What are the factors on which the entire bunch of social networking websites thrives? The most familiar answer would be that these sites help people to get and remain connected and even form new connections.
Moreover, they also help people around the globe with common interests to come together and share a universal platform to express their views on that topic.
Sounds so easy and effective...
doesn't it? Nonetheless, everyone conveniently avoids the effort to scratch the surface and take a peek inside to try and find out what is actually going on underneath.
One of the first traits that are going to emerge on doing such an exercise is that like everything else these days, these sites are also a projection of a many faced strategy of consumer capitalism.
The only difference is that in this case, it is a set of psychological needs of an individual that is ventured upon.
Factors that immediately come to the mind are those of voyeurism and scopophilia.
With all the galleries of profiles, albums, scrapbooks, messages, etc.
each and every page of these sites is like a passport to heaven for this "peeping tom", gossip loving generation caught in the claustrophobic scenario of a post-modern social system hierarchy.
In fact, in the words of American film maker Woody Allen, "...
gossip is the new pornography...
" Howbeit, the most significant aspect of the total phenomenon is the lying undercurrent of narcissism, identity crisis and an overwhelming sense of insecurity.
The moment one logs on to such a site, there is an awe inspiring and staggering presence of "I" present all over.
In effect, these virtual space(s) provide individuals with a synthetic universe to project their alter ego.
It is on these pages that all the visions, ambitions and desires of the user can be realized in the form of a series of carefully chosen images, video clippings and few lines of text.
Even the style and approach of having a conversation transforms completely in these domains.
In other words, every individual profile in a social networking site is the user's aspirations personified...
virtually.
Moreover, they also help people around the globe with common interests to come together and share a universal platform to express their views on that topic.
Sounds so easy and effective...
doesn't it? Nonetheless, everyone conveniently avoids the effort to scratch the surface and take a peek inside to try and find out what is actually going on underneath.
One of the first traits that are going to emerge on doing such an exercise is that like everything else these days, these sites are also a projection of a many faced strategy of consumer capitalism.
The only difference is that in this case, it is a set of psychological needs of an individual that is ventured upon.
Factors that immediately come to the mind are those of voyeurism and scopophilia.
With all the galleries of profiles, albums, scrapbooks, messages, etc.
each and every page of these sites is like a passport to heaven for this "peeping tom", gossip loving generation caught in the claustrophobic scenario of a post-modern social system hierarchy.
In fact, in the words of American film maker Woody Allen, "...
gossip is the new pornography...
" Howbeit, the most significant aspect of the total phenomenon is the lying undercurrent of narcissism, identity crisis and an overwhelming sense of insecurity.
The moment one logs on to such a site, there is an awe inspiring and staggering presence of "I" present all over.
In effect, these virtual space(s) provide individuals with a synthetic universe to project their alter ego.
It is on these pages that all the visions, ambitions and desires of the user can be realized in the form of a series of carefully chosen images, video clippings and few lines of text.
Even the style and approach of having a conversation transforms completely in these domains.
In other words, every individual profile in a social networking site is the user's aspirations personified...
virtually.
Source...