Facebook is supposed to be a part of the notion of 'social media'. How 'social' is this social media? In many ways, it is actually one of the biggest corporate companies with a huge access to the big data and in the business of using the basic need of of the people to communicate beyond the constraints of time and space. In the course of time, the access to the big data, social and psychological trends of each community, each country and people may be used for marketing, political subversion and social engineering experiments. While FB gives a space for everyone to share her/his opinions, views, photos, food, location, consumer choice etc, it may also paradoxically begin to influence our own choices of all these.
Facebook is also a deceptive space in many ways. Because so many people on facebook are either communicating on their fake ids and many also circulate fake news/information for a particular campaign or vested interest.
The real challenges is to make sense of millions of entries on views, news and information. All kinds of actors lurk in different sizes and shapes for different reasons.There are people in the FB to stalk on others. Then there are FB bullies. There are those who use the space to promote a particular interests, ideology, or politics. FB is also used for surveillance by different intelligence agencies, companies and all kind of actors. There are those who use FB simply as a ventilators. One of the big challenges is to make a distinction between what is fake and what is real; and who are frauds and who are genuine. Who are simply bullies or trolls or who are genuinely serious or interested in. Many people may use FB for too 'hook' people for a cause, or for their own self-promotion or for subversive purpose.
The real challenges is to make sense of millions of entries on views, news and information. All kinds of actors lurk in different sizes and shapes for different reasons.There are people in the FB to stalk on others. Then there are FB bullies. There are those who use the space to promote a particular interests, ideology, or politics. FB is also used for surveillance by different intelligence agencies, companies and all kind of actors. There are those who use FB simply as a ventilators. One of the big challenges is to make a distinction between what is fake and what is real; and who are frauds and who are genuine. Who are simply bullies or trolls or who are genuinely serious or interested in. Many people may use FB for too 'hook' people for a cause, or for their own self-promotion or for subversive purpose.
It will be interesting to do an analysis of the social psychology of facebook space itself. For example, there is often a big difference between the fb personae and the real person. Fb personae may often a projected personality and in real life the person may be often exactly opposite to the projected personality on the fb. So in those who projects themselves as feminists in FB may turn out to be a real patriarch in real life. Those who appear to be liberal may be a neo-conservative in real life. Those who appear to be in their early thirties may be actually in their early sixties in real life. Those who looks so beautiful/ handsome or charming may give you a shock when you see them in real life. The other issue is many use fb to vent their own multiple discontent in number of ways on fb. And it will be interesting to see who are those with a tendency to more do 'trolls' than any other interventions. And what exactly is the motivation or psychology of those who are inclined to do more trolls than useful or substantive interventions.
On the one hand fb is a reflection of the real society- and on the other hand it is more of a projection of the society that tend to become an echo-chamber at times. And due to the multi-lingual space of fb, it on the one hand give rise to virual communities and on the other hand induce imagine communities.
Of course, fb also gave space for new modes of personal and political interactions. Such interactions often induced new real life friendships and some of them also bloomed in to marriages etc
Of course, fb also gave space for new modes of personal and political interactions. Such interactions often induced new real life friendships and some of them also bloomed in to marriages etc
While this space itself evolved over a period of time, and did change the way we communicate, read, act and live, it is also space that tend to create delusions within in society and people. The act of communication has deep personal and social psychological dimensions. And it is in this communicative space of self and power that FB operates.
Each of us over a time learn to deal with this medium. I get a lots of inbox messages- and I don't respond or entertain unless I am sure about the real identity of the person. I don't make anyone friends unless I cross check the veracity of the person's identity and basic compatibility for communication. This is indeed a space for communications as well as delusions. Hence, one has to take with a pinch of salt on many things on FB.
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