Social Networking Websites: Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism

Social Networking Websites: Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissismb

In Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism, Christine Rosen looks at the impact of new social networking communities on western culture. Rosen examines the changes in language, politics and society and the impact that these sites have on friendship, privacy, authenticity, community and identity.


Rosen draws on the research of sociologist Mark Granovetter to argue that online social networks cause "weak ties" or relationships that are more useful to spreading infromation like gossip, finding people, tracking popular culture and rumour-mongering than networks of close friendings and family.


What kind of "links" are these? In a 1973 essay, "The Strength of Weak Ties," sociologist Mark Granovetter argued that weaker relationships, such as those we form with colleagues at work or minor acquaintances, were more useful in spreading certain kinds of information than networks of close friends and family. Watts found a similar phenomenon in his online small world experiment: weak ties (largely professional ones) were more useful than strong ties for locating far-flung individuals, for example. Like social networking websites, the greatest attention is given to the smallest things.


Rosen draws on examples of naivite, privacy, poor behaviour and bemoans the commodotisation of friendship:


"because they are governed not by geography or community mores but by personal whim, they free users from the responsibilities that tend to come with membership in a community. This fundamentally changes the tenor of the relationships that form there, something best observed in the way social networks treat friendship."


Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism looks at these new friendships and the desire of social networking sites to collect, manage and rank friends all in the pursuit of attaining as many "friends" as possible, with all this information published, available for your friends to see.


Visit Us: http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/17/rosen.htm

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