Microblogging in the Context of Postmodernism

【Abstract】As an indispensable media power on the Internet， micro blog give birth to a brand new network culture. This new communication mode fulfilled the gap between mass culture and elite culture. Against the background of postmodernism， it comprises the pursuit of diversity， decentration， utility and the participation of mass culture. As an embodiment of postmodernism， micro blog does have its reason to exist and develop. Then where these characteristics of postmodernism lie in and what is the tendency of microblogging will evolve？

【Key words】Micro blog； Postmodernism； Decentration； Fragmentation

【作者簡介】何雁，中山大學南方學院。

Benefited from a culture context of postmodernism， micro blogging possesses such a strong vitality and strong influence. Undoubtedly， micro blogging cultural identity， existence and impact value satisfy post-modernism. Micro blog contain postmodernism elements， such as decentration of users group， the diversity of the contents and the fragment of information.

1. Postmodernism features of micro blog

1.1 Decentration

As a new verbal platform， micro blog has not only created a new communication mode but also fulfilled the gap between mass culture and elite culture in a large extent. Be the grassroots or the pop star， they can equally participate in this “micro blog stream”. Moreover， the micro blog allows users to find the information they need and to deliver messege as people wanted. This kind of freedom and absence of restriction is what postmodernism philosophy advocate in order to meet the needs of developing. Based on the 27th survey which published by the Chinese Internet network information center in the January 2011， the total number of our country netizens were 457 million， among which the micro blog took the percentage of over 83. Since 2011China micro blog users amounted to 200million， sina micro blog alone has users more than 100million. In the past years， when some natural disaster and social emergencies happened， it is micro blog that act like a medium where the dissemination of information can be completed in the most effective way. The transmission from of information is no longer one to one or one to many from but has been a many to many form， which go far beyond the efficiency of traditional network.

1.2 Diversity

Post modernism advocates people to view problems from multiple ways， emphasizing the relativism and particularism of social life. Some scholars see the macro context of “the postmodern condition” within functions of globalization and the information in network society. “following” makes the information spreading like the ripples of the lake as a circle of increasingly open， achieve the effect of the point to area. Therefore， micro blog is actually changing the transmitting environment by enabling the users being the director publishers， together with forwarding， making comments， and replying. Various voices from different subjects have endowed the internet with the characteristics of postmodernism. People in the postmodernism context can adapt to the rapid development of this information society and make full use of their indivial talents in various ways. We have public service micro blog， which try to maintain the moral norm in this highly developing world. There are grass roots micro blog try to advocate their own voice in this fictitious space and make it heard by people. Government， company and even school have their own micro blog to release news and unite people.

1.3 Fragmentation

Fragmentation is another important aspect of postmodern literature. Various elements， concerning plot， characters， themes， imagery and factual references are fragmented and dispersed throughout the entire work. In general， there is an interrupted sequence of events， character development and action which can at first glance look modern， it purports， however， to depict a metaphysically unfounded， chaotic universe.（Wikipedia ）. Micro blog is “micro” or we say “mini”. As the text of micro blog is generally limited to 140 characters， users do not need to delicately refine their words but in a direct and explicit way. This is also in line with the fast rhythm of modern life and effetely shortened the distant between elite culture and mass culture. The user can release any content they like， as mood， insight， news， help seeking， social needs so on and so forth. All thing related to life can be disseminated and shared in the micro blog. It is a result of the pursuit of efficiency， rapid reproduction， rapid propagation and fast reading. However， this simple text form still has its rationality and necessity and is the inevitable choice of the network in the context of postmodernism.

2. Self-identity in Microblogging

What is identity in a post modern world？ For many， identity is now a fluid concept， an open question， a construct that is built as one moves along. In a post modern sense， the self is shifting， fluid， or as Berzonsky （2005） argues， identity is dynamic， multiplistic， relativistic， context-specific and fragmented. Further， he states， ego identity may serve as a way in which individuals reach out from a personal standpoint in this fractured， post-modern world.

As a new verbal platform， the micro blog allows users to find the information they need and to deliver message as people wanted， including photos， video， words， images and news. How can any ones perspective claim in microblog absolutely Truth？. These messages shape identity， which is now not seen as fixed， but as fragmentary and fluid. We dont know who is right or wrong， who the people twitter， or ever who we are， and why we twitter. The combinations of these questions cause identity to come to the foreground as a question that has no final answer. This is both a source of exhilaration， which we are free to construct ourselves， and also anxiety， which we really dont know who we are at the deepest level. Old identities， which stabilised the social world， are in decline and new， fragmented， identities are becoming prominent， leading to the ‘crisis of the individual.

3. Conclusion

Benefited from a culture context of postmodernism， micro blogging possesses such a strong vitality and strong influence. Undoubtedly， micro blogging cultural identity， existence and impact value satisfy postmodernism. Also as against the back ground of postmodernisms deconstruction， the negative effects cannot be easily avoided. New of all kinds rush like great scourge and are hard to tell the truth. The lack center consciousness and diversified value orientation will very possible lead to fuzzy values of people. However， merits outweigh its short-comings. Micro blog enable us fell the appeal and the enthusiasm of grassroots self-expression but also let us feel the opening and progress of the society. Especially its promotion of the equality， diversity and creativity is worth of our particular cherish.

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