Following: Sienna Mae Gomez
For this project, I choose to look at the digital work of Sienna Mae Gomez, one of the newest and uprising social media influencers. After unintentionally going viral on her Tik Tok account in August 2020, the Internet grew a liking for this 17-year-old from California. She promotes body positivity and fights the unrealistic beauty standards the media can portray. She makes videos of her dancing to popular trends, talking about mental health and does short films on how social media makes her feel. Sienna shows the reality of her pictures, a behind the scenes look into how lighting, angles and posing can change how someone looks. Going on social media can feel imprisoning sometimes, seeing everyone’s happiest moments and falling victim to comparison. Sienna uses her platform to encourage viewers to not believe everything you see online and to try to love yourself the best way you can. She offers a ray of positivity on the app that can be toxic.
Her main social media platform is Tik Tok, as she has two accounts (@spicylatina, @siennamaegomezz) that amass over 20 million followers. Her social media presence continues to grow as she reaches the millions on Instagram and Twitter. Many of her fans communicate with her via Tik Tok, as she frequently responds to comments and makes video responses. Because of how active she is online, her popularity continues to expand.
A struggle I had during the video making process was recording. After writing my script, I went on to make a Powerpoint to display my pictures and videos. I had to screen record each of her videos that I wanted to put in my videos. It took a long time to make the slideshow. I then went on to record using Screen-o-matic. It was my first time using this, so it took many tries. I kept trying to record it in one take and messing up. I recorded my screen of the powerpoint and was able to come up with a video (after like 10 tries).
I enjoyed doing this project as I am a fan of Sienna Mae Gomez. Being a trailblazer at that age, she is using her platform for good and it is inspiring and comforting to see. A lot of the time on social media we are accustomed to seeing skinny, beautiful celebrities at their best. Sienna helps her fans take a step back to see how beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. She encourages her audience to love their natural bodies. It is extremely beneficial for younger teenagers on the app and women who are struggling with body image and confidence. Her social media shows her loving life, exuding happiness with her wide smile. She makes a lot of videos with her boyfriend, Jack Wright, another popular influencer on the Tik Tok app. Many of her viewers enjoy watching their relationship, as their posts accumulate millions of views.
During quarantine, I struggled with weight gain and body image, and watching Sienna’s videos was reassuring. She made me feel heard and inspired me to become more confident, even if it was just through watching and engaging with her posts.
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