Welcome to My Digital Space

Hi everyone, my name is Tyana Smith, and I’m currently studying Communication and Digital Studies. A lot of my interests revolve around digital media, storytelling, photography, editing, and learning how people express themselves online through different platforms.

Something interesting about me is that I actually don’t really use personal social media anymore because of my mental health. Over time, I realized constantly being online started affecting my stress levels, attention span, and overall well-being. I’m still trying to figure out the balance between the positives and negatives of social media, especially while studying digital communication. It’s interesting learning about online spaces academically while also personally stepping back from them at the same time.

For my photo-sharing platform, I decided to use pictures of my dogs from my Flickr account because they honestly make up most of my camera roll. They’re a huge comfort to me during stressful semesters and long nights of homework, so it felt more personal and authentic to share them instead of overly curated photos.

For my video, I chose a documentary I produced for a previous documentary class called Loc’d In. The documentary focuses on Black women’s relationships with their hair and the confidence, identity, and emotions connected to getting it done. I filmed it at the hair shop where I personally get my locs maintained, which made the project feel even more personal and meaningful to create. I wanted the documentary to show how hair can be tied to culture, self-expression, and self-esteem within the Black community.

For the SoundCloud audio clip, I picked one of the songs from my summer school homework playlist. Music is honestly one of the main ways I stay focused while doing assignments, especially during late-night work sessions or when I need motivation to get through long projects. Mashups are some of my favorite things to listen to because they keep my brain engaged while I work.