Blog #2: Thinking Beyond the Profile Picture

The world took an interesting turn with the advancement of a new form of technology: social networking. Social networking, initially birthed in 1977 with CompuServe Networks, has changed the way people interact (class notes, slideshow 10). 

According to class notes, a social network system must fulfill three requirements: (1) enables users to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulates a list of users that they share a connection with, and (3) allows the user to view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. Of course, in its’ earliest forms it was simply a means by which users could share files but as the technology progressed, online social networking began to change the way our world communicates.

Social Networking has evolved through many different platforms such as Friendster, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These platforms, innovated by different people, have emphasized certain forms of media over other forms. For example, Instagram is a social network that allows people to post pictures with the help of their photo editing tools while Twitter is much more geared towards computer mediated communication.

However, the important thing to understand is that the purpose of both Twitter and Instagram, and for all existent social networking platforms, is to enable users to connect with other users. It’s safe to say that Facebook, or founder Mark Zuckerberg, has become the guru of online social networking.

Although social networking has its benefits, there are some things to watch out for when it comes to this rapidly advancing technology. Mark Flynn, Ph.D. and Department of Communication at Coastal Carolina, conducted a study that tested the relationship between exposure to body ideal images and self-body image.

He concluded, “SNSs are unique in that they expose not only users to pictures of their ‘friends’ but also to traditional media images of the body ideal (through shared photos, external links, and advertisements). The confluence and abundance of these pictures and images in one online space may significantly impact users’ body image.” (244).

Flynn’s study can help us to better understand the impact that social networking has on one’s self-perception. It’s possible that social networking may be impacting its’ users in ways that they are unaware.

Considering that social networking is mostly consistent of self-presentation (user profiles), users need to rediscover the line between reality and altered presentation.

Reference:

Flynn, Mark. (2016). The Effects of Profile Pictures and Friends’ Comments on Social Network Site Users’ Body Image and Adherence to the Norm. CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 19(4), 239-245.

Something worth disussing

Something worth discussing is the Apple Lisa.

According to past class discussions, it was the first GUI PC, created by Apple Inc. This is arguably one of the more significant technological inventions because it made the process of using a PC far easier.

The first home PC was the Altair 8800, but it didn’t have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or software. The computer was the most interesting technology we discussed because of the way it has impacted our gathering and sharing of information. The GUI PC created a new kind of relationship and experience between the PC and its user.

According to a class lecture, more than 90% of homes have some form of a PC. With technology moving forward, the PC will be the basis for how future inventions are constructed to meet the needs of the public.