A guy you met last night at a party “pokes” you after accepting your friend request...What does this even mean?
In normal terms, poking someone would be pretty annoying. It’s an invasion of private space and could even be considered as inappropriate. Yet, it seems to be accepted in the online arena. Why?
The options involved after being poked involve either to “poke back” or to just ignore the poke. This poke funtion doesn’t really serve much of a purpose, rather its just a way to make your “friend” aware of your presence online. Without having to say or offer anything, you can remind them of yourself and make some sort of “connection.”
The poke essentially allows for “physical contact” without the face-to-face. It’s a way to flirt, a way to comfort, a way to joke around, all alone from your room. But what does this mean that we’re doing something we would normally never do in person? Facebook allows for interactions that we are too affraid to perform in public. It is ironic perhaps that this website allows for us to be more “intimate” with another person by taking away the real, live, and physical experience of interacting with another person. Social norms barely carry into the world of social networking. And therefore, we are uninhibited when no one can see our face--we are more daring, more bold, more assertive behind a computer.
How does this reflect our values for human relationships? How is it that the getting-to-know-you process no longer involves face-to-face interaction. What happened to getting coffee and dinner dates? Now, individuals can flirt and make moves with the push of a button on your computer screen.
Interestingly enough, I found out that people can poke you without even being your friend. This is yet another look into what social mores and boundaries have to be redefined with the introduction of Facebook. For example, would it not be awkward if someone unknown poked you? It disturbs me to think that something as privatized as a poke can be performed by a complete stranger. So do we devalue the meaning of a poke, or better yet disregard it? Or do we maintain our own convictions and judge each person separately? Though the latter may seem burdensome, it appears that it will have to suffice for now until privacy is no longer monopolized...
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