A big component that we explored in our group was the intention of the user. It becomes complicated when we think about why users post what they do. As fellow users we know that people have the ability to create false personas. The idea of fraudulence is probably what led to the rise of what is dishonest and inauthentic. I think the spectrum of what is accepted as inauthentic and dishonest is becoming more generally accepted. Technology widening its horizons and that means it needs to be monitored more. However, that does not mean we must be authentic on all platforms. There are some platforms that leave the notion of self up or interpretation to the user. Those platforms typically tend to be role playing games. In my opinion the inauthenticity comes into play on more social platforms rather than gaming platforms. It is not as crucial to lie about your age on Minecraft compared to Facebook.
In conclusion I think we all have a part of us that puts the best version of ourselves on our social media. The intent is not to be inauthentic but to follow an unsaid code of social media. The use of filters and editing photos should be accepted more rather than scolded. Cheers to the wonderful world of filters!
7 comments:
I really like how you mention intention of the user- that is really important because frequently people jump to assumptions and conclusions about other people based on their social media presence. It gets down to questions like why do we even bother posting pictures of us with friends? Are we trying to prove something? How about pics of our food? What is our intention there? And I think this comes down to questions about human nature. Is it in our nature to want to share or brag, and if so is that why Facebook is so popular?
Nice post this week. I liked that you talked about people's choice and intention. So many times people read or interpret things without thinking of why the person posted it. In my post this week I also talked about honest vs dishonest practices on the internet. I kept thinking of the social pressures people feel while they're on the internet. I think this is a major thing that changes people's decisions. I think we're still finding out what is the "norm" on the internet. Nice picture by the way, love the filter :)
I agree that picking the best pictures of yourself is more in the category of self presentation. Having a well presented Instagram, Facebook etc. is desirable. If the overall mood you want to give off is achieved through filters or not, what's the difference as long as you are accomplishing what you want to do.
I liked your take on authenticity in social media. Your example of not showing up to an interview in sweats made a lot of sense in terms of making yourself appear best through filters on social media. As always, I appreciated the personal photo you ended with to create a connect between this blog post, class, and your own experiences.
I think we grant grace to people's social media profiles and actions. We realize that they will not be completely authentic but considering that many people engage in that level of authenticity it is fine. I just read someone's blog that had a similar conception of authenticity in the gaming community. I think it was http://trevorjegsblog.blogspot.com/ you might want to check it out if you haven't already. In never thought about the lack of care for people in certain gaming commnunities. That is so interesting.
I get that you have to follow unwriten rules in online communities. Even when you really want to post something in an online community, you still have to think about how the post is going to impact your reputation in your physical community.
I like the idea that, because we act all the time in real life, to present ourselves a certain way, acting online shouldn't be perceived as any more inauthentic or dishonest. Just like we wouldn't wear sweats or a hoodie to a job interview, we wouldn't post 'uglies' that we might send to our closest friends over snapchat on LinkedIn, right? It's just common sense, or at the worst, acting, or being a little bit selective, but it's not being dishonest!
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