Semiotic Analysis of Myself Representation - Essay Example

Introduction

The proliferation of the social networking sites in the contemporary society created numerous ways for people to interact. I have an active online presence with a unique online identity. Online identity or internet identity refers to the social identity that a user of the internet establishes in websites and online communities. As such, an internet identity is a presentation of oneself. I have numerous accounts on various social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Myspace among others. I am an active member of multiple communities and strive to maintain a personality that offers a true representation of myself including my values, cultures, and beliefs. I strive to present myself as a morally upright, politically conscious and well-traveled individual capable of influencing the beliefs and ideas of others.

The SEARCH acronym is the best place to begin the analysis of my representation in online platforms. The media plays a significant social role. As such, my engagement of the online media demonstrates my interest in the various social values of my society. The SEARCH acronym thus “foregrounds the social issues and social differences” (O'Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012; pg. 36). The “S” in the acronym represents sex and sexual orientation. I am proud of my sex and sexual orientation. As such, I always indicate my gender and interest in people of the opposite sex. However, I strive to remain neutral as a critical way of embracing the cultural diversity that characterizes my society. I do not discriminate against members of any gender and sexual orientation.

The “E” stands for the environment. The environment is a critical element that provides the context in which all the other items in the acronym exist. I live in a political society. Politics influence all the critical elements of the society. As such, having a voice in the online platforms helps create an informed community that takes part in the governance of the country. I love the ideals of the Democratic Party. I strive to articulate my opinions on such critical issues in my society like gun control, the travel bans and homosexuality among others. My views are always liberal and present myself as an informed and politically conscious individual interested in developing a cohesive community that entertains people from diverse cultural backgrounds like religion, sexual orientation, and race.

“A” represents age and attempts to decipher the society’s attitude to age. Most societies have ageist aspect by treating people of diverse age groups differently. I am a millennial. I have always presented myself as such by articulating the issues affecting the age group. As a young adult, I have an active online presence, embrace creativity and loves technology. I am an industrious person who is poised for entrepreneurship. Such values espouse the beliefs of millennial across the world. Similarly, “R” represents the race. The race is a significant element in my society. The country has a multiracial population. However, stereotypes and discrimination characterize the interactions of the people. I come out as a race-neutral character. I continue to advocate for an all-inclusive society in which everyone feels at home irrespective of his or her racial background. I have posted photos of me with other people of diverse races. I approach online discussions neutrally with the view to judge character and not the race of the people I encounter on the platforms.

“C” represents the class, which is a form of stratification of the contemporary society. I am a middle-class American. I have adequate privileges to have a comfortable life. However, I encounter similar challenges as other Americans. The threat of mass shootings, racial discrimination and a skewed health system that favors the wealthy are some of the constant challenges we encounter on a daily basis. As such, I present myself as an informed individual who understands the plight of other Americans irrespective of their social classes. Finally, the “H” stands for handicap. Handicapped or disabled people form yet another peculiar social category of people who often endure intense discrimination based on their disabilities. I understand the plight of the handicap thus strives to advocate for their rights. I have never discriminated the people in any of my posts and contributions in various online platforms including online chats and internet forums.

Semiology encompasses the extensive analysis of language to decipher meaning, “semiology suggests that all communication is based on sign systems that work through certain rules and structures” (O'Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012; pg. 122). I communicate through texts on the various online platforms. In one instance, I twitted, “@realDonaldTrump new travel ban likely to disenfranchise the society.” The texts demonstrate that I understand the rules of the online platform. I limited my message to the word limit by constructing a short sentenced impregnated by the message. The message demonstrates that I am politically opinionated and is always ready to speak my mind to the most appropriate public, like the presidency in the above context.

The sign is central to semiology. The use of signs is crucial in online communication. The signs convey critical messages thereby contributing to the resultant online identity that a person develops. I have always used various signs to communicate my thoughts and feelings. I strive to communicate succinctly by writing clear and short messages. However, I always employ metaphors as a way of enhancing the message in my posts in the various online platforms. At one instance I twitted, “@globaleconomics The US remains an economic powerhouse.” The simple statement had various signs in it. The phrase “powerhouse” was a sign characterized by both a signifier and a signified which “is the concept that the images, sounds or letters communicate” (O'Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012; pg. 123).

The signifier in the above tweet was the phrase “powerhouse.” A powerhouse is a power station, a place that generates power supplied to different institutions like schools and homes within a locality. A powerhouse is, therefore, an important installment in society since it powers the lives of the people. The signified in the context of the tweet was the concept of the powerhouse. A powerhouse has immense power and influence in society. It influences the lives of all the people who rely on it for electricity. The tweet, therefore, implied that the United States has such a strong economy that continues to influence the economies of other countries across the world. The strength of the America economy is central to the global economy as manifested by the financial crisis of 2008. The crisis that began in the United States affected numerous countries across the world.

Denotation and connotations refer to the images that people draw from the signs I use to maintain my online identity. Denotation analyses a sign purely based on its detailed level without delving into its inner meaning. I have always tweeted images of the places I visit. In one tweet, I posted a picture of a lush and green riverbed. The image captured the beauty of the location. The precise denotation of the image was the beauty of the river bank and the setting sunset. The image captured the beauty of nature. Connotation, on the other hand, delves into the hidden meaning of the signs. As such, the connotation of the image was my love for nature and photography. I captured an exact moment that represented the beauty and purity of nature. As such, I sought to show the demerits of various human activities that hinder the development of such lovely sights by engaging in aggressive activities with minimal regard for nature.

@beautifulnature

Summarily, I am an average user of the various online platforms. I maintain a liberal personality designed to present my political consciousness and love for the environment. I believe that my inscribed readers are people of my age group who possess similar interests in politics and the environment. Similarly, I employ stringent codes and conventions to guide influence the personality I maintain online. First, I never use vulgar language. I limit my posts to moral language and moderate presentation of my political beliefs. I do not love the aggression, and I always respect every one person I engage on the platforms. Finally, I always strive to use symbolic signs to communicate on the online platforms figurative language is laden with signs and symbols. I use metaphors to paint mental images. I believe that symbols are the best way of communicating to diverse group thus enabling the people to decipher the message based on their mental stability. I always present both the connotative and denotative aspects of my posts.