R5: "Who is that Girl I See?"

                                                          Who is that Girl I See?
     Foucault’s argument about “subjectivation” is related to the way we form our “selves” with relations to the people, objects, and institutions around us. Foucault is arguing that we as human are malleable and transformable, in the sense that, we alter ourselves or the image of ourselves because of our interactions with our surroundings. If one wants to become popular, the institution of popularity influences us. We then try to fit in with that crowd, by mirroring the mannerism, clothing style, and everything that members of that group do, in order to be accepted by them. This can be related to social media, in the sense that we can be whoever we want to be online. Social media profiles are subjective, they allow users to create a sense of self through the posts they share with those who they allow to see their profile. With social media, it is not just the posts that one posts,which creates our persona or our online persona. Rather, it is the posts, the people we select to view these posts, and what platform is used, and the reasons why one is posting; all factor into social media usage and formation of one's online persona. 

       Tim Rayner, author of the online blog post, “Foucault and Social Media: Life in a Virtual Panopticon” comments on the effect that the online community plays on one’s mind and how that factors into the choices one makes on their social media profiles. Rayner states,

Just as actors on stage know that they are being watched by the audience and tailor their behaviour to find the best effect, effective use of social media implies selecting and framing content with a view to pleasing and/or impressing a certain crowd. We may not intend to do this but it is essential to doing it well. Unless we are sharing anonymously (Rayner).

Rayner highlights the fact that despite creating these online personal profiles as a way of expressing ourselves, we as users are still subjected to the peer pressure that stems from society and the members of the groups in which we desire to be a part of. That desire to fit in along with the pressure to make sure that every post aligns with the values and mannerisms of that specific group is projected to the online world. Yes, we may be behind a screen and our friends and followers do not see the million selfies we took in order to post to the "one" that will get the most likes, but there is something subjectively influencing that post. What is it? One simply needs to go to a person’s page and look at what is there. Are you trying to become a fashion blogger? Do you only post outfit photos or staged “candid” photos for a million likes? Are you posting for popularity measured in the amount of likes, or are you trying to update your family about your life? Some way or the other, there is something driving you to post.

          For me a lot of my social media posts revolve around my friends, family, music, and soccer. For most people that know me, they know my love for soccer and my favorite team—Real Madrid.

Team Crest for Real Madrid

I will constantly share match updates and any new articles about transfer updates, match analysis, and anything really interesting about the team. The one you would currently see at this point on my social media would be articles analyzing the fate of head coach Zinedine Zidane. Most of my friends and family know how much I disliked a lot of the past coaches, and I truly believe in the teaching and coaching power of Zidane. So, any article that analyzes his match choices and his potential future at the club, I will share. I want to hear others and their opinions’ about him or his coaching. Another post you might often see relates to my foreign family. I am very opinionated about the government and especially when it comes to my second home, where my parents are from Trinidad. Right now, there is a lot going on with the government, you are either for the party

or you are not. But all of that politics plays a role in the response to the rise in murders and kidnappings of young women down there. So, quite often you will see me post about the injustices many women face and my blatant disgust about the rise in crime and lack of response from the government. I usually try to read the news daily, but it gets hard to sit there and read.

     One of the things that I rarely ever post about reflect an aspect of my identity is the notion of stress and not managing it well. For me, I have a lot to deal with in regards to school, work, and my family. So, while I know I’m stressed and I may not always handle it the best. I tend not to voice my issue of dealing with it to others. I tend to not show others how stressed I may be

about my semester or how I’m worried about my grades in a certain class. And finding articles, that emphasize putting your mental health first are relevant to me, but I’d rather as this article “RisingNumber of Stressed Students Seek Help” by Sean Coughlin state “Suffer in Silence” and it’s a personal choice.

     For me, social media is just an extension of who I am if you met me in real life. I try to have fun on it by sharing funny videos, photos, or links to articles that link to what I like and enjoy. But like everyone else in the world, there are certain aspects of my life that I wish to keep private from others.                                                            

Works Cited

Coughlan, Sean. "Rising Numbers of Stressed Students Seek Help." BBC News. BBC, 30 Sept. 2015.

Web. 29 Mar. 2017. <http://www.bbc.com/news/education-34354405>.

Lee, Kristen. "Your Mental Health Is More Important Than Your Grades." The Huffington Post.

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-lee-costa/your-mental-health-is-mor_b_8357368.html>.

Rayner, Tim. "Foucault and Social Media: Life in a Virtual Panopticon." Philosophy for Change.

Wordpress, 11 Nov. 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2017. <https://philosophyforchange.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/foucault-and-social-media-life-in-a-virtual-panopticon/#more-3866>.

The Multimedia Express. "Six Girls Are Missing: Cops Asking for Help." Daily Express. Daily         

            Express,07 Mar. 2017. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.      
           <http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170307/news/six-girls-are-missing-cops-asking-for-help>.

Train, Rob. "Zinedine Zidane Faces Make-or-break Month of April with Real ." ESPNFC.com.

ESPN, 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 29 Mar. 2017. <http://www.espnfc.com/club/real-madrid/86/blog/post/3092014/zinedine-zidane-faces-make-or-break-month-of-april-with-real-madrid>.