So if you've been reading my blog, you'd notice me mention more than a handful of times about this thesis I'm working on. Everytime someone asks me what I've been up to, my standard response has become "working on my thesis". And well, you're also probably wondering what this thesis is all about and what I'm spending all my time on. In a nutshell, here goes:
My thesis attempts to understand the way individual identities relate to commercial identities on Facebook. This was explored through a series of qualitative interviews, examining the way these individuals utilise their accounts, as well as their attitude towards commercial uses of Facebook. In the process, I adopt a sociological perspective through understanding the way these online identities are being constructed and perceived. I argue that these identities are shaped by the way we view our selves and other entities on the platform, as well as the way we interact with each other and shape the behavioural cues on the platform. This is enhanced by the divide between public and private, as commercial companies are largely considered public entities. Therefore, this merge between individual and commercial identity is problematic to the binary of public and private.
The aim of my thesis is therefore to explore the way technology mediates the relationship between individual and commercial identities, as well as the way conventional conceptions of the public and private divide are being challenged.
Hopefully that nicely sums up what my project is about ;-)
Questions, comments, sound off below!
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