Pollution is a serious global threat and a growing concern for many of us, not least myself. Visual pollution is escalating rapidly, with little if not no restrictions. Constant reproduction and publication of digital images via social networking, blogging, mobile devices and online image sharing sites is littering the internet with, mostly, useless snapshots of anything and everything.
I have therefore, decided to attempt internet annonimity. I will restrict my social network privacy settings to the highest option. I will also delete a number of people attached to my profiles, restricting the people connected to me to the people that I have regular contact with or deem to be 'friends' of mine. I also intend to remove any images of myself from miscellaneous websites.
Further to this, I will limit the limit the number/frequency of images that I publish on this blog, carefully selecting the 'best of the bunch' rather than mindlessly laying all of my cards on the table at once.
The issue with image pollution is dilution. For example, 'Big Ben' is one of the world's most famous landmarks, we all know what it looks like and we have all seen it, either first hand or second hand. Almost everybody reading this will have developed a mental image of the clock and clock tower (officially known as Elizabeth Tower) by this point.
I saw Big Ben for the first time when I was only knee high and was amazed, the sight of it blew me away. I had seen it prior to this, like many famous monuments and places, in encyclopaedias and other information sources. If anything, these sources glorified the tower prior to me seeing it in person, building up excitement and anticipation. Though seeing it in 'real life' proved to be a completely different experience, it was great.
A number of years had passed since then and at 17 I paid my second trip to London. I found I could no longer re-picture my first sighting of the tower. I could not put together a mental image based on childhood memories. Instead, I could simply picture exactly what it looks like, I know what it looks like. I had seen images of Big Ben replicated numerous times on T.V, Social Networking sites, Google Images and Wikipedia etc. There was no longer a sense of excitement, I did not wonder if my childhood memory had fooled me, as it had been replaced by hundreds of images over the years, it has become more of an icon for London than a structure that we marvel at in awe.
I have considered the same theory for my own image, and the over-replication of it. Our appearance is important to us, it is a key feature in defining who we are. Even people who argue against basing judgement of character on physical appearance, consider their physical appearance and convey a message with it, whether intentional or not.
If my image is replicated in all corners of the internet, in a number of different forms, somebody would be able to picture my image with ease and base a judgement of my character on those images. The power of first impressions are eliminated and meeting somebody in person is of little significance.
For example, If I were to approach a Creative Agency for work, I would be meticulous in the consideration of my C.V, Portfolio and any correspondence I had with the Agency. I would consider everything; colour, layout, size, relevance, language etc. Therefore, carefully developing a character for myself, hopefully instigating a mental image of myself in the minds of the team within the Agency. First impressions would therefore be vital in supporting the image they have developed and not contradicting it, effectively creating a brand identity for myself. However, if the Agency were to search the internet for images of me, they would be able to delve into my personal life, conjuring up a completely different image of me, a more human image. I would no longer represent my own brand identity and the relevance of a first impression would be cast aside. If Santa turned up to a children's christmas party without his fake beard, the children would undoubtably be upset and disappointed.
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