Interpreting a Random Photo off of Instagram

On Instagram I follow a variety of accounts – mostly writers, as well as a few people I know – however I also follow a few accounts  with photos which make you think a lot about the intent behind them and how they relate to us as people in society. The photo below is one I came across and I guess I just thought it’d be something interesting to discuss.

I think this photo particularly expresses how much and the extent to which we are influenced by the media. One of my first responses to it was “society’s lies kill us inside”, originally not meaning to rhyme, however I think this sums up the photo in its briefest stance.

Everyday we are somehow connected to the media whether it is through social media or the television and we are driven by what it tells us to do or we are driven internally to follow the roles of others. However, have we ever stopped to think if any of it is actually true? When you watch the news, you believe it, but technically its evidence isn’t completely trustworthy – no evidence is completely trustworthy when said from the mouth of someone else. This photo encapsulates the idea that perhaps we are foolish for following something that isn’t even real – it’s merely a concept. It doesn’t matter, as a whole, what others say. You should do things out of your own accord and your own strength.

Of course, the long nose relates to the well known image of Pinocchio and a sense of distrust, however the fact that it is skewered through the man in the chair reflects just how much it affects us, even if we feel we are disengaged. It is easy to say that we can “take a break” from these things, but is it ever possible to completely “take a break”, when it has such control over our lives? The man in the photo may feel empowered and comfortable listening to the news but oblivious to how it is harming him internally. The lies or misconceptions through others, if we’re speaking to the extremes, could kill you – not directly of course, but through rises in stress and mental health issues, which I believe are partly caused by the media; how everyone feels the need to “keep up an appearance”.

Overall I just thought this was something interesting to discuss. I mean, after all, even this blog could be considered partial to this subject as a place on the internet. However, personally, I feel being here is a lot different. Here, it’s so much easier to fall into your own wavelength and be your own person, whereas elsewhere I still feel there is a lot of stigma.

It’d be really nice to hear all your thoughts on this too, so please leave a comment on how you interpret the photo 🙂 and let me know if you’d like to see more of these posts in the future.