How do media change our world (or lips)

There have been more and less unbelievable trends what comes to people's looks in the media. It is hard to say where do these trends come from, but one thing is for sure: media have effect on how people see themselves. Trends have become global, which is visible in such social media services as Instagram. Some people are fond of it; others see it as the biggest curse of our digital century.

As a picture service, users' looks easily become of main focus. First there was a #selfie, then became #belfie and now the thing seems to be #fullips. As #selfies started their spread, so did the lips in the same time in them. Now lips seem to be getting fuller - by hook or by crook. However, not everyone wants to go for plastic surgeries, because of their possible side effects or simply negative consequences. But we want fuller lips! What to do?

There are several actors who seem to be leaders of the trend. One of them is @kyliejenner, a model being followed by 20,6 million users making her the ninth most followed Instagram user. Nor does @kimkardashian and her botox have less than 30 million followers and being the third most followed person there according to The Telegraph.

instagram.com/kyliejenner

We are not talking about thousands, but millions of pictures what comes to hashtags referring to lips. Here are some numbers that can be found on Instagram. For comparison, #selfie should be the 12th most popular hashtag on IG (top-hashtags.com). These numbers are from 13.4.2015.

#selfie 257 130 010

#sexylips 141 351

#kiss 27 311 898

#fulllips 69 041

#lips 17 135 463

#fullipsgirl 495

One symptom of this trend is great popularity of #fullipsenhancer, a tool that makes your lips look fuller without plastic surgery. Their Instagram profile, @fullipsenhancer, with no less than 192 000 followers today, leaves no space for doubts for the fact that #fullips are a trend of today.

Now that we have found out how to get fuller lips without surgery, we can take a look on our possibly changing perceptions of what is beautiful. There have been articles on the media on how Instagram influences especially the young users. Plastic surgery agencies are reporting increasing numbers of clients, for which some thank social media and Instagram for. However, it is hard to say whether or not Instagram has a role in this, and in the case yes, how big is this role.

So, we end up asking the question whether media influences us or not. This topic is not a trouble of only today, media effects have been discussed already by mr. Walter Benjamin in the 1930's, Marshall McLuhan in the 1960's and Raymond Williams in his Analysis of Culture. As Benjamin saw the technology, and so the media making deep changes in people, Williams ended up being more positive in his analysis. He spoke about the selective tradition in his analysis: traditional culture of society rather responses to circumstances, that means, rather society's interests and values than, for example the media itself.

Even the science doesn't agree whether media and trends effect society and whether the possible impact would be direct or indirect. We can ask ourselves is a human really just an object on which several factors influence and change him? Or are we rather critical at some point? I think that we are. So, following @kyliejenner or @kimkardashian on Instagram, does not necessarily mean that you will get obsessed in getting the lips. Seeing your friend having had an operation does not mean that you will run to the clinic the week after. There are other factors that make us obsessed, too.

But, back to the Earth, and the #fulllips. As I said, it is not for granted that in 2016 everyone will have their lips sucked / operated fuller. I think #fulllips should also been thought as a trend, a media trend more specifically. It is difficult to say how long does one single trend stay alive, but for sure is that trends come and go (and possibly come back later again). I see Instagram celebrities leading or at least sparkling this trend in some of their followers heads. Even though not all the 30 million human creatures go for it, there will be some that at least try duckfacing next time they take a selfie. And idea of fuller lips spreads.

As I am writing this post for a course about media convergence, we could also see #fullips through multiple media. Not only Instagram is involved, but also, I suppose at least, that pictures are shared in other apps / services like Tumblr, Pinterest, WeHeartIt or Snapchat. This trend is visible on other apps too. Also, where ever does @kyliejenner end up on the media, rising her visibility in public, consequencing in the rise of followers (possibly). And so do people join and share their mutual world on the media.