Mackenzie Casey Casey 1

ENC 1102

Professor Gardiakos

2/13/2020

Genre Analysis and Intertextuality

Our society is ever-changing in the aspect of technology. We have become a community

so ingulfed in social media, and how we appear on our Instagram feed, or how consistent we are

with comprising tweets on Twitter. We are so obsessed with making our lives look lavish on the

internet and posting the most aesthetically pleasing or flattering pictures of ourselves. This need

to come across as something we are not, is so fascinating yet revolting. This prompted me to

choose an academic journal that concerned how our society filters and edits photos to be

appealing, or what society demes is “beautiful,” and how it is actually extremely destructive to

the minds of teens and young adults, causing them to have body dysmorphia and restrict their

diets.

The article I have chosen to analyze is, “Can Virtual Makeovers Using Photo Editing

Applications Moderate Negative Media Influences on SNS Users’ Body Satisfaction?” Through

this academic journal, the author discusses research they have discovered on how large amounts

of women use filters and photo editing apps to appear to societies standards. This in turn

affecting the way that everyday women and girls view their bodies, in most cases negatively

which in turn is affecting their mental and physical health. We will discuss the overall genre of

this academic journal and the work it does in the discourse community, as well as the
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intertextuality of the article and the conversations the authors writing has with the research it is

using throughout the piece.

Genres can very throughout all articles, and they’re much deeper than what we were

taught in our younger years of schooling. They are more than surface genres we have been taught

like non-fiction, horror, and comedy. The specific genre that I have analyzed through reading

this academic journal was serious and informative. This genre is identified by the large number

of researches cited, and low use of flowery words. When you see this type of paper, the reason

for the way it appears is the intention and purpose of the writing alone.

When building a serious and informative paper, you want to build awareness. This is

what the author aimed to do. In a smoothly transitioned and straight-laced paper, you hook the

author in so you can make them aware of issues going on around you, and not losing their

attention by telling off-topic stories with pretty words that don’t seem to follow the flow of the

paper. The definition that study.com presents on an informative article brings to light what I have

already explained, “An informative [article] educates your reader on a topic. They can have one

of several functions: to define a term, compare and contrast something, analyze data, or provide a

how-to. They do not, however, present an opinion or try to persuade your reader.”

This genre, as also stated in the about definition, commonly includes data-based research,

it is survey heavy, helping us understand just how many people are and have been affected by the

topic they’re trying to make us aware of. They avoid using their own opinion to create bias and

ruin the mood and feeling of their paper. Personal experiences and specific opinions won’t help
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an author of an informative paper get their points across. At that point you have defeated the

purpose of an informative article and are instead curating an argumentative essay which is a type

of essay, however not what you’re planning for an article like this. You can easily identify an

informative article through the research it consistently provides, but you can also recognize it

through the various word choice. Most importantly they refrain from using the word “I” unless it

is something they have cited, but it is not their opinion it is someone else they have researched

and has proven to affectively benefit the point of their paper. Also, they use very factual talk,

such as number, statistics, and more. They refer to people or groups not themselves, only what

they’re talking about. The idea of using these specific words as well as the format, is known as

intertextuality. Intertextuality is the share and re-use of certain words and phrases throughout all

papers, articles, books, etc. James Porter, goes into depth with this idea in his article

“Intertextuality and the Discourse community.” He claims that no two articles are original

because they’re using passed down words, phrases, and formats. This is even more visible in

articles and papers of alike genres, specifically informative in this case.

This genre fits in the discourse community amongst all other informative papers.

Specifically, this genre tries work in its discourse community, amongst other writers who are

trying to push the effects of mental health, and even more specifically the effects of social media

on mental health. It pushes to argue how this is something people need to take and consider, and

not just lightly brush over. With other authors, this article is trying to set goals for our society

along with other pieces like it. Being in this discourse community, with all authors arguing their

points, they can come together to help recognize what is important, to raise awareness and try to

solve a problem or answer questions in our world.

Overall, the author of my paper keeps the genre of seriousness and informative

throughout the duration of the article. They consistently provide evidence to support their

problem of the us of filters and editing apps. They go into detail frequently with the use of

research how young adults and girls are disliking their bodies to try to meet standards and are

retracting unhealthy habits due to the issue. This article has a very definitive genre, and this is

noticeable through the intertextuality it shows with other similar genre articles, they use specific

word cues and structures to make this identifiable to us as readers.

I have chosen to analyze three specific sources that I found in this paper. I feel as though

these three sources I have decided to break down, help to get the authors point across and help

them inform the reader on the seriousness of their topic. These sources help feed data that is

necessary in making this problem serious and one that people should become more educated on.

I will also explain how the author worked these into their conversation they’re having with their

readers, the author didn’t just talk at their audience and throw facts at them, making the journal

overall more affective.

First, I have chosen to analyze the source, Renfrew Center Foundation. This source, only used

once, however has one of the most impactful pieces of evidence, leading me to understand why

the author decided to use them in their paper. This source is quoted very early on in the article,

“The Renfrew Center Foundation (2014) reported that approximately 70% of Generation Y

women aged 18 to 34 years old in the United States edit their photos before posting them to

SNSs [Social Networking Sites].” The authors main point of this article is the number of
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respective women who on a daily basis, heavily edit and restructure their images. This research

could be just a piece of factual information that was received after a survey or study, but the

underlying message is clearly trying to prove just how many people do this and how this

idealistic mentality has consumed our society. This source is clearly trying to bring awareness on

the same topic that the author is discussing. Making it a really good piece of supporting evidence

in the authors favor. The author works this piece of evidence smoothly into the conversation it is

having with is reader. The author is discussing the different types of apps for photo editing as

well as the work that women go through to make their pictures reach the appealing factor that

they desire. The author brings up their source almost if they were saying to the reader, “did you

know that all these women use apps to edit their pictures entirely?” Not only does the author

have a conversation with their audience, but the research as well, it’s like you are telling a story

and you friend is there to back it up and filter in evidence they have witnessed. It is apparent that

the author only uses this source once throughout the entire journal, but I think that it was

effective and only really necessary to use it once.

Next, I have chosen another source that I believe really defines the meaning and the point

being strung across throughout the paper. This source focuses more on the body dysmorphia and

dissatisfaction connected with the article, Meier and Grey provided the article with a very

definitive article of the ideal body society convinces us is acceptable and the negative effects that

they have on women of all ages. “In particular, young women’s internalization and perceived

pressure to have the ideal thin body can negatively influence their body satisfaction in an SNS

environment.” This quote supports and agrees with the topics the author of the article is

discussing. The author again weaves this piece of research easily into their journal and talks with
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the audience on how the perception of social media can really ruin what we believe to be

beautiful. The way the author works the evidence they found into their article is as if they are

talking with the research and agreeing with the effects the problem is that both authors are trying

to make known. I also think the amount that the author introduced this research into their article

was proper and enough to support what they are trying to make people aware of.

Lastly, I have found a source that has incorporated things that both the previous sources

have incorporated. The source I have chosen, perfectly backs up the statement the author is

trying to get across from the whole entire article. In my opinion I believe this source perfectly

backs up the article and would make any single reader want to be more knowledgeable on the

subject and push for a change. This is the overall point of an informative article, and this source

really helps accomplish it. The author works it in their journal in a very perfect and easy to

understand way that again doesn’t make the reader feel as though they’re being talked at, instead

they feel like they are a part of the article and have a conversation with the author. “The practice

of manipulation and editing of photos of models and celebrities for social media or advertising

purposes has received considerable criticism due to its negative effects on the body images held

by viewers.” This source provided by Grabe, Ward, and Hyde, helps to bring the two topics of

social media photo editing with the effects on how young women feel about their bodies. This

source could have been used again, because it was so beneficial for the main points of the article

overall.

This article has a definitive and apparent genre. This genre works well within its

discourse community. The author uses strategy and certain words that have been used before to
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their benefit, including intertextuality throughout their article. This allows us to easily identify

that this is an informative paper and we will be experiencing a large amount of data and

evidence. The date this article did provide was very beneficial for their case and the way they

displayed it for their readers, made it easy to read and something that you could be concerned

and want to be aware of. This article has given us a clear genre and a definitive use of

intertextuality.
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Works Cited

Renfrew Center Foundation. (2014). Afraid to be your selfie? Survey reveals most people
photoshop their images. Retrieved from http://renfrewcenter.com/news/afraid-be-your-selfie-
survey-reveals-mostpeople-photoshop-their-images

Meier, E. P., & Gray, J. (2014). Facebook photo activity associated with body image disturbance
in adolescent girls. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 17, 199 –206.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cyber .2013.0305

Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008). The role of the media in body image concerns
among women: A meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies. Psychological
Bulletin, 134, 460 – 476. http://dx .doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.460

Lee, Minsun, and Hyun-Hwa Lee. “Can Virtual Makeovers Using Photo Editing Applications
Moderate Negative Media Influences on SNS Users’ Body Satisfaction?” Canadian Journal of
Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement, vol. 51, no. 4, Oct.
2019, pp. 231–238. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/cbs0000133.

Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/informative-essay-definition-examples-

Porter, James E. “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 5, no. 1,
1986, pp. 34–47. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/466015. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.