Once, there was a young man who happened to be stranded on an island with Cindy Crawford. Of course, if two people of the opposite sex are caught in such conditions, it is easy to guess what will happen. They finally make love.
However, after making love with Cindy Crawford, the young man still feels his satisfaction is not complete. Like there are still less. So he filed a request to Cindy to dress up like a friend, wearing pants, and a fake mustache.
When he was ready to dress up, he suddenly said, "Hey, you know what happened to me earlier? I made love to Cindy Crawford!" We understand the point, it turns out the new boy was satisfied and happy when it was showing off to his friend. He is very proud to have sex with the model of America's fantastic. I immediately laughed after reading this story, realizing that human desire is funny.
The joke I got from The Plague of Fantasies (1997) by Slavoj Žižek - one of the most famous of the 21st century philosophers. In his jokes, Žižek is actually explaining the theory of satisfaction and enjoyment in the psychology of Jacques Lacan. However, of course we agree that the joke can also explain many things, including the function of social media today. Yes, nothing else and no, social media function I think is also just to show off. Alias, just to fulfill our narcissistic desires only
If anyone argues that the function of social media is to network and share information, then this is not wrong. Only, I assume this is a secondary function. The primary function remains the same: show off. After all, the networking function of friendship was sufficiently supported by messaging apps and email group mailing lists. So show off is the nature of the real social media function.
This function is increasingly necessary when some social media platforms develop some features that support these showroom activities. Now Facebook provides live streaming feature that allows all users to broadcast for 24 hours nonstop. Instagram also has long instagram instagram feature that can also function as a daily diary of its users.
So very reasonable when the Instagram story is a friend who was showing off coffee drinking activity in elite coffee shop while showing off a variety of cup glass containing expensive coffee. Or, at other times you can also peek Instagram story of a "young woman" is showing off a bowl of bibimbap in a Korean restaurant. Do not be too hasty to look down on those who are live streaming when breakfast chicken porridge on the roadside.
Nothing wrong with the show-offs. Because that's how it is. Exhibition becomes one of the necessities to show our existence as a person, and social media becomes its container.
Twenty years ago, Abraham Maslow had already spawned the pyramid theory of basic human needs. He says that the ultimate basic need is self-actualization. When the physiological, security, love, and appreciation needs are fulfilled then every human being is entitled to desire to actualize himself. Maybe now the order has been reversed.
So you should not be too worried with articles that discuss social media and narcissism are often associated with symptoms of psychological disorders. Because, exhibition or narcissistic is our nature, once again. Of course, as long as this desire is within reasonable limits and does not disrupt social order.
It is precisely the problems that have recently made the social media space become damaged not by the behavior of exhibition or narcissism. However, the root of the problem is rubbish called hoaks, egocentrism in personal opinion, nirfaedah gossip, to harassment that led to hate speech.
Slowly social media began to move away from its original nature. Its function is no longer just for networking and showing off. However, the more critical is to kill someone's character.
Social media began to be the most powerful tool to spread hoaks. The distribution is much faster than serial SMS messages. At any time we can easily get false news that the impression is quite convincing. For example, about a black campaign that attacked one of the would-be governor candidates.
Ordinary people who are new to social media or Whatsapp's apps will probably be easily consumed by such hoaks. However, it does not mean people with intellectual capacity can not be victims of hoaks. Because hoaks can also be impressed as a valid truth if it continues to be consumed regularly. This is where we know that social media can be the most powerful and dangerous propaganda mouthpiece.
Then, social media space was transformed into a ring of boxing between personal ego. At first we are grateful, because social media has been instrumental in trimming social distances that were once impossible to penetrate. Now, you can easily repeat comments with one of your idol celebrities only through Instagram account.
But unfortunately, this trimmed social distance actually presents a new problem. People get quarrelsome in social media with anyone. Arguing for everything from petty temeh to cattle peed to ideological texts. Instead of being a democratic and elegant discussion space, they just want to reveal their personal ego. In the beginning was friendship, the end is hostility.
In another realm, the new social media function is no less exciting is when social media into a fun gossip space. Even the gossip shows on television are losing their prestige for being replaced by gossip accounts on Instagram. Gossip also become more fun to be followed at any time even though the benefits are very minimal.
Another social media's most critical function is when it becomes a tool for harassment. It is not a rare spectacle if someone who proposes a different opinion on social media will quickly get harassment. In fact, in the most barbaric way.
In its most plenary form, the problems accumulated in the same variant: hate speech. People in the real world are most likely to hit a real blow just because of cruel matters. In fact, they can report to each other to the police so that one party can stay in jail
At this point we should realize that narcissistic behavior in social media still sounds familiar and safe. We should be more worried about the pragmatic functions of social media that I have described earlier. We certainly do not want this pleasant sharing space to be a propaganda backdrop designed by shrewd people with an interest. Because ultimately the activity will actually eliminate our enjoyment when entering the social media space. Is not social media also works so that we smile easily when hit by tired?
So let's restore social media functionality to its original nature: show off! This is the most pleasing and fulfilling function of our existence. No need to be embarrassed or naive, yet to show off good food or beautiful sights is far more useful than showing off hatred.
I really hope if steemit will be a very useful media for generations in the world