“No neurotic harbors thoughts of suicide which are not
murderous impulses against others redirected upon himself.”
This quotation, to me, speaks to
the current state of social construction and representation. Taken out of its literal context, the implications
surrounding human interaction sheds a new light on social media. Since the start of social media, we have
introduced a new form of self-representation never seen previously. In place of
the black top or common watering hole, we have a virtual stream of information
constantly updated us with information of our followers, friends, and so on.
Now, more than ever, social media enables and fosters constant comparison and
competitiveness based on the virtual representation of the self. With this in
mind, Freud comes into play when we think about the insecurity driven jealousy
and disdain that these profiles can harness. To make things worse, the
criticism and condemning of a undesirable among the social scene is a public
display on social media sites—putting victims at even more of an uncomfortable
position.
Recently, a young, twelve year old
girl took her own life and was being “maliciously harassed” by two older girls.
The older girls are being charged with aggravated stalking and have harassed the
young girl via social media sites since 2012. When the bully heard of the news,
she updated her Facebook status as: “Yes I bullied Rebecca and she killed
herself, but I don’t give a f***.”
How do we as a generation that in
large part depends on technology, value ourselves in the face of others?
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/15/20975526-she-should-be-here-two-girls-charged-in-case-of-bullied-florida-girl-who-committed-suicide?lite
SO so sorry this is late everyone!!
I really liked the connection here. I read that report the other day and it actually sickened me. But what you said is very true. A lot of people who commit- or try to commit- suicide aren't doing it just for themselves, they do it to torture those who have hurt them. The Phoebe Prince case is very similar. She hanged herself after a group of girls started taunting her and throwing trash at her while she was walking home from school. She didn't kill herself just because, she did it to make them feel as bad as they made her feel.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great (but tragic) connection to the quote. Bullying is a good example of how someone's self esteem/ view of themselves is directly impacted by how other behave towards them. I feel like this also shows how social media is influencing how we relate to one another. It is in many ways replacing elements of "physical" interpersonal relationships, such as talking to one another in person or even calling people on the phone. Despite the changes in ways we relate to one another, it seems that Freud's idea still connects.
ReplyDeleteSuper interesting set of questions. I think that a lot could be said about the relationship between the Internet and Freud's idea of the mind. Do social media reveal the psychology of the individuals who participate in them? Do they reveal some aspects of a broad societal psyche? I would venture to say Yes on both accounts.
ReplyDeleteThen we can ask, does the psyche work in the ways that Freud says? Is there an unconscious? Is it structured primarily by sexuality? Is that sexuality primarily Oedipal?
Overall, while I'm generally sympathetic to Freudian interpretations, this one seems particularly harsh. I guess I agree that suicide is often an aggressive act, but, still, it's a cold to start talking right away about those poor girls as the aggressors!