In the article, "Be Who You Want To Be: The Philosophy of Facebook & the Construction of Identity", the concepts of personal identity and social identity are described. The article define what social identity has become because of social networking sites like Facebook. Facebook allows people to have “online and offline identities”. Facebook allows people to communicate how they feel or who they are through their photos, statuses, and “likes.”
I found it interesting that the article described the “stereotypes” Facebook has created. Facebook allows you to provide information about your age, sex, race, etc. But the photos and likes you have can easily describe who you are as a person. If you’re single lady, your profile pictures are more likely to be of you having fun. A married man may have a photo with his wife and kids. These were two examples given in the article.
I think the article points out how knowing who is using Facebook and why makes Facebook a beneficial source of information. Facebook is used to promote who you are and what you believe in and to interact with those who may share those views.
I found it interesting that the article described the “stereotypes” Facebook has created. Facebook allows you to provide information about your age, sex, race, etc. But the photos and likes you have can easily describe who you are as a person. If you’re single lady, your profile pictures are more likely to be of you having fun. A married man may have a photo with his wife and kids. These were two examples given in the article.
I think the article points out how knowing who is using Facebook and why makes Facebook a beneficial source of information. Facebook is used to promote who you are and what you believe in and to interact with those who may share those views.
Yes, it is an interesting fact that we place items on our Facebook profile in order to have ourselves perceived by others in a certain way and that our personal and social identities are developed on these websites outside of regular face to face interactions.
ReplyDeleteOne thought that has crossed my mind is the fact that there are certain people that want to be perceived as someone other than whom they are. These people create profiles that do not represent themselves in the least bit. I've read about those that go against the social networking "rules" on Facebook while reading the paper.
One still needs to be careful.....