Hi Gabriel,

I saw that post, too, and the phenomenon is known as “fakecationing.” With self-presentation online (or at least on Facebook), I think we all do a bit of fakecationing. Fakecationing is like an exaggerated form of the performance of identity and self-representation we discussed in class. Professor Rheingold recommended Erving Goffman’s work on the presentation of self to learn more about impression management. Probably what interests me most about social media is how we use it to perform our identities, so I’m going to look into it further. I agree that a picture can (but not necessarily always) reflect opinion. It sheds light on what a person values and tells us not only about what they are trying to communicate, but how and often why. For example, when I go to a person’s Facebook page and I see his cover photo is of his motorcycle, I can infer his values. But there could also be much more to the photo than I am aware of, so I should not be quick to judge. What could be seen as materialistic on the surface might actually be intended to demonstrate one’s work ethic and pride over restoring something.