reality is becoming our media space?