An interesting article was brought to my attention via Twitter this afternoon. Melanie McBride tweeted an article written last December that presents the complex issue of self celebration on the web through a particularly unsettling case of a Facebook group named 30 Reasons Girls Should Call It A Night where thousands of posted pictures depict (mostly) girls drinking, partying, and in many cases engaging in all out debauchery. The group is a relatively large online community within Facebook ostensibly centered around the nightlife ritual of binge drinking. Thousands of pictures, videos, and a robust discussion thread are found on the group’s page where members discuss everything from the best alcoholic drinks to mix to the weirdest thoughts they’ve had while vomiting.
Now I’m not writing this to pass judgment. Lord knows I’ve engaged in such debauchery many-a-time (many of us have, c’mon admit it), and that’s precisely my point. The increased transparency allowed by many web applications (social networks being the most popularly debated and criticized) is creating situations where we are forced to confront the strange space where our private and public behaviors interface. As the more conservative of us decry the increased awareness of less-than-socially-acceptable behavior as evidence of the corruption of our youth and claim anymore “nothing is sacred,” others of us see the possible enlightening truth behind it all – this behavior, to varying degrees, has always been practiced. What’s different is the changing technological landscape that pushes helps push our private selves to the fore for all to see (though, this is not to say cultural norms and values are static). What we are seeing is not the despicable behaviors of others and ourselves, but rather our common humanity. Now before some of you protest that lying in the fetal position next to a toilet in a puddle of your own vomit is not the warm and fuzzy essence of humanity that we all share, think about it for a minute. No one would claim they are perfect, obviously. We all make mistakes, we all go wild, we all experience fear, embarrassment. Why should these essential experiences of the human condition take a backstage to happiness, love, and joy?
I’d like to think my own nightlife behavior is a bit more controlled than many of the people depicted in 30 Reasons Why, but maybe not. I certainly recognize that any representation of me, be it a photograph or video, can be misinterpreted and possibly damage my future, so I passively avoid putting myself in such situations. There is a high premium on our front stage face, one that is separate from the face we keep back stage, and online identity management is important, I won’t deny that, but maybe this is changing. I also think that a healthy restraint on the content you publish online about yourself is a good thing. That’s just me. It’s different for others. In addition to the discussions about the craziest things they’ve done while drinking, the members of 30 Reasons Why are also discussing topics with names like “Your Internet Life” and “Private versus Public” where as a community they are grappling with the issues mentioned in this post.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, since, obviously, its tremendously complex and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface here.
