Public VS Private

Blog Post 1 (Day 2 Public vs Private)

                These readings all discussed what we keep private and what we share to the public. I am a very private person who takes time to willingly discuss my personal life in many different settings. The examples provided (Scott Simon’s mom, Facebook Memorials, YouTube break ups) were easy to understand despite not being how I would respond in the event of losing a loved one or dealing with a break up.

                Two of the main points I would like to touch on from Humphrey Chapter 2 are “The PointlessBlog” and the “Tension” section specifically in regards to YouTube break ups. From Pointless Blog I was able to better understand why YouTubers feel the need to share their life in the way that both David and Liza and Colleen Ballinger and Joshua David Evans shared their break ups. “The small details of famous people or people who are professional media accountants still rely on the same notions and commitment to the quotidian in ensuring the value and authenticity of their media accounts.” (Humphrey 39) While neither of these are accounts I follow, I can distinctly remember the day Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings) and her now ex-husband announced their divorce. I was nannying and could hear sniffles from the dining room table as I cooked dinner. The girls I watched Miranda Sings videos and Colleen’s vlogs religiously, as this happened I dismissed it as tweens being over invested in their YouTube videos but in doing deeper reading I realize they had such a connection with this couple and genuinely hurt for this couple.I no longer nanny these girls I predict they had similar reactions to the Liza and David break up simply because of the reactions I saw on twitter. While most were positive there were still negative ones, I have included examples of both at the bottom of the page.

It is easy to conclude that this couple was committed to keeping their video authentic. This supports a quote that Humphrey provides “If you are an aspiring video blogger remember it’s not about you, it’s about who is watching you. Be conscious and considerate of your audience and its needs, rather than getting mired in your own egotism and insecurity… “(44) While some found this take relatable and honest other people found it uncomfortable.

While Liza and David’s breakup video pulled at a few heart strings, I also fell in the “I’m uncomfortable. Why are they doing this? “category. Reading some of Scott Simon’s brought on the same emotions. I will tie this back to the day 2 readings but this also applies to Mead’s views on “Me” and “I”. I think Simon’s tweets were from “I” where it’s likely he wasn’t tweeting for attention but to give an authentic view of what he was experiencing. I think that my “Me” is a large road block in my ability to be this raw with people.

While I am sure Scott Simon received negative comments from this he was also able to provide light and positivity for others grieving a similar loss. I think this is a tremendous achievement as it is likely he didn’t tweet with that intention. Humphrey helps to support my thought behind this achievement with the quote “The sharing of quotidian details is sometimes not about the content itself but about the act of sharing. This is often described as… communication whose content is less important than the communicative act itself.” (47) So it isn’t necessarily what the tweets said but the fact that he was willing to be so raw and open about preparing to and eventually losing his mother.

                From these examples and explanations, we can conclude that everyone has the ability to decide what they post and how they go about it. Unfortunately for celebrities it is more difficult to have that level of privacy that you and I do, likely influencing what they feel obligated to post publicly. There will likely be backlash but at the same time unending support. For the purposes of our personal accounts where do you feel we need to draw the lines in terms of being 100% honest and authentic?