With the vast number of social networks at our disposal these days Facebook, Blogging, Twitter and so many others how do we really get to know someone? Sure we can read their blog and get a sense of whether they are funny or angry or boring but does it tell the real picture of who a person is?
Personally I Blog and Facebook. I blog almost everyday. It is as an outlet for things that are on my mind or to express and voice my opinions. I log onto Facebook maybe once a week. It’s a medium that I really just don’t get the advantages of using. Sure it can connect me with the past (sort of like Shelle’s Facebook and the Past post) but it isn’t something I really do much with.
If by reading the messages a person leaves in whatever social medium they choose are we getting an accurate picture of who they are?
Maybe and maybe not. I certainly hope I leave an accurate representation of who I am when I blog and what I am ‘about’. The problem is that written words often come across far different when spoken. When we speak we have the ability to use the inflection of our voices and the cadence and rhythms to get our points across. So much gets 'lost in translation' that’s why it’s such a well-known phrase. It’s tricky to determine if what someone writes and the way we read it in our own minds is what the writer intended.
Likewise the image we project online does not always portray who we are in real life. I've had my own experience with this in thinking a person is one way and finding out that the image they created was false. We tend to think of relationships, at least here on Venus vs Mars in terms of Women vs Men. We write about issues in relation our spouses or significant others. But I think taking a look at our blog or social media relationships bear weight here too. After all aren't we all reading these posts and forming some sort of relationship with each other even if it is virtual?
How do you think people view you? Would you say it’s accurate? Have you met someone online and found them to be far different than you expected?
