R5: Would the Real Jacob Kjerulf Please Stand Up?

Subjectivation is how we as individuals construct ourselves as we want others to see us. For instance, what we share about ourselves with others through what we wear or say will give them an idea about who we are as individuals. On social media this can be taken a step further through what we like and share. There is no longer a need to directly tell someone an aspect of themselves that helps define their identity as they can more simply share an article, video, or song that will get the same message across. Of course all of us want to be liked so we may relent on sharing posts that could be received unfavorably. As Tim Rayner states "we speak to a crowd of our personal preferences, and we like nothing more than for the crowd to affirm those preferences in return." So there is a bit of a balancing act between sharing who we are and having our identity accepted by others. 


My posts on social media usually consist of music and funny videos because those are just two things I really enjoy. As someone who also closely follows politics (global & domestic) I may share an article about how Germany is attempting to pass a law that would forbid fake news. Obviously fake news played a detrimental role in the recent presidential election, so to spread the word about how one country is actively trying to eliminate it would hopefully engage some activism as this is something I strongly think people of all nations need to get behind. I am also a huge fan of the New York Knicks so I might share an article on what needs to change with the team so that they can get back to being a respected franchise because lets be honest, they're embarrassing. This kind of post would let people know that I care about my team and am also really frustrated with them.


Of course there are some aspects of one's identity that people prefer to keep to themselves and wouldn't want to share, and this goes for reality as well as social media. I have a huge interest in films and enjoy reading about production updates and what kind of feel the film may be going for. this interest becomes heightened when the film is an adaptation of a book I read, so I obviously want the film to turn out well. This recent article on latest adaptation of Stephen King's It gives me a little insight into what the film needs to do in order to be successful given its subject matter and how it looks so far. As stated before, music is something I really enjoy as I analyze it, read about lyrical interpretations, and follow a variety of artists. However, I would not share any such articles about this  because it is really only something that I care to know and don't feel like other people do. Recently Kendrick Lamar released a new single and some of its lyrics were lambasted by feminists. While I didn't understand why there were many voices across the internet explaining why some women were not okay with what were meant to be positive lyrics. So this is something that gave me a better understanding of the situation through reading another persons perspective on the lyrics. While both of these examples would give people a better idea of my identity they are also things I really only care to indulge in alone.

Works Cited

Araton, Harvey. "The Difference Between the Nets and the Knicks? The Nets Have a Plan." New York Times. 17 Mar 2017. Web. 5 Apr 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/sports/basketball/brooklyn-nets-new-york-knicks-phil-jackson.html?_r=0.

Faiola, Anthony and Stephanie Kirchner. "How do you stop fake news? In Germany, with a law." Washington Post. 5 Apr 2017. Web. 5 Apr 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/how-do-you-stop-fake-news-in-germany-with-a-law/2017/04/05/e6834ad6-1a08-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?utm_term=.db28ce49b3ca.

Katz, Brandon. "Fear of Clowns: How Stephen King’s New ‘It’ Movie Is Going to Succeed." Observer. 3 Apr 2017. Web. 5 Apr 2017. http://observer.com/2017/04/stephen-king-it-remake-movie-bill-skarsgard/.

Rayner, Tim. "Foucault and Social Media: Life in a Virtual Panopticon." Philosophy for Change. WordPress, 11 Nov 2012. Web. 5 Apr 2017. https://philosophyforchange.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/foucault-and-social-media-life-in-a-virtual-panopticon.

Roland, Dria. "Why Kendrick Lamar's Good Intentions Led to a Bad Dragging." Complex. 5 Apr 2017. Web. 5 Apr 2017. http://www.complex.com/music/2017/04/kendrick-lamar-had-good-intentions-with-humble.