CS2006 Curation

Our chosen social issue explores the topic of overreliance on technology in today’s children. The new term ‘I-pad Nannies’ has been going around, as these gadgets seem to be the most effective way to placate children and have become an integral part of parenting. However, excessive use has harmful effects such as becoming more impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even more narcissistic[1]. According to Nicholas Carr, author of ‘The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,’ “The deeper a technology is woven into the patterns of everyday life, the less choice we have about whether and how we use that technology,” This is scarily applicable to children who have little ability to decide for themselves what is harmful and what is beneficial. In the photo above, the child chooses the I-pad over storybooks. This picture employs the visual cue of shapes with the straight lines directing the viewers’ eyes towards the child with the I-pad. In addition, gestalt theory of visual perception can also be observed here. Similarity groups the storybooks together and separates the I-pad from the rest of the group as it is the only different item.

[1] (Parker-Pope, 2010)

The visual persuasion technique used here is a combination of pathos and shock advertising. Technological overreliance is taken to an extreme with the baby sucking on a mobile phone and equipped with a Bluetooth earpiece. The metonymy of the mobile phone as a milk bottle is representative of technology being the life source of the baby, just as milk is sustenance for life. Applying the Rule Of Thirds, the phone is in the top right hand corner intersection of the picture. There are also visual cues observed in the photo such as lines leading to the phone and colour. The bright yellow circle behind the mobile phone casts an ethereal glow around the phone which directs attention to it. The picture hints of a frightening future in which technology permeates into every aspect of a child’s life. However as this picture is a graphical representation and not an actual photo, it might be difficult for people to identify themselves with it. Thus our group decided on using real children in our pictures, and for the setting to be that of a regular household so as to make the pictures more relatable, giving a more impactful and lasting message.

Laura Kartika Naland U1430114F

CS2006 Tutorial 5