Self & Community on Facebook
Facebook is one of those Social networks that has the option to update status’s and reveal information about users they would not necessarily share with someone face to face out of fear or embarrassment. But because life online is perceived by users as safe, we tend to express ourselves more freely in an online context. The mutual (and coercive) production of networked lives invites a reconsideration of how we read and create lives in an online context. (McNeil, 2012) So many of us users on Facebook find comfort in expressing details online because we think of Social Networks as online communities where there is the freedom to be friends with who you like and have the knowledge that it is a safe place.
Although Facebook is an online community some users may feel as though it is a place for personal thoughts, with only a few friends able to access the update. Some people may think of Facebook as a keepsake of memories or feelings. It maintains the appearance of an ‘authentic diary’ not meant for anyone else’s eyes. (Van Luyn, 2015) Users may feel as though writing online may be the only outlet for confusing or emotional thoughts, that make the user feel better about themselves after letting everything out. It is common to see status’s as a diary entry when a user is communicating to another user.
Facebook is a place of self and community that can be used as an outlet for any personal hardships or just wanting to express any thoughts that users may feel like they need to share on Facebook. It is an online network of acceptance and self-identity that should be positively acknowledged by the various users.
Reference List
Lopez, N. (2015). TNW News. Retrieved 28 August, 2015, from http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2015/08/27/over-1b-people-used-facebook-in-a-single-day-for-the-first-time-ever/
McNeil, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and post human auto-biography. Retrieved 28th August, 2015
Van Luyn, Ariella. (2015) BA1002 Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place. Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation. Retrieved 21st August, 2015
I strongly agree with the points that you have raised about Facebook and how it is a useful tool to express your thoughts and feeling to every person in your online friendship group. However, I feel as though you have not fully explored the whole concept in relation to community and narrative. A future suggestion would be to try and explore the concept more in depth, instead of repeating your points constantly. I also noticed a spelling error in your second paragraph, possibly consider getting it proof read by a friend, or check spellcheck on Microsoft word. On the other hand your comments about how Facebook has become a community where we are able to feel free, and comfortable posting what we like was valid in relation to the self and community.
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