Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
University of the Arts London

'Everybody Phones Out': Teaching experiments with Instagram

Abstract

This paper considers the pedagogical prototype, Everybody Phones Out (EPO), that took place between February - April 2016 on the BA (Hons) Culture, Criticism and Curation course at Central Saint Martins. EPO utilised a dedicated Instagram account, as a means to support the delivery of a series of traditional lectures to first year undergraduate students. Taking EPO as a case study this paper assesses the potential for IBMSNs (image-based-mobile-social-network) to be employed in, and beyond, the classroom for the delivery of content and engagement with students. This paper makes specific reference to EPO's co-option of the iconography of memes, the combination of textual and visual information and the image parlance of memeology to humorous, and virulent, affect. Evaluating our own successes and failures, we detail a code of conduct for others considering Instagram usage in education.

Keywords

Social Media, Instagram, Digital, Memes, Post-Internet, Mobile Phones

HTML PDF

Author Biography

Elliott Burns

Elliott Burns is a graduate from the 2015 class of MA Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins. He has been employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant on the BA (Hons) Culture, Criticism and Curation course at CSM. Elliott is currently employed by UAL's Teaching and Learning Exchange to curate an exhibition of enquiry-based teaching at the Cookhouse Gallery, Chelsea in November 2016.

Jen MacLachlan

Jen MacLachlan is a graduate from the 2015 class of MA Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins. She has been employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant on the BA (Hons) Culture, Criticism and Curation course at CSM. Jen has recently curated several exhibitions, notably at the David Roberts Art Foundation and Chalton Gallery. Her current practice and research interests include photography and semiotics.

Jake Charles Rees

Jake Charles Rees is a graduate from the 2015 class of MA Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins. He has been employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant on the BA (Hons) Culture, Criticism and Curation course at CSM. He is currently interning for Superflux, a design and foresight studio that investigates emerging technologies and their relationship to society, culture, and politics.


References

  1. Ba, T. (2016) ‘@amaitriteparole_@sara.frdv @everybodyphonesout #instafood #pizza #foodporn #tasty #lunch #realfood #homemade’, @amaitriteparole Instagram, 24 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCLL5TTMR0G/ (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  2. Blackmore, S. (1999) The meme machine. New York: Oxford University Press.
  3. Botz-Bornstein, T. (2008) ‘Can memes play games? Memetics and the problems of space’ in Botz-Bornstein, T. (ed.) Culture, nature, memes. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars. pp. 142-157.
  4. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016a) @everybodyphonesout Instagram. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/everybodyphonesout/ (Accessed: 22 June 2016).
  5. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016b) ‘Re-post @ryderripps: lesson 1 #feminism #ladies #bae #art #sportswear #camo’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 2 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBSTXyFiO0f/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 30 June 2016).
  6. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016c) ‘Re-post @amaliaulman: @amaliaulman #art #women #gyals #instagram’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 2 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBST4LdCO1d/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 30 June 2016).
  7. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016d) ‘The work of @raisecain getting discussed in our first lecture #csm #art #instagram #everybodyphonesout’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 17 Feb. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BB5IVPdCOzu/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  8. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016e) ‘The further we all move away from humanity, like, sexism becomes the coolest style… because tolerance is inevitable, right?’ @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 22 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBST4LdCO1d/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  9. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016f) ‘Repost: @amaitriteparole_@sara.frdv @everybodyphonesout #instafood #pizza #foodporn #tasty #lunch #realfood #homemade’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 24 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCLMMUMiO4A/ (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  10. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016g) ‘Post-new post-internet post-aesthetic Instagram post ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 24 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCLJEfDiOxs/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  11. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016h) ‘Sam Sedgman, “what does it mean to “buy” digital art? space” ’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 28 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCVIwYgiO9I/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  12. Burns, E., MacLachlan, J. and Rees, J.C. (2016i) ‘The EPO Insta Auction House is raking it in!’, @everybodyphonesout Instagram, 2 March. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCdKj0BiO56/?taken-by=everybodyphonesout (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  13. Cornell, C. (2006) ‘Net results: closing the gap between art and life online’, Time Out magazine, 9 February. Available at: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/art/net-results (Accessed: 22 June 2016).
  14. Dawkins, R (1989) ‘The Selfish Gene’. Oxford Paperbacks; 2nd Revised edition.
  15. Gryn, D. (2016) Daata Editions. Available at: https://daata-editions.com (Accessed: 30 June 2016).
  16. Olson, M. (2012) ‘Postinternet: art after the internet’, Foam magazine: issue 29, pp. 59-63. Available at: http://www.marisaolson.com/texts/POSTINTERNET_FOAM.pdf (Accessed: 1 July 2016).
  17. Ripps, R. (2016) @ryder_ripps Instagram. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/ryder_ripps/ (Accessed: 22 June 2016).
  18. Ripps, R. (2015) ‘Feminist artist in Instagram starter pack’, @ryder_ripps Instagram, 1 December. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/-whiNmJTIa/ (Accessed: 30 June 2016).
  19. Sedgman, S. (2015) ‘What does it mean to “buy” digital art?’, Sam Sedgman blog, 8 April. Available at: http://samsedgman.co.uk/post/115845258733/what-does-it-mean-to-buy-digital-art (Accessed: 22 June 2016).
  20. Trecartin, R. (2013) Centre Jenny. Available at: https://vimeo.com/75735816 (Accessed: 22 June 2016).
  21. Trecartin, R. (2016) @ryantrecartin Instagram. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCGIc64CO6d/ (Accessed: 22 June 2016).
  22. Ulman, A. (2016) @amaliaulman Instagram. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/amaliaulman/
  23. Ulman, A. (2014) ‘Ok done bak to #natural cuz im sick of ppl thinkin im dumb cos of blond hair.,,,, srsly ppl stop hatin !!how u like me now???’, @amaliaulman Instagram, 27 July. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/q9Qc1KFV9M/ (Accessed: 1 July 2016).