On Authenticity (sarcasm blog 1)

So I've finally done it, taken the plunge and entered that most narcissistic of worlds; the world of internet blogging!

"A little late!" i hear you cry,well I've considered writing a blog for a while and always come up against two big problems. Firstly there was the issue of content; Which, on first glance would appear to be the most important thing, however after reading quite a few blogs I've come to realise that it isn't actually as important as first thought! The second, and by far the more important problem of the two, is the question of authenticity. If I can solve the problem of authenticity then the content will follow... Confused? Ok, I'll explain. Authenticity is a term we use in every day life but has become something that has become increasingly harder to achieve as we slide further in to the cyber communities that govern our lives. Authenticity is hard to come by in a world where every facebook page carries a stylised, posed photo and everyones 'likes' section reads like the latest issue of the NME. It's becoming easier and easier to re-invent yourself online, but with the increasing amount of content online it is become harder and harder to be original. Wikipedia, every lazy students favorite resource, has this to say on the subject of authenticity:

"In philosophy, the conscious self is seen as coming to terms with being in a material world and with encountering external forces, pressures and influences which are very different from, and other than, itself. Authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit, or character, despite these pressures."

So Authenticity is not a new problem then, it's one that philosophers have grappled with as far back as Socrates, and an issue that played a central role in the formation of modern existentialist thinking. While it's true that authenticity isn't a new concern there is also no denying that given the rise of the Internet, free media and social networking the "pressures" on one's true personality are greater, while conversely making it a lot easier to be something your not. Ten years ago a gawky teenager had no Facebook profile as their way of presenting themselves to the world, they had no Internet forums where they were feared and respected. They were just gawky teenagers coming to terms with who they were; acne and all. As uncompromising as life could be, it was at least a little easier to be real, original and authentic in a world before the Internet. So with those caveats in place I'll try and keep this blog as authentic as possible, or otherwise what's the point, right? Or this whole post could be rife with inauthenticity and nothing I've said yet or in the future is true.... ... i'll let you decide.