Most of us have, in our lives, been in some scenario with a
talking ball, stick, pillow or other swiftly repurposed household item, or at
least are familiar with the idea of doing so. It’s a good method for letting everyone get their ideas or grievances out without being interrupted, usually
passing it along to the next person in the circle or group after they have
finished. So if whomever holds the talking stick in circle in the real world has
the power to speak in the group and be respected, who has the talking stick on
Facebook, as online spaces are also public spaces (Van Luyn, 2015)?
While Facebook has no talking stick (though that feature
sounds like a good idea to anyone who has tried to use its chat feature to organise
a group of more than five people going out somewhere) and everyone is allowed
to post to pages and groups at any time it does have people who have their own
inbuilt talking sticks. A good example is movie stars on Facebook like Emma Watson. Emma
and others like her use the celebrity they have gained during their careers to
voice their opinions to millions of fans and friends of the fans who like their
statuses or pictures. While they have earned this power or communication though
becoming respected for their medium by so many people they contribute to a
massive inequity in the power on Facebook, to the point where they have so much
influence they can be paid hundreds of thousands to mention a brand name (whether
they do so is up to them). While people are referred to as cyborgs by McNeill (2012)
for the way they create themselves with technology, these celebrities are
super-advanced terminator-like robots by comparison, and to try and get the “talking
stick” off them on social networks you might as well challenge young Arnie to a
bench press competition.
References
Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Our Space: Networks,
narratives, and the making of place. Networked narratives: Intertextuality.
[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
McNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social
networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 65-82.
Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Watson, E. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/emmawatson?fref=ts
Image credits
Skyler with the talking pillow. (2009). Retrieved from
breakingbad.wikia.com 1x05_-_The_talking_pillow.jpg
I'd have to agree with your comments on facebooks use of a designated talker feature within a group conversation, but I'm sure someone would have something to say against it. I liked your comparisons, and how you highlight the 'running after the spotlight' aspect of Facebook. The idea of celebrities increasing their voices using social media was one I had not considered, but really does fit in with McNeils reading, as they can create there own communities or 'fandoms'. Actually enjoyed reading this, nice work.
ReplyDeleteMcNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 65-82. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Facebook is a great thing in terms of talking features such as chats and posts. However what some people say can be not as pleasant as others, such as those whom use Facebook to help others and inspire those who look up to them. Talking sticks were used to portray stories or thoughtful messages within tribes. Sadly in today’s society you don’t see much of that kind of thing happen within social networks such as Facebook. I personally do agree with you on this one though just because there are those out there that make a big difference and use it to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteMathews, H. R. Message- stick used by the aborigines of Australia. [PDF]. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aa.1897.10.9.02a00010/pdf