Summary of the Key Points
This article focuses on the current "photography culture" among young people, especially women: from traveling and dining to daily activities, everything is aimed at creating beautiful photos suitable for social media. This culture has not only changed people's behavior (they read travel guides before going out and treat life as content production) but also led to issues such as conflicts in interpersonal relationships, consumerism traps, and homogenization of aesthetics. Essentially, it represents the alienation of individuals by social networks and consumerism—people no longer live for real experiences but for a virtual landscape that is "seen" by others.
I. From "Documenting Life" to "Performing Life"
In the past, traveling meant taking photos only when beautiful scenery was encountered; now, it's about seeing attractive photos on platforms like REDnote first and then going there specifically to replicate those scenes. For example, the rotating honey jar at Shanghai Disney has become a "60-second test for men"—women dress up elegantly, and men must take satisfactory photos, or the trip ends early. Convenience stores like Lawson under Mount Fuji in Japan and stations in Kamakura are crowded with Chinese people posing in the same ways.
The key to this change lies in the motivation: while ordinary people take photos as memorabilia, those who engage in "photography culture" treat it as a task, planning their positions, outfits, and movements in advance. They even wear light clothing in the snowy northeast because "not having a good photo means the trip was in vain." Life is no longer about experiencing things but has become raw material for social media content, with every scene serving as a backdrop.
II. The "Photography Wars" in Interpersonal Relationships: Friends Turning Against Each Other, Strangers Suffering
Photography has become an invisible bomb in relationships:
- Friends/Boyfriends Arguing: Some break up because their companions can't take satisfactory photos, while others argue due to someone's obsession with taking photos (occupying prime positions or wasting time). For instance, a student named Xiaoyu and her best friend went into a cold war on European streets to capture a "vitality live photo," which ultimately led to the end of their friendship.
- Strangers Being Perturbed: Cherry blossom trees in Notting Hill, London, have been complained about by residents due to the noise caused by photography enthusiasts; popular viewing spots at Kyoto's Sankei-en are occupied by Chinese tourists, forcing foreigners to wait for them to finish taking photos.
People question, "Is it worth suffering and spending money for just a post on social media?" However, those who love photography have their reasons: "There are few holidays, so I want to capture the best moments" or "I want to write my own chronicle of my youth."
III. The Precise Harvesting of Consumerism: The Money-Eating Industry Behind Photography
Photography is a bottomless pit of spending:
- Hardware Costs: Buying one-time dresses for photos, reflectors, CCD cameras, second-hand iPhones X (which have become popular for photography), and DJI stabilizers.
- Software Costs: Membership to photo editing apps (such as Xingtu or Meitu Xiuxiu), filter packs.
- Time Costs: Waking up early to apply makeup, waiting for the right light, taking hundreds of photos, refining them to perfection, and crafting social media posts (copying popular phrases from REDnote).
Capital has long seen this trend: from clothing to equipment, from apps to tutorials, the entire industry is waiting for women to spend money. For example, the term "beautiful food" turns meals into photographic props, reflecting the invasion of consumerism into everyday life.
IV. The Trap of Homogenization and the Reign of "Smooth Aesthetics"
Photography culture has led to severe aesthetic homogenization: everyone copies REDnote templates—Quanzhou hairpins, Dai族 (Thai ethnic group) photoshoots, and Korean women's posing styles (e.g., white dresses, slender necks, and straight shoulders). Han Byeong-je's concept of "smooth aesthetics" is evident here: photos must eliminate all imperfections (double chins, wrinkles, folds), resulting in a flawless appearance.
Behind this is anxiety about one's appearance; the less confident someone is, the more they focus on taking perfect photos, only to fall into a cycle of never being satisfied. At the same time, aesthetic education has failed—people rely solely on platforms like REDnote and TikTok for their taste, lacking their own judgment.
V. A Global Prison for Women: Being Objectified as "Landscape Slaves"
Photography culture knows no borders, trapping women around the world:
- Asian Women: Pursuing a "fake middle-class elegance"—wearing brand-name clothing, visiting popular destinations to prove they are living a "decent life."
- Western Women: Seeking an "effortless sophistication"—getting big, bright hairstyles, wearing allover outfits, tanning their skin, and using photos from security checks (like those with Rimowa luggage or The New Yorker magazine) to create an image of wealth, but these are all performances (the magazines don't really care).
In essence, women willingly turn themselves into objects of scrutiny: spending time and money to package themselves for social likes, ultimately contributing data to platforms and profits for capital while only gaining the illusion of being recognized. This is the most subtle form of colonization by consumerism—using a camera, a screen, and a like to turn people into slaves of a virtual landscape.
Conclusion: Reflection on Photography Culture
The core conflict of photography culture is between "real experiences" and "virtual performances." When people ignore the reality of food going cold, scenery fading, and friends chatting in favor of a perfect photo, they lose the essence of life. Perhaps we should ask ourselves, "Am I living my own life, or am I just showing it to others?" After all, true happiness comes from personal experiences, not from photos.