This afternoon I went to the Denise Riley/Judith Butler debate. Each of these women are prominent figures in Today's Social Realm. Anyone who knows anything about Sociology would agree that they both know their stuff. When asked the question "Is it ever possible to truly know someone?" Riley responded with a quickly uttered "No." Believing, even worshipping, everything she said previously I found myself surprised when I dissected this response critically on my walk home. Is it possible that Riley didn't know all of "her stuff?" How can it be impossible to truly know someone?
This perplexing trouble led me to Assignment Four.
In recent years the internet has been incorporated into everyday life. Email is checked constantly, the Web is surfed continually, and Facebook is accessed excessively. The Technological Age defines Today's Society. Easy and efficient, the internet has created new possibilities while phasing out old traditions. Chatting via AIM has reduced discussion over coffee. Emailing documents has reduced personal delivery.
Computer Mediated Communication is phasing out Face to Face interaction. Who we are is becoming easier to modify. Who someone truly is has become harder, maybe even impossible, to understand.
With Facebook scoring the award for Sixth Most Visited Site the use of the internet for identity formation and image preservation is highly evidenced. According to Wallace "the internet is an identity laboratory, overflowing with props, audiences and players for our personal experiments" (48). The internet, in other words, allows us to change our selves, making it unimaginable to truly know someone solely via the internet.
The Facebook friend I decided to "study" for this assignment is the friend that I have known the longest. We have traveled on a long road together, from preschool to college. I boldly believe that I know her better than anyone else.
Before questioning her I decided to analyze her profile. Quickly noting that her picture nicely showcased her platinum blonde hair and her particularly curvaceous bod I hypothesised that the profile's remains would be just as manicured. Sure enough, only the assessment signals deemed "enhancing" and only the conventional signals made "cool" appeared. For instance she included the year she intends to graduate because it is one year earlier than that once projected. She also included the programs she is majoring in because they are believed to be some of the hardest at her school. By showcasing herself in the best light possible she directly demonstrates O'Sullivan's Impression Management Model. She is attempting to control other's perceptions of her self. Though in fact presenting completely truthful information in each category, ranging from favorite TV shows to current residence, her profile is misrepresentative. She ONLY showcases her best attributes. No one viewing just her edited self could possibly understand her true self.
After asking my friend to rate each category in terms of accuracy I was not surprised when each category was given a 5. This was an honest answer. However after asking her how accuratly the profile portrayed her self I was surprised when she answered with a lower score of 3. Perhaps the distinction between the inner and outer self that Goffman and Jung discuss is evidenced here. Perhaps she realized that her profile only represents her ideal self- the self with qualities all acknowledge as positive- rather than her actual self- the self with qualities both positive and negative.
Facebook is an asynchronous form of self-presentation. Therefore it is possible that the "best" self is always presented. If ideals in society change, the identity can conform to better "fit in." Thus, with constant editing available, it becomes harder to ever really know someone. With more people looking to the internet now than ever before the answers found there become the perceptions believed. Facebook users understand this when creating or modifying their identity, and in fact, they capitalize on it. How an individual identifies his or her self inarguably determines how others will identify him or her (whether it be in congruence or discordance with the presented identity, however, is uncertain).
So perhaps Riley really was right; perhaps she was thinking of the internet phenomenon as she answered the question. In the Technological Age it can be impossible to really know someone.
BLOG COMMENTS:
http://comm245yellow.blogspot.com/2007/09/facebook-deception-you-are-liar.html
http://comm245yellow.blogspot.com/2007/09/4-facebook-deception.html
*The Debate was not posted. Sorry!
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3 comments:
was the debate recorded? would you mind posting it if it was? thanks!
Ashley,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. Not only was it interesting and well-written, but it was a clear example of connecting our real life experiences to what is discussed in class. You were able to clearly portray how the internet is a place where you can never truly trust the impressions formed solely via the internet.
There were several points throughout your blog that interested me. First is the idea that computer mediated communication is phasing out face-to-face interaction. I definitely agree. More and more people are relying on media like emails and instant messages to communicate rather than speaking with someone in person. I also liked the contrasting idea that even though someone presents truthful information on the internet it is still misleading because they are may only be conveying their best or most appealing characteristics.
The O’Sullivan’s Impression Management Model applies to this example based on your discoveries that your friend was only putting forward information that she found “enhancing” or “cool”; she was controlling which information she presented in order for people to form certain opinions about herself. Also, your incorporation of the idea of selves from Goffman and Jung was fascinating and not something I saw discussed very much. The idea that your friend’s facebook profile was an illustration of her ideal self rather than her actual self was definitely food for thought. By only sharing our ideal self with the internet it would be impossible to truly know someone.
Lauren
Hi
I enjoyed your post, it was written very well. I really liked when you said, "who we are is becoming easier to modify." I completely agree with that statement, nearly everyone today has some form of online identity that they can use impression management on even if to a small extent. I thought it was interesting that she rated each category as entirely truthful and then admitted that she rated it only a 3 in portraying her actual self.
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