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The Plague of Societal Norms

There are a lot of freedoms that are provided to Internet users, primarily social network users. In his writing, “Crisis Memes: The Importance of Templatability to Internet Culture and Freedom of Expression,” states, “When natural disasters, political feuds, terrorist attacks and other crises arise, ghoulishly humorous posts created by users spread concurrently with serious professional reportage.” This use of satire has become a commonality on social networks and it is plaguing not only social media but it is plaguing people’s use of self expression. People who make these “crisis memes” are taking advantage of their freedom in a negative way. 

In Angela Watercutter’s writing, “Bronies Are Redefining Fandom - And American Manhood,” the author discusses a different level of self expression and societal norms. She states, “The reasons why people enjoy brony fandom are complex, in part because of the gender assumptions surrounding the show and its “intended” audience.” The norm here is the gender assumption, which is targeted to girls because they are the intended audience for the show but the self expression displayed is the fact that guys are the bronies that enjoy the show. The effect that this societal norm has on these men is it makes them not want to express their interest in the show and it blocks them from self expressing. 

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The Flesh of the Web

Over the years the internet has not only become a place where people could shed their identities and envelop themselves in new, more acceptable identities but it has become a place where the exposure of individuals and groups is a commonality. In their writing, “Performing Gender on Youtube,” authors Wotanis and McMillan state, “Youtube has a reputation as a site full of ‘abusive comments,’ a situation which is exacerbated by anonymity and scale.” Youtube, alone, has become a site where people express their views and opinions whether hurtful or biased because they understand the magnitude of viewers who are attracted to such a site and they understand the opportunity of a hidden identity that presents itself. These raw, “straight-forward” comments are the daggers that expose the flesh of the internet. They show a gruesome side of the web which hinder many people from certain sites on the internet. 

 Wotanis and McMillan state, “Youtube does not explicitly address violations of community guidelines that occur in comments responding to videos. All users can flag comments as spam, but other community violations fall to individual channel owners to address.” Is it worse that sites such as Youtube do not fully address these issues of online abuse? Is it possible that the leniency of a site such as Youtube allows for thoughts of internet violence to linger in the minds of other internet users? 

In her writing, “Pornographies of Violence? Internet Spectatorship on Body Horror,” author Sue Tait states, “Terrorist groups have staged the executions of hostages for the camera and distributed this imagery via the internet.” A prime example of this incident would be the terrorist group “ISIS.” ISIS has portrayed several tortures of American citizens through the lens of a camera and posted them online for all to see. This type of imagery... this type of internet use sheds light on the negative aspects of the web. It sheds light of the abuse of freedom and portrays the raw aspect of the Internet through displays of blood, war, and horror. 

The Internet is a useful tool for all who aspire to promote themselves to others. It has been a tool of freedom of expression and will continue to be an outlet for all to voice their opinions. The dangers of the Internet are not within the technology itself but within the people who use it. Through displays of war, whether physical or a war of words, the web is being turned into a place of terror and ignorance. Through the unlawful actions of the people, the flesh of the web is slowly being exposed. 

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The Price of Free Labor?

In their their writing, “Learning to Immaterial Labour 2.0: Facebook and Social Networks,” authors Cote and Pybus define immaterial labour 2.0 as “a more accelerated, intensified, and indeed inscrutable variant of the kind of activity initially proposed by Lazzarato or within the pages of Empire.” In essence, users embrace the idea of being subjects to databases and activity trackers. These users understand the intentions of social network sites, yet they continue to go on the site allowing themselves to complete the jobs of site designers and data trackers. Many may say, “This work will be done regardless because, as long as people continue to visit the site, data will be recorded.” Although this point is valid, could site administrators steal the work of many of the site’s most loyal visitors? 

Author Marianne Martens states, “Users of content and manufactured goods are increasingly involved in the production process.” Many young teens have the ability to assist in the improvement of their product or service through surveys presented on websites or just by using the product, in general. In regards to books and other writings, teens create blogs expressing what they enjoyed about the books or what they feel as though could have been better. Many authors take this information, without informing the owners of these blogs, and make money of blogger’s ideas. 

This can be relative to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This can even be relative to a site such as Tumblr. Many users express their opinions and beliefs about various topics on this site and much of the expressions on this site can be recorded for data and the enhancement of various products. The problem which presents itself is if this collection of data is a violation to the consumer. The price of free labor is the cost of ideas... this is worth more than money. A person’s ideas are the foundation of his/her being, when collected by content creators and used for monetary purposes, the price of free labor is a hefty one. 

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You-Tube, We-Tube, Our-Tube

The following is a conversation between three middle school kids:

Shelly: "Hi Rachel, your hair looks nice" 

Rachel: "Thank you Shelly! That means a lot because Justine told me she didn't like it."

Shelly: "Justine why don't you like Rachel's hair?"

Justine: "I just don't like it. I bet people think I look better than her anyway!"

Rachel: "Oh really? Is that what you think Justine? Well I get more likes than you on my pictures so obviously I look better than you!"

Ideas of self-identity and validation have always been questioned throughout society because many people battle with accepting the way that they look or the way in which they are viewed by others. Due to a spike in web accessibility and on-lookers, many people have used the internet to validate their looks or particular beliefs. In her writing, "Am I Ugly?: Female Beauty, Digital Media, and the True Me," author Dara Persis Murray states, "Am I Ugly?" is a personal, self-conscious question... at the center of a YouTube phenomenon wherein girls as young as age eleven pose the query to unknown, presumably unbiased viewers." This very intimate question is being asked by young girls in an online world that knows nothing about them... an online world that sees nothing but their faces. This situation calls for alarm... it is a call for action on behalf of all adults and advisors. Young children are searching for validation of their self-identities through outlets that possess some people who want nothing but to bring others down for their own validity. 

Some may not feel as though this is an issue but it calls for acknowledgement when one stops to understand the rate in which interaction on the web is increasing. In her writing, "Branding the Post-Feminist Self: Girl's Video Production and Youtube," author Sarah Banet-Weiser discusses the rate in which not only the web, but Youtube is growing. Weiser states, "The transition of Youtube from its earlier incarnation as a personal 'digital video repository' to its now well-known function as a place wherein one can 'broadcast yourself' is not simply an effect of the expansion of Web 2.0 technologies." This statement hints at the idea that Youtube has become a World of its own. The idea of just posting videos no longer exists. Once one posts a video on Youtube, they are ultimately attached to that video and that video symbolizes them in the World of Youtube. Weiser also discusses how kids are going online at faster rates than the general Web population. Is this detrimental to the self-identification of children? 

By viewing the conversation, above, between the 3 middle school kids one may understand the impact of social networks on today's children and society as a whole. What must be understood by people in today's society is that we all search for validation on the web in some aspect. Whether it be posting a resume in hopes to obtain a job or posting a picture on Instagram for likes, we all look for acceptance. This fact not only shows the importance of the web, but it may cause some to wonder of the dangers that comes with this importance. Validation, on behalf of his/her looks, is not something that a kid should be searching for in a world where no one knows who they truly are. The beauty of oneself remains in the definition of their character, not in the color of their skin or the style of their hair. 

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The Immediacy of Intimacy

The ability to feel sensations of sexual pleasure has always been accessible to people. The increase in the rate and ways in which this information is obtained has changed slightly over time. In his writings, "Avatar Erotics," Jack Bratich states, "Now, in an age of convergence culture, porn chic has gone mainstream, and reinvested those mundane scenes with the actualization of fantasies... Filmed VIP rooms, sexting: these all embed the images themselves into everyday behavior." Bratich's statement allows the reader to see the ways in which intimate acts such as porn have become even more personal and relative. The fantasies that were once embedded in the idea of porn has now become obtainable through the various ways in which the act is projected in today's digital world. 

Due to the new digital age, outlets of pleasure are more accessible than ever before. Bratich also discusses the ability of Facebook post to satisfy on-lookers and pleasure seekers. Although one's intentions may not be to satisfy the needs of another, through post that show skin or hint to anything derogative, people who are your friends may have the chance to fulfill their needs. This leads to alarms because you may never know that your post was viewed this way or that someone committed such an act while viewing your post but as Bratich states, "Faith in intentions allows everyone to sleep easier at night - for the self-objectified posers, a rest-inducing forgetfulness; for the masturbating subject, a peaceful post-and-jerk slumber."

The web not only allows opportunities for viewers to fulfill needs of pleasure but they allow for viewers to fulfill emotional needs. In his writing, "Dating On The Net: Teens and the Rise of "Pure" Relationships," author Clark discusses the luxury of Cyberdating and its potential to limit emotional pain in relationships. In this piece one teen states, "Im not too popular with the guys... Net relationships hold less potential for the pain of rejection." This idea is one that is shared by many people on the web. Cyberdating is something that many people have immediate access to due to sites such as "blackpeoplemeet.com" and even "Facebook.com." This is just another way in which people have the ability to fulfill their needs whether it be physical or emotional. 

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The Price of "Cool".

The idea of "Cool" is one that has existed for many years and one that continues to exist because of the children of today. Kids work to portray their image as one that is cool and appealing to those around them. In his reading, "Friendship," Boyd allows the reader to understand why being cool is so important to kids and ways in which they display their cool-ness. Boyd discusses how the obsession of status in society by teens is due to the fact that they do not have much economic or political power. This can be seen primarily in schools. Teens take pride in their status/popularity because they understand that, to their peers, popularity is what separates students. Popularity and being cool is magnified once students enter the world of social media. Through social media, popular kids can build friends and exit the small/intimate circle of friends that they may have at school and enter a network full of friends from all over the world. This is another idea touched upon by Boyd, he touches on the point that social media allows for teens to develop friendships with people from all over who may be different from them. 

Understanding the effect that social media has on kids, at such a young age, I began to ask myself if ones need to become so accepted on social networks is actually a bad thing. Chris Bloor discusses the dangers of having so many friends on social networks when he says, "Maintaining a large group of friends takes our focus away from getting to know the characters of few trusted individuals. It becomes difficult to reflect on their advice." By analyzing this quote one understands that when you have such a large number of friends on social networks, you're mindset changes. If one has too many friends their mindset becomes one of conceit. This is trouble for kids who search for popularity on social media because it will either lead to vanity if the goal is achieved or depression if it goes the other way. In the end, the price of cool is a risk at hand. It calls for one to enter a world unknown and attempt to change who he/she may be in order to attract people they do not know. 

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Make Me Like Mike

In their article, "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter," authors Marwick and Boyd argue that celebrity is just a set of circulated strategies and practices that place fame on a continuum. This argument embodies the idea that "celebrity" has become just a facade, a mask that can be placed on the face of any one person that possesses such strategies and practices. In no one world is the mask of celebrity more obtainable than in the world of social media. Social media sites allow for common people to gain popularity through their talents and mold that popularity into the facade that is "celebrity." Through social media celebrity becomes much more obtaining, by all people, because it provides a commonality amongst individuals. This means that as soon as one person creates an account, whether it be a twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, that person shares something in common with a celebrity and that person is one step closer to the facade of celebrity. Going a step beyond the likens of twitter and Facebook, author Senft allows us to understand the importance of social media sites such as Vine and Youtube. Senft discusses the work of the web in the digital age. Explaining how digital technologies allow us to display ourselves as copies. Through Vine and Youtube not only is authenticity enhanced but replication is as well. The facade of celebrity is more obtainable and the ability to become your image of your favorite celebrity presents itself. Although the ability to obtain such an image is enhanced, there is still work that is required in order to reach the status of "celebrity." In his reading, "profile Picture, Right Here, Right Now," author Sarachan discusses the expectations of social media users. Sarachan makes it clear that in order to gain followers one can not simply exist on social networks. You must possess an identity and do certain things to maintain that identity. This, in turn, is yet another connection to celebrities due to the fact that celebrities possess identities whether it be performance identities or online personas. This is how regular people build fan bases on social networks, by fulfilling the expectations of their followers. 

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STAY MOTIVATED EVERYDAY

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"Run hard, guys - trust me." - TYLER HOLT!

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Boss.

Coldest

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Vintage Footwear.

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The Pocono Mountains.🌄