My Online Identity -

Blog 3

        My Online Identity   

                                                                                                                    

(Diary of a Facebook Addict)

When setting up my account on Facebook, I used my own identity, which included adding my personal details, such as my name, where I was born and other information.  I found friends and relatives that I had not been in contact with for years.  It opened a whole new world to me.    When using Facebook, I rarely write comments in my status update, however I do like to comment on my friends post and like their comments (that is, if I sincerely like their comments) to let them know I am interested in them.  I always write the words that reflect who I am, as a person and I do not write anything that I do not want to make public.  I never write anything on-line that I would not feel comfortable with saying to a person.  I feel that it is important to respect others opinions, even when they are different to your own and express my own in a caring and respectful manner.  The StatusUpdate on Facebook is similar to writing a blog about your life; it invites people into your thoughts.  When you post comments or pictures it allows others to interact with you as well as respond.  Popularity is not necessarily how many friends you have on your list, but about how much interaction you have with your friends.  For example, if you write something in your status update and you receive a large amount of ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ then that is what establishes your popularity.

Social Networking sites are having an impact culturally in language, words such as, tag, spam, like, unlike, poke and others, create a whole new meaning.  We transform these words of language into mental images to which we can relate to, such as the ‘like’ icon.  

(who's seeing my photos)

One could determine Facebook as being a sacred place, as sacred places are sites where culture has organised space into centres of meaning (Tuan, 1979, p.417).   Location is transformed into place through art and stories and peoples memory make places meaningful (Van Luyn, 2013).  Holding stories about place holds power, therefore Social Networks are specific sites that are shaped by and shape the lives of human beings (Van Luyn, 2013).  Social Networking has created a place where you learn social normalities, such as rules on how to interact, narratives and media literacy.   By looking at others Timeline on Facebook, you can get a sense of a person’s character, and how they like to portray themselves.  

                                    

 Diary of a Facebook Addict [image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.littlemissuseful.com/social-

        media/diary-of-a-facebook-addict/

Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative-Descriptive Approach. Annals of the
       Association of American Geographers, p. 417

Who's Seeing my Photos [image]. (2013). Retrieved
     from  http://www.support.pandasercurity.com/blog/socialmedia/facebook-privacy-settings-whos-
     seeing- my-photos

Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our Space, Networks, narratives and making of place [video podcast].
           Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.edu.au