Identity & The Social Media Barrier

I think it's fair to say it's one of the world's greatest tools for communicating with loved ones and reconnecting with people all over the world. Yet, even though social media may have risen from pure intentions, the world has found a way to abuse it's power and it puts the security of one's identity is at risk.
In connection with these thoughts, Jolene Hammond also shares a powerful point of view concerning identity security through social media (<<click here) ... How well do people through the internet know who you are?

The cute girl is my little sister Kazna. She's just O for Owesome. The picture collage is one my mother put together on a random day and posted on Facebook. As I've watched her grow in this crazy digital world, I often wonder if the social pressure that comes from social media affects the way she could grow as an individual woman ... independent of popular/worldly opinion ... or, in better Facebook terms, "likes" and "followers".

Aaaaahhhh ... The evolutionary duck face.  Who decided that this particular facial expression was just so "like-able"? You see this face everywhere! People of all ages strike the peace-sign-puck-up-your-lips face in many different social settings ... but ummm, what's the point? This "fad" is one of my least favorites! (hence why I removed this picture from my profile when I realized I was making the same face as my 16 year old sister #mature). 

Then WHY is it so popular? I believe that because it is easy enough that anyone could do it and has some awkward sort of "sexy" aura attached to it, that the expression, like many other fads, portray people in a false light. 

For an interesting article about the duck face phenomenon- click the highlighted portion!  

In addition to this, Katelyn Dalton, a good friend of mine also has some extremely beneficial insights on how Perception and Reality (<<click here) start to become hard to define because of social media and how it affects our growing identities. 

What we seem to forget all the time is that fads like the duck face, the whip, the dab, jeggings, etc., are all born to eventually burn out. There is no real substance to them, yet, because they are simple and easy, EVERYONE wants to be apart of that hip culture! 

In early Italy, Fashion was established as a way to communicate to everybody "who you were" and "what you do". People started figuring out that if they looked a certain way, it brought greater respect, popularity and opportunity. Doesn't that sound dangerously similar to the cycle we fall into within social media? Depending on how well we conform to what the world thinks is cool, determines how much respect and popularity we earn. 

Italy, however, is only one example of many countries at that time who were coming up with new ideologies and concepts that they wanted to share with the world. This seems to be the beginning of globalized culture.

                                           

Then came technology! What a step people made in history when the internet, radio, television, computers and all other sorts of technology were created. The rise of technology also brought about an easier way to spread new ideas quickly. In this century, technology has catapulted the spread of literally anything and everything both good and bad. #jeggingsforsure

For an even better presentation of perceptions on this topic similar to mine, I would highly recommend watching "The Curly Fry Conundrum", a Ted talk presented by Jennifer Golbeck. She shares some great examples of how the cycle of what we "like" determines what we see, hear and share on social media.... a huge factor contributing to our "mass-ified culture". 

Some Other Thoughts to Consider ... 

According to Trevor J. Blank, the author of the book, Folk Culture in the Digital age, he says, "Writing in 1961, Historian Daniel Boorstin lamented that: 

 American society had witnessed the decline of the 'folk' and the rise of 'the mass,' adding that 'while the folk created heroes, the mass could only look and listen for them.' The folk had a universe of it's own creation... The mass lives in a very different fantasy world." I desperately agree with Boorstin!

 Fad culture is becoming the singular dominant culture through social media and swallowing our rights and opportunities to be an individual identity. 

^^ This was interesting post from a good friend of mine. She explains how this picture is pretty much the epitome of what we're turning into as this century moves forward ... for the full post and comment: CLICK HERE. -highly recommended.

While the catchy tune of "watch me whip ... watch me nae nae!" might just be entertaining ... Its viral addictiveness is swallowing our attention through social media feeds. The mass distribution of this fad, as well as many others is what we connect in our brains as "cool and hip". It's widespread popularity is really brainwashing us into thinking that it is the only way to be seen as a "cool and hip" individual. 

Oddly enough, my peers and I talk about this topic all the time. Most of them agree with me, while a few do not. What they, as well as my research and discussions about this have really taught me is: Why haven't you done anything about it? 

My passion for the development of unique and powerful minds, has grown immensely over the extent of my research. WE as individuals have the power to lean on our own experiences, thoughts and knowledge which can empower us so much more when we aren't allowing social media and the fad culture that flows through it to overcome our lives. 

Consider this a call to action! 

Though many may claim that social media is the opportunity they have to express their individual ideas and personality ... I would ask, them: 

   How much of that online "personality" is really your "identity"? 

let's take time to put individuality back into life!


For an even greater perspective on how Social media and other tools in this digital age can be used to create a better society through improving individual identity (<<click here) check out this post from my friend Mitchell Cottrell.