Vernacular narratives of well-being and the practice of photo-a-day

Cox, Andrew and Brewster, Liz (2020) Vernacular narratives of well-being and the practice of photo-a-day. Storytelling, Self, Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Storytelling Studies, 16 (2). pp. 280-299. ISSN 1550-5340

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Abstract

The impact of social media on psychological well-being is usually investigated through survey-based studies of the mass effects of its use. This article offers an alternative perspective by exploring individuals' narratives of their own well-being, arising from interviews about one seemingly simple, mundane digital practice: photo-a-day. These stories showed how people saw that they could shape their own well-being gradually through the way that sharing a photo each day reconfigured routines, brought them to notice new things, and connected them to others in new ways. The effect was complex and largely unintended. This reflected their sophisticated understanding of well-being as an elusive, complex practical accomplishment. The article reflects on how well-being can be understood as accomplished within social practices by the spreading of meaning.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Storytelling, Self, Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Storytelling Studies
Additional Information:
This is a pre-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Storytelling, Self, Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Storytelling Studies, 16, 2, 2020 following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available from Wayne State University Press.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3316
Subjects:
?? cultural studiesliterature and literary theoryanthropologyarchaeology ??
ID Code:
147525
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
22 Sep 2020 08:55
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
02 Dec 2023 01:31