The Power of Facebook
By Samantha Cole
Source: Recruitment Buzz
Nowadays it seems that everyone is on social media, from seniors
down to schoolchildren. New media sites are blowing up every day but there’s none
more popular than Facebook. For a network that occupies very little physical
area it takes up a lot of space in
the modern world. The virtual space created by this platform creates a place
for billions of people in the world to feel as though they have a place. “Place
is security, space is freedom” (Tuan, 19790). Each user is able to post about
his or her feelings, achievements or whatever they would like. This gives each
individual power in their own little corner of the internet. Any person can now
voice their opinion and have the potential for thousands or even millions of
viewers, making their impact on the “real-world” stronger than ever, as
discussed by an SWF Media Hub intern in her post on activism
in social media.
But let’s take it back to a smaller scale. Many users like
to post about their day-to-day happenings, what they ate, what they did on the
weekend and even who they’re fighting with. This can create a sense of identity
as it allows people to express themselves in the virtual world as one might
have done with a physical diary (Van Luyn, 2015). The relationship between these two common
practices was discussed in an article called Language and New Media edited by Rowe and Wyss (2011), in which
they suggested that the online diary – or a blog – contains similar information
to a normal diary but can be accessed by a much larger audience, allowing a
person to communicate their identity to a much larger audience which will in
turn increase the power held by a single person.
Reference List
Picture: Recruitment Buzz, 2014. How to Harness the Power of
Facebook for Recruiting and Sourcing. http://recruitmentbuzz.co.uk/how-to-harness-the-power-of-facebook-for-recruiting-and-sourcing/
Rowe and Wyss, 2011. Language and New Media: Linguistic, Cultural, and Technological
Evolutions. Diary 2.0: A Genre Moves
from Page to Screen. Pp313 – pp323.
Tang Li, 3rd June 2015. The University of Sydney:
Activism versus Apathy – The Rise of
Social Media. http://sydney.edu.au/news/arts/2228.html?newsstoryid=15068
Tuan, 1979. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Introduction, pg3
Van Luyn, 2015. Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation.
This post presents a very thorough insight into how people are turning the online space of Facebook into a place of security, which in turn allows them to gain power. I suppose that many of those who gain power by posting on Facebook have that 'charismatic power' that Kuttainen (2015) spoke of, as they invite friends to engage in meaningful discussion about relevant things. I like your point relating Facebook posts to diary entries, what with users posting several times a day, and perhaps much of the power people gain comes from being able to create a public online identity when they are silenced in real life. The hyperlink that you included drives your point home further in that social media takes up a lot of space in the real world - we are indeed in the internet age, where power is transcending the border between online and offline spaces.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Kuttainen, V. (2015). Power: The Panopticon [Lecture Slides]. James Cook University: Townsville.
Although those on Facebook are achieving such power and place in the online and virtual world, how long could this power last until it becomes meaningless? As the Facebook population grows everyday, and more people connect gaining popularity and standard online, that so called power means less and less as it becomes the social norm. As was said "everyone is on Facebook" which is not wrong, but how much power can people actually have, when their siblings, friends, parents grandparents, acquaintances and everyone else shares the same opportunity and say? The internet is a strange place where it seems one has some say or sway in events however with so many saying so much at any point it time, many if not all voices are lost in the sea or responses and reposts until the origins and original messages are so convoluted that any power one might have held or been reaching for have dissipated. The incredibles villain Syndrome said it best "when everyone's super, [maniacal laugh] no one will be" (Syndrome 2004)
ReplyDeleteBibliography
Kuttainen, V. (2015). Power: The Panopticon [Lecture Slides]. James Cook University: Townsville.
Syndrome voiced by Jason, L. (2004) The Incredibles [Movie Quote]. Written and directed by brad bird.