1-) In today’s society discovering ones sense of self can be
difficult. Media and communication are large elements when discovering ones sense
of self. While television and film may have once set the tone for what people
aspired to be, social media has now taken over. It is filled with images and
videos and different notions of what the typical male and female should be. How
each sex “should” be expected to represent themselves. This notion is not new. Each
decade had their own ideal for what was considered “normal”. There was the
fifties when women were expected to be a typical housewife, the eighties when
women started branching out and becoming career women, the early 2000’s showed
the evolution of a modern woman. That was all before social media was an
everyday component in people’s lives. Now, rather than having roles change
every few years, it appears that the roles are changing every few months. There
are so many different ideas of what people should or could be online that
discovering your own sense can be difficult.
One positive aspect that social media has helped evolve when developing ones sense of self is the many different identities that are now presented to people. There is no longer one set norm that everyone should aspire to. There are multiple categories of people each belonging to different sub-cultures. There is less pressure for every individual to conform to one sub-culture just because it is deemed the “norm”.
A negative aspect that comes along with social media is the constant ridicule that comes with expressing one’s self online. Social media allows for people to comment and destroy other people while remaining anonymous. It allows for people to verbally attack others for their own expressions without ever having to take responsibility for their actions.
2-) Social media is increasing the accountability of governments around the world. This has become increasingly apparent during the past few years and the negative focus that has been brought upon the Russian government. One of the most famous examples of Russia’s unethical treatment being publicized is the arrest and treatment of the Russian feminist rock protest group. They were famously jailed for two years after performing a song in protest of President Vladimir Putin. They were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". This treatment was heard of internationally, gaining special attention from the Western part of the world. Groups like Amnesty International took interest in the case. Though it was happening on the other side of the world, the constant stream of social media surrounding it kept the rest of the world not only up to date, but constantly interested in the wellbeing of these women. As a direct result one of the Pussy Riot members was freed, although the other two were forced to serve out their sentence.
Social media has not been an ally to Russia. During the 2014 Winter Olympics is Sochi, Russia negative attention was brought to the country for their unethical treatment of members of the L.G.B.T (Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual) Community.
Their disdain for anyone representing or associating with anyone in or a part of the L.G.B.T Community has become widespread due in large part to social media. They have even created laws that force the imprisonment of anyone who is suspected of being gay and allow children to be removed from any homes that involve gay parents. While 10-15 years ago this type of treatment may have gone unnoticed, the constant stream of social media pertaining to this unethical treatment is overwhelming. Many celebrities took to their own social media’s denouncing their support of the Olympic events due to the countries unethical actions. The country made many attempts to change its negative image, though it did little to help. Though social media may not have completely changed the way the Russian government acts, its constant interest has made the government more aware that there are people constantly watching.
3-) Privacy has long been viewed as a fundamental right. We are entitled to our private lives and our privacy. However in this day and age, with the constant stream of social media, privacy has become more of an illusion. It is easy to assume that no one is watching us during our private moments, that our intimate moments, conversations and thoughts are all our own. But with agencies like the National Security agency collecting both internet and phone records from multiple communication and technology firms, what is really private anymore?
Programs like shopper rewards and being on company emailing lists are ways that we are being surveyed that we aren’t even aware of. Everything that you put online and post about or for yourself is just another way for you to be monitored. Our everyday lives are monitored in more ways than we can imagine. A large majority of the privacy that we have lost has been because we as a society have given it away. Even the pictures we take with our smartphones are automatically tagged using geo-location information. The lines have become blurred of what is and what is not appropriate to post online. The difference between your social life and your private life has been erased.
Privacy is becoming a thing of the past, due in large part to social media. Society is making less and less of an attempt to make any changes to this. More and more social media has been popping up. Information is posted daily. As technology advances there are merely more ways for us as a society to give up more of our privacy. Rather than sit and read all 30 pages of a “Terms and Conditions” we click accept. Rather than read the agreement before signing up for a new social media, we click accept. We are the ones giving up our privacy by “accepting” that this is our new norm.
Citations
One positive aspect that social media has helped evolve when developing ones sense of self is the many different identities that are now presented to people. There is no longer one set norm that everyone should aspire to. There are multiple categories of people each belonging to different sub-cultures. There is less pressure for every individual to conform to one sub-culture just because it is deemed the “norm”.
A negative aspect that comes along with social media is the constant ridicule that comes with expressing one’s self online. Social media allows for people to comment and destroy other people while remaining anonymous. It allows for people to verbally attack others for their own expressions without ever having to take responsibility for their actions.
2-) Social media is increasing the accountability of governments around the world. This has become increasingly apparent during the past few years and the negative focus that has been brought upon the Russian government. One of the most famous examples of Russia’s unethical treatment being publicized is the arrest and treatment of the Russian feminist rock protest group. They were famously jailed for two years after performing a song in protest of President Vladimir Putin. They were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". This treatment was heard of internationally, gaining special attention from the Western part of the world. Groups like Amnesty International took interest in the case. Though it was happening on the other side of the world, the constant stream of social media surrounding it kept the rest of the world not only up to date, but constantly interested in the wellbeing of these women. As a direct result one of the Pussy Riot members was freed, although the other two were forced to serve out their sentence.
Social media has not been an ally to Russia. During the 2014 Winter Olympics is Sochi, Russia negative attention was brought to the country for their unethical treatment of members of the L.G.B.T (Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual) Community.
Their disdain for anyone representing or associating with anyone in or a part of the L.G.B.T Community has become widespread due in large part to social media. They have even created laws that force the imprisonment of anyone who is suspected of being gay and allow children to be removed from any homes that involve gay parents. While 10-15 years ago this type of treatment may have gone unnoticed, the constant stream of social media pertaining to this unethical treatment is overwhelming. Many celebrities took to their own social media’s denouncing their support of the Olympic events due to the countries unethical actions. The country made many attempts to change its negative image, though it did little to help. Though social media may not have completely changed the way the Russian government acts, its constant interest has made the government more aware that there are people constantly watching.
3-) Privacy has long been viewed as a fundamental right. We are entitled to our private lives and our privacy. However in this day and age, with the constant stream of social media, privacy has become more of an illusion. It is easy to assume that no one is watching us during our private moments, that our intimate moments, conversations and thoughts are all our own. But with agencies like the National Security agency collecting both internet and phone records from multiple communication and technology firms, what is really private anymore?
Programs like shopper rewards and being on company emailing lists are ways that we are being surveyed that we aren’t even aware of. Everything that you put online and post about or for yourself is just another way for you to be monitored. Our everyday lives are monitored in more ways than we can imagine. A large majority of the privacy that we have lost has been because we as a society have given it away. Even the pictures we take with our smartphones are automatically tagged using geo-location information. The lines have become blurred of what is and what is not appropriate to post online. The difference between your social life and your private life has been erased.
Privacy is becoming a thing of the past, due in large part to social media. Society is making less and less of an attempt to make any changes to this. More and more social media has been popping up. Information is posted daily. As technology advances there are merely more ways for us as a society to give up more of our privacy. Rather than sit and read all 30 pages of a “Terms and Conditions” we click accept. Rather than read the agreement before signing up for a new social media, we click accept. We are the ones giving up our privacy by “accepting” that this is our new norm.
Citations
- Gauntlett, David. Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. : Routledge, 2008. Print.
- Bertot, John Carlos, Paul T. Jaeger, and Derek Hansen.
"Government Information Quarterly." The impact of polices on government social media usage:
Issues, challenges, and recommendations 29 (): 30-40. Print.
- "The Surveillance Society | TIME.com." US
The Surveillance Society Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. .
<http://nation.time.com/2013/08/01/the-surveillance-society/>.
- "An introduction to the surveillance society." The
Surveillance Studies Network. N.p., n.d. Web. .
<http://www.surveillance-studies.net/?page_id=119>.
- "Surveillance society: 7 ways you're being watched, and
didn't know it." CTVNews. N.p., n.d. Web. .
<http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/surveillance-society-7-ways-you-re-being-watched-and-didn-t-know-it-1.1337075>.