Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Self Presentation on Facebook

Dear Mendelson & Papacharissi,

You bring up a really interesting fact that the photos on Facebook are a reflection of the self we want to portray. Like it said in the article, most often the pictures that are posted on Facebook consist of typical “college” experiences. In my own experience going through other’s and my own pictures on Facebook this is exactly the case. There are few pictures of my family and I or my housemates on a regular weekday night. Majority of the photos are from going out or going to sorority events. The reason for most of the pictures is to have memories of nights out with friends, however, the reason to share them online is to show everyone how much fun you have in college. It’s pretty comical how much my generation cares about what each other is thinks of them. We want other people to care about what we are doing and there is really no clear reason why. In fact, what you post on Facebook, especially pictures that may involve partying and drinking, could end up hurting the person’s future. In today’s job market, employers are looking up potential candidates on Facebook to see what kind of person they are even before they call them for interviews. What’s worse, Facebook’s privacy settings are so complicated that it is hard to be sure your tagged photos are hidden. With Facebook and other social networks nothing is private, and we seem to like it that way. By continuing to post pictures, statuses, and location updates online, we are welcoming people into our personal lives.



Sincerely,
Chelsey Berger

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