Subjectivation in Social Media
In Rayner's essay he discusses how people use social media to create new identities for themselves and express their thoughts to an audience that is always watching them, through the virtual Panopticon that is the internet. When we post something on social media we are carefully cultivating a specific online persona that our followers identify us with. This is especially true in the professional world where members of a company need to be very aware of how they present themselves online, Rayner mentions this in saying "We constantly engage in processes of subjectivation in our professional lives, especially when we are cultivating a professional identity. Twitter and other social media services can be useful tools for exploring and experimenting with identities".
Sharing is such an integral part the internet and social media now that most online articles have buttons that will share the article directly to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. But because everyone can see what you share on your social media there are some unspoken "rules" to what you should share and how you should respond to your audience's reaction. "The rules of the game are simple: [1] share only what you love or what resonates with you; [2] pay attention to the feedback you receive from the crowd and modify your posts accordingly; [3] don’t stray too far from the truth" (Rayner). I rarely share anything on my social media anymore, especially Facebook because I've lost interest in it, but I still follow Rayner's "rules" when I do share articles. An article I would share would be one about my favorite video game right now since I have friends that also play this game so they would also enjoy the article. I would also share an article about a cat cafe that is coming to Baltimore because who doesn't love cats?
However, I would not share this article about living with anxiety because that is something very personal and I wouldn't want to share it with all of my followers on Twitter or Facebook. I also wouldn't share this article about the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad, even though this topic is very relevant right now I honestly do not want that to start arguments on my Facebook feed because I know there are a lot of conflicting views on the matter.
Sharing is such an integral part the internet and social media now that most online articles have buttons that will share the article directly to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. But because everyone can see what you share on your social media there are some unspoken "rules" to what you should share and how you should respond to your audience's reaction. "The rules of the game are simple: [1] share only what you love or what resonates with you; [2] pay attention to the feedback you receive from the crowd and modify your posts accordingly; [3] don’t stray too far from the truth" (Rayner). I rarely share anything on my social media anymore, especially Facebook because I've lost interest in it, but I still follow Rayner's "rules" when I do share articles. An article I would share would be one about my favorite video game right now since I have friends that also play this game so they would also enjoy the article. I would also share an article about a cat cafe that is coming to Baltimore because who doesn't love cats?
Works Cited:
Borresen, Kelsey. "14 Things to Know If You Love Someone with Anxiety." Huffingtionpost.com. The Huffington Post, 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 6 Apr. 2017.
Hussain, Tamoor. "Overwatch Director Talks Abandoned Cat Hero, Patching Out Genji, And More." GameSpot. GameSpot, 04 Apr. 2017. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.
Meehan, Sarah. "Charm Kitty, Baltimore's First Cat Cafe, Is Preparing to Open at Whitehall Mill." Baltimoresun.com. The Baltimore Sun, 03 Mar. 2017. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.
Rayner, Tim. "Foucault and Social Media: Life in a Virtual Panopticon." Philosophy For Change. 21 June 2012. Web.
Solon, Olivia. "Kendall Jenner's Pepsi Ad Criticized for Co-opting Protest Movements for Profit." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 04 Apr. 2017. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.
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