When creating this map, I found it especially difficult to put these abstract ideas into visuals that fully represent what I wanted to say. With such a complex and abstract idea, I had to narrow it a bit and focus on the iconography in both religion and internet culture. Also, since I developed my concept after my visit to the museums, I found that my museum research was irrelevant to my topic. However, I was able to find a lot online that worked with my theme. I found that the depictions of the Virgin Mary were really intriguing especially when contrasting it to modern symbols of motherhood on social media. There are also a lot of references to the Virgin Mary in fashion which was extremely inspiring.
When researching this topic I want to explore the answers to the following questions:
- What relationship do young adults have with media (not social media specifically)? What are the pros and cons of this kind of interaction?
- What role does social media have in other countries? How does censorship play a role in perception and identity?
- How has social media changed traditions and cultural customs?
- What kind of relationship do depression and internet use have?
- Is social media the great equalizer? Is it the first step towards racial, gender, and economic equality? Or is it doing the opposite?
Hopefully, after answering these questions, I will be able to fully understand the relationship between religion and internet culture and develop a piece that acts as a commentary or critique of my findings.
