Choose one of the questions that you did not answer in class and answer it below. Be sure to state which question you're answering!
1) When we are electronically connected (either through the internet or through text/messaging) we tend to act differently. We may be more honest, more aggressive, more sarcastic, etc, than we would normally be in person. Why? Does someone’s online behavior really reflect on what that person is like in real life? Do you act that way? Why or why not?
2) We tend to share a lot of our daily experiences electronically. From what we ate that day, to where we are, social media has changed the way we present ourselves. However, we don’t tend to put everything online. Why not? What dictates what we put online and what we don’t? Does sharing our lives online make those moments real, or does it take away from the importance of the actual moment? Explain your reasoning.
3) When we go out to a fancy dinner, we might take a picture of our food. When we go see a new movie, we tend to share that they got it with their friends list. When we feel sad or happy, we tend to express that quite clearly online. What’s the point of sharing all this information – especially the incredibly minor stuff? Does it really make sense? Explain your answer.
4) I have a student who takes a lot of selfies. You probably have a friend who does so, or may be guilty of taking one too many selfies. Either way, why are selfies so prominent? What’s the point of them? Why take so many? Will they always be popular? Why or why not?
5) Kids brag all the time about how many followers they have, or about how many friends they have on their friends lists, even if they don’t know the majority of them. What does this tell us about ourselves? Why do some of us enjoy the idea of large groups of people following us, while others don’t care? Why do some of us feel the need to share our lives with strangers?
