Weekly Analysis: Analysis 1

Facebook can be viewed as a platform in social media to put our myths on a pedestal, so to speak. As described in our reading on myths in Pop Culture, myths can be described as "God(s), Saints, giants (monsters), personalized superior people, admired people/celebrities/well-known people, equals (democracies) or inferiors". (Brown, pg. 14)  In reading the short stories in this section, I can find some correlation between my chosen artifact, Facebook, and the myth theory. As Facebook evolves, the company continually finds ways to get more use out of their social media site and tailor it specifically to each individual user based on their likes and dislikes. One of those ways is through advertisement. Facebook capitalizes on its users and their personal preferences by finding what interests them and then gearing their advertisements (whether they are for other companies or for Facebook fan pages) toward that particular user. For example, I love fitness and health. I have gone out to fitness websites and/or pages on Facebook geared toward fitness in the past and have 'liked' the content. I do not visit these sites regularly but Facebook has evolved so much so that they are now able to recognize that interest of mine and filter what appears in my 'news feed' to show possible fitness pages that I may like and want to follow. These fitness models or athletes could be viewed as one of my 'admired people'. In addition,  Facebook is also a way for people to express their feelings, their admirations and their dislikes. There are companies out there that create specialized Facebook signs that a person can post to their 'wall'. For example, a user might come across a photo in their news feed that someone else has posted indicating they believe in God. God being that person's myth, they repost it to their wall so they can share it with their friends.

The last correlation between myths and Facebook is 'catfishing'. This is a new phenomenon in the media, so to speak, and is becoming more and more evident. Catfishing can be described as tricking someone else in to believing you are someone you are not; all over the internet and/or phone. As told through the MTV series, Catfish, people make up fake profiles on Facebook, then 'hook' an unsuspecting stranger into thinking they are talking to someone they are not. By doing this, the person creating the fake profile is creating a myth; a myth that they are someone they are not but possibly someone they wish they were. It is a fictional myth, or character, that they may idolize to be (tall, skinny, blond-haired, blue-eyed, med student for example).

As for icons, I feel Facebook is an icon in, and of, itself. Just like the iPhone, Facebook has set a new precedent in social media and continues to evolve. What once was just a mere way for college students to communicate via online between their friends, has now turned into a world-wide phenomenon and allows such capabilities as: businesses to market their brands through random advertisements, provides community support for mothers (just an example), fundraising for the sick, employer background checks, and much more. There are many, including myself sadly, that cannot get through their day without checking their Facebook account. It has become so popular that it is now a permanent extension of many lives. Therefore, an icon to many.

While I am fan of Facebook and I have put it somewhat on a pedestal myself, it is scary to think how much influence it has on society. So many people, organizations, and companies have come to heavily rely on its use that if it were to one day shut-down, we would not know what to do with ourselves. I’d like to say that we should not iconize Facebook as much as we do; however, it has such a significant influence on pop culture today that it is shaping our future for tomorrow.

REFERENCES

Brown, Ray B. Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. The University of Wisconsin Press and Popular Press. 2005. Pg 14