Facebook: Space, Place, and Identity

Facebook: Space, Place and Identity

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The advantage of a virtual space and place – such as Facebook – is the ability to consciously develop an identity which allows for more welcoming mediums than what might be available in the real world. For example, a student may be shy and quiet  in a lecture environment, but actively participate online as the anonymity of an online server allows the student to distance their actions from reality. In the lecture of Week Three, the relationship of self-narrative and space acknowledges the idea that online stories are interacted with on a public spectrum and given symbolism which transforms it into space (Van Luyn, A. 2015). This is especially true for Facebook as many status’s involve the telling of a personal story which can then be publicly commented on. 

A person has the ability to choose (to an extent) who interacts with them on Facebook.  As they can also manipulate how they are perceived, an individual can create an online identity which may be different from what is perceived in reality, and which is altered by online interaction with space and place.  Therefore, as social interaction is specific to certain people and Facebook has the ability to link people through algorithms to like minded individuals,  it can be argued that online places and spaces are more welcoming than their physical contemporaries. As virtual space and place is more welcoming, the online world allows for new links to small-world networks to be created and explored.

Tuan’s theory that place acts as an individual’s security, and space as their freedom, can have both a real and virtual application (Tuan, Y. 1977 ). On Facebook, the profile of an individual allows for the creation of place online. The security of place with regard to a Facebook profile, is in the identity that a person brings to the technical format which only they can create and manipulate. The space that exists alongside online place means that social interaction can occur, and so more network connections can be made than what might be available offline. 

References:

Tuan, Y. (1977). Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. London, GB: Edward Arnold. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/Conc-camcontent-bb_bb60/items/getitem.jsp?as_course_code=12-BA1002-TSV-INT-SP2&content_id=_768656_1&course_id=_26169_1&doc_id=30169 

Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation, week 3 notes [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-1987507-dt-content-rid-2691289_1/courses/15-BA1002-TSV-INT-SP2/BA1002%20week%203%20lecture%202015_for%20LearnJCU.pptx