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Koobecaf and American Culture
Ashley Reed
9/19/08
Anthro. 204
Koobecaf
With each passing day it seems as if Koobecaf, a social networking website, is growing in popularity. It has changed the way the youth of the American culture relate to each other. Koobecaf was first created as a way for students to keep in touch with friends, but it has become much more than that. It is almost like a mini world in itself. It is where relationships are defined, party invitations are sent out, and the pictures from last night’s events are posted for all friends to see.
The reasons inhabitants find this type of site entertaining is beyond me, but my guess would be that it has something to do with their natural curiosity about others. Every person seems to want to know everyone else’s business without the other person ever knowing and they don’t want to feel like stalkers doing it. Koobecaf allows them to do this. While Koobecaf is allowing this kind of unlimited access into other people’s lives, it does not come without changing the culture many Americans know today. It is changing the way Americans communicate. Instead of talking to a friend about his/her relationship, a person simply goes and checks their friend’s koobecaf page to see if they are an “official” couple or not. Physical, vocal communication has been taken out of the picture almost completely.
Koobecaf allows advertisements to be shown, birthday gifts to be bought, along with a growing market economy where anything from books to football tickets may be purchased. This part of the networking website creates the infrastructure of this miniature, manmade world, and it is not much different from the nacirema culture itself. The nacirema economy includes capitalism as well as its own kind of market economy, which gives consumers the ability to set prices based on supply and demand. Koobecaf’s market economy has the potential to affect the nacirema’s market economy. If more Americans are able to find a product, such as books, much cheaper on Koobecaf rather than in bookstores or online shopping sites, they will begin to make their purchases on koobecaf instead. This will have a negative effect on traditional retailers throughout the country.
Now, moving onto the social structure of koobecaf. It resembles that of the American culture today. This networking site allows for communication with fellow koobecafers at all times; even providing an instant messaging system for an immediate response to questions. This immediacy is what Americans are culturally used to today. They have text messages so they can send quick notes to anyone wherever they are, they have cells phones so they can call anyone at any time, and they have AOL Instant Messenger so they can talk to a friend from the second they log onto their computer. This immediacy is an expected component of their culture. Also, the first thing that appears once logged onto koobecaf is the news feed, covering all important breakups of the day. Not only that, but there is a type of status/ hierarchy involved. The more friends a person has, the “cooler” they appear. Or if a person makes it onto another’s “Top Friends” page, they become and feel pretty awesome too. Koobecaf even has its own elections, providing ballets that let people vote for who they think is the most sociable, friendly, pretty, etc.
Maybe the reason that people like this site so much is because it allows for people to express who they are while at the same time providing a sense of security. Or maybe it is the fact that koobecaf gives a person, especially teens a kind of control or freedom they have never experienced before. The freedom to choose who to be friends with, the freedom to choose who not to be friends with, or even who to delete as a friend. There is also the freedom to invite people to a new group, write on a person’s wall, or pick who can see your pictures; the list goes on. Perhaps it is this, the superstructure of koobecaf that keeps every member coming back for more.
As this phenomenon of American culture continues to grow, maybe those involved with koobecaf should take a step back and examine if its influence has positive or negative effects on the culture in which they live. On one hand, koobecaf is a great way for friends to stay in touch and keep up with each others lives in a fast and easy manner. But on the other hand, is it worth sacrificing the intimate relationships and conversations we have today?
9/19/08
Anthro. 204
Koobecaf
With each passing day it seems as if Koobecaf, a social networking website, is growing in popularity. It has changed the way the youth of the American culture relate to each other. Koobecaf was first created as a way for students to keep in touch with friends, but it has become much more than that. It is almost like a mini world in itself. It is where relationships are defined, party invitations are sent out, and the pictures from last night’s events are posted for all friends to see.
The reasons inhabitants find this type of site entertaining is beyond me, but my guess would be that it has something to do with their natural curiosity about others. Every person seems to want to know everyone else’s business without the other person ever knowing and they don’t want to feel like stalkers doing it. Koobecaf allows them to do this. While Koobecaf is allowing this kind of unlimited access into other people’s lives, it does not come without changing the culture many Americans know today. It is changing the way Americans communicate. Instead of talking to a friend about his/her relationship, a person simply goes and checks their friend’s koobecaf page to see if they are an “official” couple or not. Physical, vocal communication has been taken out of the picture almost completely.
Koobecaf allows advertisements to be shown, birthday gifts to be bought, along with a growing market economy where anything from books to football tickets may be purchased. This part of the networking website creates the infrastructure of this miniature, manmade world, and it is not much different from the nacirema culture itself. The nacirema economy includes capitalism as well as its own kind of market economy, which gives consumers the ability to set prices based on supply and demand. Koobecaf’s market economy has the potential to affect the nacirema’s market economy. If more Americans are able to find a product, such as books, much cheaper on Koobecaf rather than in bookstores or online shopping sites, they will begin to make their purchases on koobecaf instead. This will have a negative effect on traditional retailers throughout the country.
Now, moving onto the social structure of koobecaf. It resembles that of the American culture today. This networking site allows for communication with fellow koobecafers at all times; even providing an instant messaging system for an immediate response to questions. This immediacy is what Americans are culturally used to today. They have text messages so they can send quick notes to anyone wherever they are, they have cells phones so they can call anyone at any time, and they have AOL Instant Messenger so they can talk to a friend from the second they log onto their computer. This immediacy is an expected component of their culture. Also, the first thing that appears once logged onto koobecaf is the news feed, covering all important breakups of the day. Not only that, but there is a type of status/ hierarchy involved. The more friends a person has, the “cooler” they appear. Or if a person makes it onto another’s “Top Friends” page, they become and feel pretty awesome too. Koobecaf even has its own elections, providing ballets that let people vote for who they think is the most sociable, friendly, pretty, etc.
Maybe the reason that people like this site so much is because it allows for people to express who they are while at the same time providing a sense of security. Or maybe it is the fact that koobecaf gives a person, especially teens a kind of control or freedom they have never experienced before. The freedom to choose who to be friends with, the freedom to choose who not to be friends with, or even who to delete as a friend. There is also the freedom to invite people to a new group, write on a person’s wall, or pick who can see your pictures; the list goes on. Perhaps it is this, the superstructure of koobecaf that keeps every member coming back for more.
As this phenomenon of American culture continues to grow, maybe those involved with koobecaf should take a step back and examine if its influence has positive or negative effects on the culture in which they live. On one hand, koobecaf is a great way for friends to stay in touch and keep up with each others lives in a fast and easy manner. But on the other hand, is it worth sacrificing the intimate relationships and conversations we have today?
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Latest page update: made by ruane
, Oct 22 2008, 11:15 AM EDT
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Moved from: Koobecaf Ethnographies
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