I myself, along with many others have recently fallen victim to what can only be described as an internet phenomenon. Social network websites such as facebook, bebo and myspace have taken the internet by storm and are prime examples of new media forms that are being used to expand our social capabilities. Apparently if you Want to find out what’s going on with your friends, who are all on Facebook — you HAVE TO go through Facebook. Just like you had to subscribe to the local newspaper if you wanted to get news in the morning. The massive Popularity of these sites, especially in younger generations, appears to be creating a whole new 'online' youth culture.
Through these sites, we are able to literally 'upload' our identities into cyber space and interact with one another at the click of a mouse.
Such sites allow members to create online profiles of themselves which can then be viewed by almost anyone, anywhere.
This kind of technology literally allows us to 'exist' within cyberspace, and create our own 'online' persona of how we wish to be percieved. It is as though we are 'advertising' ourselves in order to increase our social status, creating a non-physical or a digital 'extension' of our human forms.
We could of course using such technology completely re-invent ourselves, creating a whole new identity without anyone even doubting who we are. We are able to meet and interact with people from all over the world, making friends with people we have never even met before, and even more strangely that we do not even know exist.