Final Paper
Social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) are often characterized as creative and innovative aspects of the modern Web 2.0. These sites, grounded in the notion of increased connectivity, are extremely popular among children and adults and are typically accessible 24/7 via smartphone or tablet. On the surface, these sites represent one of the greatest technological innovations of the Web 2.0 generation. But in reality, these inescapable, interactive services represent one of the biggest threats to social identity in recent years. The New York Times recently published an article in which a thirteen year old girl was asked how social networking sites have affected her, to which she responded, “I don’t feel like a …show more content…
Although these services were designed to increase connectivity, she claims that they actually do the opposite: they make it easier to ignore opposing worldviews. She draws on her experience following the election of President Trump to illustrate her point, “I never saw a Trump hat or a sign or a shirt in my feeds, and the only Election Day selfies I saw were of people declaring their support for Hillary Clinton.” This personalized and restricted presentation of information significantly distorted Wortham’s worldview by selectively exposing her to ideal news stories while shielding her from other contradictory information …show more content…
Users of the modern generation of the World Wide Web, specifically social networks users, have access to a wide variety of different expressive tools that they can use to construct impressions and represent themselves online; whether its Tweeting every moment or constantly updating a profile picture, individual’s use this “expressive equipment” to construct detailed personal fronts online that essential function as, what Mulcahy calls, “highlight reels.” Overall, Erving Goffman’s theories on symbolic interactionism and dramaturgy shine an illuminating light on how and why society excessively clings to social networking sites despite the negative psychological effects that
Social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) are often characterized as creative and innovative aspects of the modern Web 2.0. These sites, grounded in the notion of increased connectivity, are extremely popular among children and adults and are typically accessible 24/7 via smartphone or tablet. On the surface, these sites represent one of the greatest technological innovations of the Web 2.0 generation. But in reality, these inescapable, interactive services represent one of the biggest threats to social identity in recent years. The New York Times recently published an article in which a thirteen year old girl was asked how social networking sites have affected her, to which she responded, “I don’t feel like a …show more content…
Although these services were designed to increase connectivity, she claims that they actually do the opposite: they make it easier to ignore opposing worldviews. She draws on her experience following the election of President Trump to illustrate her point, “I never saw a Trump hat or a sign or a shirt in my feeds, and the only Election Day selfies I saw were of people declaring their support for Hillary Clinton.” This personalized and restricted presentation of information significantly distorted Wortham’s worldview by selectively exposing her to ideal news stories while shielding her from other contradictory information …show more content…
Users of the modern generation of the World Wide Web, specifically social networks users, have access to a wide variety of different expressive tools that they can use to construct impressions and represent themselves online; whether its Tweeting every moment or constantly updating a profile picture, individual’s use this “expressive equipment” to construct detailed personal fronts online that essential function as, what Mulcahy calls, “highlight reels.” Overall, Erving Goffman’s theories on symbolic interactionism and dramaturgy shine an illuminating light on how and why society excessively clings to social networking sites despite the negative psychological effects that