“We don’t believe you, you need more people”
A quote from a prolific rapper who many have suggested is
the best rapper alive due to not only his persona and record sells but
his following as a whole. He’s the popular kid at school, the one that
the girls want and guys envy. People support him and follow his lead
when it comes to fashion, vernacular and choice of brands.
In the same light that is what social networking sites have become.
For a few its a way to stay in contact with friends and family but
for the most part it’s merely a popularity contest. Whatever social networking site
appears wielding various means of communication be it status updates or
asking random questions, my generation stands in approval.
It kind of concentric circles though. Those who are active on these sites participate in
another popularity contest withing itself. Once you follow what’s popular, you must
then become popular there. Some have taken it very seriously and almost take on whatever gets the attention of members of these sites. Be it half-naked profile pictures, rude comical comments or over saturating themselves within the medium.
I speak not to condemn but as participator who caught on to the trend. First is what blackplanet, then AOL Instant Messenger, then Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and now Formspring. For some its an outlet, a tool to further their ideas and meet new people, but for the most part it’s about attention. Who’s the most popular of us all and what can I do to get people to pay more attention to me? These people hop from site to site trying to find support. These are the people who worry me a little. They post the same content in different places, constantly deactivating accounts and changing login names just to gain attention.
I am a man of balance and consistency. So when things are fickle or people show that they are unstable it worries me a little. I tend to shy away from those people. Whats most disheartening is that its people I’m close with who fit into this category. This new revelation gives insight into a lot of their choices and makes me want to keep them out of my circle.
In my circle, it’s not about popularity, its about being happy and doing what you enjoy because of your own curiosity not because a crowd you can’t physically see deems something to be trendy. I could be looking to far into this situation, but I’m an engineering major so the details matter, even if they don’t matter to anyone else.