Facebook and Human Identity

A little while ago I was on York University’s website, when I noticed an advertisement for an article written by psychology students who had done a research study on personality and facebook. Interestingly enough the article was talking about how there is a high correlation between narcissism and facebook (makes sense… but just feels better when the science kids have stats to prove it!). It talked about how it was found that those who photoshoped their profile pictures were more likely to have narcissistic tendencies (once again… Duh… lol). But what I found quite interesting is this idea of creating an identity that either feeds an already narcissistic personality or aids in adding a little confidence to an unsure one.

Photos of you and your friends, an actual list of the number of friends you have, profile pictures, self-descriptions, wall posts, “likes”, and even what you choose to post on someone else’s wall. All these things are watched by your “friends” on facebook (interestingly enough the list of people you have on facebook are all called “friends” but… my oh my… I have seen that this label cannot be called accurate). But all the things I listed above can easily be sculpted into what a person wants to display. Basically what I am saying here is the social networking powerhouse we like to call facebook is an attempt for human beings to try to create a meaningful identity. People either create this identity for themselves, or for others to see. But what’s the point in creating an identity? To me, seems like everything we do… is usually done to add some kind of purpose to what can seem like an empty existence. So we create this identity to convey who we are or might want to be. We all have that friend on facebook with something like… 600 friends and bajillions of photoshopped pictures of themselves. So my question is why? And my answer is identity.

A person’s self-concept has a huge role to play in this. Identity is linked to your self-concept and your identity needs the base of confidence in order to be functional. By self-concept I am referring to the understanding of who you are and having confidence in this identity. A healthy self-concept is usually created and solidified by the age of 22-65. Before and after this age rang is usually linked to self-esteem issues (oh joy). RANDOM THOUGHT: Is it just me or has anyone else noticed elderly people become so damn emo when they get old. “Well… I’ve only got a few more years to go…” “It’s okay, I won’t be here long” etc. etc. JEBUS oldie getcho self together! At such an old ripe age they should be enjoying life and spreading their knowledge like friggen peanut butter, not sitting in a room talking about how they’re going to die tomorrow at their grandchild’s 2^nd birthday party (thank you… just thanks. What a great way to create a joyous atmosphere). When I turn into wrinkly-white-haired-saggy-boobed-Rav I know imna be rockin my one piece on a beach somewhere in mexico, drinking my pina colada and eating my fresh cheesecake. I will never be an emo oldie. Tis a promise to myself, tis a promise to the world.

Anyways… back on topic. Facebook seems to help people create their own identity to add meaning to their lives. This is quite an obvious idea, but interesting nonetheless. So from this we could ask how technology affects identity. By creating identities of ourselves, are we able to better understand who we really are? Or are we just becoming more lost? I’m afraid… I haven’t the slightest idea.  In some ways it seems like technology individualizes humans. In other ways it seems like it’s creating a group of unaware… confused retards. Perhaps it’s a mix…

I find it quite interesting how people find things that might add meaning to their lives and latch on to it. I read a quote once that went something like this:

                “Your birth is a mistake you’ll spend your whole life trying to correct.” –Chuck Palahniuk

Interesting thought… and very true.  I feel like people latch on to things that aid in giving their life importance. They help to “correct” this idea of an empty existence that really isn’t their fault at all. In order to understand the meaning of your existence you first start with who you are, and it seems only natural that people would latch on to facebook so passionately.

Okay I know I am making humans sound so sad and… confused. As stretched out as this idea this might sound like (facebook and the meaning of life O_O)… it definitely does have some truth.

So what about loneliness? Are we more connected to people through facebook or are we just more reassured of our loneliness? The interesting thing is… (I admit this included me when I was in grade 11ish) I have talked to a bunch of people and they have agreed that facebook can be damn depressing at times. You have all these people on there like “Look at me! Look at what I did last night! Aren’t we crazy fun!” written all over their profile pictures. And then you can’t stop your face from meshing into that “forever alone” meme (bum chin and all). Now it seems like facebook has no effect on me besides the terribly unflattering twitchy-eyed shots that I get tagged in, but I admit… at one point it did (confessions). Perhaps facebook has the ability to keep us connected to those we choose to stay connected with. But it also has the ability to remind us of the world outside our lives that we are not included in.  

Overall seems like technology really raises some interesting questions. Does it help us form an identity or cause us to create a fake one, and loose ourselves in the process? Does facebook connect us to people or make us more aware of how disconnected we really are? Baffling indeed… but besides all of this… Mark Zuckenburg… Rav is proud of thee.

And genius ideas like facebook… well that makes me feel hearts&sheit son.

~YE YEE!

<3 

For the people who "legit" use slang...

Ever meet people that actually talk (seriously) like they came from the ghettoes of New Jersey when in reality,  they were your childhood neighbour from a middle-class suburban residential area...Yeah... this ones for them.

So everyone wants an identity.They want to be known for who they are individually but they simultaneously want to be accepted by those around them. When you have categories placed in front of you like: "gangster", "nerd" etc... and at the same time your still trying to figure out who you are, you do the easiest thing--you pick one and identify with it.

In my opinion we develop and we grow into who we are before we actually become cognitively aware of who we really are. It seems to me that our childhood development paired with genetic inheritance plus the environment we are faced with creates who we are and we don't even know it!

Can we choose who are parents are? No we cant. Can we choose what happens to us as children while growing up? No we cant (considering we are too young to even understand half the stuff around us, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't impact us). Can we choose how introverted/extroverted we are? According to genetics, no, we cant. So by the time we have the cognitive ability of introspection most of our likes/dislikes emotionality (genetic based), and essentially why we are the way we are has been put together already. So then comes the identity crisis.. around the pre-teens (oh joy!). Trying to figure out where you belong, trying to understand who you are, finding role models, all that good stuff. At this stage you start to work with who you are and further sculpt the person you want to be, more or less for the rest of your life.

This sculpting process to me... is extremely important. You can try to be that positive, open minded, relaxed person or you can end up the close-minded, angry-with-life-grab-me-another-alcoholic-beverage-dude who spends his days feeling sorry for himself because he doesn't realize he never worked out his inner conflicts. So basically you can either make your life easier (by becoming a more sociable, and emotionally intelligent individual) or make your life hella hard by flooding your life with negativity and not believing in "self improvement" Jez humans are so complex.

Anyway's the point I'm struggling to make here is that if you be you... you will find people that accept you for you and those are the people you should hold on to. You don't need slang to show people you've got swag... the true swag master's swag is one that comes from being yourself. Awwe yee. and that... well that makes me feel hearts.

~Heart and sheit. ye yee