Relationships Online
The parameters of relationships has changed since social media became a form of communication and sharing. Prior to the Internet we could only have relationships with people whom we had met. Now we can have relationships with total strangers, friends of friends and fellow gamers on the other side of the world.
On Twitter we can feel connected to celebrities if we follow their Twitter feed or like their Page on Facebook. If a celebrity we are following retweets us personally, or sends us a direct message – we get excited because that tightens the bond we have with them.
Johnson tells a story about TV queen Oprah tweeting about her dog having a tick. She asked her followers the best way of removing the tick. Of course her feed was overwhelmed with replies as Oprah has more than a million followers. However as Johnson states “that isolated query probably elicited thousands of responses. Who knows what small fraction of her @ replies she has time to read? But from the fan's perspective, it feels refreshingly intimate” (Johnson, 2009).
Social media
Social media is a strong avenue for people to share information, images and personal details with their friends. And there are hundreds of social networking sites out there which people can join for the purpose of communication and networking. There are many advantages to sharing on social media – you can keep in touch with friends overseas, family who live interstate, or you can even be friends with your next door neighbour who you see every day.
Shirky states “Publishing an essay and having 3 random people read it is a recipe for disappointment, but publishing an account of your Saturday night and having your 3 closest friends read it feels like a conversation, especially if they follow up with their own accounts” (Shirky, 2003).
Why do so many people share their most intimte thoughts over the Internet in public spaces? Do they think nobody is reading? Or are they totally aware people are reading? Do they do it for attention?
I've had a Twitter account for over a year and have only retweeted from other people. During this subject we had to create our own tweets using links and hashtags. It was difficult to find suitable articles to link to and create an eye-catching headline which would grab people's attention, but I did it. Since those tweets I've accumulated several followers, retweets and comments about my tweets. So this tells me Twitter is best used for original content...well, creating one's own tweets rather than retweeting others.
Some may make aliases for publishing online, in fact it is probably best to do so. I think it's important to keep your private live and your professional life separate. However some social media sites require your real identity. Whereas it is acceptable to have more than one Twitter account, Facebook frowns upon this. Sengupta states “Facebook has sought to distinguish itself as a place for real identity on the Web. As the company tells it's users: 'Facebook is a community where people use their real identities...the name you use should be your real name as it would be listed on your credit card, student ID, etc'” (Sengupta, 2012).
However how do we know people are abiding by Facebook's rules? It is still possible to create fake accounts for Facebook, or one for private use and one for professional/academic use.
I'm constantly amazed at the content which people share online. In fact I am sometimes discusted when I see inappropriate images of people in comprosmising position, or those who are constantly checking in at pubs and clubs and upload images of themselves drinking cocktails every weekend. Is this expected to start a conversation? What conversation are they attempting to start with this form of communciation? Are they not concered with how this portrays them? Do they not have a care in the world? And these people are using their real identities and are friends with their employer on Facebook!
Even though social media is available for all to use, do you have to share your inner most thoughts and desires. Have some dignity, people. Don't wear your hearts on your sleeves or it will come back and bite you.
What not to put on social media:
- don't update your relationship status until you've been in that relationship for more than a few months
- don't post inappropriate photos of yourself in compromising situations, ie bars with strangers, motel rooms, taking drugs, with a huge bottle of Jim Beam in your hand, choking a cat
- political ramblings
- your religious beliefs
- rude and offensive language
- shocking and horrifying videos of people being tortured or injured
- your employment situation
- DON'T BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR BOSS!
References
Johnson, S. (2009, June 5). How Twitter Will Change The Way We Live. Time Magazine Online. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902818-3,00.html
Sengupta, S. (2012, November 12). Facebook's False Faces Undermine Its Credibility. New York Times Online: Technology. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/technology/false-posts-on-facebook-undermine-its-credibility.html
Shirky, C. (2003, February 8). Clay Shirky's Writings About The Internet: Economics & Culture, Media & Community, Open Source. Retrieved from http://www.shirky.com/writings/powerlaw_weblog.html
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