Social Media and Model Making

The following, as in all my blogs, is personal opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree, comments below please.

A recent article in Airfix Scale World magazine makes, in my view, several inaccurate claims with regard to social media specifically You Tube (YT), and its use by model makers to create videos (You Tube Creators - YTCs), article titled 'The Cult of Modelling Celebrity'.

First of all, the article title tells you all you need to know about the author's opinion stating that there is such a thing as a Modelling Celebrity and that those who are belong to a Cult.

Secondly the article starts 'Back in my youth..' words akin to 'When I were a lad' or 'In the olden days'.. guaranteed to tell the reader the author think the past was better. Occasionally it was, but articles which use that phrase are, in my opinion, usually written by people who just don't like, want, or understand, the improvements that have occurred. Let's call them the 'We fear change' brigade.

Thirdly with no seeming sense of irony the author then goes on to name two well known model makers of the period who he hails as being extremely talented. Whether they were/are is immaterial, but he is treating them as Celebrities in an article he uses to castigate Celebrities. He states the models themselves were the stars not the modellers, yet names the modellers and not a single example of their models. In both these aspects the article is totally contradictory.

He claims that '.. Modern social media has flipped the script and instead starts with personality and brand first, the modelling an addendum to this.' Utter tripe. Does anyone search on You Tube for a specific person? No, unless that person is already a celebrity such as a musician, actor, comedian, etc. The search is not for an individual you don't already know it's for a subject that interests you, such as in this case scale model making. So the search is for a subject first, and then if you like the way that person presents the subject you may look at other videos they've done. You may even watch videos from people they like. Will you like those too? Maybe, maybe not. Do you like everyone who likes the same things you do? Some yes, some no. It's human nature and zero to do with a shared interest.

Social media he seems to treat as an evil sentient being. Social Media is none of those things; it is a bidirectional communication tool, as is a two-way radio, a telephone, etc. A hammer is a tool; can a hammer be evil? No of course not! The person wielding the hammer, or any tool, has that capacity, but the tool itself is just that.. a tool.

He refers to the videos crafted by YTCs insulting as 'bland'. The anachronism here is obvious. Model making is normally a solitary occupation. Its purpose is not to entertain, so of course any video centred on the subject is not intended to entertain either. YTCs do not spend literally hundreds of pounds sterling on the software and equipment necessary to make their videos to entertain, and to expect that is idiotic. There may as a by-product of the video be some entertainment value in it, but that is not its core purpose; that is to illustrate to those watching the video how they built a particular model, its good and bad points, and how they resolved the latter. They are not however instructional videos on how a model must be made, they simply illustrate one way to make it.

Are YTCs 'Influencers' (personally I hate the word, or maybe it's the fact that they seem to think their opinion matters more than other people) as the author insinuates. They are in that they produce inspiring content, a standard of modelling to aspire to. Do they demand I do things their way, think the same as they do? No absolutely not. They say 'This is how I do it, up to you if you do it the same or another way'.

The article though completely misses what to many is an equally important role of the videos and social media in general. The videos from one YTC are generally on one topic, so those who watch and comment on them all share that interest. The YTC has the opportunity to answer questions and respond to any criticism, to engage with the viewers and they can engage with the modeller, occasionally in real time, something completely impossible in the author's yearned for youth. Thanks wholly to this engagement communities grow of like minded individuals, from all around the world, all sharing their knowledge with each other. That growth of community to any degree is impossible without the YTC providing the catalyst and they are to be thanked for that, not treated like some sort of pariahs which is what this article seeks to achieve.

He singles out one YTer as his chosen paragon of what he thinks YT videos are for and seems to be claiming that person is somehow different from the others. I follow quite a few YTCs and frankly I don't know any who don't put the modelling first. Are they the automata the author seems to desire, model-making bots? No they are human beings and it's an insult to them not to treat them as such. They are human beings who also happen to be talented modellers.

The final nail in the coffin in which this article should be buried is with regard to his central claim that YTCs have or even want celebrity status. One fairly well known and recognisable YTC commented on the article that he regularly goes to Model Shows and not once has been asked for his autograph, and nor have many - if any - others. In fact he quoted one very well known YTC who attends Model Shows with a baseball cap on and hood pulled up to obscure his identity. The exact opposite of what a celebrity would do.

In summary, are YTCs celebrities, or even desirous of celebrity status? No, and the claim they are is ludicrous.

Sport As A Means Of Inclusion

Generally speaking, human beings become disabled in three main ways;

• From birth, with a consistent, unchanging disability.
• From birth, with a degenerative condition.
• Through trauma later in life.

In any demographic it is important not to generalise, however there will always be those who - whether born with their disability or who have it thrust on them through trauma, have varying degrees of self-confidence and strength of character. Participative sport, and especially that of a team based nature, has an important part to play in the recovery both mentally and physically of the individuals concerned.

It is self evident that those who have been victims of a recent trauma, and to a lesser extent those whose degenerative condition has advanced to a debilitating level, are likely to feel disenfranchised from the rest of society, as unlike those born with a disability it is not their normal condition. One who is born with a permanent condition has no recollection of, for example, being able to walk and thus is unable to miss it and treats the current status quo as normal, which for them personally it is.

Enter sport into the equation. It has become increasingly commonplace to involve a degree of sport in the rehabilitation of trauma victims to aid their physical recovery. However, whether the participant has become recently disabled or has been for many years, the introduction of sport into their lives can have a marked effect beyond that of the merely physical.

One study in particular highlights the importance of sport for the disabled in several areas,¹ namely;

(a) Performance accomplishments and functional efficiency
(b) Perceived self-efficacy
(c) Self-concept and self-esteem
(d) Personality disorders, mood states and locus of control
(e) Activity level and social acceptance.

All the above elements will be affected to a greater or lesser degree by the individual's participation in competitive sport, however it is likely that b, c and particularly e will benefit specifically from team sports.

It would be all too easy to look at the above list and compare them to how they would affect the outlook and ability of a trauma victim who is only recently disabled. However this discounts the previous distinction between those possessing a natural self-confidence and strength of character, and those who lack the same. Even those born with a permanent disability may be lacking in self-confidence and for a myriad of reasons may never have been able to integrate into mainstream society. It could indeed be said that for those individuals who have never known social acceptance for instance, that there is a greater benefit to be had than for those who merely - and it is not the intention to belittle the accomplishment in any way - wish to recapture their prior acceptance before their disablement.

Returning to the areas of importance though; firstly the person will, simply through their involvement in the sport gain increasingly in performance accomplishments, as through time they will become more and more proficient in the skills required in their chosen sport. Their increased activity will lend a natural increased functional efficiency to their daily lives; they may find for example an increase in their hand-eye coordination, dexterity or in their stamina.

This will lead naturally to a perceived self-efficacy as they become aware that they are neither constrained, nor defined, by their disability, and that in fact it has opened up possibilities to them which may otherwise never have been available. That is not to say the individual will embrace their disability - that is perhaps too strong a term - but their acceptance of their circumstances - whether recently altered or lifelong - is likely to be eased by the realisation that their life is not devoid of purpose due to their disability, rather it is an opportunity or challenge to be grasped and used to best advantage.

It is self evident that anyone, disabled or otherwise, who takes up a new interest - competitive sport or otherwise - will increase their activity level, whether it is Family History and they have to spend time visiting the library etc, or in more active pursuits such as cycling for pleasure. This increased activity in itself will lead to an overall increase in the individual's level of fitness and general health. Similarly, disabled or otherwise if one becomes involved in any activity outside the home there is a natural consequence that they will come into contact with others engaged in similar activities, and thus their social circle will increase.

This is particularly the case in participative sport where the individual concerned, even in single competitor events, will both train alongside, and compete against, others involved in the same sport. In team sports of course this is multiplied by the size of the team involved, and will introduce an element of cooperation into the picture. Common to every sport of course is the wider support team; the coaches, physiotherapists, doctors etc who provide additional input into the individual's development. For some it may be a considerable time since their condition has received more than an annual 15 minutes with a doctor to ensure there is no urgent problem requiring attention, and so the focused attention of the support team will bring its' own benefits outside the sport.

The greatest element particularly in team sport though will be the social element. As proficiency grows the individual will find a greater feeling of self-esteem with the realisation that there is a trust between them and the other team members, and a reliance on them to fulfil their tasks toward the common goal of winning at the event. Sportsmen and women who are not disabled socialise outside the sport, some team sports being rather well known for their off-pitch socialising, and disabled competitors are no different in this respect; they too will enjoy each others' company off the pitch as well as the comradeship on it.

An extension of this social element is the probability of crossing what may to some be perceived as a boundary between those who are disabled and those not. Particularly in a team which may mix those with congenital conditions and trauma victims, the latter will no doubt have friends and relatives who are not disabled who may be involved in any social gatherings; birthday parties; christenings; weddings. This will lead naturally to those who may not have mixed socially with those who are not disabled - since their disability has been an issue for them - and afford both sides to forge new links of understanding, once more imbuing the disabled person with a feeling of greater self-worth and belonging.

The feeling of belonging, and more importantly of acceptance by others for who they are, is a key element of why team sport in particular is a valuable tool or resource for those involved in the rehabilitation of trauma victims and for those involved perhaps in a less medical role such as those who may run day-care centres. They will be able to pinpoint those who attend their facilities who appear less inclined to engage with other visitors or members and be able to give guidance towards such activities that will aid the individual in achieving greater social awareness and involvement. Once involved in the sport, this role then transfers to the coach.

The basic role though of a coach at first glance is simple. Train their charge, whether that is an individual or a team, in the skills required to meet the goals of their particular sport. The picture becomes rather more complex on closer examination. Rainer Martens believes coaching to be more of a multi-disciplinary effort, including such diverse areas as education, physiology, business, and psychology. Of these physiology and psychology are the most important in the context of the disabled novice competitor.²

In military terminology the coach in a team sport becomes a 'force-multiplier', that is to say the effect of their actions becomes larger with the more competitors they have access to in the squad. Thus they are able to simultaneously positively enhance the abilities of all the team and develop all five of the areas identified in the study mentioned earlier.

To summarise then, irrespective of the genesis of the individual's current circumstances, there are those who will either find the transition back to their previous involvement in society difficult, or conversely have never had that involvement will find the prospect daunting. Team sports can in a very real sense act as a catalyst to the process of them (re)engaging in society and providing a true quality of life.

References:

¹ Hutzter, Y and Bar-Eli, M (2007), Psychological benefits of sports for disabled people: a review, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports [Online] 3(4) pp 217-228, http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119306906/abstract, Accessed 18.02.2012
² Martens, R, Successful Coaching-3rd Edition, (USA: Human Kinetics Publishers, 2004)