SELF-REPRESENTATION ON FACEBOOK

Jeremy SarachanDepartment of Communication/Journalism//St. John Fisher College

Facebook

Predominant social networking site Multiple uses College students Everyone http://www.facebook.com/press/

info.php?statistics

Images on Facebook

Confined by layout Posting of albums Profile Picture http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?

uid=2691930547&topic=5763#/profile.php?id=64802090&ref=profile

Facebook Identity

Who are our friends? What do we learn from “Info”, the status

posts, and the profile picture?

Expectations

Place Artifacts Emotion Attitude Context

The Studium and the Punctum

Roland Barthes/Camera Lucida (1980)

The Air

Winter Garden Photograph The “air” of the subject

Annie Leibovitz

Why the rules are different

Mobile/Ubiquitous Devices The search for the real or a lack of

training The need for immediacy and

disposability

Barthes wish comes true

“I am not a photographer, not even an amateur photographer: too impatient for that: I must see right away what I have produced”

The Webcam

I’ve Got Real Friends…

…And Places to Go

Hiding in Plain Sight

The Past is Present

Manipulation

Movies as Motivator

Facebook as Art Gallery

Why do all of these styles exist? Enlivens the sterility of Facebook. Focuses on the “moment.” Visual equivalent to the status line.

Allows the novice photographer to exhibit work.

Design rules are redefined.

Walter Benjamin

“Camera introduces us to unconscious optics.”

No original art/photograph. Digital online images are only reproduced infinitely.

Interpersonal-to-Mass Communication Always communicating/Facebook is

always “on.”

Social networks/users demand content. The image and status line fill the “News

Feed.” Significance of meaning? All about the

punctum.

The Effect of the Profile Picture Artistic endeavors and exhibition are

within grasp of all users. Photographic manipulation may cause

personal traits (age, race, sex) to be less important.

Equality among Facebook users achieved through the diversity of images.

Connectedness (real or imagined) magnified through recognition of the “air”.

Questions? Comments?

Jeremy SarachanSt. John Fisher Collegejsarachan@sjfc.edu

I’m on Facebook and LinkedIn and academia.edu.

This presentation is on SlideShare.

Thank you.