As I begin this project, I thought it would be practical to do some research into why the everyday can be a fascinating subject and why it attracts viewers. I found this article titled ‘They’re mundane and boring yet get millions of views: so why do we watch vlogs?
Although vlogs capture the everyday in a slightly different way to photography, they are a great example of our fascination with normality and a window into other people’s lives. In this article, psychologist Dr Sharon Coen, explains that part of the reason vlogs are so popular (despite their often mundane subject matters) is because of the sense of community they create. “I can tell you that when people feel connection, when they feel that they are a part of that community, they stick to it… It’s one of the fundamental reasons why people go on social media in the first place.” Coen goes on to explain that, through watching other people vlog online, viewers will begin to feel a sense of belonging among others who like the same content. A feeling of normality and everyday life in these famous Youtuber’s videos will allow viewers to feel they have something in common. This is similar to what I want my project to be an expression of – a reminder of the everyday, that may seem mundane, but ultimately makes us all just human.
Contradictarary to what this article says about vlogs, however, it’s fair to say that many vlogs and much social media content is an inaccurate portrayal of the ‘real’ everyday. There is always a certain aspect of fabrication. Are vloggers really showing us ‘the everyday’ or are they simply just choosing little areas of their lives to share, that appear to be desirable or aesthetic? Social media is often not so much about the real and the everyday but more about showing our best parts off. In response to that, I want this project to remind viewers of the parts of life we may have lost touch with in contemporary society – the small, seemingly insignificant details in our lives that are usually overlooked and don’t get shared on social media, despite playing a part in our everyday lives. As Nigel Shafran says, the things that are ‘telling of what and how we are.’
What brings more depth to my project therefore, is that it will serve as a reminder (through the documentation of our everyday spaces and objects) that we are all fundamentally the same.
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