Question # 3 SIMS

Name: Blake Vince, “That’s so much cooler than my real name”

I am Here for: Dating, Serious Relationships, Friends “That’s mostly true”

Hometown: Tijuana, Mexico, “Girls like foreign guys, right?”

Body Type: Athletic, “You already know….”

Perfection, built right before your eyes, in a matter of clicks. Strong, smart, a little badass, always knows what to say to a girl, and he has 123565348920 friends online. Society is based on the never-ending chase for perfection, the perfect grades, the perfect job, and it seems we have found a simple solution. Social networks allow us the ability to be who we want to be, if fully taken advantage of. Right? It is called MYspace for a reason. But at what cost? What are we giving up for these privileges, and is worth it.

But in reality has technology taken it a step too far. Are we so reliant on technology that we let it mediate our lives, and even our goals? How many times have you heard the term “Facebook Official”?  Definition of FaceBook Official -When an event has happened and it only really counts if it has been put on Facebook for everyone to see, or better yet, how you know shit's real. In a society where perfect, machine manufactured goods are more in demand then slightly flawed hand made goods, we find our selves creating these “perfect” profiles that reflect what we wish to be, instead of going out into the world and showing the flaws that we are.

This blog was to be about social interaction online, and I feel that online interaction greatly effects social interaction that takes place away from the computer. This particular blog is in response to the false identities that are hovering all over the Internet of young children who do not like who they are in real life. These social networking sites are like popular Internet game “The Sims.” You create your character and manage their daily lives without the normal restraints of everyday life.  The younger generation who have grown up in the pursuit of perfection have taken this mentality and ran with it.

The benefits are that these kids may be children who are not as comfortable talking in public, and this gives them the means to speak their mind. It can also be argued that it is an expression of individualism. But all these details that make up the perfect person, in reality, may be harming the creator. These young kids write as though they are these people and have to realize they are not, and live with the flaws that they so easily erased from THEIRspace. The perfection they so seek is a standard that they put on themselves that cannot be easily attained. So in creating this perfect character to boost their self esteem online, they are actually accentuating their flaws to themselves.

Because of this self imposed criticism face to face interactions are avoided as much as possible because we are not who we want to be. It is obvious to say that technology has affected our face-to-face time, but to say it has had only negative effects is wrong. But the few negative effects it has caused should not be ignored either.  There are younger people, and even some older people, who use these social networking sites to harm themselves and others. When misused, social networking sites can be just as much of a problem to ones self as it is to others.