Online Identites- Media and Communications Blog Post

       Online identities can be seen to a degree, as an extension of our ‘real-life’ or ‘offline’ personalities. No longer are computers exclusively utilised for information storage and telephones for calling (Hills, 2009), these devices can now be seen as a way of creating and sustaining connections. They are also often utilised to a significant extent as a way of establishing a sense of character and personality.  In particular, online platforms allow us to choose how we want to be viewed by specific people in specified contexts. 

Personally the modes of social networking I use the most are Facebook and Instagram.  Not only do I use them for talking to friends but as a performer, they have become a fast and effective mode of advertising and gathering interest around a show through the uploading of images. Within the study of media, there is often a lot of controversy that surrounds the uploading of images to the Internet. This can be examined for a multitude of reasons however, particular emphasis can be placed on the issue of which specific images we choose to upload and who we choose to view these images. It is important for us as media theorists to question what we put on the Internet, why we put it there and what we think these ‘uploads’ say about our online and offline personas. As well as this, it is important for us as individuals to question whether our online and offline personas are one in the same, interchangeable or completely separate from one another.

      This is my current Facebook profile picture. I specifically chose this image because it is not a photo I have taken myself but somebody else’s interpretation of what I look like. I love it because it is everything I aim to look like, the red lipstick, the 1950’s glasses and the long hair. Yet it is not an actual image of how I look in an ‘offline’ sense. In relation to this, I do not have a ‘virtual identity’ by which I have created an avatar through whom I live vicariously so I cannot say how that feels.  However, I do have an online identity that I see as an ‘ideal’ version of myself. This is discussed to a significant extent in Subrahmanyam and Smahel’s (2011) text exploring the role of media in youth development. As stated in the text, an online identity can be thought of as a ‘cluster of digital data’ (p.62). I can personally relate to this because to me, my online persona is a self-monitored compilation of email addresses, images and words that specific people (that I have chosen) can interact with. As Chalkney (2013) refers to, many of us ‘manage’ our online identities. Through a management and monitored viewpoint we as individuals have the opportunity to make a personal distinction between our online and offline personas. 

Chalkley, T 2013, Teen identity in the digital age: who exactly is “me” now days?‟, conference paper presented at Transformational Communication and the New Asia, Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Hills, M 2009, Case study: social networking and self-identity‘, in Creeber, G and Martin, R (eds.), Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media, Open University Press, Maidenhead, pp. 117-21 

Subrahmanyam, K & Smahel, D 2011, Digital Youth: The Role of Media in Development. Springer, New York, London.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVgEaDemxjc

WATCH WATCH WATCH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewMTRN9So88

Kimbra

A goddess!

So, i don't think i have written in about 5 months, but hey, whose counting?

This is the drawing my friends gave me for my eighteenth, ain't it just fabulously amazing!
A credit to Courtney Brims.
Upon spending 40min lying on my stomach in the library yesterday, I borrowed myself, 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway, its quite the book, however, I'm not sure how many MORE times the word 'and' could be used instead of a comma or full stop, English has got be correcting the oddest things.
Trials are over, and i think we're all ready to have a great time by not continuing to 'drown' under mounds of paper and plastic sleeves.
Hope everyone is well.
I think I'll be one of those people who has an amazing book shelf, but wont read the books on them until I'm old. We shall see, the smell of an old book... mmm. I would typically question if that was unusual, but i know many people who feel the same.
Ciao all x

This photo encompasses my childhood. I has been on the wall of every house i have ever lived in, and thats a lot.

I dedicate this post to Lill Cullen, an amazing friend, from who happiness radiates.

Happy birthday, you beautiful young woman.

I find this possibly one of the only true places of expression. This, summarises my feelings at the moment. Jumping, blind.

RED.

Right, This is ridiculous. I do not recall the last time i posted something here, and since I have been inspired by my philosifical friend (incorrect spelling on purpose) I feel the need to reveal my love of red lipstick. WE are in the 'lipstick' age. Too poor to buy chanel handbags, we buy lipstick.

The pick me up is insane.

Wear it, I dare you

Apart from that fleeting comment on my love of lipstick I have more to share. HSC is killing me slowly and I am constantly enticed by the thought of Melboure on a saturday night. Why can't I live where the people have culture and don't give a fuck what others think.

I bought extremely high waisted green washed demn short shorts, and want to wear them with my long sleeve stripey leotard and you know what, I shall.

Get up, leave your house and be happy.

My rhyme ain't good just yet
my brain and tongue just met
and they ain't friends so far
my words don't travel far
they tangle in my hair
and tend to go no where
they go right back inside
right past my brain and eyes
into my stomach juice
where they don't serve much use
all melted calories
nurtrition values.
And I absorb back in
the words right through my skin.- Regina Spektor.

A complete dedication to the charming, Caitlin O'Rourke.


Regina Spektor,
is simply amazing.
Have a listen-
"Blue Lips"- Thanks to Caitlin, i am officially hooked.


Anyways, I'm really well haven't blogged for ages, but then again i always say that don't i? haha.
These holidays will be filled with Random acts of creativity, all in the name of fun.
You all know you don't have enough of it....
Keep smiling all, i know you want to!

Finally the suns out,
the flowers are blooming and i feel like me again. No more hiding under scarfs and huge jumpers.
The high waisted shorts and flowery dresses are out.

Have an amazing week everyone.

Hugs!

Love it,
i want to grow old but stay young.

My god, my last blog was so long ago i guess the excitement of having a blog washed off after a while and I'm sure school played a large part in not allowing me to have time to do anything remotely fun.
I probably wont be writing very frequently for a while, i have so many assignments but today is one of my first weekends with no one to see which is great lol I guess we all complain a lot about having so much to do, but at least we have the chance to go to school right?

I just wanted to show you all a picture, you don't have to like it, i just thought it was really well done. I've finally started drawing again and its so much harder this time- i used to be able to do it without thinking about what to draw next and how to put it together but i guess when you've had a break you forget... Enjoy the picture , and have an awesome day. Keep smiling- Mads. x

LO
VE

I don't really need to say much about it, because it all mean different things to different people.

We all NEED it, we all WANT it and we should all GIVE it,

friendship,

relationship whatever it is share the love, im in a pretty good mood today so i felt like telling you all.

peace,
Mads x

P.s: i plan to write something really really good soon, because i haven't written something not mushy and substantial for such a long time. but i will Wednesday probably.

Its my birthday soon and I'm about to spend a night with my close friends and family performing the can can for the public and i couldn't be happier.
Life's treating me pretty freaking well, and schools just finished.
This birthday Ive decided to thank my mum, its not just MY birthday but its the day that mum had me and its special to her too. so that's my plan for the big day :)
I hope your all well, i loved the cute little vintage picture above. have a good day/night- spread the love.

Peace Mads. x

i dont have much to say tonight,

im so tired, i think it should be illegal to be this tired and still awake. haha

Have a geat day tomorrow everyone,

your mission is to make someone that you dont usually talk to smile,

its not to get something back, its not for personal gain but it will make their day.

peace.

Mads. x

17days later! omg I'm taking my time so i better make this good.

Dedicated to Lill, : )

The other day at school i was walking down past " the corner"

( you know what i mean Eden folk) and i found this little thing with two elephants on it. One of the elephants has its trunk up and one down.

I took this as some kind of sign and blue tacked it to the corner of my computer screen.
When an elephant has its trunk up its good luck, but when its trunks down its bad luck hence the "balance" this charm represents.

Ever since finding this charm things have been pretty good, apart from the occasional freak outs life has been pretty good. You just have to remember the balance.
Have you ever noticed that when things are going really really good in life something not so good happens?
And when you don't feel like things could get any worse for you, something happens that makes your day?
Slightly philosophical i know but the ying and yang symbol wasn't invented for nothing!

Life is meant to have a balance it's what keeps you sane. Its what makes the good stuff good and the bad stuff bad.

It's what makes the good stuff even better when something horrible happens.

So have a think about that, when you feel like the world is throwing one bad thing at you after another you're obviously not appreciating that good stuff in your life enough!

Lots of Love

Madi xx

Today i have something a little more interesting to talk about than mandarin's,

but not by much ha ha.

Hope everyones having an awesome weekend despite the weather, i encourage all to keep smiling.

I was watching SBS the other night and a section came on about colour in the world, scientists believe that the world may be black and white and our eyes pick up the radiation and we see, this has not been exactly proven but there is plenty of evidence...
can you imagine that, a world of black and white,

all the beauty you'd miss out on, sunrise, sunset, a good red lipstick .

So, my point is, enjoy the colour around you be it the blue of the sky on a sunny day or the grey mist on a rainy day.

Hugs

Maddi x

Have a migrane but feel fine haha

i just cant see anything and you know what caused it, and it sucks because i love them!

MANDARINE'S! suckss hey lol

oh well, dance was good, talk tomorrow

have a good night everyone ciao xx

Unsure what i should actually to write about today, i just thought id have a beautiful picture of the sky, us on the South Coast are missing out on.
Its icy and cold but hey, who cares!
Im curling up on the couch with a cup of tea watching bold and the beautiful ( as you do)
you should do the same!
Ciao xo

For Courtney Laura:

To inspire through image.

- Day with the girls Thursday cant wait : )