Looking for the Gaze: The Case of Humiliation in the Digital Era

Abstract

The internet constitutes a virtual "place" for sociability. It is a platform for interactions based on reciprocal and dialectic exchange between "being seen by others" and "seeing others". As new technologies emerge, ways of viewing are revised: The main innovation of the internet has been, in ordinary life as in the media, seeing, hearing and showing everything with the individual at the center of permanent interactions established in a virtual world that makes it unseen by the naked eye. But visibility is a trap: In attempting to a part of the virtual world through self-exposition, individuals expose themselves to potential sources of humiliation. This article will explore how the internet has redefined individuals' representations of self, while exposing them to the misappropriation of their image.Keywords: Cyberbullying, Gaze, Humiliation, Interactions, Internet, Selfpresentation.Yrd. Doç. Dr., Uluslararası Kıbrıs Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, jadilmac@hotmail.com Bu makale iThenticate sistemi tarafından taranmıştır.

The New Forms of Mourning: Loss and Exhibition of the Death on the Internet

“…The over-exposure of the dead permitted by the Internet raises the question of digital immortality which, if can be positive in certain aspects, can also lead to negative consequences. For instance, the exposure of the deceased may provoke insensitive responses, such as hate speeches or defaming messages that denigrate the person, and this, beyond death (Dilmac¸, 2014). Making public the private aspect of mourning via the Internet can lead not only to trolling, as underlined by Phillips (2011) but also to abusive behaviors from rubberneckers (Degroot, 2013).…”

“…(Wrona, 2001) These "web measures" (Dagiral & Parasie, 2010, p. 35) propel the dead, through their images, into the ranks of "eye-catchers." Thus, on the Internet, new ways of seeing have emerged (Dilmac¸, 2014). The dead are exposed like articles, only another image among so many others.…”

“…In addition to evolving in their new destinies, they employ a multitude of techniques to attract viewers and gain social recognition. Through the tally of online visitors or number of views, individuals confirm their "presence" (Dilmac¸, 2014). In this way, the Internet is like a living space, a social platform where the key is to "exist" at all costs in the eyes of others.…”

Humiliation in the virtual world: Definitions and conceptualization

“…Today's individuals are confronted with "cannibalism of the eye" (Thomas 1984: 136), the devouring of their image without grasping any depth (Dilmaç 2014a(Dilmaç & 2014b. The image is only taken to the first degree; the individual represented can only appear in a reified form.…”

“…Through Internet, individuals communicate with others; but they can also "see others" and being "seen by others". For me, this aspect related to the ways of "viewing" has to be highlight to understand the new technologies and their use (Dilmaç 2014a). …”