Summary Of The Flip Side Of Internet Fame

Boyd, Danah. “Impression Management in a Networked Setting” Reading pop culture, 2nd Ed Edited by Jeff Osbourne. Bedford / St. Martins, 2016, PP, 122-127

In the article, "The Dark Side of Web Fame" by Jessica Bennett, posted online at http://www.newsweek.com/dark-side-web-fame-93505 and published on February 21, 2008, the author recounts multiple stories of when the power of the internet had not benefitted people, but had actually harmed their reputation. Bennett starts the essay by giving an example of a high school boy who made an unfortunately embarrassing video, that was never meant to be published. Sadly, another student found the video and released it online, where the video became a viral sensation and the teen was humiliated not only on a local level, but a global level too. Throughout the article Bennett gives other examples to show the reader that people, using the tool of the

the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide...was itself a punishable offense” (Orwell, 65). In 1984, looking suspicious or emotional in front of a telescreen was dangerous and considered a punishable offense. In the present day, social media is the equivalent to the telescreens, it’s the means by which individuals display themselves publicly. Posting the wrong thing on social media can be dangerous because if it’s public, it’s exposed to open interpretation. Jon Ronson from the New York Times Magazine published an article giving a few instances of people sharing controversial postings on social media and receiving a major backlash for it. Specifically, Ronson talks about a woman named Justine Sacco who tweeted, “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” Upon her arrival, she realized this tweet was trending. She was judged by her friends and family, and the tweet generated threats and harassment on the internet from the general public. As a result, Sacco lost her job and was scared to leave her own home. This incident is an example of the reasons why, in this day and age, we must be very careful with what we share publicly. Social media exemplifies of how our world is becoming like 1984. Any misstep in our words or actions can wind us

Shams has a visible presence on YouTube and has organised several events at universities. “I am at physical risk because I do videos,” says Shams. “I don’t like putting myself in the firing line, but I had to because no one else is willing to do it.”

The Flip Side of Internet Fame by Jessica Bennett. I believe her argument is how things posted on the internet is big, like once someone post something on their it’s going to be on the internet forever. I agree with her because once you posted something on the internet it’s forever going up there even if you deleted the post or the picture. I am going to write about the first person that Jessica Bennett talks to about the “Star Wars Kid”, bullying, and the cyber world.

The first example is about Ghyslain Raza. Raza recorded himself preforming an imaginary battle with a lightsaber. About a year later, someone finds his recording and posted it online which resulted in the video going viral globally. Since the video had been posted, the video has been watched over 32 billion times. Raza immediately became famous, and with fame comes backlash. Jessica doesn’t come close to presenting enough information. Raza’s situation wasn’t pretty-he dropped out of school and was diagnosed with depression. Jessica should have presented more information to convince people that there is

“We are coordinating various aspects of the business, so each takes advantage of the opportunities provided by the other” – Sumner Redstone, CEO of Viacom.

In the article “From The Shallows: What The Internet is Doing to Our Brains,” Nicholas Carr continually reiterates the argument that the Internet is altering how we think. “I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry” (Carr par. 2). Carr makes the point that he was always a voracious reader, but the fact that he uses the Internet so much for his job has changed the way he thinks and processes information. Over the course of the article he explains why this is the case. He uses the Internet not only for work, but for almost every other aspect of life including shopping, traveling, reading and numerous other activities.

Social media has become one of the main methods for public shaming. Many activists have used it as a way of getting attention with the media, but others have used it as a form of entertainment to watch people’s lives get burned to the ground. Though public shaming can be very entertaining it can also be hurtful and can even cause people to lose their jobs along with their self respect. The article How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life, written by Jon Ronson, describes how the punishment for using social media inappropriately can be detrimental to your future

Bennett describes many instances in which people were humiliated because of online posts and then affected negatively in their daily lives. The “Star Wars Kid” and “Dog Poop Girl” were two of many harmed by this. She compares how people today feed on others’ humility compared to history where people

When someone says celebrity most people tend to think of the red carpet cameras flashing everywhere, however today there are many other types of celebrities one type being youtubers. Youtubers have their own channels and upload videos every week, they can have millions of followers. They’re videos are usually funny but can occasionally deal with serious topics. One of the most famous youtubers would be Tyler Oakley. In Binge he is describing his life through stories of his past. Most of the videos are very

An “I told you so” echoes from the grave of Neil Postman as a Reality TV star lead the polls for the GOP primary nomination in the 2016 presidential race. Meanwhile, a symbol of the most turbulent times in American history was recently removed from a state capitol and designated for museum status. Today’s latest social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, has assisted the Internet ‘steady growth and influence of society for over twenty years now. Three authors, Neil Postman, Daniel Solove, and Walter Lippmann have explored how various media and symbols have shaped society through history to today. Postman, in Amusing Ourselves to Death, Public Discourse in Age of Show Business saw the dangers in the medium of television turning the serious subjects of religion, the news, and particularly politics into forms of entertainment. In his book, future of reputation, David Solove argues, the law must meet the challenge to address these ever-changing technologies’ effect on one’s reputation and strive to protect the privacy while ensuring the freedom of speech. In the book, Public Opinion, author Walter Lippmann, explores how symbols are planted by authority figures to corral the public into their camp. While each author takes a different approach, each provides insights into a changing world and a route for an informed society to achieve better citizenship.

As immigration is on the rise in many countries, Hillary sits down in her campaign video titled “Brave” to discuss the issue of deportation in America. The video begins with Hillary sitting with a group of people of color, the video seems to be filmed as if it was on a phone, imperfect yet “authentic”. At first, a soft spoken girl speaks up about her concerns for her family, “My parents, they have a letter of deportation…….I’m scared they are going to be deported.”, this cause the little girl to

Due to modern times and technology, people can profit from unprofessional videos and careers without being famous or having a job. Andrew Ross discuses the idea of “free labor” in which the explosion of crowdsourcing, blogs, and YouTube channels have created a form of unfair labor practices. Digital technology is seen as the casual agent in the depletion of an official workforce. Since 2001, reality TV shows have been on the decline due to a boom in the idea of amateur “challenge” game shows. Reality televiosn shows have no positive outcomes for the people in it while the game shows create a reward for the winners. Ross argues, “ Celebrity you tubers enjoy the advantages of a more direct relationship with advertisers and other forms of revenue,

In today’s internet savvy world, ‘Shaming’ has become an aspect of core-competency. And this aspect holds the power to destroy lives and confidences. This issue has become so large in the past few years that an entire book (“So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed”) has been written focusing on this very topic. But who is responsible for this chaos? Is it the person engaging in bad behavior or the person pulling the curtain off of the act? The answer depends on whom you ask. Social media when used properly has proved to be a powerful tool against the powerful organizations and influential people. Giving voice to pain of millions.