Facebook and the Withering Individual-Beginnings

Facebook and the Withering Individual (beginnings)

     With millions and millions of users all around the globe, facebook has singled itself out as the most prominent social-networking website of our time. Today we live in a world where people have a difficult time distinguishing our real lives from our technological, online lives that include sites such as facebook, twitter, tumblr, etc. Although such sites aim to foster individuality, as they enable us to post our own thoughts, feelings, information, and photos, the irony is that sites such as these, facebook especially, often cause individuality to suffer and make it hard for people to remember what it’s like to exist as individuals in a real world, as opposed to the identities they choose to either create for themselves or embellish via sites such as facebook.

     Facebook makes it possible for any individual to have as many as 5,000 friends on the site. The chances that a facebook user has even 1000 friends and knows all 1000 of those friends are slim. However, because of the existence of a “news feed” on facebook, we are able to see what any of our friends--even those who are basically strangers to us--are up to at any given moment. Thus, we form judgments about people that we barely know, even if those judgments do not contain truth and accuracy. The way people represent themselves on facebook may often mirror how they are in person, but in many cases the information posted on a facebook page does not measure up to a person’s real-life persona. Because I am friends with so many people on facebook that I may have met one time, or do not know at all, I know all these tidbits about their lives that they post on their pages. Then when I see them in person, it has the same effect as passing a celebrity on the street--we know so many details of various peoples’ lives it comes as a shock when we actually see them in the flesh. We’re so accustomed to seeing news about them on facebook that we forget they exist as real people in a non-internet world. 

Social Media and Web 2.0-Discussion Questions

1. I definitely agree that TV programs and advertisements with a more amateurish/"homegrown" feel and appearance are on the rise in America. I think that, in large part, this has to do with the fact that Americans these days are interested in shows that lend themselves to amateurish production. Take any reality show that is popular on television--Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, and the dozens of other shows that are similar to them; These shows entice viewers because we as a culture enjoy reality television and witnessing how insane others peoples' lives are compared to our own. Luckily for networks, it is significantly less expensive to film these programs, so much so that they do appear "homegrown"--like any of us in possession of a video camera could just as easily produce such a show. However, I don't think that the existence of these shows means a decrease in professional production values. I think that these shows will continue to grow in number and gain more and more popularity, but I think they will eventually loose their appeal, and professional programs--dramas, sitcoms, etc.--will come back out on top. Professional production will never disappear completely--it may just get thrown on the back burner until people realize that amateurish, reality television programs will only go so far.

2. The social media sites that I find myself using the most frequently are Facebook and Twitter. I check my facebook multiple times a day when I am in my house on campus, and tweet on a pretty regular basis from my phone and computer. I use facebook because it's a whole world within itself. With facebook, we can keep in touch with friends, post pictures, and update our statuses while simultaneously seeing what everyone else in the facebook world is up to. Although I am very much opposed to the idea of facebook and sometimes wish I could deactivate mine, I think it's really hard to exist in this world without a facebook. If I didn't have one, I'd feel like I was missing out on so much. But I like that facebook enables you to quickly contact someone in a way that is less formal than texting or calling, and that we can write different emotions, quotes, lyrics, and thoughts on statuses, just to let others know we're feeling a certain way. I also like twitter because when I have a quick thought in my head and a quick free moment, it's nice to be able to have an outlet to pour that thought into, and for me that outlet is twitter. I also like twitter because it serves as a sort of virtual diary that I often have fun looking back on months after I tweet specific things.
I think that facebook is more successful than myspace because it's a lot more private and intimate than myspace ever was. With myspace, I feel like friending people you didn't even know was a lot more commonplace, and I think there were a lot of cases where that became dangerous. Myspace also became corrupt in that people tended to exploit themselves on it, posting provocative pictures and images. Facebook is more sophisticated. It started out as a college thing, and then gradually grew to a social networking site for high schoolers and young professionals. Unfortunately, I think that facebook, in the last few years, has fallen victim to the same corruption myspace did a few years ago. The younger the children who create facebooks are, the more junk they post on their profiles--applications, pictures, games, etc., and I think that stuff goes against what facebook originally stood for. Despite this, I don't think that facebook is going anywhere for a while. No site combines professional information, social networking, sharing, and pure entertainment the way that facebook does, so for now, I think it's here to stay.

3. The concept of transparency is important in the online world because the Internet is our primary medium for obtaining information these days. More people, myself included, find out news from a site like twitter than we do from reading the newspaper, as sad as that is. Therefore, it is important that we are able to trust these sites and know that they're not scamming us, but giving full, truthful, honest information. If not, then everything we know from what we read is a lie, and our discussions and views in the offline world become skewed and inaccurate. I think that, despite the fact that the online world accounts for so much of our information these days, transparency is more important in the offline world. Honesty, openness, and truthfulness will always be more important in the offline world because the most real, concrete relationships in our lives are the ones in our offline lives.

Photoshop #2

For my second photoshop assignment, I chose the medium "Linkedin," the social networking site that allows professionals of all ages to communicate with each other and display vital information about their careers/education/activities on their own profiles. In this image, as opposed to my first photoshop project, I chose to play around a little more with tools to adjust color, saturation, brightness/contrasty, etc. I chose a background of a city landscape because linkedin is primarily geared towards individuals in the workplace. I also chose images of young professionals, chains/links, and a handshake coming from a monitor to signify what Linkedin is all about as a medium.

Photoshop Assignment-Complete

My finished portrayal of the Kindle's message and content is displayed in the above photoshop compilation. I chose a bunch of different images/photos to signify the content and messages of the Amazon Kindle as a current medium of technology. At the center of the image is the product itself, displayed in a person's hand, showing how tiny and portable the device itself is. At the top right hand corner of the collage, there is a paper bag emptying out books such as classics like The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, etc. and pouring them into the kindle. At the bottom, on either side of the kindle itself are images of a plane and train, as kindles have very much transformed the travel experience of the commuter/frequent traveler. Frequent jet-setters and train-riders are perfect audiences for the kindle, as they have tons and tons of books available to them in the palm of their hands in a singular device. On the top left corner is a picture of the earth with the recycling symbol circling it, because kindles are "green" and good for the environment in that their existence leads to less paper usage and mass-production. I chose the futuristic, space background to signify the new technology embodied by the kindle. I think the kindle is a very futuristic, innovative invention, so the outer space theme fits the product. The aspects of the image above that most address the kindle's content are the actual photos of the kindle itself and the books that are being "poured" into it from the paper bag. However, the message of the device comes across in the images of the train, plane, recycle logo, etc. because kindles communicate a message of a more enjoyable commute/travel experience than a paperback book, and that by purchasing a kindle people are saving the environment (one online e-book at a time?!) The kindle's message is that it promotes an easy, more convenient lifestyle, enabling humans to think and behave in ways we might not have thought possible just a few years ago.

photoshop ideas

I'm having quite a bit of difficulty figuring out the logistics of photoshop, but I do have a vision for my project, so I'm going to post some of my pictures/thoughts like others have before me :)

My medium is the Amazon Kindle, so, of course, my collage shall include an actual image of the product itself. This will be in the middle of the photo, laying in the palm of someone's hand.

I'd then like to put another, mechanical-looking arm at the top of the collage, emptying a bag or box of books of some kind, as if they're being poured into the kindle, to show that you can have so many texts that usually take up so much space in a small, singular, device. Improved technology, as the robotic arm indicates, has made this invention possible:

On either side of the Kindle, I'd like to put images of an airplane and train, as kindles are ideal for the frequent commuter, because it enables them to access any book they want, instead of lugging multiple books with them everywhere they travel to.

Also, somewhere on the finished collage I'd like to put photos having to do with recycling and the world, as kindles are "green" and have garnered international attention and use.

Once I get familiarized with photoshop and play around with its many effects and features, I really hope that my finished product comes out well and conveys the message I'm hoping to get across!

The Kindle--Its Capabilities and Message

The medium I have chosen to focus on for the Photoshop Assignment is Amazon's Kindle. The Kindle, as mentioned in a previous post, was introduced in the U.S. in 2007 and has become increasingly widespread over the course of the past three years. When I first heard about the kindle, I thought it a truly innovative invention--so innovative that I absolutely hated every single aspect of it. (I'll elaborate on that later.)


The kindle's capabilities include the abilities to download and read an absurdly high number of e-books, articles, and digital images. One of the latest models of the kindle has a 4GB storage capacity--that's up to 3500 non-illustrated e-books! The kindle also boasts a battery life of up to one week if using wireless and up to two weeks when offline. That's a stronger battery life than any computer I've ever had! 


The kindle's existence lends itself to many McLuhan-like messages that are in some senses completely innovative and in some senses repetitive of past technologies' messages that came with the inventions and widespread usage of commodities like the computer, the mp3 player, etc. The kindle's main message is that it is convenient--books that would normally be purchased one by one are available for a quick easy download on the kindle. Possession of the kindle could mean a whole new lifestyle for some--regular commuters via train, plane,etc. need not choose a select few books to take with them to work or on a trip. With a kindle, anything they want to read is attainable by a few simple clicks. I think that it's certainly up for debate whether or not this is a positive or negative thing. While the thought of thousands of books in their complete texts readily available at the palm of your hand is certainly a cool one, its is, for me, and maybe for McLuhan and other communication scholars, depending on how they would have viewed continuously changing new technology, a little overwhelming and intimidating. Potentially, with the rise of the kindle's popularity, gone are the days of the tangible book. A digital book on a small device does not make for the same experience as the feeling one gets when they journey into a book. For me, and for people who might share my belief on this matter, part of the beauty of printed literature comes with feeling your fingers turn each and every page,  and the smell and texture of the pages of that book, whether it be 20 years old or brand new.


However, because our technology is constantly changing, especially as of late, maybe an invention like the kindle is necessary--it makes our life less...cluttered.  In today's age, people have their whole lives on their technological devices--blackberries and iphones have built-in GPS's, internet access, and tons of other applications and capabilities that I don't really even know the first thing about. People like simplicity. They like the thought of access to anyr text or piece of information in the world with the click of a few buttons. The kindle also implies a "green" message, and to steadfast supporters of the green and sustainable movement, the device may make perfect sense, because why waste a resource like paper on the printing of thousands upon thousands of books? I guess it all comes down to what people consider "waste." To me, the printed book is a medium that I believe will never and should never be completely extinct.  That being said, although I would never want to own one, I think it's hard to deny the kindle's innovative capabilities and the practicality of what it does and the message it communicates.

Examples of Current Mediums

1. The Kindle--Amazon's Kindle software was first introduced in the United States in 2007. Since then, various technologically advanced models have been introduced. The invention of the kindle seems to have captivated people all over the world, enabling us to read books on one small, technological device. The invention of the kindle has generated mixed feelings, which lead us to question how bright the future of books and print media is.

2. ilearn--Marist College's use of ilearn is an example of an innovative, interactive medium. ilearn enables teachers to post class websites for each course they teach, and each student has their own ilearn page on which she can view the courses she's enrolled in and whatever updates, assignments, grades, and resources are posted for each. One can communicate via email on ilearn with either the teacher of the class or peers within the class. ilearn even includes a blog/forum feature where students can post thoughts and ideas and comment on others' thoughts and ideas.

3. Linkedin--Linkedin is a social networking site for professionals. Linkedin users can list former and current jobs, schools, and activities and "connect" with co-workers past, present, and future. I personally like to think of Linkedin as facebook grown-up, and think it is a very useful networking medium in the modern professional world.