Zaidmo’s Weblog

My Essay

October 16, 2008 at 7:01 pm (Uncategorized)

            Identity is something only oneself can control. Most people tend to have two identities because people act differently when in public and private. The most common example of two identities is a public identity and an online identity. A lot of people use web 2.0, more commonly known as social networking.  Social networking sites really show the true identity of a person. Sites like Facebook and MySpace allow people to get to know other peoples true feelings. These social networking sites become so addicting to people that people would put the most secretive things online without thinking about the consequences. Social impacts come in bunches. If someone is a star athlete and hang out with the “cool” people, people start to notice and like to become friends with people who are popular so they can get a better reputation. Social impacts can also influence people who do something wrong and everyone starts to turn their backs on the person and they lose their whole social life. The future of different identities and social networking is endless and the potential is as high as the ceiling.

            Some people if not most have two identities, a private identity and a public identity. It is very surprising to see how much people are more different in person then in public and how much people are more different in public then in person. Personally I think I have one identity because I can honestly say that I am the same in public and the same in front of my family and the people I am close to. I have met many people who have two identities. When I see them at school there very shy and quiet and like to keep the chatter down to a minimum but when they are with there friends it’s a whole new story. They speak non-stop and speak at the top of there lungs. Others are the complete opposite. When they are in the public they like to be the center of attention and try very hard to get a few looks here and there. Most people’s true identity is shown online. One of my classmates believe that people tend to have two identities because online you don’t have to worry what people think about you and therefore you can express yourself anyway you want. In the real world your peers will judge your actions but online everyone is anonymous with the use of fake names and avatars. Identity can be examined and put together by likes and dislikes. Many social networking sites have groups where people from all over the world talk about the things they are interested. The most frequent example I always use is sports related. In common situations the people who join sports group are usually interested in sports and have athletic ability and knowledge about news in the sports world. Identity really is something that can only be controlled by oneself as it can change at any given scenario.

            Social networking sites are the big things on the internet these days. With over 200 million people on these sites each day and the number increases day by day. The two most used social networking websites are MySpace and Facebook. These two social networking websites have a combined of 180 million accounts. Social networking allows people of all groups and cultures to come together and discuss issues. These sites also allow people to interact with one another and put up pictures. Many people are addicted to social networking sites and without thinking they put up pictures because they feel good when someone writes something good about them. People put their personal information and because they are so addicted to the site they forget that sexual predators and pedophiles do exist. Social sites over the Internet could also bring up conflicts between people because one person might say something disrespectful about a person or write a bad comment and the other person might reply back in a rude way and a verbal war could arise. Social networking sites bring out the true character of people. With most of the world having two identities one real and one virtual identity, social networking sites are the headquarters of people expressing there thoughts without worrying about anything. Social networking sites give people power and freedom to say whatever they want without regretting it after since most of the comments and arguments are done anonymously. Social networking websites have their advantages but they also have their flaws.

            Social impacts are very crucial. More specifically in the life of a teenager in there high school years. I think high school is the most important part of a teenagers life because all the rapid changes. With all the changes that go on during high school, social impacts make your high school years ones to remember or ones to forget. My most frequent example that I always refer to is the individuals who are dubbed as the “jocks.” The athletes are usually at the top of the social chain because many people are interested in hanging out with the athletic kids and sports are a great way for people to get recognition from their peers if they do anything spectacular during the games. Most of the time sports are a great way to make friends and socialize about events taking place. Social impacts can take a positive hit on a person’s social life but it can also take a negative hit. A very obvious example from the documentary frontline was the little boy that committed suicide. He was riding a social high when he thought the popular girl liked him. To his own demise, he realized all of it was a joke and did the foolish thing of killing himself. Not only did the boy get played but he also had to deal with everyone ridiculing him because someone started a rumor that he was gay. A lot of negative social impacts include people being called names because they’re fat, dress differently, sound differently, academically gifted but distinguished as the “nerds.” Vice versa, the positive social impacts include the athletes, the people who dress nicely and look good, the trouble makers and the jokers. These social impacts might help you get a reputation in high school but where would it help someone in the future when they have to work in the real world.

            The future of social networking and different identities is endless. Most of the world’s transactions are coming to the net. Online banking is already established on the net, buying online merchandise, etc. Forums are loaded with people talking about their favourite topics and sharing their thoughts and opinions about the topics. Phones nowadays are coming out with files that allow you to visit social networking sites and socialize. I think the future of social networking sites is that people will have to start paying to use these sites. I personally think social networking sites are a significant waste of time. People become so attached to these sites that they completely lose there train of thought and let the hours fly just sitting in front of the screen. With social networking sites being so highly in demand by all ages I think the designers of these sites are going to start putting a price tag on there product. Since people waste hours and hours of time using social networking sites, people will be forced to pay because there addictiveness to web 2.0. I strongly think that these sites are similar to smoking and caffeine. Once they get attached it becomes very difficult for people to stop. I think the future of social networking will bring some serious funds to the economy.

            Identities are something that can change any given second and can be questioned quite easily. Many people seem to be one thing in front of others and something different in front of other people. Social networking sites are becoming so popular these days that it is very possible that in a few years their will be many cases that deal with online sexual predators and stalkers because people put information on their accounts without understanding how significant the consequences could be. Social impacts can be positive or negative. Social impacts also give people confident and can also take away confidence from people. I don’t think people should try hard to be amongst the cool kids but rather we should all try to hang out with different people who can help us for the better. There are numerous possibilities of how far social networking sites can go and I think the future is looking bright for social networking sites but the future for society and producing intellectual citizens is fading.

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Frontline: Identity

October 9, 2008 at 6:27 pm (Uncategorized)

For this assignment i am hoping that you can provide your views and opinions about identity to help me further my research. The question I want to ask is if you believe people have two identities. The morale of the documentary revolved around two identities. One that is online and one that is in the general public. Personally, I think i have the same identity online and in public. I’ve stopped using facebook and stuff like that cause its a waste of time and i barely go on msn but i still do visit forums about topics that interest me, specifically basketball. I would like to know if you have two identities or one or if you think most people have two identities and why people appear to have two identities rather then just one and how far will social networking go in the future.

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