Myspace: ANTONYM modesty
The narcissism of Myspace.
If reality T.V has taught us anything, it's that certain people will do almost anything in an attempt to become famous. If Myspace has taught me anything, it’s that pretty much everybody will do almost anything to be famous.
I too have recently taken the plunge and joined Myspace, and while I appreciate that it was originally conceived as a medium to keep in touch with friends, meet old acquaintances etc and can form the grounds for a vibrant online community. But for many I feel that these more practical and noble concerns have passed them by. Myspace has instead become the perfect vehicle to self promote, a grand stage to perform and soak in the narcissistic pleasures of self indulgence.
Myspace as the name alludes to is all about the individual, people who choose to live their private lives in public. Chris DeWolfe, a cofounder of MySpace.com recently told Vanity Fair "This generation wants to be known, they want to be famous," Myspace provides the platform for anyone to try and gain their 15 minutes. Myspace also provides an almost microscopic focus on self and in tow the promotion of that self; often in desperate and gratuitous ways like posed photographs, skimpy clothes and outrageous debauchurous behaviour.
What has happened to the ideas of privacy, humbleness and modesty? Do people no longer feel slightly uneasy about having a whole page on the net devoted solely to their (often inane and uneventful) lives? It seems not and more people are falling victim to their own grandiosity as they crave the attention of others
I feel this narcissism plays a large part in why many find Myspace so addictive, we are judged by our pages this leads to embarrassment of having a crappy page and the desire to constantly improve and add to it. People in this community are judged by how their page appears, who their friends are, how many friends they have.
Is the Myspace phenomenon and in fact blogging culture just a reflection of a wholly more self-absorbed generation, craving praise and attention more than ever before?
An interesting article I found on this issue:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/22/AR2006072200946.html
Comments welcome : D
If reality T.V has taught us anything, it's that certain people will do almost anything in an attempt to become famous. If Myspace has taught me anything, it’s that pretty much everybody will do almost anything to be famous.
I too have recently taken the plunge and joined Myspace, and while I appreciate that it was originally conceived as a medium to keep in touch with friends, meet old acquaintances etc and can form the grounds for a vibrant online community. But for many I feel that these more practical and noble concerns have passed them by. Myspace has instead become the perfect vehicle to self promote, a grand stage to perform and soak in the narcissistic pleasures of self indulgence.
Myspace as the name alludes to is all about the individual, people who choose to live their private lives in public. Chris DeWolfe, a cofounder of MySpace.com recently told Vanity Fair "This generation wants to be known, they want to be famous," Myspace provides the platform for anyone to try and gain their 15 minutes. Myspace also provides an almost microscopic focus on self and in tow the promotion of that self; often in desperate and gratuitous ways like posed photographs, skimpy clothes and outrageous debauchurous behaviour.
What has happened to the ideas of privacy, humbleness and modesty? Do people no longer feel slightly uneasy about having a whole page on the net devoted solely to their (often inane and uneventful) lives? It seems not and more people are falling victim to their own grandiosity as they crave the attention of others
I feel this narcissism plays a large part in why many find Myspace so addictive, we are judged by our pages this leads to embarrassment of having a crappy page and the desire to constantly improve and add to it. People in this community are judged by how their page appears, who their friends are, how many friends they have.
Is the Myspace phenomenon and in fact blogging culture just a reflection of a wholly more self-absorbed generation, craving praise and attention more than ever before?
An interesting article I found on this issue:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/22/AR2006072200946.html
Comments welcome : D
posted by Anonymous at 7:51 pm
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