Thursday, July 26, 2012
A Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma response
The article A Virtual Death and a Real Dilemma, highlights the emotional investments people commit to regarding online communities and blogs. When a kansas woman creates a fictional daughter with leukemia, she receives immediate support and love via online interaction. The fluidity of online personas can allow anyone to pose or create as someone else: "One of the most touted beliefs about Internet communication is that the medium strips away users' offline identities and leaves them free to reconstruct a tetherless online persona" (203). Debbie Swenson used the internet to wipe away reality and create a fictional daughter who garnered sympathy, love, and support through her blog. However, when the hoax was revealed, many followers of Kaycee Swenson were devastated and hurt by the betrayal. I find it very interesting how so many people can form such a strong bond to an online persona. Never the less, it makes sense to me how these people would feel hurt when they realized that all of their care and support was for naught. This is yet another reminder to be skeptical of what you read and see on the internet.
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AG,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I too felt confused as to why people were cared so much about the hoax pulled off by Debbie Swenson. It just shows that some people become very dependent and really care about online virtual communities. I agree that people need to skeptic when blogging or joining an online community. People have complete freedom to be whoever they want to be when typing behind a computer. This is why I prefer face to face communication when dealing with serious issues. You get to see the person and get a sense of if their input is truthful or not. I would never be so mad over something that happened over an online persona.
Hi AG,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think you explained it very well and your thoughts are exactly like mine. Nowadays people must be careful with what they read and who they speak with. Like SCbaseball said I also prefer face to face communication because that's when you really get to see a person's real side (If that makes sense). I wonder if the mother got some type of satisfaction out of having this virtual community. That is so wrong to lead people on like that because the spent time and effort supporting this girl with cancer only to find out she didn't exist. I would definitely feel betrayed and hurt. This reminds me of a reading we read earlier in the semester on how the internet helps stabilize and grow/create relationships more than F2F ones. I think this reading shows how that is very true and at the same time how it's completely incorrect.
AG,
ReplyDeleteIt’s crazy to think people will go unbelievable lengths in order to receive some sort of satisfaction. To hear that this woman made up a fictional daughter in order to feel loved is disgusting. Even though during the time when people thought she was going through such a tragedy, its more hurtful to them once they find out she had made up this identity. People feel betrayed and have lost trust in this person.