Link one: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnzoy1akrB1qbsn7d.png
Link two: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnkfzvNBjQ1qbsn7d.png
Lincoln and Hodkinson (2008) compare the personal blog to “like the bedroom…the
interactive and multi-dimensional space of the online journal offers a safe,
personally owned and controlled space which is used as part of the negotiation
of youthful transitions via marking out of territory, the exploration and
exhibition of identity and the generation and living out of personal social
networks” (2008, p28). This ties in with what Robinson (2007) was saying in the
reading that the individual self is constantly renegotiated. The blog is
representative of this in the way that the owner of the blog can change privacy
settings, layout and coloring. Hodkinson and Lincoln (2008) suggest these
present a self evaluation through the blog description, pictures posted up,
things that are talked about, etc. Hodkinson and Lincoln (2008) suggest that
there is an overall theme of identity that the individual wishes to project
through their posts etc. Robinson (2007) concurs with this in saying that some
part of the offline self is carried into the online world, assuming that it
fits with the required performance.
While blogs afford the ability to connect with people-anonymously or
otherwise-Hodkinson and Lincoln (2008) suggest that this connection is met with
the expectation of some level of respect for the person controlling this space.
The two examples from the blog site ‘Tumblr’ above are examples where anonymous
individuals have attempted to undermine the control of the blog owner-either
through rude or intrusive comments and questions. In both cases we can see that
the owner of the blog has taken back control through the use of humorous
retorts-by taking what the person has asked literally or retaliating with
nonsensical insults to show that this is their space and will be treated
as such. Thus interactions on blogs confirm these to be spaces for the
development and expression of personal identity.
Reference List
Hodkinson, P & Lincoln, S 2008, ‘Online journals as bedrooms?:
young people, identity and personal space’, Young, vol. 16, no. 1,
pp27-46
Robinson, L 2007, ‘the cyberself: the self-ing project goes online, symbolic
interaction in the digital age’, New media and Society, vol. 9, no. 1,
pp93-110
