The idea of post humans are a common thought when thinking of
social network sites in general, but I find that Tumblr is often better suited with
the topic of post humans than other networking sites. The Idea that you are no
longer represented by your human identity (face, age, body type, hair, makeup
ect) as commonly seen on Instagram but now identified by what you reblog and
post. You are no longer a person online but a collection of images representing
who you are as a person.
In the lecture this week Van Luyn (2015) talked about how in a virtual network, you are not the only person
constructing your identity. This is common and is often seen in the Tumblr community,
as seen in the image above you can see how the users can add their input and
transform a image into a story, or in this case a song.
Drawing connections between Facebook and
tumble again McNeill talks about Facebooks Timeline and Zuckerberg declaring users
with the "the ability to highlight and curate all your stories so that you
can express who you really are." (2012,
p.71). Like Facebook Tumblr also has this ability but unlike Facebook Tumblr
removes the human identity creating an inviting space for open minded people.
References:
McNeil, L.(2012) There is no “I”
in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography Biography,
65-82.
Van Luyn,A. (2015). BA1002:
Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place week 6 [lecture
slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu/jcu.edu.au
Image credits:
Strange beaver [image] (2015) Retrieved from http://www.strangebeaver.com/2013/03/tumblr-tuesday-3-26/
The ideas you present are enjoyable and thought-provoking. I agree with many of the points you make, particularly the point about how tumblr forms the post-human idea of the cyborg - users of tumblr are not merely just people online but a representation of their true self through images. Virtuality and reality are combined; the user is a combination of their online self and their real self.
ReplyDeleteAn idea that occurred to me after reading your blog is that users form a self-narrative while using tumblr. These self-narratives intertwine and interconnect: they are intertextual. According to Van Luyn (2015), intertextual means that texts reference, in their form and content, narratives that are gone before them.
The network of narratives on tumblr play a significant role in changing the space tumblr into place. Users have the power to share what they want; the interconnectedness of the self-narratives on tumblr shape the “vibe” of the site.
References:
Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 6 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu/jcu.edu.au