FB allows me to feel accepted and comfortable within my own personal profile page, as it contains personal photos and information. This feeling of comfort allowed me to keep my personal identity and being 'real' to the virtual sense of place.
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| Figure 1- Welcome to my facebook profile |
Through the online virtual social network it has created a sense of place. FB has provided individuals with their own narratives via communication of status updates. Through this social interaction between FB members it demonstrates that it 'help each other to build place' (Tuan, 1979, pp.689. Through this building of place via the communication of FB members it is creating our narratives while keeping them real and sufficient. A sense of belonging to a place such as FB also includes the involvement of the communities, this is highlighted through the social events that are listed on FB such as Garage sales; leaving the community to feel empowered and belonging to the surrounding space and place of FB. Tuan (1991) states that "if people have the power to build, they also have the power to destroy" (Tuan, 1991, pp693), therefore in saying this, belonging to a place such as FB can easily be taken from each individual through cyber bullying. Cyber bullying disempowers individuals making them to feel a sense of uncertainty and discomfort. Cyber bullies have the ability to silence the less powerful narratives (Van Luyn, 2013). The following link is information regarding cyber bullying http://www.stopcyberbullying.org
Tuan (1991, pp. 694) also argues that words create place "the power of words is exercised daily in the private sphere." Therefore it is important to remember how we deliver ourselves through the virtual network. The most common language found on FB is colloquial language which allows each individual's to feel a sense of connection and security within the space of FB.
References
Stop cyber bullying.[online]. Retrieved from http://www.stopcyberbullying.org
Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the making of place: A narrative-descriptive approach. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 81(4), 684-696.
Van Luyan, A. (2013). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 5: Narratives and place. [powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learn.edu.au
Images
http://images.search.conduit.com/ImagePreview/?q=facebook+welcome+&ctid=CT3245481&SearchSource=15&FollowOn=true&PageSource=Results&SSPV=&CUI=UN42257247402125933&UP=&UM=1&start=35&pos=19
I am becoming more and more reluctant to share anything on Facebook. I can't help but feel we are unwitting dupes facilitating the means of our own oppression, like we are inviting the vampire into our homes. SNS's are brilliant from a control point of view in that people flock to give their information, and images.
ReplyDeleteFacebook's face recognition database is insidious in that your images will be included unless you opt out. Insidious because most people will just let it ride because they cannot, or cannot be bothered, to master more than the basic interface.
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/facebook-facial-recognition-database-2013-8
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ReplyDeleteHi Gabrielle, thank you for this post. You have raised some questions in my mind about the space we create within virtual networks. If we self-edit our posts within these public spaces, are we truly creating an authentic version of ourselves? I would suggest perhaps we are not.
ReplyDeleteAre we then manipulating our sense of place through edited narratives, by actually creating a non-authentic, idealistic space which enhances our sense of peace and empowerment through social networks such as Facebook.
I agree with Tuan's statement which you referred to, that it is important how we deliver ourselves through the virtual network (1991). Perhaps, not dis-similar to the cyber-bullies you mentioned, we all have the ability to silence the less powerful, insecure, narratives within ourselves and are therefore perhaps naive to think that, as Tuan also stated, the place we build through communication is real (1991).
References:
Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the making of place: A narrative-descriptive approach. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 81(4), 684-696.
Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 5: Narratives and Place. [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from http:learnjcu.edu.au