A few weeks ago, the
point was made in class that many social media users care more about
documenting an experience than actually living the experience itself.
(I believe this was the day we watched the “I Forgot My Phone”
video.) I see myself as a “light” social media user and so it was
a shock for me to realize that I have actually done this in the past.
To set the scene: It's
a sunny day in London. I have just gotten off the train at Euston
Station and am immersed in the towering, cultured city for the very
first time. Do I head off and start touring parks? Do I sit down and
enjoy a cup of tea in this foreign wonderment? No; instead, I take
out my camera and begin what will be a never-ending photo session of
the city. All the while I am taking these pictures, all I can think
is, “This would be a great thing to show on Facebook” or “Wait
until my friends back home see what I'm doing now.” By the end of
my two day trip, I had taken over 500 pictures—but I cannot say
that I really got to enjoy London. I was so caught up in documenting
the experience to show online that I did not really live out those
two days.
But my Facebook
friends that saw those pictures would tell you that I had the time of
my life.
In the class readings, Katie Roipie's article, in the latter part,
explains how adults even show a less natural version of themselves on
Facebook. She states that “Facebook is the novel we are all
writing.” I believe that this idea is seen in my incessant
documenting and posting of my trip's photos. Regardless of how I
actually experienced the event, I wanted my Facebook friends to see
my experience a certain way. And I can admit that I wanted a few of
them to be jealous, especially the Facebook friends who never got to
leave my small hometown: here I am in London, doing all these
great things...and what have you been up to? The
Facebook novel that I was writing in this instance showed myself as
having grand, exciting experiences although the process of writing
that “novel” made sure that wasn't necessarily so.
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