According
to Marshall (2010) ‘we are moving into … the “specular economy” where collectively we are becoming
more conscious of how we present ourselves and how others perceive us and this
change is migrating to the epicenter of our knowledge economy’ (p. 499). I know
speaking for myself I spend an enormous portion of the day on social media
networks, mostly just keeping up to date on my peers, but also the movements of
celebrities.
I believe Social
Networking has allowed myself to develop and mould an identity based on
values, beliefs and characteristics. Creating a facebook profile, for
example, lets individuals display information such as religious views,
interests, experiences, sexual orientation, education and work. This is
important for the positive development of self-concept as the view of an
individual from their peers can leave a great impression on how they view
themselves (Adler & Rodman, 2009).
Networking sites such as
Facebook create a virtual landscape for users to create their own concepts and
ideas about their personal social experiences, and communication of such ideas is
instantaneous and available. The way we communicate is affected by our
self-esteem, which is shaped by the way we view ourselves (Adler & Rodman,
2009). This
type of comprehensive identity development is particularly important amongst
young people, as Facebook creates a space where youths can share information
about themselves to an extent that they feel comfortable.
The juxtaposition of freedom of choice and privacy
control is clearly defined through the use of social networking, especially
among potentially naive users. After
completing a study on how young people interact on Facebook, Taraszow et al.
concluded, “males are more likely than females
to disclose mobile phone number, home address and instant messaging (IM) screen
names” (p. 82).
Now I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of the odd facebook stalk
here and there, but what really intrigues me about social media and celebrity
profiles is we get given an incredibly intimate picture of their lives, but the
security of distance means we don’t get accused of being ‘stalkers’. I know for
myself I follow a handful of celebrities on Twitter and Instagram, who would
have thought watching a complete strangers daily activities could be so
incredibly interesting… maybe I’m just intrigued by their ridiculous
lifestyles.
REFERENCE:
Adler,
R.B. and Rodman, G., Understanding Human
Communication, 10th edn, Oxford University Press, New York,
2009, ch. 2, pp. 31 – 65
Marshall, PP 2010, 'The
Specular Economy', Society, 47, 6, pp. 498-502, SPORTDiscus with Full Text,
EBSCOhost
Taraszow,
T, Aristodemou, E, Shitta, G, Laouris, Y, & Arsoy, A 2010, 'Disclosure of
personal and contact information by young people in social networking sites: An
analysis using Facebook™ profiles as an example', International Journal of
Media & Cultural Politics, 6, 1, pp. 81-101, Communication & Mass Media
Complete
Hi there, thanks for the read. The thing I found most interesting about your blog post was the way in which you described the use of social media and networking as a way to distinguish ones self in society. It just goes to show how much we have evolved in the last 20 years. During my years of adolescence, the only way to meet and interact with others was through face to face contact or writing letters. Sometimes I find that the world we have created through social media, has intrusive tendancies, and I am forever grateful that I didn't grow up in an era where having an online identity was the norm. Whilst I do believe that in some areas social media has had a positive influence on our way of society, I can't help but question the comparative world it has created, and whether creating a visual identity is pulling us away from our genuine selves.
ReplyDeleteGreat presentation loved the pic. The idea of shaping identity in relation to self-confidence is boosted by your personal experience of moulding your own identity through social media. Your closing paragraph while interesting isn't immediately clear to me in how it connects to the above discussion. Celebrity I think as being key to the concept of Specular Economy by Marshall and probably deserved more attention throughout the post not just the final paragraph but a good demonstration of understanding the concept none the less as you note the pluses and minuses of developing among peers online.
ReplyDeleteHi. Interesting blog post I must say. In my point of view, I found that you structure of writing is very well planned and it is always interesting when writer include life experience into their written work, good job. I agree that these recent years we have been embraced by social media and networking and also it has become a widespread phenomenon to the user. It can help in various aspects of from country development to development of entertainment world. But there are also positives and negatives side of it. It is up to individual how they want to use the technology. I also admit that I am also addicted to stalk celebrities in Instagram because google will never going to be enough.
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