Title: Social Meanings in Visual Rhythms
Phototrails looks at Instagram photos to show how society changes over time, highlighting everyday moments that often get missed and raising questions about who is represented and how data is used fairly. A powerful example is the visualization of photos taken during Hurricane Sandy, which revealed changes in user behavior and visual tone, capturing the emotional and physical realities of a crisis. This highlights how social media can serve as a living cultural archive. Phototrails also raises important questions about whose stories are represented, how data is ethically used, and who has access to cultural production. Its use of “data ethnography”—telling stories through patterns in digital images—offers a new lens for exploring issues of social justice and representation in the digital age
