I really enjoyed reading this article, and it is definitely one that I can relate to. I am an avid Facebook user. I check my profile numerous times a day and constantly add pictures and change my status. I agree with this article, that Facebook is a tool to express your identity. What separated facebook from other social networking sites is the fact that you are representing your really self and not a fake representation of who you are. By posting pictures and sharing your daily activities, people get a real glimpse in the day in the life of you. According to the article, "On Facebook, identity is a choice, an object we choose to project...". I really liked this quote because one of the things that is important to remember about facebook is that fact that we are very selective with the information we choose to put on our profile,( even when we don't realize it) but with every choice we make we are choosing to show a certain side of ourselves to the facebook world. I really enjoyed the information about Mead and how his findings on communication identity were applied to our individual use of facebook. Last semester I had to write a paper about the reasons people use Facebook.. This article brings up alot of similar information that I included in that paper. One thing that i really took away from the assignment was the idea that some people are not as confident to express themselves in public so they feel that facebook is a safer outlet because they can take their time when responding to a message or really have an opportunity to show a side of them that most people wouldn't get to see. I think that facebook is a confidence builder to people and by selecting which picture to use on your profile or expressing an opinion on your status, they get the time to really think through their actions rather than feel the pressure from face to face communication.
It is good to see that there is an avid Facebook user like myself in the bunch. I agree with the fact that most of us attempt to be very selective about the information that we place on Facebook. It seems that some people don't even seem to have a filter when they place items on their page. For example, some people place all of their dirty laundry such as their divorce or information about their creepy boss on the website.It would be great if they would only understand that it this information reflects upon them. Yes, I agree with you that we MUST be selective(even though we may not be aware) of the information that we place on our Facebook site. Remember, the world can see what we are doing in the networking age.
ReplyDeleteHi, GIantsGurl1. I thought it was interesting when you wrote in your post that what separates Facebook from other social networking sites is that people are representing their real self and not a fake representation. And yet you write that people are selective in what they post on Facebook. People do get an idea of the life of an individual through the sharing of photos and daily activities. Yet if people are selective as to what they post, is it the real self they are putting forward, or the one they want people to see? I guess this gets into the philosophical question of “what is the real you?” Is it the self an individual believes him or herself to be? Or is it the self that others believe they see? People view themselves and each other through their own individual and unique perspectives that they’ve developed over the years. So what is the really the real “you” and is the real “you” seen on most people’s Facebook pages?
ReplyDeleteI do agree that yes, a lot of Facebook users are very selective about what they post online. For example only the pictures that you look good in showing off all you assists and those are the only pictures seen ( like pictures of you going out looking all fresh). With that said, do Facebook users that only upload those kind of pictures ALWAYS look like that even during the day and when there going to sleep? What I am trying to say, is that if that is the only things you upload, is that the real representation of who you really are then? I think that with Facebook yes, there are some users who most definitely share who they really are, but then you get a few that show others who they think they are supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteHi GiantsGurl1!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and find information about the application of Mead’s communication identity to people’s use of Facebook enjoyable. I also like how you mentioned that Facebook can be used as a tool to boost self-esteem for a lot of people. I also think that Facebook can be kind of a self-esteem killer, like if someone doesn’t have a certain amount of friends or if they post a status update that’s a question and no one comments on it they think they don’t have any friends in real life. I’m glad to see everyone else has similar positive and negative view of Facebook.
ps GO GIANTS!
I completely agree with how you said you “think that Facebook is a confidence builder to people and by selecting which picture to use on your profile or expressing an opinion on your status, they get the time to really think through their actions rather than feel the pressure from face to face communication.” Facebook is definitely an outlet for people to allow better self expression, but at the same time I think it can also hinder their ability to properly communicate when in person. However, when face to face communication is not necessary, Facebook is definitely a way for people to express themselves in a way that cannot be done in person (whether it be filtered or not).
ReplyDeletei also agree that facebook is a way to express your identity. it is a confidence builder...where you learn who a person is based on what they post on updates and pics. you can be your true self and show everyone who you are if they don't really know you
ReplyDelete