Blog 2 - The Linguistic Barrier

Western forms of communication are prioritised on Facebook but this does not limit communication with non-western users, despite the difficulty of learning a new language. Being unable to understand posts and comments in different languages does create a small barrier but Facebook allows users to rise above this challenge. The like and share button have a universal meaning, with people all around the world accepting them as a sign of appreciation and acceptance. This allows people of all languages to share thoughts and ideas through photos and videos where linguistics are not a fundamental aspect. Laurie McNeill states in There is no “I” in network, “With millions of people now taking advantage of the democratization of the Internet to publish and read life narratives that represent themselves as individuals, and indeed insist upon the singularity, agency, and accessibility of lives, experiences, and subjects,” (McNeill, 2012, p.102). In this excerpt McNeill suggests virtual networks embrace the ideologies and opinions of all users, allowing for people to share their thoughts and experiences with the world. This sharing of ideas is only possible through the overcoming of linguistic barriers, as encouraged by Facebook.

Likes From Around the World (I Kinda Like Languages, 2009)

In the lecture Dr Ariel Van Luanname discusses the methods used by Aboriginal Australians to share practical information about natural resources, social relationships and religion using myths, songs and stories (Van Luanname, 2013). This process is similar to the process of sharing on Facebook. Facebook users are able to pass on information through the self-documentation of their lives in the form of videos, photos and statuses. The similarity between these methods is the fixed nature of the information passed on. Once a photo is posted it can never be fully removed while in the indigenous culture stories will pass on unchanging for generations. The invariable status of the information shared on Facebook ensures the experiences documented will remain for future generations to learn from.

      McNeill, L. (2012). There is no "I" in network: Social networking sites and the posthuman auto-biography. In Biography, 35(1), 101-118.

      Unknown. (2009, November 8). The Language Difficulty Myth. Retrieved from I Kinda Like Langauges: http://ikindalikelanguages.com/blog/the-language-difficulty-myth/

      Van Luanname. (2013). BA1002 - Networked Narratives.