The Modern
Flaneur
Like the
bustling streets of Paris filled with coffee shops and expensive stores,
Instagram provides a space in which the flaneur can explore leisurely. From lovers
of coffee to fitness fanatics, the diversity of Instagram can deliver hours of
endless scrolling and observing.
What is a
flaneur? The Brooklyn Flaneur provides a variety of insights on the topic. Similarly, Prouty
(2009) suggests that the “term is now used to describe someone adrift in
the city, a detached observers strolling through the streets at a leisurely
pace.” This concept of the flaneur can clearly be applied to some users of
Instagram. Reflecting on my own habits with Instagram, I can relate to the
flaneur. I contently scroll (or should I say “stroll”) through things I find
interesting, becoming increasingly consumed by the fashions, the foodies and
the fantastic.
Barnes
(1997) offers some interesting thoughts on the cyberspace-flaneur. Barnes argues
that flaneurs “let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and
the attractions they find there.” Kuttainen (2015) also made reference to the
flaneur as a figure who drifts or floats willingly through spaces. It is curious
to see what modern users of Instagram associate with the ‘flaneur’. By looking
at what users #flaneur we can see that users associate architecture, markets,
shops and landscapes with the concept.
Sometimes flaneurs
like to be noticed or make spectacles of themselves. On Instagram, this can be
seen by users who often criticise ‘random’ users through comments. By critising
others, they are creating an image of themselves that the rest of the Instagram
community acknowledges. This clearly relates the key concepts of self and
community.
We are all flaneurs
in one way or another drifting through sites mindlessly. A probing thought that
popped into my head when reading about cyberspace-flaneurs was the connection with
procrastination… particularly in regards to avoiding a particular weekly blog…
References:
Barnes, G.
(1997). Passage of the Cyber Flanuer. Retrieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html
Kuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002: Our space: networks, narratives and the making of place, week 4 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Prouty, R.
(2009). A turtle on a leash. Retrieved from http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html
Image
Credits:
Shonagh,
Rae. (Artist). (2011). Retrieved from http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/785f8da4-b3dd-11e0-8339-00144feabdc0.img
I agree the Identity of the online flaneur, slowly scrolling through the Internet or the “Lawless Jungle” as Smythe, 2014 describes it, makes me wonder of how many could there actually be? How many of us are online flaneurs? And what are the fleneurs really doing? Flaneurs in my mind can be anything or anyone taking in the surroundings but not for a particular cause. Some people might question why would someone want to do that? Why would someone want to aimlessly wonder around cyberspace? And my answer is it merely entertains us, anyone that watches TV these days would know this feeling of flicking through channels not looking for anything in particular, but just scrolling, just viewing, just being entertained by what is being played. I think cyber-flaneurs are like this, they are entertained but with no pursuit or goal they are just users experiencing their surroundings.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Smythe. A., (2014). Internet is ‘lawless jungle too dangerous for children to use’, former government adviser warns. Retrieved from https://terkinn.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/internet-is-lawless-jungle-too-dangerous-for-children-to-use-former-government-adviser-warns/
From one world to another—from reality to virtuality—it is peculiar to see that even though these spaces are physically different, the way in which people experience them are the same. Flaneur, as defined by Prouty (2009), are "those [people] who are indirectly and unintentionally affected by particular designs they experience only in passing". Like you stated in your blog, I (too) agree that the concept of flaneur closely aligns with social interaction within the Instagram community. As an app designed to allow users to constantly scroll through a never-ending feed, the people of Instagram, who are either using this space out of boredom, habit, or for any other reason, are exposed to a variety of content: fashion, architecture, advertisement, natural scenery, etcetera, etcetera. Though they are not there to witness these moments or matierals firsthand, Instagram "enables and privileges vision" (Barnes, 1997) so the users themselves can experience these things just with a swipe of their finger. Despite the blatant fact that reality and virtuality are two separate entities, the experience of flaneur (or cyber-flaneur) is essentially the same.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Barnes, G. (1997). Passage of the Cyber Flanuer. Retrieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html
Prouty, R. (2009). A Turtle on a Leash. Retrieved from: http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html
I really enjoyed reading this!
ReplyDeleteIt made me think on a broader scale of what actually defines a flaneur and I can find myself relating to a few of those actions in a flaneur role... especially the last line...
It’s interesting to note that as the mediums have evolved and grown, and yet the term hasn’t, beyond acknowledging the modern possibility that the word flaneur has today and considering that in its modernized definition. It’s gone from a creature of the arcade tunnels with an odd walk to a pair of hands and eyes on a computer, who may be browsing the gallery of Instagram and Deviantart or writer’s den of Tumblr or r/WritingPrompts, they’re still doing the same thing in strolling, observing, expressing and critiquing (Prouty, 2009). Lurking or commenting the flaneur is contributing through their presence and without them, the internet would be devoid a good chunk of community.
Prouty, R. (2009). A Turtle on a Leash. Retrieved from
http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html