Chapter Nine: Post One

1). After reading Chapter 9 in its entirety, answer the following question:  If you are a member of a social networking website such as Facebook, think about the way you use it.  How do you present yourself?  What impressions do you hope people will get from reading your profile?  Have there been times people have posted something to your profile that you wished they hadn't?  How does this relate to conflict and communication?

Even though I am not very interested in most of the social networking techonolgy that seems to be very popular these days, I do have a facebook which I created quite a few years ago. At first, I created the facebook just to see what the site was all about and to connect with my friends; it seemed at the time, that everyone was doing it (which in fact, they were). Now, I don't use it. I never change my profile picture, add pictures, respond to comments, or comment on other people's pages. I don't have a specific impression that I'm am trying to convery on facebook, as I hope that everyone who is on my facebook, already knows me. No one has ever posted anything to my profile that I wished that tey hadn't. However, I have seen many things posted on other peoples' facebooks that I would never want on my own.

The entire structure of facebook and the meanings behind the things people post and how they conduct themselves online really does relate to conflict and communication. Many people on these sites are seeking to be accepted, which is an idea that is expressed in our text as 'positive face.' Ironically, facework (which is strikingly similar to the name 'Facebook' itself), is a process in which people try to control the impressions that others have of them while at the same time, managing what others are saying about them. Conflict can occur online just as in face-to-face situations and unfortunately, the way that you present and conduct yourself online can affect not only how other's view you, but can be a derminant in your social status as well.