Justin Battin

What I found most interesting, more than anything else, was the way that our phones have become a sort of appendage, the same way that our limbs are, as an extension of our abilities. That has prompted me to work on a current project, which is about Instagram photography in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Meet our Experts

Dr Justin Battin

Exploring life through the lenses of social media 

My name is Justin Battin. I’m a Senior Lecturer in Professional Communication at RMIT Vietnam. My first day here at RMIT was actually my second day in the country, and before arriving, I had never been to Asia. That was about five and a half years ago.

My generation is typically quite critical of the significant use of social media today. But as I’ve engaged with academic research and insights provided by my students from here and elsewhere for several years, I’ve reckoned [with] both the pros and the cons of social media use. It has encouraged me to rethink both my previous perceptions and the more negative discourses in society.

The camera in our phone is how we engage with the world nowadays. It is how we capture moments. Yes, moments. They’re not simply photos, but moments. 

Moments help depict perspectives of the city. Through a photo, you can feel what it’s like to be in traffic, for example. What you hear, what you smell, what you see.  

By capturing these, people learn about the city and express that understanding through photography. I think before we immediately deride what we see on Instagram as tacky or full of narcissism, and that does exist, we should also think of them as exploratory processes. Those moments are snapshots of something of significance, something to which the user feels deeply connected.

The nature of mobile phone usage here in Vietnam is quite different from the other places wherein I resided. The way my students use social media is a little bit more nuanced and unfamiliar to me. Therefore, I’ve enjoyed learning from them. They teach me about what their generation is concerned, about what problems need solving, and how they go about solving them. 

Every day when I wake up and hop on my bicycle, my preferred mode of transport, I always feel like there's going to be something new. New conversations, new discussions, new knowledge, and new collaborations.

I am fascinated by the endless array of collaborations here at RMIT – not just between my colleagues and me, but also and more importantly, collaborations with the students. 

The discussions with my students often offer me new perspectives. It’s especially interesting because my focus of research is how we use technology in our everyday environment. And they are the key users of today.

There’s definitely a nice reciprocal relationship within and beyond the classroom, and what excites me the most is how our collaborations are always driving towards solving a problem or finding a new perspective.