What's also haunting is the way social media networks infiltrate our daily conversations (in person)! I've heard my friends discussing when the best time to change their profile pictures on facebook to maximize 'likes' - "8pm on Sunday - Tuesday is way different than 8pm Wed - Saturday" for example. The 'prime time' for maximizing likes, and the fact that this is a concern for people so much that it's a topic of discussion is really interesting. We're hanging out with friends in person talking about our digital lives and how best to portray our real lives. It's a trip!
But there are entire cultures created around these things that I'm not even aware of. I have a good friend who I don't follow on instagram (for the reason above) and apparently she posts multiple things a day to add to the 'image' she is portraying: healthy nut, yogi, dancer, artsy, musical etc. News to me, but my other friends apparently judge her and are annoyed with her instagram 'image' and it's influencing their view and relationship of her. Because I was unaware, I didn't even know of this. The overall treatment my other friends give her is that of a short fuse. When I had the option to look at her instagram, I refused, because I didn't want that to affect my perception of her. How do we separate media identity with 'real' human interaction identity? We find it hard not to factor in what so-and-so said on their facebook status when they repeat the story to you in person. It's a strange pull between communication online, what a person will project for the world to see, and whether or not we should acknowledge these things in personal communication. Looking at someone's information online still has the stigma that it's invasive, so we don't always bring up information we are privy to because it implies we gave this person attention online.
The phenomenon of being 'off the grid' and not having a facebook is something that infuriates potential interests, and disrupts the social exposure to parties, events and your friends' lives. It's become old hat to 'stalk' or look someone up when a person of interest (between girls and guys). It's a joke, but it's also kind of serious. We are given free reign to invade private lives, yet like tabloids and movie stars it all becomes public information and we are "allowed" to have a look. It's also a tool used for malicious intent - an ex posting pics of his new gf strategically tagged at a location significant to his ex gf for example. Human nature will continue to be the same, but now passive aggressive tendencies have a much larger outlet than ever before. The art of being direct takes so much extra courage and effort, especially since those you aim to be direct toward aren't prepared for that kind of communication either. We oscillate between the two it seems, some more than others, but the default communication seems to be all beating around the bush and denial of the 'real' between two people. Instagram, facebook, even twitter, brings so much stress to our already anxiety-ridden society. Worrying about which filter to choose, which hashtag to use, whether or not you even write "hashtags" or joke about it in person, "hashtag:____" you're still responding to culture. We are careful about image and staying consistent, and if we want to portray that we don't care about social media, we have to follow suit with the most nonchalant way of posting things. I was discussing this with a friend the other day - the whole passive, indirect communication which is achieved through indirect action. Having someone else sponsor your cause by doing the media communication, while never actually requesting they do so. It's a social cue between friends rather than a scheme. Lets say you want your ex to see you having a good time, you get your friend to post something, but you deny her the direct request and instead "hey can you get a pic of this?" and it is implied. Crazy huh?
Impertinence and faux-pas are still just as prevalent as they were in Jane Austen's time, but they have evolved and are magnified. The final post might be the 4th draft, the action of posting could be contrived through a measure of steps taken to hint the post should exist, and the act of posting is always to achieve some means. Psychologically, we can have a field day looking at people who post that they got a mosquito bite or had a bagel 'on the reg'.
Megan's point about how media is supposed to bring people together yet isolates them is also so true. Social identity is one thing I think about from time to time. How do we portray ourselves? Why do we feel the need to do so? Is it one giant pissing match between you and your friends and (frienimies) about who is happiest, coolest? I've never had an instagram, and I don't want one. Facebook frightens me enough! I also rarely use Snapchat, and I have seen relationships go up in flames because not the girlfriend is the boyfriend's top friend on Snapchat. There is a sense of denial when public 'tell tails' reveal perhaps true feelings. "It's just snapchat, it doesn't mean anything" I've heard them say. Just because it's something publicly shown, people feel like they can hide behind it as an illusion when they want to, by deeming all of this social network media a bunch of hogwash. But when we want it to be legitimate when it's not, the reverse is true.
Not having a presence on one of these networks spares you the exposure to things that you'd rather not see. Social networking is one giant Mardi Gras or Carnival! We get to control (when it comes from us or our friends) or conceal whatever we want, and we project our characters onto a screen to be viewed and admired, but we don't often use it to be just ourselves. Aphra Behn's The Rover is a perfect example of the way signs we project get mixed around and affect our relationships and interactions, when they may be the furthest from our true identity or intent. It's a chance for everyone to be an actor, for everyone to become a character starring in their own screenplay or novel. And when we build false identities and then false-ish relationships in tow, what happens when we are forced to let the real come through? Don't even get me started on the online dating thing. People can't keep up illusions for long, so I guess all I'm trying to say is be as real as you can be, and leave your social agendas out of media networking. (Yeah, right).
This is one of the most incredible scenes I've seen. It's so haunting, beautifully done, and is so unbelievably sickening. What gets me about the character of Patrick Bateman is the way he talks like a commercial, documentary host, or radio host. He speaks in generalities and uses exact, emotionless names for objects. It's as if he is entirely made up of and fabricated by words he has picked up from every cliche. "There is no Patrick Bateman. There is no real me... I simply am not there." Mask Scene from American Psycho:
https://soundcloud.com/meegcartier
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