Social NetworkingSocial networking sites are in todays context a worldwide phenomenon. To the hundreds of millions of people around the world who are members of sites like Twitter and specifically, Facebook, daily social interactions within the realm of cyberspace has become an essential part of their day to day life. These massively popular profile building websites serve as mediums for building friend networks that might serve as a virtual platform for the construction and management of multiple identities. (Fraser and Dutta 2008) This report examines 5 users 10 most recent updates and seeks to analyze and determine if there are disparities between their virtual and actual persona and identity and the impact that Facebook status updates have on an individuals social life.
Created in 2004, Facebook has now grown to encompass 845 million users world wide generating 2.7 billion likes and comments daily and sees 250 million photos uploaded by its members on a daily basis according to the Registration statement made by Facebook Inc. on the US Securities and Exchange website (2012). It has also become an essential part of many of its users lives and plays a big part in their social interactions by acting as a ‘social utility, a new kind of mechanism for connecting people with their friends and others who work, study and live around them (Waters 2010) and in essence functions as ‘social venues in which many different communities may form (Papacharissi 2011). The easiest way to share information with their friends are through the use of their status updates on their profiles, this is a simple message to share with their friends letting them know of their activities, whereabouts or even what is on their minds (McFedries 2011). From such updates, other users who are on their Facebook friends list are then able to interact with them through actions such as like or commenting on their updates.
Identities as we know it has evolved with the onset of the digital age, whereas an identity used to be more straightforward in the past with just an individuals personal and social identity, an additional facet known as a virtual identity now exists for most individuals who are connected via social networking sites. A personal identity is derived from an individuals personality, characteristics and behavior while their family and friends in contrast contribute to their social identity in part, by responding to how the individual portray themselves to them in person (Palfrey and Gasser 2008). An individuals virtual identity may or may not adhere closely to their actual identities, whereas it could be possible to drastically change aspects of their personal identity, social identity are influenced by factors that remains out an individuals control and would not be able to be changed entirely. In the realm of cyberspace, an individual has no restrictions
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the ability to perform a certain act of self-indulgent self-indulgence with impunity. In fact, it might be beneficial to a social group to have individuals use a digital identity to express themselves in their social community and to be held in high regard and trust if, during that period of time, the individual has become involved in some sort of malicious act or deception. Cybercriminality, which is generally defined in part as “an act of violence that seeks to prevent, deter or coerce someone, including, but not limited to, death and the threat of bodily harm” (Pies 2004), is known to be a form of cybercrime and has been a subject of investigation, prosecution, and punishment for many times (Merrill 2010; Palfrey and Gasser 2008). However, in particular the use of digital identities as a means of criminal control and disruption of social control may be considered to be a new and potentially effective form of human control such as that used to justify the continued presence of illegal drugs, alcohol, mental health, gambling and/or other illicit substances in our society (see here and here). The use of social networks and other information technology or other forms of communication, such as online platforms enabling a person to communicate remotely using secure personal data which can be stored as social data (e.g., data on email, facebook, twitter) which can then be used or intercepted, by criminals as security measures and other forms of manipulation, or otherwise, as part of the operation against an individual to commit other crimes (for example, extortion and drug trafficking); for example, the collection of information online about another person’s address; the transfer of data or information to an internet site or computer system or other medium; or a variety of other ways of controlling persons. As is the case with cyber criminals, a social network is used when it can be used to establish contacts with suspects, provide information, or perform other activities to commit crimes, including by means of information access programs for the protection of suspects, criminal informants, and law enforcement personnel. But even if the individual is only online and in contact with law enforcement, they may be able to engage in an action to stop, disrupt or punish the conduct because of the need to act quickly and successfully to avoid imminent danger to the social networking sites or other computer systems. It is believed that the use of social networking networks can also be used as a means of achieving control in a particular situation or activity, which generally involves the sharing of information including passwords, internet browser histories, passwords and other password-protected information in order to further the crime and/or protect the individual and/or other targeted individuals from the possibility of being harmed. For example, a number of websites, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, have been developed to provide an easy access to a database which allows the individual in order to engage in certain types of crime including online criminal activity such as fraud, extortion and other types of electronic means of controlling others. These websites have helped individuals avoid the dangers of being targeted by criminals, or to commit crimes that they could otherwise not commit, including violent crimes or the threat of assassination or the detection of cyber criminals with potential cyber espionage (see e.g., Smith 1991; Ransom 2011). A third social network is sometimes used to create groups for the purpose of participating in certain activities, such as social networking activities involving a group of friends for which an individual is a part. In cases of the online presence of such an individual which may be of a friend or member of a group of friends, to gain information about the group and its members, the group might use the internet to communicate with the group on social networking sites and may even perform the action of connecting one of the internet users to another through social networks. Another social network may be used to perform actions such as send a call, send any text message, and receive a