Of Social Networking and Identity
Oh hello, livejournal.
Back in highschool-- about half a decade ago-- having a blog was quite about the best thing one could have online. This, aside from Friendster was the way to determine that you were from a certain generation and to denote that you had another life outside of "real life". This was also the best way to update friends and other online contacts of the things that you were interested in and busying yourself with during your real life time. It also functioned as that password in social events, where you could begin with this and THEN begin talking about everything else with your new-found friend.
These days, you can select the networking site that appeals to your interest. From photography, to illustrations, to random thoughts... there seems to be no limit to affiliating yourself with specific sites for you to express your being with-- here's Pinterest to share my visual tastes, here's Facebook to update you with my life, here's Twitter to let you know how I feel about lining up in this new cafe and their food...and here are ten other online sites to show you what else I do with my time and to express my personality with. Do you understand me now? Am I cool yet?
It's brilliant-- having these many websites to cater to sharing these interests and needs... but at some point, I realize that when one gets so swamped with "real life", there's hardly any time to find time to write about this on your digital wall, or your special online nook. There simply is no time anymore; and real friends provide even better support than online contacts who may or may not be from the same neighborhood.
On the other side of things, one can get so satiated with all this information. Imagine, if one person had three accounts, how much information would be available to you, at the push of a button, for you to know this person's interests. At the same time, just how much of that information is actually true, and not posted with the consciousness that one must look attractive online?
One the one hand, there's the myriad of possibilities to express yourself and to show who you are. On the other hand, there's the other, who's either interested or not. Either way, whatever makes you happy, there comes a point where all this floating space becomes so irrelevant when you're stuck in the many trenches of real life.
Back in highschool-- about half a decade ago-- having a blog was quite about the best thing one could have online. This, aside from Friendster was the way to determine that you were from a certain generation and to denote that you had another life outside of "real life". This was also the best way to update friends and other online contacts of the things that you were interested in and busying yourself with during your real life time. It also functioned as that password in social events, where you could begin with this and THEN begin talking about everything else with your new-found friend.
These days, you can select the networking site that appeals to your interest. From photography, to illustrations, to random thoughts... there seems to be no limit to affiliating yourself with specific sites for you to express your being with-- here's Pinterest to share my visual tastes, here's Facebook to update you with my life, here's Twitter to let you know how I feel about lining up in this new cafe and their food...and here are ten other online sites to show you what else I do with my time and to express my personality with. Do you understand me now? Am I cool yet?
It's brilliant-- having these many websites to cater to sharing these interests and needs... but at some point, I realize that when one gets so swamped with "real life", there's hardly any time to find time to write about this on your digital wall, or your special online nook. There simply is no time anymore; and real friends provide even better support than online contacts who may or may not be from the same neighborhood.
On the other side of things, one can get so satiated with all this information. Imagine, if one person had three accounts, how much information would be available to you, at the push of a button, for you to know this person's interests. At the same time, just how much of that information is actually true, and not posted with the consciousness that one must look attractive online?
One the one hand, there's the myriad of possibilities to express yourself and to show who you are. On the other hand, there's the other, who's either interested or not. Either way, whatever makes you happy, there comes a point where all this floating space becomes so irrelevant when you're stuck in the many trenches of real life.