Social Media Reality: Visual Metaphors by Ben Fearnley

The invention of social media can be looked at in two different ways:

One of the most innovative and important inventions of all time
A cesspool of racism and people sharing their opinions no one gives a shit about

There are five to six primary social platforms that serve a unique purpose for sharing our everyday lives.

Each one has a unique, topical purpose, but they ultimately serve as a means to promote our self-worth and make our lives seem better than they are – holy shit that got dark.

Nonetheless, plenty of value can be extracted from social media when it is used for things like business promotion, awareness, and connecting with both old and new friends.

Giving social media platforms a visual metaphor

You only need to browse a social platform for ten minutes to determine the underlying goal users wish to accomplish.

Opinions have been constructed about each platform, and CG artist Ben Fearnley decided to have some fun with these viewpoints.

A little bit about Ben:

“Ben Fearnley is an award-winning designer specializing in 3D illustration and typography. After spending some time working for a top design agencies in the UK, he is now based in NYC, working on a wide range of projects for global clients. With his strong eye for detail, Ben brings concepts to life for brands across the world.

After working in various fields of design, his passion for creative image-making via CGI flourished and he decided to focus his craft within this realm, as he delights in creating almost anything imaginable and more.Clients Include: Adidas, Apple, BBC, Diageo, Google Android, MasterCard, Nike. Red Bull, Sony, Time Inc.”

In other words, he is an extremely talented 3D artist.

Ben has hilariously – yet meticulously – captured the reality of several social media platforms in amazingly unique ways.

Below are some of the popular metaphors associated with a couple of the world’s most popular social media platforms illustrated in Ben’s digital art.