Culture, Society, and Social Networking

                Both articles reflect on the Internet’s influence on our society and culture of today. The Facebook article asks us to think about how social networking affects the attitudes of those that use it. Does Facebook really make us more egotistical? Does the use of social networking really encourage the “better than anyone” kind of attitude? When you get down to it, Gaynes’s article makes a strong point. They way people present themselves online is completely different from the way they present themselves outside of their internet shield. Only the better looking pictures are kept up, and the basis of popularity is solely on how many friends you have and who is writing on your wall.

                Henig’s article is even more worrisome. Normal, even small acts of misconduct can be spread like wild fire across the internet. Then, all of a sudden, waves of information begin pouring out about the subject and any sense of privacy that person once had is now destroyed, and there is no stopping an mob of nosy internet users.

                I think what both articles are really trying to argue is the fact that the internet is no longer being used in a productive or friendly way. Many hide behind their computer screens firing off a list of insults that would otherwise be silenced in public. Others create a false image of themselves that forces the boosting of their ego. Some conduct that can be found on the internet is disturbing. What people seem to forget is that even though “Dog Poop Lady” refused to clean up after her dog, there have been instances when they themselves were not such perfect people either. Society’s concept of sympathy seems to be lost on the internet, and rather hypocrisy and criticisms play a key role on web pages instead.