I thought the idea that a "public display of connection" was crucial to a SNS was sort of profound, if obvious when given a little thought. One of my first experiences with social networking was Myspace, and "Friends" there had a very important role. When I would have put someone in my "Top 8" but they didn't see me as someone who belonged in theirs, I got my (real world) feelings hurt. These days, someone knowing someone I know could be enough to "friend them" on facebook, if they give a little explanation of their request. And that's another thing. In the "real world," people don't ask to be your friend. And if they do, they don't ask to be your friend for no reason. Often on Facebook, I allow people to be my friend who I have no intention of ever speaking to.
I enjoyed reading the Boyd and Ellison piece on SNSs, partly because I'd really never thought about the origins of some of these sites until I started this class. I knew everyone was friends with Tom when I was on Myspace and they made a movie about how facebook started, but I've always just thought of it as a "some genius invented a website and made a bunch of money...and I'm glad they did" sort of thing. I was surprised to find that one of the initial reasons for a few of the sites was to connect friends-of-friends, for dating purposes and to simply make friends. I think of SNSs these days (that is, 10 years or so later) as a place to share things with people you know or to try to have some influence.
Under the "SNSs hit the mainstream" subtitle, Boyd and Ellison talk about Myspace, and I found it especially interesting knowing that I was one of the youngsters that got a Myspace. I had no idea that musicians and their fans had been such a huge part of the beginnings of Myspace.
Another thing that really hit me with this piece is the differences in popularity of sites in other countries and in the U.S. I generally think of these sites as "connecting the world," but it seems that just as B&E said that certain subgroups (educated, upper middle class; teenagers; old people, etc) tend to use the sites to segregate themselves, whole nationalities do the same thing. B&E mention at the beginning and throughout the piece that certain SNSs gain popularity in certain countries, something I had never considered. I think it would be intriguing to study what makes certain countries take hold of certain SNSs that completely fail in other countries.
A confession: I haven't seen the movie about facebook. I know, I know, it was an excellent film, but I haven't gotten a chance to see it yet. That being said, I had no idea that it's only been since 2004 that Facebook was created. Since then, college students, then business networks, and now anyone at all can join, and everyone DOES join. It's crazy to think that just six years after it was created to be used only by Harvard students, facebook is a necessity for running a big campaign, finding out about events on campus, staying connected to friends from high school, and on and on.
When discussing the idea of "impression management and friendship performance," the idea that people will push their online profiles to be more like who they want to be rather than who they are seems reasonable, but it hasn't been my experience. Personally, I think I could say things on pages where I have "Friends" or "followers" who know me in real life and get a few "LOL"s if I posted something or had pictures that didn't reflect who I am (or who I seem to be) in person. Also, if I say something that sounds off, I might get a message or two from concerned friends saying they're worried I've been hacked. Given, the research that B&E points to seems to mainly be from 2007, and as we've seen just from a few days in this class, three years has made a lot of difference.
I guess the big question is how these sites are changing our "real" lives. These days, I'm always saying, "the other day my friend was talking about," when I'm referring to something they posted online. Perhaps these sites aren't separate from our "real" lives at all.
Haha,
ReplyDeleteI really like your title for this blog, it fits perfectly.
You're completely right about sns affecting our "real" lives. It seems like virtual reality may just be apart of "real" reality. My boyfriend always comments on how much he hates Facebook, and how he doesn't care about it. Yet, I always notice that he uses Facebook as a reference during any tiffs we might have. I know it's mostly because we live in different parts of the country and Facebook seems to give off a false impression of what is actually happening in my life. Unfortunately, sometimes Facebook can really make or break relationships, despite how much we pay attention to it.
It really is interesting that our virtual lives have become so integrated with our physical lives that our personal emotions have become wrapped up in both. It is interesting to me that you describe how your feelings were hurt in the virtual world on Facebook. It would be interesting to do a psychological study on the differences occurring in our brains when we get our feelings hurt in the physical world and when we get our feelings hurt in the virtual world. I would hypothesize that ten years ago, our brain's responses to the two situations would be distinctly unique. Now, however, I think that our brain would react more similarly to each situation.
ReplyDeleteWhat about when MySpace or one of those lay-out websites released the codes to have a top 16 or even a top 25. I feel like that may have been the turning point for our generation to move from a MySpace-type profile (with true friends that mean something to you) to a Facebook-type world (where there might be people you haven't spoken to in at least five years on your "friends" list).
ReplyDeleteI, too, found it interesting that a "networking" site is actually causing people to isolate themselves within their "networks" or "groups" or "likes". Seems kind of counter-intuitive.
Lastly, we must note that in today's world it is nearly imperative to have a Facebook, though it can be a double-edged sword. For instance, I receive messages to my Facebook account (rather than emails) about sorority updates, upcoming parties, and events for my dance team. Later in life, though, prospective bosses WILL look at your Facebook, and the slightest incriminating photograph or comment can seriously jeopardize chances of getting a certain position! So unfair!
"It's crazy to think that just six years after it was created to be used only by Harvard students, facebook is a necessity for running a big campaign, finding out about events on campus, staying connected to friends from high school, and on and on..."
ReplyDeleteSo true. And as you point out, EVERYBODY is joining up. Just about. I know adults who are for all intents and purposes computer illiterate. They know how to locate a program on the desktop, enter text into a document or field, and pop open a web browser, and that's about it. Using a computer is, for the most part, an uncomfortable experience for such individuals, and YET... they all have facebooks, at least the people I know. It's incredible.
We hear a lot about the importance of pushing computer literacy. But these developments would suggest that, beneath the umbrella of computer literacy, there may be a number of literacies that are basically separate from one another in terms of the knowledge and skills they require. Or maybe computer literacy is just super fragmented. Lots of people can understand and utilize the most basic functions of a SNS without *really* knowing how to effectively navigate the internet. Obviously, these skills complement one another, but it's interesting to think that the gulf between our understanding of certain technologies and our ability to use them may be widening -- and that from a practical standpoint, it might not matter.
I really have to commend you for being completely honest with your online persona rather than trying to create this image of a person that you want people to believe is you. I have seen way too many exapmles of people participating in impression management and it is really nice to know there are people out there that just want to be themselves.
ReplyDeleteI believe the online world hasn't been separate from the "real" world for awhile. When someone can stop being your friend in real life because of something you said or did online, that adds a certain element of reality to the situation that cannot be taken back.