Cyber Culture

Inspired by our recent New Media theory studies on the "cultural imperialism thesis" I decided to break down the effects of new media on aspects of identity creation this week.

In studies researching the effects of social media on web-users' identities, several showed positive effects. These imply that social interaction through social media on the web encourages identity growth, better 'real life' socialisation and better communication with friends and family.
By looking at sub-groups identified by Marshall and Burnett in Webs of Identity, one can see how social media is contributing to the evolution of identity construction and therefore life beyond the 'web bubble' and the impact on 'real world' culture.

Social media provides a platform where a user can be whoever they want to be or no one at all or so to speak. A user, under a disguise of an avatar, can portray themselves as they like and therefore be more open to healthy debate in social spaces on-line. This means that users can practice participating actively in a social way on-line which may encourage them to be more outgoing beyond the virtual reality.


This aspect of identity creation is a real choice for web users of social media and social networks and without the web many users would not have an alternative space to be who they want to be in a social environment without social pressures like stereotype expectations.

Language

As suggested by  Marshall and Burnett, due to the nature of social media and social networks, there is a certain amount of universality created by the on-line spaces. A "web lingo" has evolved and users allow for cultural-language constraints to fall away as they adopt the new, evolved, web language which is gradually inserted into every day conversation.

For example someone might say "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud)  instead of people actually laughing at their friend's joke at a party or "FML" (Fuck My Life) instead of "I've had such a bad day".

Again cultural disparities fall away due to the 'global village' effect created by social media and social networks eliminating cultural divides resulting in a new sort of identity thanks to a new sort of language.



Narcissism
The web is an unlimited platform for identity exhibition and social networks like Facebook stimulate narcissism by allowing users to indulge in their own interests. This is taken further by people who extend onto blogs, vlogs and other arenas of virtual identity display where anyone can talk about anything they like, don't like or what they chose to ignore.

Marshall and Burnett note that this identity growth and need to want to showcase one's identity and aspects thereof not only allows for growth in identity but that the popularity of 'lurkers' or average web users consuming news on just normal people indicates a certain level of "web voyeurism" whereby users indulge in other people's lives for pleasure.

Gender


 This means that gender discrimination in the forms of:
- oppression of women by men
- pressure for men to be more masculine
- trans-gender individuals being ostracised

for example are eradicated because no user has to give up their gendered identity.

Because users are then conditioned to see everyone as gender neutral this may ripple effect into 'real' social spaces eventually. In the meantime though anyone can encompass any gender or lack thereof as they like.



Collective identities

“the web is an elaborate hub for the formation of new collective identities”and cultural groupings as defined by all the 'real' factors discussed above are eradicated as new ones form.

People can gather according to identity traits, personality similarities and industry paths instead of what they look like, sound like or separated by geographic positioning.