Triplett 1 Dana Triplett Mr. Butts Engl.

103 9 July, 2012 Serving and Self-Image: Social Implications of a profile picture

In contemporary society, social media has evolved to become an integral part of a persons identity - an identity that stretches beyond the realm of tangible reality. This new net identity has been born at the hands of the web and social media. Social media hubs such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and various other blogging based platforms have made it possible for individuals to communicate all over the world; sharing views and opinions on an endless variety

Triplett 2 of subjects. The people who make up an individuals online network range from immediate family to lesser-known colleagues, helping to create a sense of anonymity between the sites author and his or her viewers. In order to put a face behind the voice, many people use a profile picture or logo to be an image that they want others to identify. In support of the adage: A picture is worth a thousand words, a persons profile image works as an advertisement calling out to people for attention. Bo is my older brother and he has acted as a role model to me throughout most our lives. Using his profile picture as an example, we see Bo posing with a child receiving a pair of new white shoes. Around them is a row of chairs and similar shoes beside buckets filled with soapy water. The lack of a uniform shows that my brother is not working at a shoe store, while the presence of multiple children indicates that he is working for some kind of service project. Although the service organizations identity is not displayed, one can easily conclude that their focus is on providing clothes, specifically shoes, to underprivileged kids. The caption of the photo reads, Kickin it with Javier in Peru. This gives a location and a name to work with the picture to further tell a story. The metaphor of Kickin draws a connection to the shoes. By choosing this picture to display his identity online, Bo is telling the world that he is a person that he is kind-hearted and well traveled. He gives light to his ability to sacrifice for others and his knowledge of Latin American culture. He is essentially branding himself with traits that he feels are attractive to his peer group. Posed pictures such as this one with Bo and Javier can easily be interpreted as someone trying to prove to others that they have a caring side by posting pictures and statuses about helping others. Sometimes people might go overboard with their pictures and statuses in ways that come across as arrogant or contentious. This type of online conduct shows an air of hubris in

Triplett 3 the person and helps to prove that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Posting too often might come across as bragging, which lessens the impact of what the person was doing. This draws back to the point about creating a personal brand. Bo is seems to be very conscious of his online appearance, which allows him to create a positive self-image online. A quick look through Bos profile shows that is not one of these people who crave attention through selfless acts, so it is necessary to look deeper into the meaning of his profile photo. To gain a fuller understanding of what is occurring in the photo, it helps to know the charity and background involved in Bos work. In 2008, my brother traveled with the organization Samaritans Feet to Peru. The mission of Samaritans Feet is to provide a pair of shoes to needy children in poverty-struck areas around the world. According to their website, nearly 300,000,000 impoverished people throughout the world do not own a single pair of shoes, and nearly one million people die every year by foot-related illnesses that could easily be prevented by wearing shoes. The people that Samaritans Feet help are not just confined to nameless third world nations; they work in over 62 countries including the United States. Samaritans Feet believes in the act of servant-leadership where the volunteers display humility and compassion by taking in children, hand washing their feet, and finally giving them a new pair of shoes Bo has described the act of providing for children in need as a spiritual experience for both him and the children he interacted with in Peru. (Samaritans Feet) Further analyzing the photo, we see Bo and Javier both smiling as Bo finishes the process of washing Javiers feet and giving him a new pair of shoes. The timing of the photo at the end of the process takes away a focus on the humility involved with washing strangers feet, while instead focusing on the emotions that come with the act of exchanging gifts. Bo just gave Javier a pair of shoes, and Javier gave Bo a smile full of hope and excitement. This timing also changes

Triplett 4 the mood of the photo from being solemn to being lighthearted. The smile on Bos face gives off an ethos of joy that shows he is looking forward to getting to help the many other kids in need not present in the photo. By noticing the tables with piles of shoes behind Bo and Javier, it is obvious that Javier is not the last person Bo helped that day, while the empty space from where shoes have already been given out shows that Javier was also not the first and Bos happiness to help is a lasting emotion that continues to today. A few weeks after having his picture with Javier as his Facebook profile picture, Bo changed it to one of him playing soccer. This could have been done for many different reasons but most likely it can be attributed to Bo being in his senior year in high school and his pride of being captain of the soccer team. Further exploring the notion of people branding themselves, we might find that my brother changed his picture to market himself in his social setting. Many high school aged students would find being on a varsity sports team an attractive trait. Showing that the image shows him playing in a game with the ball at his feet, which attributes that he is an active and involved member of the team. His captain band shows that he is a leader on the field. His profile picture in the soccer uniform not only markets him to his friends, but also to his future coaches and college recruiters. When his name is put in a search engine and his information pops up, he wants coaches to see that he is a hard working player. Rather than posting pictures of himself partying and behaving in an unattractive manner, he shows selfcontrol (Mcnutt). If a picture is worth a thousand words, one might say that a online album is worth a novel, or rather, a biography. Simple things such as Facebook profile pictures seem insignificant when considering the vast scope of the digital world, but they provide insight into how a person views themselves and shows how they want to be perceived by others. If someone looks at the

Triplett 5 culmination of a persons choices of profile pictures, they will see a story about that persons life and how they have changed over time. By looking at a photo of Bo helping a child in Peru, the viewer learns that Bo is a compassionate and well-traveled person, but if one looks at the photos that come before and after this picture, they will see the growth of a boy to a young man as he becomes an adult.

Triplett 6 Works Cited McNutt, Monica. "Transition Game: Using Social Media to Create a Brand, Not Problems." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2012. Web. 09 July 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/recruitinginsider/post/2012/04/23/gIQAAFK0eT_blog.html>. "Samaritan's Feet." Samaritan's Feet. Samaritans Feet International, n.d. Web. 09 July 2012. <http://www.samaritansfeet.org/>.