Are you a different person in real life to the one you project online? Asked Ross McGuiness in a London newspaper. An increasing number of us are discovering that people we know in real life behave differently online. That friend who is witty and articulate in a civilised, face-to-face conversation is the same person who
foams at the mouth when on Twitter or facebook. There are even more hideous examples of this kind of behaviour.
When one observes the behaviour of Nigerians on the social media he may be led to believe that the relationship of Nigerians toward one another is solely dependent on whether one is Igbo or Yoruba or Igbo, Hausa or Ijaw, Christian or Muslim. This is because almost every statement posted on Facebook or the listserves is often interpreted and analysed through ethnic or tribal prism. Many abuse members of other tribes and never have anything good to say about them.
On the other hand, many people comes to the social media to show off, to lie about themselves, to start romantic relationships or to peddle influence.
While we may not bother about our internet behaviour, the article in the London Metro reffered to above warns that we could be treading down a dangerous online path. According to writer Josh Taylor; our personas on social media are slowly seeping into how we act away from our laptops, tablets and mobile phones - bleeding into our everyday communications and, for the most part, that isn't really a good thing.
Many are now addicted to their iPad and blackberries and could not wean themselves away from the online media.
On this addiction Taylor wrote: 'On the surface, it is innocuous enough, but it seems to me to indicate some sort of discontent, as if we are itching for real community and a sense of belonging, but looking for it in all of the wrong places.'
These online problem gets worse than merely talking about who-said-what online.
An Internet psychologist Graham Jones said: 'There isn't anything wrong with Twitter or Facebook as ideas – the problem is how we use them. I think online social networks have brought out the worst parts of us. They make us self-seeking and pleasure-driven. How many "likes" will my photo get? How many retweets will I get on my funny anecdote? These are things already in us, but with these online social networks we now have huge platforms to broadcast our most primal instincts.'
Taylor also believes social networks have their place but that we need to learn when to set them aside so we can have healthy relationships with those around us.
Another problem relates to our behaviour in the online world. Many fails to realise there are certain etiquette that guides online behaviour. For instance, rules against the use of only capital letters because that would be "shouting"; the rule to add only people you know personally as your Facebook "friends"; the rule against using abusive words or the posting of indecent or inappropriate images.
But do we really know how to behave in the online world? It is, after all, not very old.
'People have been going down to beer parlours for centuries and the codes of behaviour are part of our social environment,' said Jones. 'We understand what the rules are. Whereas the kind of behaviours and the way you express your personalities on Facebook is still in its infancy and people are experimenting and trying to understand. The rules for how you display your personality in that environment haven't yet been written.
'People will go on to Facebook and either try to be themselves or they will try to be an aspect of themselves that they think they should be on Facebook because they don't know what the rules are.
We may often behave like monsters when it comes to social media, but many of us are sheep pretending to be wolves.
'The interesting thing though is that people aren't showing you who they want to be – they are showing you who they want you to think they are.'
--
Daniel Elombah
Email: elsdaniel@yahoo.com
Send Emails to wanabidii@googlegroups.com
Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda
wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma
Disclaimer:
Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wanabidii" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
0 Comments