Fakebook
Alex Cerna
English Comp. I
Prof. Shekhtman
06 December 2010
“Hiding Behind the Screen” Generation
Generation Y, also referred to as Facebook Generation, is given information faster than any other generation before it. Alice Mathias calls the members of this generation “Fakebook Generation”, and criticizes them stating “Dwelling online is a cowardly and utterly enjoyable alternative to real interaction.” With the current alternatives available to this new generation, its members have chosen online interactions as their main way to communicate with the world. Mathias sees this form of interaction as pathetic but pleasurable at the same time. “Fakebook” and other social networking sites present problems of interacting with people only online and not in person. The sites should be limited in use and restricted to communicating only with people physically distant, not mentally. These methods are being exploited by the Facebook generation, as they have the tendency to communicate with a person that is reachable in school or in the neighborhood, but instead decided to talk exclusively online and act as complete strangers in person. The Facebook generation must find a way to balance the use of online interactions and face to face interactions. “Every Facebook act is a soliloquy to our anonymous audience,” (289) allowing this generation to take in information without asking. This “Online community theater,” perfectly described by Mathias, lets the user to post information about themselves without restrictions. A user can write on their status, “In Mars for the weekend,” and there is no problem with it being posted up. Although the example is a stretch, lies and fallacies are all too common on social networking sites. It is nothing more than a play, where its user is the writer, director, and star. The ability to expose information enables its users to feel power and desired by the users’ followers. This power is taken away when offline, leaving the user deprived
English Comp. I
Prof. Shekhtman
06 December 2010
“Hiding Behind the Screen” Generation
Generation Y, also referred to as Facebook Generation, is given information faster than any other generation before it. Alice Mathias calls the members of this generation “Fakebook Generation”, and criticizes them stating “Dwelling online is a cowardly and utterly enjoyable alternative to real interaction.” With the current alternatives available to this new generation, its members have chosen online interactions as their main way to communicate with the world. Mathias sees this form of interaction as pathetic but pleasurable at the same time. “Fakebook” and other social networking sites present problems of interacting with people only online and not in person. The sites should be limited in use and restricted to communicating only with people physically distant, not mentally. These methods are being exploited by the Facebook generation, as they have the tendency to communicate with a person that is reachable in school or in the neighborhood, but instead decided to talk exclusively online and act as complete strangers in person. The Facebook generation must find a way to balance the use of online interactions and face to face interactions. “Every Facebook act is a soliloquy to our anonymous audience,” (289) allowing this generation to take in information without asking. This “Online community theater,” perfectly described by Mathias, lets the user to post information about themselves without restrictions. A user can write on their status, “In Mars for the weekend,” and there is no problem with it being posted up. Although the example is a stretch, lies and fallacies are all too common on social networking sites. It is nothing more than a play, where its user is the writer, director, and star. The ability to expose information enables its users to feel power and desired by the users’ followers. This power is taken away when offline, leaving the user deprived
Cited: Mathias, Akice. "The Fakebook Generation." The Prentice Hall Reader. George Miller. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.fake