The other day, as I was moping around at work, I noticed a magazine with a picture of Hugh Grant and began reading it. I really had no other choice as my employer chose to take away our internet at the front counter, forcing me to be disconnected with the rest of the globe. However, as I was reading this magazine called: The American Way , I came across an article called “ Zero Degrees of Seperation” by Jim Shahin. His article was very intriguing. He discussed the impact of new technology VS. Old technology and how Facebook has created new ways of interacting, sharing, and making information available to people.
Shahin’s article had me contemplating about the notion of Facebook and how it has advanced from such ancient ways. Before social networking, people used to communicate through morse code, telegrams, horse & carriage, by foot, boat and so forth. In all aspects, social networking, and now specifically; Facebook has made everything available from information, to pictures, to groups, and even friends. Shahin brings something up in his article that I had never really thought of before which is the action, of adding friends onto your account. We add friends that we do not know, that we do not talk to, or even like. Why, to acquire a greater number of friends for social purposes? Or is it because it is available and we like the idea of having available contacts? I myself, have added people that I did not know, maybe because it was interesting, and exciting to discover someone new? I have also added people that I do not even like, maybe it is just to keep track of them? Or are both examples situations in which technology has made them available, therefore, we do it because we can? In this case, how do you feel about allowing strangers, or acquaintances becoming a part of your personal life? What does this say about the availability of information and contacts? Personally I feel that too many things are available to too many people. I feel that this notion of having everything available is taking away the personal aspect of social networking and turning it into a popularity contest.
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5 comments:
That is what I am talking about... why do we add all these people on our facebook friends list.... I went through my friends list the other day to try and delete people off of my list and I maybe deleted 10 people that I don't talk to or that I guess you can say I don't care to follow thier facebook lives or I don't want them to follow mine. Within the last week I have added about 5 new people that I plan to talk to or keep in contact with facebook. Instead of getting people's emails or phone numbers we ask the person "Are you on Facebook?" "I will look you up and add you!" This is exactly what we did with our video project group CMNS 253. We got in touch with each other through facebook. What is our world coming too?
I think that in general we all seek popularity, and by adding as many people as we can to our Facebook page we some how feed that desire as that number gets higher. With Facebook you can become someones friend, more or less with out consent since we just add everyone who comes our way. It portrays a kind of power that we harness by either starting or ending a relationship with the click of a mouse and avoids the awkward situation that face to face communication holds. In my opinion Facebook has dramatically changed the aspect of the "1st date" with someone new. In essence adding this person to your Facebook reveals the same amount of info that you would obtain from a first date, especially relationship status. It really limits new conversation when you're dropping your date off at home in your horse and carriage.
Hey Jenna!
Facebook is pretty interesting huh? Raises several questions about social networking and web 2.0 but the thing I find most interesting is the amount of people who are putting their whole life inside that one web 2.0 program. Some in my opnion have completly lost the sense of privacy and make their lives completely open to the public. What do you think about that? Anyways good job, keep it up!
I think in the same way that our lives are both public and private is reflected in the manner which we choose what to share and who with on the internet.
Facebook is the most interesting thing because while it seems completely harmless to share your photos and link yourself with your friends for good reasons like to remember people's birthdays and know about events it is really just a masquerade for potential identity theft staged by corporate actors acting in our best interests - I mean after all, in the agreement you click when making a Facebook account allows them to use ANYTHING and EVERYTHING put on Facebook to their advantage.
That means that all your memories, all your secrets - all belong to someone else now.
They aren't just public property, they are corporate property and that's never a good thing.
Hehe, I like how you admit that you add people you don't like so you can keep track of them. I don't add people I don't know, but I don't deny them either. I leave them sittin gin my friend requests, because I feel bad denying them, it's weird. I think Facebook is a great way of keeping in touch with people that are more or less aquaintances rather than freinds. Say you meet someone really cool through a friend or at work, you can add them to Facebook, then eventually exchange numbers or something. And Facebook is only as revealing as you want it to be. You can set your profile to private, and not add any pictures at all, or add 80 photo albums and keep your profile public if you want to expose yourself. Facebook has definitely changed things and created a new level of creeping/stalking...kinda eery...so keep things private and don't accept strangers! (the new form of don't speak to strangers lol)
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