Creation
Revised concept statement:
The Wired Child
Our photo series aims to highlight the growing trend of over reliance on technology in children. We explore the different ways in which children are being harmed by technology and warn parents of indulging their children's tech addiction, by presenting the negative consequences technology will have on the future generation.
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PHOTO 1
Commentary
A Singaporean viewer (our target audience) would have the cognitive memory and culture to realise that these ropes and the pole are common fixtures in HDB playgrounds.
The juxtaposition of the setting of a playground with a kid using an entertainment device (the iPad) creates a sharp sense of irony — developing pathos within the viewer. The lines from the ropes and pole draw square grids within the picture (with the squares emphasising conformity). These are interposed in front of the boy, creating the perception that the boy is stuck behind the grids.
These visual cues highlight the feeling of entrapment within the picture. The boy's eye contact and expression, and the position he is holding the iPad in, is an iconic "prisoner mugshot" sign. This iconic position develops on the paradigmatic relationship (the iPad vs the mugshot placard) to create a metaphor for participating in criminal activity — in this case, overusing technology.
The choice of the year "2085" is a warning of such dangerous possibilities in future.
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PHOTO 2
Commentary
Condensed code is present here as both analogical code and displaced code are observed in the photo. Through analogical code, viewers understand that the white cable resembles an umbilical cord. Displaced code conveys the message that the cable is giving the child life as the properties of a real umbilical cord are transferred over to the cable. The effect of technology here is taken to an extreme, where the lives of young children have been dramatically digitised.
The colours in the photo are split into two sides — blue and red. The blue colour and the shadow created by the lighting shows darkness ad hopelessness whereas the red on the other half represents danger. The condensed coding and lighting results in a strong pathos effect, with the intention of making viewers feel uncomfortable viewing a pure and innocent child having a cable as an umbilical cord and being distorted by artificial lighting.
Balance is present in the photo with two objects of technology — the iPhone and the cable are positioned on different sides of the picture. The mother's hand to the left of the picture is also metonymic code for parents' influence over their children's fixation on technology.
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PHOTO 3
Commentary
From a cultural perspective, this scene re-enacts a common Chinese tradition. Parents display objects, such as a pen representing education, a chicken drumstick representing food, a dollar note representing wealth and a toy car representing recreation, before their child. The item the child chooses predicts his future career path.
The lighting of the shot creates shadows at the sides, drawing attention to the brighter portion of the photo — the child in the centre. Graphic movement allows the viewer to follow the line of his hand towards the mobile phone. It creates the sense that the child is seemingly handing the phone to the viewer.
This was shot with a wide-angle lens to create the effect that we are viewing the child through the parent's eyes. Depth cues are utilised through the illusionary perspective and real size, distorting the size of the iPad, the phone and the child's hand. The viewer can tell that the child has stretched his hand out closer to the camera.
Since our target audience will have the cognitive perception of the cultural tradition depicted here, our message is conveyed with more impact to parents as we question whether they are the ones responsible for their children's technology overload.
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PHOTO 4
Commentary
Pathos is at work here, where the viewer is inclined to be concerned for the baby in the arms of a "crazed" mom. The eyeline of the mother, who is looking directly at the camera and unperturbed by her actions, is juxtaposed with the baby’s serenity and his eyeline, directed into the distance.
This highlights the severity of the problem — children are innocent and vulnerable, and they do not know any better. When parents themselves turn to technology to keep their children occupied, the children are hardly going to protest.
The lighting here is focused on the mother and child, casting the background of the kitchen in dark, ominous shadows. The shadows not only draw attention to the two subjects in the centre, but are also a depth cue in which the mother and child appear closer to the camera, standing out from the background. The viewer's attention is directed to the centre before taking in the setting of a normal kitchen. The incongruence between the extreme actions of the subjects juxtaposed with the everyday, domestic scene further adds to the shock factor.
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PHOTO 5
Commentary
This shot is taken diagonally from above and over-the-shoulder, to mimic the child’s eyeline and for the viewer to see things from the child’s perspective. Since the iPad is closer to the child than the dog is (Gestalt theory of visual perception, Proximity), the iPad is seen as more important than the dog. The eyelines of the two subjects in the photo (child and dog) also demonstrate the dynamics between them, in which the dog seems to seek interaction with the child, whereas the child only shows interest in her iPad.
This shot relies heavily on the lighting to create a sinister atmosphere that makes the viewer feel uncomfortable looking at the artificial setting. The lighting results in a reddish-pink hue in parts of the photo. A subjective method to describe this colour is as a warning sign. The mental association between the colour red and danger would discomfort many viewers.
The depth cue of conceptual perception is also present here. The combination of the shadows cast by the child that enshroud the dog, and the framing of the photo, presents the child as superior over the dog.
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PHOTO 7
Commentary
The visual cue of shapes is used here through circular bowls on the table. The circles represent unity — a family gathers to enjoy steamboat and spend quality time together. From a cultural perspective, Chinese often have steamboat together during reunions.
The triangular shape formed by the children and their outstretched hands with the phones at the apex highlights the power dynamics between the children and technology, with technology ruling them and dominating their lives.
The lighting draws attention to the children who are fighting over iPhones at the dinner table. In a dark photo, the viewer's eyes are drawn towards lighter areas, which is the blue-lit area.
The shadows at the sides of the photo create a sinister and foreboding atmosphere. The iPhones being placed in a bowl are a metaphor and displaced code of how technology has become a form of sustenance for children.
The overhead shot used in this photo results in the inability to see the faces of any of the people eating. This strips them of their identities and they become representative of all families. Thus, this photo helps to convey the message of children's over reliance on technology across entire societies.
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PHOTO 7
Commentary
The first thing the viewer notices is the wire around the boy's neck as a result of cognitive dissonance, since this is not a natural phenomenon. The wire attached to the laptop that strangles the boy is an analogical code for a noose and is metaphoric of technology constricting and strangling a child.
The main feature of this picture is emphasised by the visual cues of form — the thick lines from the frames of the hanged artwork seem to be pointing towards the child, due to the angle of the picture.
Additionally, the framing distorts the viewer’s perception of depth. The laptop is interposed in front of the boy, making the laptop appear larger than the boy. This highlights the theme of technology as "consuming" the child and creates pathos as the seemingly smaller-size child is juxtaposed with the larger, "evil" laptop.
The dim lighting and the shadow to the left of the child which is shrouded by red lighting adds to the sinister and eerie mood. In addition, the artificiality of the lighting is metonymic of the artificiality of the virtual world. The red and blue hues maintain visual continuity throughout the entire photo series.
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PHOTO 8
Commentary
This is a symmetrical shot where the subject is in the centre of the photo. Depth is created through interposition as the four balls cast shadows and are out-of-focus as compared to the centre portion which is strikingly clearer. Thus the first thing the viewers will look at is the child in the centre.
The original bright colours of the playground are distorted and take on red and purple shades. The photo itself is meant to come across as a warning to viewers. The artificial lighting and strong contrast add to the scary atmosphere in the photo.
The repeated circular shapes in the photo are isolated from one another, and the child is inside a circle himself. This emphasises his isolation and exclusion, as well as his preoccupation with the virtual world. In addition, the mise-en-scene, the setting of the shot which is at the playground highlights the irony of the situation, where the child forgoes playing with the facilities and other children, because he is more interested in and preoccupied with playing games on his iPad.
