Social Networking and Identity:
- hyper-connectivity (constant connection), spread of social media, increase in online personal information - key factors which will interact to influence identities
- online self and 'true self' are not necessarily the same - 'true self' notion introduced by Carl Rogers - one of the founding fathers of physchotherapy
- John Bargh - concept of 'true self on the internet' - individuals tendencys to refer express real aspects of the self through anonymous platforms rather than face-to-face communication - the internet provides individuals with a unique opportunity for self-expression that encourages people to reveal their true self, including the aspects which are not comfortably expressed face-to-face - cyber communication could be regarded as more intimate and personal
- Erving Goffman (sociologist) described how in general we are always alert to how others react to us, continuously adpating our outward demeanour to ensure the best possible image - editing, curating
- Social networking has now resulted in three possible selves: the true self, the real self, and the hoped-for/possible self displayed on social networking sites - deliberatley constructed, socially desirable self to which individuals aspire but have not yet been able achieve
- advertise yourself unchallenged by the constraints of the real world
- dangerous gap could grow between the idealised 'front stage' you and the real 'back stage' you, leading to a feeling of disconnection and isolation
- exaggerated obsession with the self - narcissits (link to turkle) - social networking can demonstrably increase narcissism levels - exhibitionism, entitlement, exploitativeness, superiority, authority, vanity - such behaviour is linked to low self-esteem
- 'perfect' lives - people long desperatley for others to notice and interact with them - encourages the hoped-for/possible self
- 'if you see other people also as commodities for enhancing your percieved significance still further, you will be incapable of having the kind of human relatiosnhio essential for well-being'
- envy caused by self-comparison - decreased life satisfaction
- Klout Scores - social media scores that could become an 'ingredient' in job interviews
- The fact that importance is measured through social networking, that it depends on how much attention you attract and that this attention can be rewarded, is unlikely to bring out the best in anyone. What kind of lesson are you learning about relationships and indeed how you see yourself?
- Quitting social media has been termed 'virtual identity suicide'
- 'Social media removes evolutionary precautions and presses the accelerator on unfettered self-disclosure in a context where the usual brakes applied by normal interpersonal feedback are absent'
- self is publicised to an audience of hundres and held up to endless scrutiny and coment
Social Networking and Relationships
- new technology has fundamentally changed the way that we communication - we're not required to talk to each other
- verbal communication over the phone or in person has become increasingly less popular
- the type of emotional support that can be provided by these forms of communication turns out to be very inferior
- conversations over the phone or in person shown to indicate a reduction in stress levels - in regard to providing emotional support, messaging appears comparable to not speaking with anyone at all
- instead of body language, tone of voice and physical contact, the dominant vehicle for expression is words - misinterpretation - no matter how much you discuss your emotions, statements can't live up to true facial expressions
- interpersonal interaction is not sufficiently rehearsed - lacking in social skills
- Digital Natives - struggle to communicate face-to-face, shifted the development of romantic relationships online, couples prefer to get to know each other through the safety of their smartphones - Using the internet to make friends is linked to lower levels of well-being
- Development of interpersonal communication skills and empathy - ability to empathise with others keeps maturing well into our twenties
- 'emotional intelligence' - the ability, capacity, skill or a self-percieved ability to identify, assess and manage the emotions of ones self, of others and of groups
- correlation between soaring popularity of social networking sites and the decline in empathy
- reduced ability to communicate effectivley, associated with a lack of emotional intelligence, including poor performance on interpreting facial expressions
- deficits in the early stage of face-perception processing, impairment linked to a range of disorders including physcopathy and autism - possible associations between technology use and the later development of autism
- difference between online and offline relationships is that in the former you only show what you want, often cataloguing what you like and dislike
- cannot successfully hide what you may truly be feeling in a face-to-face situation with a friend - lack of rehersal of social skills may foretell a decline in deep and meaningful relationships - trust grows from empathy - miss out on deeper intimacy with others
- too much social networking can cross the line into interpersonal dysfunction and damage, displace time spent on relationship maintenance, lead to increased opportunity to communicate with ex-partners or potential partners, leads to jealousy and tempation in current relationships
- high levels of facebook use were associated with negative reationship outcomes, leading to cheating, break-ups and divorce - increased paranoia and jealousy
- continuing offline contact with an ex-romantic partner may disrupt emotional recovery - social media disrupts the process of healing and moving on from past relationships - unhealthy perseveration - lower personal growth easily accesible and difficult to resist infomation
- snooping on individuals is not only allowed but expected - stalking has been coined as 'social surveillance' - ability to pry freely and anonymously into the lives of others is a serious issue
- such sites are having a significant impact on interpersonal communication and hence relationships - there will be wider percussions for society as a whole
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