Digital Nation

Whither the Individual?

As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, are we extending and expanding  identities, or increasingly conforming to the cookie-cutter profiles demanded of these interfaces? Is the loss of "personal space" and "reflection" so many users complain of merely the necessary surrender of "ego" as we learn to participate as members of a more evolved "collective organism" of "hyper-people?"

(you may want to re-watch "bubbie" and "warcraft" sections of digital nation)

Just as it is safe to say that social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, ect. Have expanded our ability to connect with people around the world, I would say that it has also expanded our identities.  A person’s Facebook page acts as an extension of one’s self that knows no borders or limitations.  Whereas in the everyday world, we are restricted by responsibilities such as work, school or sleep, while a Facebook account acts as a limitless medium that never sleeps.  Despite “cookie-cutter” profiles that these websites design for us, there are infinite possibilities for users to construct, personalize and extend themselves on their servers.  Very few limitations exist that keep us from generating friendships across the globe with individuals from any nation.  They say that if Facebook were a country that would have the third largest population in the world.  I see this as an intriguing fact because it has such a substantial following that you can connect with just about anyone, including people that you would never get the opportunity to know or meet in person.  I feel as though these social networking websites act as a means for us to communicate on a large scale and do not support the idea that such a convenient communication medium could somehow reduce our identities.  Also in terms of individual’s using social networking sites, I feel as though there are so many possibilities and endless potential to personalize your profiles that it encourages individuality.  This sense of individuality transcends the cookie-cutter profiles by allowing users to control pictures, videos, friends, information and other variables. 

            Despite the loss of a tangible “personal space,” I feel that in this era a sense of personal space exists online.  Even though a Facebook profile can be seen, visited or commented on by mostly anyone, it is still a place that exists that is devoted to an individual.  My belief of an online personal space is more of a literal interpretation of the term than the one we are used to in real life.  Real life personal space refers to the region surrounding a person which they regard as psychologically theirs.  In contrast, my idea of “personal space” online describes a page or profile that is dedicated to personal information.  In other words, it is a space dedicated to your person that does not just exist psychologically but physically exists. 

            I also disagree with the idea of an “ego” loss due to social networking.  Despite millions of people being thrown into a mix and existing under one server, I feel as though egos will never cease to exist.  A person’s ego is their recognition of being an individual and a sense of self-worth or importance.  Although we are all members of a social network, it is important to embrace and express yourself as an individual.  There are individuals who are among the millions that have used social media to become famous.  They say that you can’t soar with the eagles until you’ve walked around with chickens.  I feel that this adage holds true in terms of social media because any average person who is outstanding can use this as a way of broadcasting their ability to millions of other average people.  Justin Bieber and Tila Tequila are example of internet phenomenons that have used social media to springboard their way to fame and fortune.

            There are several mediums other than networking sites that link people from all over the world such as YouTube and video games.  Digital Nation uses Bubbie as an example of a person who has become a popular figure thanks to YouTube.  Bubbie’s cooking show represents the idea that any common individual with a talent can use social media to get exposure and in this case, thousands of people tune into “Cooking with Bubbie” and have made an 83-year-old woman an internet sensation.  It also goes to show that you do not necessarily need to be technologically savvy either, as Bubbie has reached stardom despite not even having internet access in her home.  Another aspect of the social world that brings people together is gaming.  Digital Nation also explored the impact of games such as World of Warcraft have on our generation.  World of Warcraft addicts devote absurd number of hours to this fantasy world and develop close friendships along the way.  One of my roommates is a very successful World of Warcraft player and it does not come without significant time commitment.  I asked him about his gaming experience and he told me that he has become friendly with several of his fellow gamers that live on the East Coast and he spends almost as much time hanging out with his gaming friends online as he does with his school friends.  I think that my roommates account along with the footage from Digital Nation support the idea that social media contributed toward forming a collective organism.  These mediums allow people with similar interests to congregate and put them in social situations where they can develop friendships and relationships.  

            Overall, I have a positive stance on the impact of social networks.  I feel as though they provide for unity more so than withering the individual.  Social networks and mediums are a way to connect with people globally and form relationships with people that otherwise were impossible to get to know.  Although a lot of social networking is dependent on individuals, I feel as though every individual that has a Facebook, watches YouTube videos, plays World of Warcraft, ect is contributing to a bigger picture.

Social Media and Web 2.0

1. In my opinion, the amateur styles that we have seen in recent movies is not a replication of web videos but rather a reflection on the transition away from the norms that we are used to seeing in today’s entertainment.  As technology has become more advanced it has lent itself to the creativity of writers and directors of these videos.  We are seeing companies try to differentiate themselves from their competition by creating memorable ads that the public will remember.  We are living in an age where generic no longer sells and it takes creativity to push products.  As far as television is concerned, we are seeing an evolution towards different methods of production such as 3D or with a “homegrown” feel. 

2. I feel that Facebook is more successful than MySpace because of all the personalization features and its simplicity.  MySpace did not offer much control to its users past choosing your own pictures, displays and friends.  On the contrary, Facebook the power lies with the people to build a profile from the ground up with features ranging from status updates to advanced privacy settings.  Privacy is also another aspect in which Facebook is superior to MySpace, as users have control over who can and cannot view their profile and have the opportunity to limit what information can be seen by the public.  Another reason that Facebook is hit and is here to stay is that it is constantly changing and releasing new games and features whereas MySpace remained static.  For these reasons, I believe that Facebook is a far better quality product and has longevity even in uncertain technological times.
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3. Transparency is an important concept in the Social Medial realm because it allows information to be accessed and seen with ease rather than privacy taking top priority.  Some argue that transparency benefits us because we are introduced to new opportunities such as consumer products and offers.  Personally, I embrace transparency because I support the idea of being open and honest and I think these values should be extended to the social media and business world.  Offline in the real world, transparency is even more important because it is essential to be genuine in order to gain people’s respect.  Transparency allows us the opportunities to see what is below the surface before making a decision to support someone or something.

McLuhan Final Post

My photoshop project is based on the social medium, Twitter.  I wanted to represent the unlimited possibilities by combining a wide-open sky and Twitter Birds flying free, without limitations.  The Twitter Birds are flying towards the larger bird that is holding a sign that says "Follow Me."  The idea of following is one of the fundamental differences between Twitter and other social mediums.  Twitter gives you the ability to follow anyone that you desire, from friends to celebrities.  My image is a metaphor for this concept as the smaller birds are following the main bird.  These birds symbolize the ideology of Twitter as users follow people to receive status and life updates.  The silhouettes at the bottom show people joined hand-in-hand in unison across the world.  Twitter gives its users the opportunity to connect with people from all corners of the world.  The overall themes of my project portray the freedom and possibilities that Twitter offers along with the ability to connect all over the globe, representing unity.

My image communicates McLuhan's ideal that the "Medium is the Message" because it represents all the ways that Twitter is used to join people together.  McLuhan's idea was that a medium is only as important as people make it; the users hold the key to the prominence of any medium.  McLuhan also discussed the idea of content vs. message.  The content of Twitter is made of up text (language, html, ect) along with pictures that make up statuses.  Twitter's message takes these statuses and uses them to connect people across the globe.  They might just be brief life updates but they represent our ability to communicate globally.

Three New Mediums

Marshall McLuhan proposed the idea that "the Medium is the Message," inferring that technology is the basis for our communication.  New developments are made daily and their impact on our society is based on how we choose to use them.  Three mediums that have enhanced the way that we communicate and have been innovative to our society are: BBMs (Blackberry Messages), Skype and Twitter.

1. BBM (Blackberry Message): 

Blackberry Messages consist of conversation between two (or even more) Blackberry users.  BBMs are an evolution of the text message because they are sent at a faster rate.  A feature of BBMs is that you can see if your message has been delivered and received.  BBMs also allow you to speak to multiple people at once using the conference option.  This medium allows for quick, convenient access to fellow Blackberry users and replaced the need for phone calls or instant messaging and is more efficient than text messaging.

2. Skype:

Skype is a form of video chatting that allows users to chat via webcam.  This medium allows people to communicate with anyone, anywhere on the globe.  Skype is utilized by all demographics ranging from businesses to relatives.  Skype is used for visual conversation, thus making it more personal than all forms of communication outside of face to face contact.  This is a revolutionary medium that allows for global commerce and has taken the place of conference calls and made business a more personal experience.  The message takes the place of less personal mediums such as phone calls or text messaging.

3. Twitter:

Twitter is a recent form of social media that allows users to update their status to inform their followers of their recent activity.  It is a social network medium that consists of messages that are referred to as tweets.  Twitter is made up of posts with a 140 character maximum and its users range from average people to celebrities.  Twitter can be accessed through multiple forms of mediums such as computers or blackberries and contains life updates, pictures and html.  Twitter is a more specialized version of a facebook statuses update and replaces mediums such as facebook and connects people all over the world of various different social statuses.