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Recently, the Refinery29 gals decided to conduct their own social media-based experiment on “relationship visibility,” or the way we flaunt — or hide — our relationships on Facebook. The term “relationship visibility” is actually based on a well-known concept from The Science of Relationships referred to as “impression management,” which says that, according to our individual goals, we fabricate a certain perception to align with those goals.

This particular study used Facebook as its primary platform and set out to ask what our social media behavior says about not just our relationships, but our individual selves.

The hypothesis was a simple one: Anxious individuals, or those who are insecure in themselves or their relationship, are more likely to show off their coupledom via status updates and pictures. In other words, all those happy pictures of couples rubbing noses — and all those status updates about how Sally or Sam is the best S.O. in the world — may be a reflection of a.) insecurity and/or b.) wishful thinking.

In the end, researchers found that their hypothesis was, for the most part, accurate. Of course, there are some disclaimers, but that’s to be expected. Read more about the study here.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Image Credit: ShutterStock.com

We live in an interesting time.

The same thing was also said amidst the boom of print media, especially when haute couture glossies first hit the market and the whole fashion industry became more of an “event” as opposed to a utilitarian means to an end (read: being clothed).

I’d argue that when online blogging hit the scene roughly 15 years ago — the late ’90s — fashion underwent a notable shift. Once “the people” received a megaphone (in this case, the Internet), their amplified voices slowly began competing with the opinions of fashion designers and magazines across the globe. Don’t get me wrong, to this day designers and glossies certainly have a huge say regarding what we wear, but the whole social aspect of the Internet indubitably turned the style world on its head.

Fast forward another five-ish years or so — into the early 2000s — when “all about me” social media websites such as MySpace were at their height. The early 2000s also marked the dawn of the Facebook era, a website which has a bigger influence on the world than most even realize. It was also around this time when deep and thought provoking online diaries shared between close friends (hello, LiveJournal) lost their luster and lifestyle blogs gained momentum.

Today, you can’t go anywhere on the web without running into a blogger or a niche website that focuses specifically on fashion/style or beauty. And with the prevalence of smart phones and Apps (fashion-focused and otherwise, including Instagram), we can’t even pick up the phone without seeing what other people are wearing or buying.

This social media/Internet whirlwind frenzy makes me wonder: Are we better dressed now compared to 10 years ago?

The Stylish City’s own founder, Mirela, says: “Everybody — stores, bloggers, fashion magazines, etc — has “looks” to draw inspiration from. There are literally thousands of bloggers, personal stylists, celebrities and reality shows we are exposed to every day.”

This undoubtedly affects our decisions when we walk into a store or peer into our closet. With the potential for more people to see how we’re dressed, are many of us less apt to throw on scroungy sweats even while sauntering around the house? And do we make better fashion choices now as a result of being exposed to the more fashionable who want to put themselves out there for the world to see?

Another question I have, in regard to the Internet/social media influence:  Do we approach fashion on a more “individual” level these days? Or does the influx of online/media inspiration cause us to all sort of look like each other?

Personally, I think cities such as NYC, where there a lot of people coming from all walks of life, are more likely to dress individually, but there’s still this “NYC vibe” that permeates all fashion in the city.

Perhaps the boom of social media has made us dress better as a collective whole, but with that have we lost a sense of individuality when it comes to fashion choices?

What do you think? Have your wardrobe decisions changed over the past 10 to 15 years as a direct result of the Internet and social media? Has it gotten worse? Or have you sort of shrugged your shoulders and not changed much at all? Share your comments below!

By Wendy Rose Gould

Oh yes, baby! There’s romance in the air, and it’s between your TV and social media stream. It’s no surprise that, in general, the way of TV-watching has changed drastically with the influx and success of social media.

Take, for example, Oreo’s quick-thinking ad that aired during the Super Bowl blackout. If you watched the Super Bowl or participate in Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other social media outlets, you probably know the one I’m talking about. Somehow, the folks at Oreo aired a remarkably timely image of an Oreo cookie with the script, “You can still dunk in the dark.”

The ad went viral instantly.

It helped that the commercial aired on one of the only days people tune in specifically for the advertisements, but the blackout-inspired ad’s popularity skyrocketed mostly in part to the social media frenzy that followed it. In fact, Oreo’s cheeky advertisement received over 15,000 tweets, 20,000 Facebook “likes” and the company gained tens of thousands of new Instagram followers.

The trend could work the other way around. For example, remember the 2012 presidential debate in which Sesame Street’s Big Bird went viral on Twitter and other social media? All it took was a five second comment by Mitt Romney on cutting funding and the whole Internet was abuzz. In fact (for better or worse), it distracted from some of the more important points of that debate.

Another example: I know that if there’s a big season premiere or a highly anticipated award show (like the Oscars!), I can sign onto Facebook or Twitter and read a slew of real-time talk and feedback as the show’s actually airing. Even more, the celebrities involved in these very events participate in the real-time social media scene themselves. Take Sophia Vergara tweeting about her wardrobe malfunction last year, for example.

In anticipation of the big night, Twitter reminds us in a blog post that “As the audience in the Dolby Theatre claps, laughs, and cries, so do the viewers at home. Watching along with Twitter, you can have the best of both worlds: get insider access from stars who know the Oscars best, and join fellow film fans in a global viewing party.”

If you want to  watch the #Oscars with stars and need the handles to participate in the conversation check out their post   http://blog.twitter.com/2013/02/watch-oscars-with-stars.html

By Wendy Rose Gould