week 5

The Power of Language

It is now widely considered that our online personalities are an extension of ourselves. 
This being the case, it would follow that our homepages on social media sites such as Instagram, are also extensions of our own homes.  We welcome friends and families to visit them, and we can speak to them through the photos and comments shared.  I believe we have the same power in our virtual homes to affect those around us, as we do in the real world. Tuan also believes that changes in perception and attitude can alter an environment more markedly than if it has been physically changed (p.689).  As discussed in our week 5 lecture, the words and photos shared can directly reflect our attitudes and in turn affect the moods and attitudes of others

If language is a component that transfers nature into a human place, as argued by Tuan (p.686), then the posts we share on social media sites lend this virtual world a human quality.  In becoming a human place you then attach meaning and feeling to the space.  Doing this can leave the human feelings inside the machine susceptible to getting hurt. It would seem today that the online language shared is just a s relevant as the spoken one.

References:

Author, Unknown (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Network Narratives and the making of space, week 5 notes retrieved from: learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid

Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: a narrative descriptive approach. America: Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: a narrative descriptive approach. America: Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Image:

Retrieved from: http://aimdanismanlik.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/language.jpg