Blurring the Lines: when the potential becomes actual

Figure 1. Blurred Blue (Kratochvil, n.d).

by Charmaine Chong

My blog is about Reality & Virtuality, a narrative delivered through social networks to promote the human and innate desire to communicate and to validate their existence. Patterns of human behavior no limitations which engages audience’s ability to communicate in tones which we necessarily would not use in verbal conversations. The reality of accessibility to one’s personal life can sometimes be harming and detrimental. In contemporary society the convenience to communicate, provide information, and manage our finances and professional roles is becoming how we operate within life. When I first joined Facebook it gave me the sense that I could connect with a wider world in particular friends and family and that it was a safe space and I that could be in the same place but yet those so far would appear so close. Since studying BA1002 this has increased my knowledge and understanding of Facebook and how we can use the network to our advantage and how information can be shared to make change about certain issues. My decision to deactivate my Facebook account was based on information which I considered to be superficial.

 The reality of Facebook being a social network where users are thought to be authentic is not the case but more so a choice (Kirkpatrick, 2010). The lines of reality and virtuality within Facebook is blurred and deliberate by most active users. Our interaction with social network has become increasingly influential which in turn has reduced face to face interaction. We are immersed in the virtual reality of Facebook which enables us to exist with little control of what is posted and how this can influence other people’s perceptions of who we are. What is seen in virtual sense does not reflect who you really are offline. Our identity is reconceptualised in ways we do not give permission for and did not envisage when signing onto a social network.

Facebook is the medium and the message Stanner (as cited in Kuttainen, 2017) and can be empowering for communities to raise awareness, dissemination of information and mobilize groups into action. I have observed a variety of issues such as safety and domestic violence campaigns and participated in online petitions. The use of virtual social network to make change in the real world can influence people in power and reach the broader community and can be more inclusive but then can marginalize those without access. Real changes occurred such as funding domestic violence resources and decision making by the relevant authorities.











References

Kratochvil, P. (n.d). Blurred blue [Image]. Retrieved from http://all-free-download.com/free photos/download/flower-and-blurred-background_206798.html

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 6 [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

McNeill,L. (2012). There is no “I” in network:Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 65-82. Doi: 10.1353/bio.2012.0009

Wired. (2010). Is Facebook ruining human friendships? Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2010/11/is-facebook-ruining-human-friendships/