Response to 9/17/09 Class

The most interesting part of the debate we had in class today was about how due to technology the nature of "identity" is changing very much. While one can argue about Facebook shows that people are willing giving up their privacy and personal information for others to harvest, I see it more as a way for people to try and advertise themselves and get attention. I remember reading once about kids using Facebook who would put up statuses about how they were "getting drunk" or "getting high" when the actual case turns that during the times they put those status they were out with their families and lying about their statuses just to look cool. Of course, there are lots of people that actually do those things and put up their statuses about it, but for the same reason. Use of the internet can make it a lot easier to lie about yourself and create a false identity than ever before, as opposed to when you talk to someone in real life, Facebook isn't as fast-paced, Facebook Chat notwithstanding, you can plan out what you say to other people or put as your status in order to put yourself in the light you want. You can re-word what you right so that i makes you seem "happy" or "edgy", or put up a particularly picture of yourself where you're dressed a certain way or with dark lighting. As we discussed in class, the counting up of friends makes them more trivial like you're constantly battling others for the most. Facebook isn't necessarily bad, I think it's a product of the direction that our culture has been taking as opposed to something that is "corrupting" our culture. Ultimately, Facebook has the benefit of being able to keep in touch with people who move away, something I've been very glad to have as it lets me keep in touch with old friends. But real-life encounters are the way to go if you really want to talk to people and make friends.

-Jon Raouf