It was a typical summer Sunday in Alto Hospicio, and my friend Jhony invited me to a barbeque at another friend’s house. He picked me up in his Jeep emblazoned with a Zorros Rojos (red foxes) sticker, announcing his membership in the truck, car, and motorcycle offroading club. We arrived at his friends’ house, and met the hosts, brothers Miguel and Paul. Paul was in a wheelchair with a broken leg from a recent motorcycle accident. Also present were Cris and my friend Alex, who is not part of the club, but just bought a used small truck and wants to start riding with them. In general, I was happy to be spending the afternoon with some people who are slightly older than me, because so much of my social circle here falls into the 20-25 year old category.
As the three of us walked to the corner, Alex asked Jhony about changing the steering wheel in his truck. Jhony said he’d help in exchange for Alex helping him set up his new Samsung tablet phone (a Tab 3, I think). So, when we returned to the with 24 Escudo beers to the meat-smoke filled patio, Alex set to work.
Jhony’s first request was that Alex add Whatsapp, and in particular that he add his own and all the Zorros Rojos members’ contacts. Alex did so, and even sent a few pictures of the chicken breasts on the grill using the app. Jhony had already added Facebook, but asked the group what other apps he needed. We went around the circle offering our suggestions and the list included: Shazam, Skype, Google Chrome, Youtube, and Instagram. “What’s Instagram for?” asked Jhony. Alex explained “You upload pictures and the whole world says ‘I like it!” “It’s good for self-esteem” I offered. Alex agreed, sarcastically adding “Yep, it makes you feel like a real photographer.” Paul also offered his approval, “It's for ugly people like us. You take pictures and we come out looking good. It works like magic.”
By the time we had all consumed too many pounds of steak, chicken breast, hot dogs, and chorizo, Jhony had all of the apps we suggested as well as a flashlight, table level, compass, traffic advisory, QR scanner, and language translator on his new phone. Though I had a great time translating silly song lyrics for them, and laughing when they told Alex his new haircut looks like Miley Cyrus, I was also especially interested to get perspectives on different phone applications from people who do not see them as their main form of social engagement. Both age and their involvement in the Zorros Rojos place Facebook and other forms of social networking as supplementary forms of sociality, rather than the main way they communicate with their friends. And more than anything, I appreciated their sarcastic treatment of Instagram, which satirizes the ways so many younger people use the application. Yet, despite their degradations, they all still use it, knowing that it doesn’t quite make them artistic photographers, but appreciating that it might make their photos of tire tracks in the sand, just a little more aesthetically pleasing.
By the time we had all consumed too many pounds of steak, chicken breast, hot dogs, and chorizo, Jhony had all of the apps we suggested as well as a flashlight, table level, compass, traffic advisory, QR scanner, and language translator on his new phone. Though I had a great time translating silly song lyrics for them, and laughing when they told Alex his new haircut looks like Miley Cyrus, I was also especially interested to get perspectives on different phone applications from people who do not see them as their main form of social engagement. Both age and their involvement in the Zorros Rojos place Facebook and other forms of social networking as supplementary forms of sociality, rather than the main way they communicate with their friends. And more than anything, I appreciated their sarcastic treatment of Instagram, which satirizes the ways so many younger people use the application. Yet, despite their degradations, they all still use it, knowing that it doesn’t quite make them artistic photographers, but appreciating that it might make their photos of tire tracks in the sand, just a little more aesthetically pleasing.
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