Question: As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, are we extending and expanding identities, or increasingly conforming to the cookie-cutter profiles demanded of these interfaces? Is the loss of "personal space" and "reflection" so many users complain of merely the necessary surrender of "ego" as we learn to participate as members of a more evolved "collective organism" of "hyper-people?
Response: Before the days of Facebook, “friends” were the people you hung out with on a Saturday night, “profiles” were not available on request, and a “wall” was only coated with paint. Although, one can still find “pictures” on both a Facebook wall as well as a wall in their living room wall, Facebook has changed our perspective of the people we know and the world we live in. People argue whether we are expanding our identities or conforming to cookie-cutter profiles in this new online community; I believe that we are limiting our identities and personalities behind the comfort of our computer monitors.
Society tells us how to think, act, and look – it provides everyone with the social norm. However, with the popularity of the internet, the social norm is not restricted to our physical being, but our virtual being, too. We can analyze Facebook piece by piece by starting with profile pictures. Profile picture selection is an important deal for a lot of people. Facebook users can spend days debating what picture they want to post in order to show the personality they want to label themselves with. Many people would state that a profile picture would expand ones individual personality because the user has full control and judgment of what they choose to post. Yet, many Facebook users will not post a pure personality picture because they want to maintain a professional image for perspective jobs, co-workers, and bosses. Instead of them laughing in Saturday Night wear having a good time, a college guy may post a picture of him making a speech over a podium or marching in his graduation uniform. People want to maintain their virtual professionalism and this is becoming a cookie-cutting factor that people are following. There is a legitimate paranoia of people losing their job opportunities because of how their present themselves online. There is a restriction as to how much personality can be advertised in a profile picture.
Another example of how people cookie-cut themselves online is through netiquette. On Facebook, it is not seen as the social norm to openly express your opinion of politics or defend your thoughts either. Political, sport, and personal arguments are seen a rude gesture to the rest of the Facebook community. People usually tend to restrain themselves from arguing against a friend’s status in which they may personally disagree with. There is a fear that messages may come across differently then intended and enemies can be made through miscommunication. In the real world, one can have a friendly argument with their friends, without the rest of the internet witnessing the pros and cons or back story of the subject. In other words, our personality is less restricted in physical conversation. Our personalities would not come out as effectively if we held arguments over Facebook walls.
We are all part of a “collective organism” when it comes to Facebook personality because we all tend to follow the online social-norm and the unwritten rules of the social network. Our freedom of speech, physical behavior, and overall personality messages are a lot more effective when displayed face-to-face. The internet hinders who we really are.
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