Class this morning

Well, getting back to the article by Chernin, we watched an interesting movie 'The weight of the world'; it gave us an interesting view in to the world of obesity and the causes of it.  Are we super sizing our meals when we don't have to? Yes.  Are we the cause of our own obesity? Yes and No, for some it is blamed on our genes  and others well we could be our own worst enemy-we eat in front of the TV, when we are depressed, or because it's there- The 5.95$ buffet at your local restaurant.  

Are super markets baiting us with larger portions for a better price? Think about it.  Do we really need to buy more food than we actually need? The movie 'the weight of the world's' response to this is that, the logic is to buy/eat now as there will not be any food left later... There is logic to this response but this would not be a solution to the obesity factor.  

Dieting, can be a solution- in fact it is usually the solution that people run to when they want to loose weight.  Rather than taking the flight of stairs in the building or just going for a walk. Sure, everyone wants to look their best and be comfortable in their own skin, at what cost?  Our society today demands that we look thin/slender, buffed/toned, can everyone achieve this look?  Not everyone, does everyone, need to conform to what the trend is?  I hope not. What we do need to do is make healthier choices when it comes to eating, and exercising and buying food ... 

Please do not misunderstand me when I write, not everyone is obese and not everyone is skinny or thin- we as a society tries to do what the others are doing... Lets try and focus on being healthy at whatever weight we are.  Loose the fat that is unhealthy but remain healthy by being conscious of what we eat and do. 

That's it for my babbling on an on ... must go make dinner.    

K. Chernin- 'The flesh and the Devil' from The Obsession: Reflections on the Tyranny of Slenderness, New York: HarperCollins, 1981, pp. 20-28.

This article reminds me of a friend, no matter how thin they become there seems to be more weight to be lost.  This article goes behind the scene into a gym and on the scale...  Chernin writes about how women see themselves and how they think others view them.  They portray this image of thinness to the extreme and it not only affects them physically- it affects them mentally and then some.  Until it is realized, there is no negotiating- no loss- except weight loss.  This article is interesting because it is a glimps into what is usually hidden from others, how it affects every women that goes to work out and it's image on younger individuals wanting to 'look like that'. The article finishes on a brighter note- a woman who is content with her body and how it jiggles along with her when she runs.  To some this is gross or disgusting- to her it feels good...  

Chernin writes in her book 'The Obsession: Reflections on the Tyranny of Slenderness'  about this women in a different manner, I find her writing is at ease and not so tight and forward.  I cannot explain it simply- 

This image of a woman dancing cam with me when I sat down to write.  I remembered her expression.  There was in it something secretive, I thought, something knowing and pleased-- the look of a woman who has made peace with her body.  Then I recalled the faces of women who had recently lost weight.  The haggard look, the lines of strain around the mouth, the neck too lean, the tendons visible, the head to large for the emaciated body... (Chernin, K. 1981:27).

 

In my opinion she is right, some women who strive to be something they are  not look haggard and tired unlike women who are comfortable in their own skin- wholesome and happy.  Is it our perception on life that changes us or is it what society wants us to be?  Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder; Beauty comes from within. 

It is not my place to pass judgment on friends or family who strive to be thin and 'beautiful' - we all want to be beautiful however, it is what is inside that radiates out and shines through.  If only they could realize how beautiful they are without trying to shed that extra 10 pounds...If only they could stop trying to please others and please themselves...  all I could do is support their decision and give advice when asked... In hopes of them finding that middle ground where they are healthy and happy with themselves.

 

Introduction: Identity in the age of the internet-Sherry Turkle

Turkle expresses the different types of social identities online and in virtual life.   She explores the realities set by the individuals and how they portray themselves on line in MUDs (multi-user domains).

Turkle goes through a list of games where users share and explore different types of reality created by the game administrators.   This type of networking is used to link and provide a sense of community amongst the individuals playing and using the MUD.  Within these games and MUDs players or users can create a 'self' different than that of their real life self- giving the user a varied sense of identity.  Turkle writes ' As more people spend more time in these virtual spaces, some o so far as to challenge the idea of giving any priority to RL at all. "After all," says one dedicated MUD player and IRC user, "why grant such superior status to the self that has the body when the selves that don't have bodies are able to have different kinds of experiences?"  When people can play at having different genders and different lives, it isn't surprising that for some this play has become as real as what we conventionally think of as their lives, although for them this is no longer a valid distinction' (Turkle, 1995:14)

Turkle describes her experience with computers and how it has evolved into what is know as a 'postmodern' look at technology then and now.  I find that this article is a bit dated and very basic.  Although there are major key points that are still relevant to todays needs it is hard  when playing games or on RL or VL to distinguish real from virtual.  

Publicly Private and Privately Public: Social Networking on YouTube-Patricia G.Lange

Lange in her article talks about YouTube and it's sense of social networking.  Lange states that through linking and viewing profiles are ways to see the social networks that exist.   By allowing individuals to keep in contact with other loved ones within this type of social networking an individual can be public or private or both at the same time.  The use of media-circuits provides individuals with a social function that allows them to stay 'connected' to another.  

On YouTube there are people who use the site to express themselves and their points of views to a closed group of people, others put their video to share with the public.  This type of media allows us and the individuals to comment on videos and rank them- giving them importance.  This social aspect of YouTube shows social network patterns.  By allowing members of YouTube to comment and share videos it helps members to create new connections and develop social networks that are shared (Lange, 2007).

What is interesting here is that some of the networks public/private patterns remain hidden. There are different types of levels here on YouTube- the multilayered effect on privacy and public viewing comes into play.  Some people prefer to remain private showing videos to those they choose and other to all allowing the user/member to give out as much or as little information about them as they want, thus giving the network the multi-layered outlook.

Identity is a huge thing for networks to play with.  Some networks allow for privacy issues to be taken by the individual while others provide only certain privacy aspects and this is crutial to some network members.  By understanding how and why these social networks work we can understand the patterns of privacy used in public networks and how publicly social networks use privacy.