Facebook posts, particularly status updates, are a great way to hide behind a false sense of self. I remember reading a wonderful quote from an acquaintance I had made a while ago that had a lot of great meaning and influence. One day when I saw that person, I almost couldn't believe I was talking to the same person. Not to say that people can't be happy one day and then sad the next, but she was proclaiming very strong religious beliefs on her Facebook and then hypocritically went against it like it didn't even matter right in front of me. I came to the conclusion that just because someone writes something great or portrays themselves as a good person through words on a Facebook post doesn't mean that's who they really are.
Don't just Trust the Profile.
It's hard for me to read almost anything on Facebook unless it's a photo caption or title to a video to explain what I'm watching (even though those can be deceiving at times as well). In these cases the written word becomes a down fall and a crutch to benefit the selfish motives of the author and what they would have you perceive them to be. I trust more now in meeting people face-to-face and getting to know them through direct conversation rather than trust their online bios and profiles.
I totally agree that people create these personas through social media. This is more than just detrimental to their images, however. As a society, it is important that individuals define their own self-worth. While this is easy to say, it's not easily done--leading many to judge themselves based on others. By portraying yourself idealistically to the world, there will be even more of a struggle in society to reach an unrealistic ideal.
ReplyDeleteYou're right that anonymity (or at least some kind of separation between the writer and reader) affects the way that people portray themselves. However, interacting with people on a superficial level can sometimes be just as deceptive. There have been times when I have been completely taken aback upon realizing what was hiding deep in the hearts of people that I interact with frequently. On the flip side, just because some people don't represent themselves accurately on Facebook doesn't mean that everyone is like that.
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