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Many critics today label the first decade of the 21st century, "the Information Age". With a consistent rise in technology, advancement after advancement enable more information to reach more people. Included in this information and technology boom are social network media sites that are free and easy to access, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Some of the most common and frequent visitors and users of these such sites are 100% American. Is this is coincidence or are Americans developing an obsession?
At first, I thought these sites were a waste of time and only celebrities and their crazy obsessed fans would follow what they are doing up to the minute. Surprisingly by about 2008-9, Facebook really took off and according to a 2010 study, 41.6% of Americans had accounts and still use them today. Clearly it is not just a phase!
These networks have also played an important part in popular culture (for example someone could tweet something to #leonardodicaprio and it would show up on his page) Twitter especially has become a medium for political upheavals, ie the Arab Spring, and the current American Presidency campaign. Voters can "hash tag" a favorite candidate to draw more attention to them and their campaign. To learn more about hash tagging, click here.
Whether or not one believes in the process of these social medias, it clearly demonstrates the clear, American trend and obsession of wanting to show off and boast physically what they have. For example, someone may post a picture of them with their new car or manicure etc. Despite the material possessions mentioned, I don't think they have anything to do with the consumer market place. I think it is just once again a forum for Americans, who think they are superior, to show off what they have and brag to the whole worldwide web. What do you think?
I agree that sometimes people post on intagram, twitter, facebook, ect. to brag and make themselves look good. I mean, most girls wouldn't put a picture on facebook is it was extremely unflattering. But I also think that these "social medias" offer something more. Facebook allows you to reconnect with people who you might not have seen for many years, and/or live far away. So I dont think it is just for Americans to show off, although sometimes I it used for that
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