Here is the latest conversation I had with money manager Andrew Horowitz…. new insights for anyone who invests in anything. This week we discuss the muni Bond “problem.” Also a controversial theory says the market will go down 10-percent shortly.
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What is Facebook?
A Psychological Study
If you break down the unconscious appeal of Facebook you have two or three primitive urges. These urges can be organized into three logical moments:
1) Watching others
2) Watching yourself
3) Watching others watch you
1) Watching others. You get to see what your “friends” are doing, look at their pictures, look and find out who their “friends” are. And if you actually follow their updates in an effort to keep tabs on what they are doing, this is voyeurism. It’s the voyeuristic urge.
2) Watching yourself. There’s a certain way in which Facebook and American Idol or other reality shows are logically equivalent. For decades in the U.S. only celebrities, movie stars, broadcasters, etc., got to benefit from being “on TV” — they got to exist in that magical frame given to them by the TV set or the moviescreen: the makeup, the lighting in the studio, the dramatic situation, and so on. But with the widespread availability of digital cameras and media editing, now everyone can benefit from the fantasy frame — everyone “can be a star”.
This is the essential reason why people watch American Idol — those who are actual fans of it, not the ones who watch it for the trainwreck. People like to see themselves (people like them) cross over to the other side, become stars — have their self-images mediated by make-up artists, directors, etc. They like to indulge in the fantasy of what it would be like to have their own self-image transformed through all these technologies (the “talent” or singing just provides the occasion) so that they can escape their own self-loathing.
If you think about it, Facebook is the same thing, but with technology more primitive. You get to see yourself mediated by the frame of the webpage, your self-image organized and structured according to Facebook’s aesthetic design. You get to see countless photos of yourself, “framed” by Facebook, which means at the very least that Facebook is your first audience, your audience of one.
This is the flipside of the voyeurism — instead of watching others, this is about watching yourself.
3) Watching others watch you. Going out and strutting in public in your new suit, flaunting your plumage is the same thing. Wanting to demonstrate that you have the highest number of friends, putting up photos of you on your expensive vacation — showing off. (“Look how drunk we got!”) This is the desire to draw attention to yourself, to put on a show to have others watch you.
What do these urges amount to?
It’s a perfect trifecta that accounts for Facebook’s success. Facebook perfectly structures and balances these base urges. It provides the framework for fantasy: the fantasy of watching other people (anonymously), the fantasy of yourself (a better way method of presenting yourself *to* yourself), and the fantasy of how others see you.
There are a few other base urges along the way.
4) Collecting. You get to “collect” friends just like you might collect trading cards.
5) “People Search”. You get to find lost family and friends and therewith enjoy the “magic of techology”.
6) Real-time instant communication. Text chat with people a world away.
These last three urges/technologies already exist elsewhere, however, and are not essential to Facebook’s success.
Facebook? Meh…
Its /. and Digg for me.
Seems like I REDDIT somewhere….
#1,
very good..
ADD THIS..
WE CRAVE interaction.
WE CRAVE not to be ridiculed.
ITS ANONYMOUS interaction.
Its the SAME as being able to TALK to a stranger about a problem, rather then FAMILY who might criticize you, and LIVE with you every day. Insted of giving you creative input.
It also lets you DUMP yourself on others..you can BE/try to BE anyone/type of person you wish. AND NOT GIVE A SPIT’ who you offend.
Yeah, the market has been rising for no good reason. Tuesday seems like a reasonable time for it to fall — what do you think, 33.3%?
Brown took up half the phones according to what I found. As tight as things are maybe he should have taken 90% or more.
I suspect a lot of major companies are testing what they can do with an ipad like machine. You know that companies aren’t going to blow much money on these things unless they can replace a laptop. I can see a Dr., Nurse, or some such hauling around one to enter and access data.
California might become unable to borrow money or be forced pay horrendous interest on even short term loans. People don’t laugh it off when you miss your payments. At that point in time a lot of people might not get what is due them and it may become very difficult to impossible for the state to continue doing business as is. People might start insisting on seeing the money (cash on the barrel head) before they do business or with some third party holding it until contracted work is done then paying it off.
How long will/can people show up for work when they don’t get paid?
I’m staying off Face Book until I retire after which I can connect with my fellow senile cranks and bloviate.
I do understand that it can be a wonderful way to network but people in my profession can get a whole heap of trouble on line.
Facebook bubble will pop.
#7
Face will TOP OUT…and stop.
Kids will learn that that setting age to 99 dont work.
I thought the comparison to AOL is quite apped… er,uh… apt.
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