Making a Place By Using Up Space

Making a Place By Using Up Space

By Erin Davidson

Image retrieved from http://blog.instagram.com/post/29555443184/instagram-30-photo-maps-more-weve-been

A space can be vast or it can be incredibly small, it all depends on what we make of the space. We can classify the space into a place by asserting a reason for it, or an emotion (Tuan, 1979). The classification of the space creates a genre for it, much like the genres used for art, music, movies, and books (Luyn, 2015). Even social media site Instagram has its various genres that welcomes all sorts of people. A hub of current trends and knowing who is obsessed with what. Instagram is simple to navigate. You can select who to follow and who to unfollow or block, if you’re harassed or no longer agree with the host of the page’s opinions. This space created by the site is encouraging and warm, you can run an anonymous blog, or document your own life, with various pictures telling the story rather than words narrating. When using Instagram you can connect with any user where ever they are, by finding mutual interests using hashtags for books or movies. An example of this is the way I personally connect with fellow booklovers or band fanatics. With this common ground you are immediately welcomed. On Instagram I am able to like and comment on as many pictures without it clogging up any ones newsfeed. Or I can post a photo and have the stress of not getting any likes or acceptance from the people who follow me. This is a negative side of Instagram, besides the internet trolls; the personal need to feel ‘liked’ by your friends and community. As this is the identity you have created for yourself online. And if no one likes that than the site becomes unwelcoming and unpleasant. The site has its pros and cons, as any social media site does; for many it is a warm space that many are addicted to, whilst for others it’s negative. No matter what place you are in whether offline or online, it will have a space of emotion.

Luyn, A. V. (2015). BA1002: Space: Networs, Narratives, and the making of place, week 3 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-1892276-dt-content-rid-2691285_1/courses/15-BA1002-TSV-INT-SP2/BA1002%20week%203%20lecture%202015_for%20LearnJCU%20notes.pdf

Tuan, Y. (1979). Space and Place: The perspective of Experience. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/Conc-camcontent-bb_bb60/items/getitem.jsp?as_course_code=12-BA1002-TSV-INT-SP2&content_id=_768656_1&course_id=_26169_1&doc_id=30169