The street art "Nobody likes Me," commonly mistaken for Banksy's art work, who is also a well-known street artist, is painted by an artist who goes by the name "Iheart." The mural located in Stanley Park, Vancouver was painted in February, 2014 and depicts a young boy holding his cell phone and crying because he is dissatisfied with the fact that he is getting no attention on social media. Above him is the recognizable orange Instagram notification which is reminding the kid that he has no likes, no comments, and no followers. Iheart is a Canadian street artist that is known for incorporating a heart shaped symbol in all of his works. In this particular piece he associates the heart with the social media “like” symbol. Similar to Banksy’s famous style, Iheart portrays clear and intelligent messages about societal issues, specifically this unique piece speaks of the social media obsessed culture and the effect it is having on the growing youth. Ironically this image rapidly became popular when Banksy shared this image on social media. It went viral receiving a lot of attention and likes from people on social media websites. Through Iheart’s piece “Nobody Likes Me”, the audience interprets this image as a way to direct attention and awareness to how social media is rapidly affecting each progressive youth generation and the negative effects that it has on psychological health.

Through the choice of subject of this image, Iheart is trying to represent how technology has become such a large component of real life and art alike. It has progressively taken over the modern youth generations. By choosing a young boy as the subject highlights the issue that social media is affecting the younger generation at a progressive rate. Parents are giving children access to technology at young ages. Now, instead of playing a simple game of soccer, children are satisfied by staying inside to play Fifa; a virtual soccer game that involves the ability to put oneself in a soccer match, but controlling each action by a remote as you stare blankly at the television from a couch. The modern youth generation is growing up in a world that prioritizes Instagram likes and Twitter retweets over simplistic entertainment such as playing catch in the yard, going to the playground and even having the opportunity to read a tangible book. Each consecutive generation is becoming progressively more and more consumed in the social media world. This occurrence sparks issues that are much more complex than receiving no attention on Instagram.

The use of a crying boy captures the negative psychological response with the need of social media validation. The superior placement of the orange notification box demonstrates how the self-need of social validation and peer approval is placed above all other aspects of life. This then dictates the mental health of young people. The distressed response from rejection the child is receiving shows how the harmful effects that social media have on psychological health. With social media it is very easy for children to feel lonely and isolated which causes mental problems such as anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem. Iheart portrays how the excessive use of technology and social media is addictive to young people, and is rapidly targeting younger generations. 

Iheart uses many different aspects such as color, the use of positive and negative space and other art elements to help portray the meaning of the piece. Iheart intentionally made the boy's shirt the same color as his cell phone to represent how they are in unity; his life is his cell phone. The color green generally represents nature, so the fact that Iheart chose this color represents how social media has consumed society to a point that is has become one’s human nature. With the absence of a background color and the life size of the boy makes the image seem more alive and real. The use of the natural color of the wall as the background represents how this is a current, real issue in society. This makes it easier for the audience to feel more connected to the piece and aware of the reality of the issue. Lastly, the child seems to be walking towards the viewer which makes the audience feel as if they are one of the subjects in the artwork. 

I picked this image because I can relate to the issue of seeking social validation as well as the dissatisfaction that the boy is feeling. I believe he is trying to make his audience take a step back and realize the extent to which technology controls our lives and how it is consuming the younger generations at a growing rate. In Iheart’s other artwork he uses the same theme which is the issue of contemporary culture and specifically social media and its connection to the younger generation. Many of his pieces represent a different aspect of the social media obsessed culture and demonstrates how it affects everyone, even children. My generation is lucky enough to have experienced some of life without technology and social media. However, future generations may not have this experience. The reality of social media consumption is concerning to me and I believe more artists should direct awareness to this societal issue. 