Specular Economy

The ‘specular economy’, is something that can define how people are becoming more conscious of how they appear and how they present themselves as well as how others perceive them (Marshall 2010 pg. 498). This phenomenon is now evident through social networking sites and across other various forms of interactive media via the Internet. 

Facebook is a great example of how the ‘specular economy’ works due to the fact that people upload photos of themselves onto Facebook for everyone to see. A social networking site such as Facebook “means that we are inhabiting spaces where we are not only on display but we think about our mediated construction of ourselves sometimes continuously” (Marshall 2010 pg. 499). For the most part, they will be good photo’s, much time and care would have gone into selecting the photo’s that represent you in the best manner. 

The idea of the ‘specular economy’ can also be used against someone. Uploading photos of people who don’t look good such as wearing hideous clothing or pulling a face can impact that individuals ‘specular economy’ as they will be worried as to how others perceive them. 

           source: http://www.thisblogrules.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/The-Car-Picture-Meme.png

My Facebook account has some shocking photo’s of me, but I keep them there, partly due to the fact that I may be judged for removing them knowing that they are bad photo’s. People have an identity on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the things you say and the photo’s you upload say something about you, and the ‘specular economy’ suggests that people are conscious of this and therefore select what material is uploaded as they worry about what others may perceive of them.

Reference:

Marshall, D 2010, The Specular Economy, Symposium: Celebrity Around The World.