With all my controversial articles I issue a sort of disclaimer at the beginning. This usually begins with a submission to experience and perhaps necessary knowledge. In this case though I can introduce this article as a member of generation Y, along with a deep passion caused by an inadvertently misspent childhood.
As this is an introductory blog post I’ll provide some geeky details about myself. Like most young boys I had a fascination with computer games. This later grew with a desire to programme such software and so I leant the ‘lighter’ programming language gml which is a bit like Delphi. I quickly became involved with internet languages such as html, css, php, perl and mysql. I have helped develop a few websites over the years, a small portion of which were successful. Then I caught the writer’s flu, became obsessed with journalism and now my pr course compliments my passions.
I love gadgets, social media and one medium in particular, the internet. I won’t delve into the history of the internet, I’m sure you all know enough about that. My focus will be upon personalities on the internet. This will, no doubt, come with mild cynicism. I suppose that is what happens when studying media and public relations!
There is a cliché remark which separates older and current generation. It is simply,
“In my day we had more fun, we met each other and occasionally spoke on the telephone.”
The internet is one of the reasons why there is a small rift between the generations. The majority of teenagers will sit on social networking websites and chat their time away. What I have noticed over the years is how internet communication can give an individual multiple personalities.
The personality on one social networking website may differ to the next or at least make it appear so. A basic analogy of this would be to focus upon specialised websites. I’m a member of the popular music scrobbling website LastFm. As my preferred genre of music is metal (which comes in its odd variants) somebody could pass swift judgement upon me as a dedicate metal head. This is coupled by my subscription to Linux Questions. On this forum I appear to be a rebellious figure against cooperate gain and a firm supporter of opensource applications. Even though social networking sites such as Bebo, Myspace or Facebook provide a lengthier character profile essentially I am still not being me. I may chat with friends normally but there is usually consideration before I ever type or upload anything.
I have a wider concern over my virtual personality. I could present myself as a stereotypical brand on any social networking website with only a few adjustments. The internet might be best described then as the world’s largest theatre. In truth, the most accurate portrayal of myself can probably be found on twitter. Even then I have a realisation that everything I type will be catalogued and people will base my particular whitish brand upon that.
Quite simply and possibly controversially, the only way somebody can base a true understanding of you is by meeting in person and sharing a history. I’m quite certain that the issues discussed so far are not my own guilty vices surfacing. People have the ability to become their ideal character on the internet.
So how does public relations fit into all of this? One of my primary concerns with public relations shifting onto the internet is to do with elements of dishonesty. It is all too simple to make something sound or appear much better than it actually is. With the possibility for graphics, media and sexy programming you could present information or events in a seductive manner. If this is the case how close to the ethical boundaries are we? It is quite clear that public relations will gradually become more internet based but is this healthy for the industry in the long run?
All these questions are not intended to be hypothetical, I’d love to hear your comments. I might be wrong to be so concerned over how public relations is or might change. Perhaps presenting information in a colourful manner is the whole purpose of the industry.
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