Generating Self

I’ve spent some time thinking about the topic of “onstage” and “backstage” performances in online settings like Facebook. As we stated in class, not all “performances” in the online world are completely fabricated. Some may in fact reflect an individual’s true thoughts and personality. Nonetheless, I came across an interesting web-tool known as Generatus (www.generatus.com). The site allows users to enter their name and gender, as well as any category tags. The program will then “generate” status updates for you. You can continually click the generate button until you find the status that you like. Certainly, someone could use this site to authentically express their feelings and personality. But it seems more likely to enable people to fabricate their online selves. Instead of having to think of an interesting tweet related to your actual daily experience, Generatus will quickly provide you with a funny or profound update. If no one knows about Generatus, they may think you actually thought of that ingenious pun for your Facebook status. The program makes it easy to inflate and fabricate your “onstage” performance.

It is tempting to prop up certain aspects of yourself and purge others for the sake of having a more appealing online performance. In a way, sites like Facebook provide people the opportunity for a clean slate. It’s a new environment in which people encounter you, except that in this environment, you have almost total control over what is displayed. If you dislike your physical appearance, you can simply manipulate the camera-angle and settings to put forth your most “presentable” self. In this mediated environment, if you’re speaking with someone whom you dislike or you are intimidated by, there is a certain barrier allowing you to control how you communicate. This mediated advantage doesn’t exist in face-to-face interactions. Likewise, in your “about me” section, you could fabricate all sorts of interesting things about yourself. You could claim to be an experienced wake-board surfer and actually have only touched a board once in your life. In a face-to-face interaction, it may be more obvious that you were indulging a bit. In the online world, no one could really know. The mediated environment allows the users great power in shaping their online “self.” Programs like “Generatus” only further enable users to indulge in their fabricated online performances.