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Brendan Winkler Ourselves and Koobecaf
Brendan Winkler TA- Frankie September 20, 2008 Ourselves and Koobecaf
What has contributed to the success of Facebook? Many may say that it was thanks to the internet. Some might contribute it to the easy accessibility of joining such a complex network program; or how appealing it might be to the computer-savvy generations. Even though all might be great reasons for how Facebook got to where it’s at, but what triggered the spark of interest? If you look at what is present in American society, the answer becomes overwhelming clear on why Facebook has become such a successful tool used by society today. Our American culture has encompassed a new link into society. There’s such a wide spectrum of programs and components on Facebook that it’s difficult to exactly narrow down what makes Facebook part of American society. Describing Facebook can be narrowed into, why we do it? And what about it makes it fit so well in American culture?
What’s different about American culture? It’s the ever changing shape and values upon which it supports itself. The use of Facebook in American culture is just another segment in the ever changing culture of America. One can take many aspects of American culture and fit it perfectly into Facebook. Today, many of us grew up knowing how to use computers. This makes Facebook easy for us to use. But I believe what really makes Facebook such a success in assimilating into American culture is the idea of popular acceptance. Americans like to think of themselves accordingly from a third person perspective. We always try to find ways in which we can fit in, not necessarily into a particular group but into some kind of group. Where we can be “viewed” as accepted, not by us, by others. The American culture is a never ending stage of performance. We change roles throughout life hoping to gain a “reward” for our actions. For example, if a guy joins a Christian group because he likes a girl who is also in it. He will join it to try to make himself look appealing to the girl, even though he isn’t Christian at all. Depending upon what we want depends on who we associate with, what we view as right, and what actions we do to change the minds of our fellow Americans towards our favor. The ways in which we can accomplish this can be done on all the different aspects Facebook offers, such as information block, groups you make or join, applications you add, pictures you can post, and most importantly, the friends you add. Because you now open the stage to an audience in which you try to impress or maintain in your favor. Since Facebook isn’t person to person, you can lie easier about things giving yourself a whole new identity, and overtime you will become what people want to view you as. Forming two sides which are in constant battle not with other people but within ourselves. The idea of popular acceptance tricks us into thinking that what we’re doing on Facebook is really how we view ourselves. We can’t judge ourselves because we don’t see who we really are. Our judgment is based off what we think other people think of us; we really don’t know what people think of us so we try to fill in the gaps the best we can. Facebook is leading to a complete reorganization of how we view ourselves and others in America.
One of the things that you can do on Facebook which illustrates this idea of popular acceptance is the general profile information. This section is where personal information can be displayed. People can see what your relationship status is, or what you are looking for. The posting of the address, phone number, birthday, and college also appear in this section. The greatest portion I believe that we have influence over is our personal information. We give out certain things such as favorite hobbies, movies, music, quotes, and information about ourselves. We try to truthfully fill out the certain categories but we automatically edit what we want people to see. We want to make sure the information we put into those slots are viewed as “publicly acceptable” according to society. And in doing so we are totally changing who we really are. That information in turn will affect what groups we join and what applications we add. Leading to a false imagine of ourselves in which we try to imitate according to what we put down on Facebook. The personal information leads to the lies in which we must follow according to what we put down.
Facebook is like a jigsaw piece, fitting perfectly into American culture, which is always adding new pieces to the puzzle forming the picture of society. Thanks to modern technology we are now able to alter that which was so difficult to do in the past, our image of ourselves in the public eye. Facebook isn’t just a way to stay connected; it’s a whole new spectrum to society. A society not shaped by our own ideas but by ideas of others.
What has contributed to the success of Facebook? Many may say that it was thanks to the internet. Some might contribute it to the easy accessibility of joining such a complex network program; or how appealing it might be to the computer-savvy generations. Even though all might be great reasons for how Facebook got to where it’s at, but what triggered the spark of interest? If you look at what is present in American society, the answer becomes overwhelming clear on why Facebook has become such a successful tool used by society today. Our American culture has encompassed a new link into society. There’s such a wide spectrum of programs and components on Facebook that it’s difficult to exactly narrow down what makes Facebook part of American society. Describing Facebook can be narrowed into, why we do it? And what about it makes it fit so well in American culture?
What’s different about American culture? It’s the ever changing shape and values upon which it supports itself. The use of Facebook in American culture is just another segment in the ever changing culture of America. One can take many aspects of American culture and fit it perfectly into Facebook. Today, many of us grew up knowing how to use computers. This makes Facebook easy for us to use. But I believe what really makes Facebook such a success in assimilating into American culture is the idea of popular acceptance. Americans like to think of themselves accordingly from a third person perspective. We always try to find ways in which we can fit in, not necessarily into a particular group but into some kind of group. Where we can be “viewed” as accepted, not by us, by others. The American culture is a never ending stage of performance. We change roles throughout life hoping to gain a “reward” for our actions. For example, if a guy joins a Christian group because he likes a girl who is also in it. He will join it to try to make himself look appealing to the girl, even though he isn’t Christian at all. Depending upon what we want depends on who we associate with, what we view as right, and what actions we do to change the minds of our fellow Americans towards our favor. The ways in which we can accomplish this can be done on all the different aspects Facebook offers, such as information block, groups you make or join, applications you add, pictures you can post, and most importantly, the friends you add. Because you now open the stage to an audience in which you try to impress or maintain in your favor. Since Facebook isn’t person to person, you can lie easier about things giving yourself a whole new identity, and overtime you will become what people want to view you as. Forming two sides which are in constant battle not with other people but within ourselves. The idea of popular acceptance tricks us into thinking that what we’re doing on Facebook is really how we view ourselves. We can’t judge ourselves because we don’t see who we really are. Our judgment is based off what we think other people think of us; we really don’t know what people think of us so we try to fill in the gaps the best we can. Facebook is leading to a complete reorganization of how we view ourselves and others in America.
One of the things that you can do on Facebook which illustrates this idea of popular acceptance is the general profile information. This section is where personal information can be displayed. People can see what your relationship status is, or what you are looking for. The posting of the address, phone number, birthday, and college also appear in this section. The greatest portion I believe that we have influence over is our personal information. We give out certain things such as favorite hobbies, movies, music, quotes, and information about ourselves. We try to truthfully fill out the certain categories but we automatically edit what we want people to see. We want to make sure the information we put into those slots are viewed as “publicly acceptable” according to society. And in doing so we are totally changing who we really are. That information in turn will affect what groups we join and what applications we add. Leading to a false imagine of ourselves in which we try to imitate according to what we put down on Facebook. The personal information leads to the lies in which we must follow according to what we put down.
Facebook is like a jigsaw piece, fitting perfectly into American culture, which is always adding new pieces to the puzzle forming the picture of society. Thanks to modern technology we are now able to alter that which was so difficult to do in the past, our image of ourselves in the public eye. Facebook isn’t just a way to stay connected; it’s a whole new spectrum to society. A society not shaped by our own ideas but by ideas of others.
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, Oct 20 2008, 8:34 PM EDT
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