Sunday, September 25, 2011

Facebook vs. Reality (Masculinity)

In order to help you out with the reading you should check out this video. Its humorous and informational: Facebook vs. Reality

I could not help but think of a video and the concept of reality vs. Facebook while reading the article written by Marshall McLuhan again this week. The article talks about how media shape our perception of things and the world around us. This ultimately changes the environment around us as well as we change by adapting to the media. What surprised me was what the author considered to be the media. Media in his opinion is anything and everything that creates an extension of man’s abilities and anything that alters our natural self and the natural environment around us.
            Looking at this concept I wanted to bring attention to the video made to point out the difference between the two worlds of reality and Facebook. Ultimately the online or virtual world of Facebook is nothing like the reality that we live in. Although the question is what is reality? Is Facebook now our reality as it altered the way we communicate with each other as well as it changed relationships. We no longer have to know somebody well in order to add them on Facebook and be able to see what is going on in their personal life. Facebook ultimately changed the meaning of friends as well as the issue of privacy.
             I have to agree with McLuhan when it comes down to the innovations or inventions changing us and the world we live in. Facebook not only changed the way people interact but changed the whole concept of reality. People now pay special attention to what is posted on their profile page rather than spending a real time with their friends online.
            What do else do you think was influenced and ultimately altered by Facebook? Can you see any connections between Facebook and the interaction of people in real life?
            One other thing that stood up in my mind is the difference in how people act on Facebook and how they are in real life. The world of Facebook and Internet in general provides people with this “invisible shield” where nobody can see you and therefore you can make yourself to be anybody.  Can this affect the way we then act when we are not on Facebook but rather talking with somebody face-to-face?
           To make sure we connect this issue to what we talked about in class I also thought about how Facebook shapes the way men connect with women and how men portray their "manhood" on Facebook. I believe that man are definitely affected by Facebook. Not only they can see what women talk about they also seem to get "more talkative". Men also post pictures of themselves and look for an approval of women. For some reason this behavior is portrayed by women as well. Does this mean that Facebook brings men and women closer ? What do you think? How do you think Facebook affects the way men behave and interact with the world around them?

References
Dines, G. (2007). The white man's burden. In Dines, G. & Humez, J. (Eds.), Gender, Race and Class in Media (275-282). Location: Thousand Oaks,CA: Sage.

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