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Koobecaf: Most Likely To Succeed
Adam Keating September 20, 2008 TA Katie Hines Wed @12:30 The youth of Nacirema have unusually high expectations placed on them by the society in which they live. They are consistently placed in competitive situations where parents demand a high performance in which they are expected to excel above their peers. At an early age, children are instilled with competitive values such as dominance, perfection and greed. Consequently, these children are never satisfied and are constantly looking for instant gratification to fulfill their desire for more. A popular tool used by the Nacireman youth as both a social device and trophy case for their numerous accomplishments is an internet sensation called Koobecaf. Through much observation, I have discovered that each member of Koobecaf creates what appears to be a resume called a “profile” that documents their activities, affiliations, and lifestyle. Members can communicate with one another by “becoming friends” on Koobecaf in which they form a network with one another. Interestingly, some of the “friends” have never interacted with one another outside of the cyber world. This network of friends is actually a competition between the members to prove their status in society. Therefore the more “friends” that accept a member denotes the higher status or power that a member can possess. Applications are used to associate members with common interests. There is a multitude to choose from such as sports teams, celebrity worships, marketing, and extracurricular activities. Once again, competition is the driving force to add multiple applications to their “profile”. Through this process, a member can add more “friends” once they have established a bond through the common interest of the application. Also, a member is viewed as a well-rounded person by the range of applications on the “profile”. In this respect, a member is “popular” and “accomplished” simply by adding applications to build upon their “resume”. All of the accomplishments that are stated on each member’s “profile” are validated through pictures. The pictures document the member living their lifestyle in a number of situations. Creativity is a key factor to prove the high status of an individual by posing in a variety of fashions. Free-spirited and goofy poses tend to be the most popular pictures along with the smiling and calm pose. The evidence that is seen in the pictures proves that the member of Koobecaf is indeed a member of outstanding accomplishment. Members may also “tag” or include other members in the picture to provide support or witnesses to their exceptional feats. The competitive nature of the Nacirema community fuels a never-ending cycle of desire and envy. This technology-savvy tribe invents tools to improve their productivity to increase their wealth and status. Status and wealth are the keys to power in this society so most of their efforts are used toward increasing these. The children are taught to be competitive in order to survive and therefore they are trained to value aggression, precision, and determination. The youth of Nacirema are constantly battling to be the best and expect to be instantly gratified for their efforts. The youth anticipate a well-deserved reward for their hard work to help satisfy their desires in a highly competitive village.
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, Oct 22 2008, 11:12 AM EDT
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