One idea in Chris' entry about Social Transparency and Latent Group Discovery led me to wonder about Facebook's broadcast of my activities.
The propagation of protests against the FARC in Columbia is an example of: "This is important to me, and I want you to know about it so that it is important to you too."
I am intrigued in a different mode, in which I post (or Facebook reveals what I have just done) something that may be only about myself, and I have no intention of influencing my network. (It's all about me.)
For a lot of what I say (or do) on Facebook, whether I want to admit it or not, I want my network to think positively of my actions. I want to be liked. (Who doesn't? It's all about me, right?) I am doing something not because I think my actions and words lead to the betterment of my group/network, not because I think the world would become a better place. I do many things (on Facebook) to feel good about myself.
Yes, telling the world about my up-to-the-minute activities is a way to be connected to my friends and families. It's easier for me to post about my day than for me to call my parents and siblings to chat.
When I post a status, "Jaime just saw the greatest bestest slasher movie," I want my network to think that I am the coolest guy. I am also recommending this movie. But, do I care that my network goes and see the movie, and love the movie so much that they too create a status update so that their own networks will all go see the movie? Naw.
On the other hand, a status, "Jaime is in pain again from eating a piece of bread" has an obvious secondary message. I am telling you about my pain so that you would ask me how a piece of bread could cause pain, so that I could tell you about gluten sensitivity.
Facebook makes it easy for me to feel good about myself. Oh, by the way, the same mechanism helps me stay connected to my friends and family, without having to write email (too much typing) or call (too much commitment). And guess what, if I feel passionately about something that I want to share with the world, I don't have to do anything differently. I don't have to do "more." All that I have to do is to be selfish, write about myself, and the world (well, first, just my friends) may discover that it is passionate about the same thing too.
