Selfie Culture: A View on Cyber Documentarism

Abstract

The intention of this discussion is to question of documentary form and selfie phenomenon in the cultural implications emerged as a consequence of widespread new technologies and social networking, touchscreen and video. What is the feature of documentary film form in the culture of selfism and technology friendly recording devices? Culture as the inherent feature of a group and individual both is defined by a given space and time and is in constant changing mode. In new media defined by the Wi-Fi technology and communication gadgets the new conducts and behaviors are introduced into the traditional cultures. Taking the fast lane of connectivity but in the same time remaining in the slow lane of anonymity is not just a fad of anonymous networking of international culture, but the main communicating feature today. Recording video and taking pictures have lost their importance and elitism, gaining superficiality and HD quality. What happens to the content, cultural context and creative approaches in this process? What is the quality of new international culture in the virtual space and time defined by picture in motion language of visual communication (film grammar) and technology video devices? Does the culture based on this technology make the new stereotypes? What is the human language for communication in this international culture? Can English be the long lost Babylon dream fulfilled? Is documentarism benefiting from today’s culture – or is it dying?

Keywords

• Documentarism
• immediacy
• culture
• selfism
• communication
• virtuality