Read: Del Gandio 145-178
Speak: Demonstrate body rhetoric
Write:
What are some ways body rhetoric can exist online? In daily life, how are you aware of body rhetoric, space and communication.
Read: Del Gandio 145-178
Speak: Demonstrate body rhetoric
Write:
What are some ways body rhetoric can exist online? In daily life, how are you aware of body rhetoric, space and communication.
Body rhetoric exists in the fan pages on Facebook and the channels on Youtube. The body rhetoric has to be virtual, but it can be done. There are many different ways to communicate ideals/ beliefs through the media. Many people throughout the world are able to band together for a cause because of different media accessibility. In daily life body rhetoric is everywhere. Every conversation holds different amounts of body rhetoric without the participant’s even opening their mouth. Body language is an integral aspect of body rhetoric and as I interact with different people everyday, I recognize this more and more. Many teachers use their body language to establish themselves as figures of authority whereas my friends have more laid-back body languages because I have a relationship with them. Every situation that requires an individual will show acts of body rhetoric and I agree with the importance on analyzing people’s body rhetoric. It is important to try and gage another person’s energy from their body because what comes out of their mouth may not always be the truth. The body speaks volumes towards how the individual is actually feeling.
One of the most prominent examples that I can think of relating to body rhetoric online, is the way we interact with Twitter. Although I no longer use Twitter as frequently as I used to, I remember that there was a specific feeling I got whenever I posted a tweet. When tweeting, one has to masterfully craft what they post and by doing so, it takes a lot of work in order to get the message across that one is trying to convey. Just as easily as our body language can convey a certain message, the misuse of a parenthesis, comma, period, exclamation point, capital letters among a range of things – can send the person reading someone else’s tweet a message that was unintended for the user. One of the reasons why I removed myself from the Twitter mania was in order to be able to convey who I am and what I think from my own perspective in real life. I no longer have to deal with the misconception of what I said in a tweet. In real life, I am very aware of my body rhetoric when playing rugby. Whenever I am on the pitch, I am ultra-aware of who I am conveying myself to be. Since rugby is a physical sport, I display myself as a more intimidating person than I usually convey among family and friends. Although it is not necessarily purposeful, I certainly have noticed the different patterns of behavior that occur on and off the field.
As it has been already said, body rhetoric can be seen to exist on many social media websites including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Reddit. When people post things on these sites they usually think about how it is going to affect other people before they post it. As an example, some people will post something controversial because they want to elicit a heated debate about it. Other people will post things just so that they can get their name and face out there for the world to see. One site that I think uses the most body rhetoric is Facebook because it uses people’s real identities and many users post real pictures of themselves. As a result of using real identities, many people will pose for pictures because they know that the picture that is being taken might appear on Facebook so they have to look their very best. In addition, people will add a meaningful quote to their professionally photographed picture because they know that by doing this they are guaranteed to get over 100 likes on their profile picture. People want to appear a certain way online so they start to act the same way in real life so their Facebook self and their real self, evolve into the same person. In real life, body rhetoric can be seen everywhere especially in situations where students are around their professors and when students are around their friends. I have found that when people are around their teachers their body language is different from when they are around their friends. In a classroom setting, engaging students will usually sit up in their chairs and not fidget with their hands and feet. On the other hand, when students are around their friends it tends to be a much more relaxed setting so they might not sit up straight and end up fidgeting more because they feel they have more freedom and are more comfortable. Body rhetoric is also very useful in communication. Everyone communicates differently but I think in order to give an effective argument or an effective speech body language needs to be used in order to grab people’s attention.
Body rhetoric exists on numerous sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more. People are posting on these sites to evoke a reaction from others. A good example could be the recent incident of Charlie Hebdo. People went to Twitter, Facebook and other sites to express their views on the issue. Photos and videos posted online also allow for people to see the body language of others which can speak loudly as well. Body rhetoric is strong with politics and in regards to people standing for what they believe in. In daily life, I am aware of body rhetoric by the way people present themselves, their posture and mannerisms. Even when walking to class, you can tell quite a bit about a person just by the way they walk. Posture can be a key way of reading someone as well, for slouching and standing up straight give off two different messages. Body rhetoric plays a significant role in communication because people do not always use words to show how they feel.
As most of my peers have stated previously, body rhetoric can exist online through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc), blog posts, and other websites such as Youtube and Dailymotion that are video-based.Body rhetoric can exist online as a means of enlightening and influencing an audience through digital means. As technology advances, so does the use of rhetoric in technological devices and mediums. Moreover, ideas in online rhetoric progress together with new know-hows for e.g. the iPhone.
I have learned that rhetoric is something I use constantly in my everyday life as it is present all around us in society. Rhetoric has always been used by politicians, governments, religious organizations etc, in a cause to influence populations and audiences. When I am driving(focus on the street and the steering wheel), shopping(bargaining, choosing what I like), eating(facial expressions and rhetoric demonstrate how tasty or tasteless a dish may be). When I am not able to express myself in certain words, due to a lack of vocabulary etc, my actions and arm movements most often then not, come to my aid and help me convey my perspective on a certain topic. Whether it be in class, or at home or at work, my body language while carrying out a conversation is very vital. Imagining if i could not use body rhetoric in conversations, it amazes me how quick and meaningless many of my conversations may be.
Body rhetoric can exist online in the form of which social media sites one chooses to utilize. For example, if a person takes a stance against online anonymity, then he or she would use body rhetoric online by either choosing to align their views with their actions by using their true identity for screen names, or by choosing to contradict their verbal rhetoric by using pseudonyms online.
In my everyday life I am aware of body rhetoric, space, and communication in various instances. Body language is often a more authentic representation of how a person feels. For instance, even though a person may always talk about how cool he/she is under pressure, when he/she quickly glances away once we make eye contact, I get the sense that they are nervous or unsure of themselves. Proximity between people can also indicate their comfort level, relationship status, etcetera. Body rhetoric is a perpetual form of communication that plays a role in our understandings of one another in ways that we do not always recognize. However, it is argued that body language is of greater significance than whatever is verbalized during an interaction.
Body rhetoric exists in many social media sites. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are three sites where I see it most prominent. Time and time again I see people become active on these social media sites to create commotion. Body rhetoric can easily be displayed on these sites as a way to persuade others on any certain topic. In my opinion, people use body rhetoric especially on Facebook. I have noticed over the years, that Facebook has become a place where people are able to freely talk their mind. Many of my friends will not only post but upload persuasive videos of themselves in attempt to get their message across. These videos make their body rhetoric apparent to the viewers.
In my opinion, body rhetoric is even more common in daily life than it is on social media. One is able to easily spot one’s body language in any casual conversation. Although body language is always apparent to surrounding individuals, one’s body language is dependent on the setting in which they are placed. When placed in a professional setting one’s body language tends to be tense where when talking to friends or family one’s body language becomes less tense. When speaking, it is easier to convey a message with the use of body rhetoric, which is why it is extremely important when giving a speech.
We see body rhetoric often online. Body rhetoric is a way of conveying your message and this may be done through clothes, the eating of particular foods, the choice in transportation. Body rhetoric is prominent in places like Facebook ads, YouTube channels, T.V. commercials, and through other online users. In daily life body rhetoric is everywhere! I am aware of body rhetoric in many daily situations, this may include a professor or fellow student. There is a big difference between these two. For example, most professors use body rhetoric to portray themselves differently than they usually would at home or grocery shopping. A professor uses body rhetoric to portray himself or herself as important or a sign of dominance. A student may use body rhetoric to show what or who they are. They may slouch or look down, telling us that they are confortable or not wanting to convers. Students may use body rhetoric to also portray themselves as professional or ready. This would be the case in a senior’s situation, with graduation approaching and job searches beginning.
At all points in the day people us body rhetoric to show something about them. I acknowledge this and agree with Del Gandio in that we need to be aware of the way we are using body rhetoric at every second. Body rhetoric plays a huge role in our daily lives, because people do not always use their words to express how they are feeling. Knowing this gives us a lot of control in our lives and how people see us.
Body rhetoric can exists constantly in social media. People are always trying to persuade others through posts or videos. People try to elicit reactions from their followers through body rhetoric. I think Twitter is a good example in this. Some things get a lot of attention because of how it is said and how it effects people. People constantly use body rhetoric in their daily lives. Not just between teachers and students, but I think there is a lot that body language can tell you between peers. If your really close to someone you are probably more open to them. However, if you do not like someone you can be more standoffish in your body language. Body rhetoric can tell you a lot about a person, and it is important to take notice of in daily life.
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. Body rhetoric would then be how one would use the body to emphasise the rhetorical conduct. Through posture and tone of voice it is used as a way of seeming secure.Through clothes it is used as a way of showing that one belong in the environment one is in. Body rhetoric comes alive online as it would in real life. Though the conduct of a person. It can be clothes, body language, tone of voice, surrounding environment or gestures. Online this would be featured in commercials, radio and video for example.
In everyday life body rhetoric is a matter of how we dress, make gestures, how we speak or how we use proximity. If we stand closely to someone it means that we are more comfortable around them. If we feel the need to speak loudly and harsh, we might feel as we otherwise would not be heard. I took a communication class where body language was studies and I learned signs of body rhetoric and how they are understood, so now I am more aware of how I conduct myself in public settings or when doing a speech.
Del Gandio describes body rhetoric as physical enactments that materialize our political views and beliefs. This includes wearing particular clothes, eating particular foods, or avoiding particular stores to convey a broader message. With this in mind, I think body rhetoric can be used online by what we choose to post on our blogs and social media, and by which websites we choose not to visit, all as a means of projecting our personal views. Tumblr had a recent “blackout” day where Black tumblr users only posted selfies of themselves and reblogged selfies of other Black tumblr users to convey a broader message of Black solidarity, and the defiance of European beauty standards and negative stereotypes regarding Blacks and Black Americans.
In daily life, I subconsciously take in body language all the time. Based on someone’s position, mannerisms, or eye contact, I determine whether or not this person is open for a conversation with me, or if they’re disinterested. People who look away from me as they walk toward me seem to convey that they are not in the mood for conversation or do not wish to say hello. Professors use body language all of the time. Opening their arms as they speak, or gently pacing the room shows that they’re ready and welcoming discussion, and that they’re trying to connect with each individual in the room.
Body rhetorics online exists through any interaction that is done, more frequently through social media, and even through the links we search and click on Google. On platforms such as Facebook, any “likes” or links we click on conveys a certain message about a person. For example, a person’s choice of “liking” a link about something political can give other people more information about the first person’s political views and standing. Any information you provide online is just another way of communicating body rhetoric, as people are constantly telling others about their standpoints of issues and subjects, no matter how trivial. Any choice you make online, like commenting on a friend’s post, in addition to the contents of that post, uses body rhetoric where a person’s ideas and views are exposed.
Body rhetoric is engraved in everything we do, and most of the time we don’t even know we’re doing it. From the choices in our food, clothing, and more specifically as students, the major and classes we choose. Most of the time, body rhetoric isn’t something I think of while interacting with people and space, but I think it is more of an instinctual thing that people naturally pick up on that leads us to understanding our surroundings more effectively. However, there are definitely ways to improve on it, and become more effective at communicating our thoughts and ideas, which is something that is really important to learn.
Online body rhetoric can be choosing to not buy form a specific brand, or following a specific page on social media. Your online presence or lack of online presence can also be considered body rhetoric. Also body rhetoric can include what you publish on your own social media. For example, last week I saw a tweet about a campaign for building awareness about sexual harassment and being an up-stander. Its a video campaign with the hashtag #WhoWillYouHelp. as soon as i finished watching the video I realized how important it was and immediately retweeted it and shared it with some friends. the fact that I retweeted it and shared it with people I care about demonstrated body rhetoric. Also when online its necessary to pay close attention to what we say and what words we use. Unfortunately, online everything is much more open to different interpretations and therefore we must be careful when choosing our words.
One of the most prominent ways I see body rhetoric online is through social media. When I think back to Facebook and what people posted, it wasn’t the content of the post that made it funny or thought-provoking. It was the way that the post was written, and the way that the post was delivered. The way something was said was far more important than what was said, at least for the minds of young, immature high schoolers. Nowadays, I can see body rhetoric through Twitter and the way that people text each other. On Twitter, as with Facebook, the way that something is tweeted has an extremely large impact on the amount of favorites and retweets that that tweet will get. Furthermore, I text my best friends differently then how I text my mom and dad. With my friends, my messages are more playful, sometimes even reckless. With my parents, I try to give off a more respectful type of message.
Going along the lines of the differences between texting my parents and texting my friends, my body rhetoric and communication with my parents, teachers, and elders is different than with my friends. I realize that a lot of times, when my friends and people my age talk to each other, a lot of the times we are on our phones or looking around. On the other hand, my parents and grandparents like to stare at me. Sure, at first I might get uncomfortable, but I believe that that is the way that it should be. Eye- contact shows that you are paying attention and that you are listening, whereas looking around makes the other person unsure of whether or not you care enough to hear what they are saying.
There are many ways body rhetoric can exist online. I think the most common way is through embodied argumentation. Videos that are posted online get people motivated to join a cause. In this case it’s not always what is said in the video, but usually the actions of the people in it. This constitutes embodied argumentation. In turn, people become willing to fight for a cause, because the actions of the people in the video ignited some sort of passion within them. An example of this is the video of police choking a man to death. The man continuously says “I cant breath” but the police continue exerting force until he is unconscious and subsequently dies. This video went viral and caused people to join the fight against police brutality.
Many campaigns are also facilitated through online sites. People can “like” Facebook pages to follow or join a campaign against some sort of injustice. Petitions are also made more easily accessible through the Internet. For example, the petition to get rid of Sodexo at LMU was spread using Facebook. One of the great things about this is you don’t have to be rich and powerful for your body rhetoric to be seen online. Anyone can start a movement as long as it sticks with other people.
I think rhetorical style is the easiest body rhetoric to pick up on in terms of social media. People develop a certain style of tweets or Facebook posts. Other people don’t have to agree with every single thing they post, but they will still follow them because they like the style of the posts themselves. In other words, many people follow specific accounts, not because of the content, but because the posts are upfront and confrontational.
There are several ways to recognize someone’s style. One way is by watching videos of them speak online. For example, I was never around to see Martin Luther King but I know his style just from watching videos of his speeches online. I may not know everything he said, but I can tell you how he said it, and that’s really what rhetorical style is about. It’s about “embodying communicatively effective gestures.”
In my daily life, when I post things on twitter, I try to remain conscious of the style I want to portray. I want to voice my true opinion but I also don’t want to seriously offend everyone. I realize that not everyone will always agree with what I have to say but I want to keep it to a minimum so that I don’t lose credibility. By maintaining a certain style, people will still appreciate my tweets even if they don’t always agree with what they say.
Body rhetoric online makes me think of photos and videos of people that are trying to raise awareness for an issue or standing together in protest. Each person is doing something specific with their body that affects the larger community of the protest. The reason it is more affective to post an image online rather than writing an essay is because people are more drawn to bold images and by embodying your message you are able to show what you represent. Body rhetoric in everyday life shows more to a person than words. People pay attention to our actions and the way we dress and what we look like in pictures, because all this reflects who we are telling the world we are. Communicating with others, we can also be unaware of our body rhetoric because it can also be subconscious. When talking to adults compared to children or friends, my body rhetoric is different even without realizing. I may stand closer to a friend when I am talking to them, but out of respect and awkwardness I will linger a few feet away from a professor to give them space. Everything our body does to communicate is seen even if it is not obvious.
Body rhetoric exists online on many different websites such as twitter, facebook, youtube and more. Anything you post is going to have some type of feeling or vibe that will go with it. Social media is a very large platform for powerful campaigns, especially on youtube. For example, I saw an anti-rape campaign on youtube and the woman’s body language spoke measures. That campaign was extremely effective and had almost one million views. Also, not posting anything online could make a statement about where you stand on an issue. In daily life, I am very aware of body rhetoric, I’m just not aware that I am aware of it. People’s body language/actions people do can speak to me louder than words. I confront body rhetoric everyday even just by talking to my friends. People use their bodies, actions and words to communicate. Their argument wouldn’t be the same without all three.
Body rhetoric online can be seen specifically on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The use of hashtags has grown immensely since Twitter started. Hashtags are meant to compile all of the tweets that have the same hashtag in to one place which then allows anyone to view them. There is also a section on Twitter that contains all of the trending hashtags and words in the past 24 hours. Hashtags are used to raise awareness to certain topics such racism, sexism, and war. Although it may not seem like it takes a long time, some people dedicate their time to research these topics and voice their opinion on social media sites. They want the public to be educated on certain topics in hopes that more people will join them in voicing their opinions.
Just last year, the ALS Association started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that spread across social media sites quite rapidly. People posted videos of themselves completing the challenge on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. For every person that completed the challenged, they were asked to challenge at least three more people to complete it as well. This ended up raising over $100 million. This is an example of street theater. This challenge encouraged everyone to participate in the challenge, raise awareness for ALS, and donate to the cause. I would categorize this as staged street theater.
Body rhetoric could exist online by the means of how people interact and show various means of typing and different forms of punctuation used. When people argue on Facebook or in text, you could see the difference in how they normally type to you to them showing a type of feeling of anger or other emotions. They might say short phrases or give one or two word responses when they’re angry. When the person is happy, they try and give a lot of detail or type in a manner the other person sees as a normal body manner. The constant messaging with one person allows someone to understand how they normally talk and how they can see the difference when something is wrong with the person. The text is completely different and punctuation changes are made or the use of capital letters or full lowercase text comes into place. In daily life, I can understand body language of people I see somewhat daily. I can get an understanding of a person and when I see something is off about them, I can tell by their body actions and mostly their communication that something may be different.
As a dancer body rhetoric is something that I analyze everyday. As artists we discuss the most efficient ways to communicate and express ourselves to the audience by only using our body. The only way the audience can understand us is by interpreting our movement. Thus we must understand and anticipate what our audience will experience depending on the quality and intention of our movements. We practice this body rhetoric analysis in our daily lives as well. Posture has a great influence on how others perceive you. It can express your mood, opinion, willingness to engage and confidence among other things. Since body rhetoric is a visual concept, online body rhetoric can be expressed through photographs and videos. Sites such as Facebook are great sources to find body rhetoric. People manipulate their identity through using body rhetoric. How they pose in pictures and what pictures that they post can say a lot about a persons personality, values and interests. Pictures and videos have the power to send social and political messages as well. As dance can attest, gestures and formations can make strong statements, and interestingly they can often impact people’s consciousness and emotions greater than words.
Body rhetoric surrounds our every move the interenet. From twitter, to Facebook, to pages, Youtube and so on. People make it their goal to entice others on the internet and provoke a reaction, either good or bad. Body rhetoric is used to show your stance on an issue, or maybe even bring up an issue people are not necessarily aware of. The reactions are infinite but that fact of us being able to get our ideas into other peoples mind has a plethora of both good and bad out comes. But body rhetoric doesnt just serve as a professional act, it can be used anywhere from political campaigns to a simple post of a picture to your friends. The whole idea is to get your likes and dislikes to an audience.
I think body rhetoric on the internet takes the form of the internet personas we all create. Whether its the pages we like on Facebook, the people we choose to follow on Twitter, the things we retweet, etc, they all convey a message and are there to provoke a response from our “audience” (friends, followers, etc). People make youtube videos and collages online to talk about topics they are passionate about or share news stories on issues that they feel strongly about. I think all of this makes up body rhetoric online, with the many ways the internet offers to express ourselves and our thoughts and share them with others.
Body rhetoric encompasses our delivery and engagement with one another. In the context of online communication, this is especially emphasized through social media. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram especially allow users to portray themselves and their ideas in countless ways. Statuses, posts, tweets, and even pictures can create diverse and powerful responses in audiences. Often, the means of communication is just as important, if not more important, than the content of the subject.
In my daily life, body rhetoric, space, and communication are incorporated into everything I do. Sometimes I don’t even notice how hypersensitive I am to body language and tone because of how second-nature it is to interpret. But from casual conversations, to smiling at someone walking by, to how a teacher lectures, to how I text my friends, verbal and nonverbal communication are an innate part of everyday life. Body rhetoric and behavior are clear indicators of mood and emotions. It is vital to pick up on these cues when engaging in conversation or participating in discussion. Understanding what people are saying without even saying a word is an important social skill. I think it’s equally important to be aware of how I myself communicate through body language, and how I can more effectively get messages across in this way.
Body rhetoric is the basic idea that our bodies and actions demonstrate rhetorical messages, whether it is our likes, dislikes, or stance on certain issues. One of the most prominent ways to find examples of body rhetoric is by going on a social media platform. People are constantly using body rhetoric on media platforms such as Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Youtube. On Facebook, many people “like” or “share’” pictures, articles or posts that they find interesting or important. These actions appear on other people’s newsfeed and allow them to be exposed to whatever the topic is about. The whole point behind Twitter is to let other people what you are thinking about. While the majority of tweets are usually insignificant, some tweets have spurred debates and media frenzy that shaken the world.
The online word is not the only place examples of body rhetoric can be found. Examples can be found everywhere you look. A shirt that displays the names of one’s journalism staff in high school could demonstrate to others that one once worked with newspaper and that one understands the importance of accuracy and truthfulness. The way one sits or stands during a conversation during a job interview could demonstrate to the interviewer if one is actually interested in the potential job and if hiring would be worth it. Body rhetoric plays a significant part in our daily lives and should not be underestimated.
Body rhetoric has an evolved in correlation with the rise of social media. The reason I say this is that so many social media platforms nowadays hold within themselves the capabilities of body rhetoric. Bodily expression is an extremely essential aspect of human communication and rhetoric and video posting sites have allowed humans to convey their ideas through bodily expression and post their ideals online through these platforms. Sites such as Favebook have developed symbols representing bodoly gestures to convey simple ideas such as the “thumbs up” and the emojis that allow users to express their feelings with clicks of buttons. Body rhetoric in the media also creates a filter system for users. In expressing ideas through posts, people carefully select the appropriate words and punctuation for the directed result. In a way, social media has created an alternative platform for perfecting one’s “profile”. In daily routines, body rhetoric can be considered the most dominant rhetorical platform in terms of usage. People communicate through body language, facial expressions and gestures in order to convey their emotions and information in a distance and in a short period of time. It has become so instinctive for us to utilize body rhetoric to convince others to our beliefs in our daily communications that we can barely notice these subtle actions that we do.
Body rhetoric exists online in the form of many different social media sites. Facebook, Twitter, Vine, youtube, dare I saw Myspace…. The entire point of all of these sites is to try and get a reaction out of others. Think about it. It doesn’t matter what kind, but when ever you read, see, or watch anything on these sites, it makes you feel a certain way. Happy, sad, discussed, in agreement with, humored, uninterested… The list goes on and on! There are some many different reactions that come from these sites. So when is getting ready to post or upload anything to these forms of social media, whether one knows it or not, you are thinking about what you are uploading and how others are going to react to it. I know I always carefully craft what I say to make sure that I am not offending others, but still being able to express my opinion. Maybe someones goal is to truly piss someone off, or maybe they do it unintentionally, but when uploading it you know there will be a reaction of some sorts. So when using body action on the internet, you design these words or videos carefully to help create the emotion or feeling that you want others to see. Whether you are fully aware of body rhetoric taking place or not, you are participating in the analyzing it every time you are on social media. In my own life my body rhetoric can come across as a little different than who I am. I will often dress on baggy sweats and loose t-shirts that can sort of give off the impression that I am someone who does not respect those around me, and someone who is always way to relaxed and has a kick backed attitude. I have actually had people who have gotten to know me that have told me I don’t act how I dress (not all the time anyway). Body Rhetoric is something that is in all of our daily lives, and it is becoming more and more important in being on the internet.
The body rhetoric is one that everyone in the 21st-century is familiar with. Almost every day I personally interact with body rhetoric, I stated above in earlier post, with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram it is alive social media network that a compasses all of public interaction. This form of body rhetoric implies that we’ve kind of moved away from the physical, and moved into the virtual reality that is almost a clone of real life. The body rhetoric can entail things such as likesor comments left underneath the post, and this notification is one that for most is a significant impact on people’s lives.
For me personally I’m extremely aware of my body rhetoric, space and communication because of the fact that I am so disconnected from this Internet world. Just months ago I deleted my Instagram because I recognize that not only was I too addicted of it, but I was participating in ways that consumed my life in a non-constructive way. With the implication of Facebook, I only use it for newsfeeds of what’s going on in my friend groups, and keeping in touch with those that I don’t necessarily see on a daily basis, however I don’t allow it to take over my life and become a substitute for leisure activities.I think for some it’s very difficult because they are unable to recognize their own addictiveness to online rhetoric and body rhetoric, and I feel like shit for myself it is different because I am able to understand my tendencies and detach myself almost from the first person and look at myself from a third person point of view.this awareness allows for my physical body to not lose its actual value, and I find a huge importance and maintaining physical fitness and interpersonal connections that are non-know where remotely connectedonline activity.
With all this being said I think it’s important to acknowledge that although I try to stay away as much as possible from online and social media activity, I won’t deny that it is a part of my life that is necessary, and is an important attribute to who I am today. The body rhetoric encompasses not only my decisions, but also my thoughts and ways that I can knowledge and identify, and I think it is a huge danger if individuals are not able to recognize their own body rhetoric in real life, and in social media services.
Every image we post on social media is a form of body rhetoric. Every video we film. Every advertisement, newspaper, and billboard that is either published by an individual or firm. How we portray ourselves to others is at the core of what body rhetoric truly is. People wear clothes to relate to others and fit in. People hunch over to look depressed and encourage someone to give them some words of encouragement or a helping hand. Beyond images, each page, image, or post that we like on Facebook and other social media sites reveals something about us and is a form of body rhetoric. It is a result of choices and all of those choices combined create an identity.
Body rhetoric allows for an observer to understand the state of the person being observed. Through it they grasp an understanding of their mentality, emotions, and how they are currently feeling.
I find body rhetoric more prominent in person rather than online. I guess you could say that I am influenced by it more in person because when in a conversation with someone, it is often the single thing that I am focused on. Online on the other hand, there are so many messages and images hitting me at once, which my mind doesn’t seem them as important and therefore weights them as such.
Body rhetoric can exist in different forms online. Embodied augmentation can be portrayed through pictures that people post online. If someone if traveling abroad, they take pictures of them jumping in certain landmarks or even starring at the sceneries. These pictures convey their feelings and thoughts and allow others to take a glimpse at what is going on in their life. Street theater online can also exist, mainly through sites like YouTube. An example video that comes to mind is the After Ever After, The Disney Parody about the endings of Disney Princesses stories in today’s society. In the video, instead of just talking, the person sings his thoughts to the theme songs of each princess. In daily life, I am aware of body rhetoric mostly during class. When I look around the room in some of my classes, I can tell which students are interested in the subject by their actions. Usually, students who are there to learn take notes and listen to the professor. Sometimes, there are students who are just on their phone, half listening to what the professor is saying. There are also the students who think they already know what the professor is teaching so even though they listen to the lesson, the don’t take notes and sit in an arrogant way by laying back.
People change the way they present themselves so often that it’s almost second nature. We constantly practice body rhetoric, whether we’re aware of it or not. While it’s obvious that even the lifestyle choices we make construct our personal image, it’s not quite so clear that even the smaller choices can embody our beliefs, which in turn construct a larger argument. As Del Gandio writes, “your body is a rhetorical device for influencing people’s perceptions, thoughts and actions.” Pretty much anything we do that demonstrates our beliefs, opinions or views— whether it’s tweeting about your current mood, uploading a photo on Instagram, or “liking” a page on Facebook— influences other people’s “perceptions, thoughts and actions.” Social media’s role in our daily lives has become absolutely central to the world of rhetoric and body rhetoric. It’s interesting to consider the different ways we portray ourselves depending on our “audience” or who we’re speaking to; the way we dress, act and talk around our peers is far different from how we would behave around our employers, teachers and elders. The movements and gestures we make are physical indicators of the message we’re trying to convey. Opening your arms or waving to someone are welcoming gestures, while crossing your arms and even making rude gestures like flipping someone off evokes an entirely different message. We are often not aware that our “body is a perpetual message,” as Del Gandio claims, which leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding. It’s easy to forget about the impact our body language has when we’re so focused on what we’re trying to say.
The best representation of body rhetoric online I believe is through video channels such as youtube, vines and TED. When watching TED talks, we judge speakers based on how effectively they convey their topic. In the TED talks that we have watched in class, certain speakers stand out because of their energy, individuality (humor, intensity, etc), comfortability and confidence. Fan pages or online movements are another way body rhetoric, most specifically street theatre, where people are able to connect globally in the name of a cause.
In my daily life, I constantly recognize body rhetoric. I am a fairly observant person, so a persons body language greatly affects how I perceive that person. Those who go out of their way and display extra body rhetoric, a smile to a stranger, picking up a piece of trash on the side walk, or taking the time to actually smell the roses, distinguishes them and catches my attention. Similarly, celebrities, which includes political leaders, almost always have a certain charm that makes them more convincing, impactful or entertaining based on their body rhetoric.
It’s interesting that how we convey who we are to one another can be entirely through our online identity. This online identity–be it FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, or MySpace–is no longer just an account. It is now who we are, not just a reflection of us, but an actual tangible part of us. Our online comments, likes, follows, and posts are now just as important to making an impression with someone as is one’s “first handshake”, eye contact, stature, and demeanor in person. Our interpersonal body rhetoric has shifted so much to it’s online counterpart that we can actually feel uncomfortable when engaging in the rhetorical actions that were once considered completely normal. For example, sitting across from someone at a dinner table and actually looking at their eyes can make your dinner partner feel uncomfortable that they’re being stared at!