The keyboard is mightier than the sword

As the old saying goes ‘actions speak louder than words’. However, this week’s lecture has shown that words are just as, if not more powerful then actions when it comes to creating the sense of a place. Tuan (1991 p.695) explores this theme, that words and the way language is used can evoke a place; and can orientate how people conduct within that place. Labels used to describe behaviours in social media such as Facebook seems to create the perception that these behaviours are only confined to the boundaries this virtual world.

Different terminologies used to describe the same actions online and offline seem to have vastly different meanings and consequences. For example, if you were to say you were a stalked or harassed people’s instant reaction would be to call the authorities. However, if you were to say you were cyber bullied or stalked; generally, people would not take it seriously and to get the authorities involved would be an overreaction. As Kuttainen (2016) explains, language is authoritative; it has the power to dictate and change meaning of places, and in virtual spaces like Facebook change our perceptions of behaviours within those places.

Image 1: Is the pen mightier than the sword?

However, words are more powerful than we realise. As Tuan (1991 p.694) explores ‘language is a force that all of us use everyday to build, sustain, and destroy.’ I found that though Facebook I was able to internalise friend’s positive comments and apply them into my daily life; those words were able to change my perceptions and thought process in reality. On the dark side, as illustrated by nobulling.com, words used on social media platforms such as Facebook can penetrate through and have real and in some cases devastating consequences.

References

Kuttainen, V. (2016). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 5 Stories of places: Story Lines. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

The top six unforgettable cyberbullying cases ever. (2016, June, 23). Nobulling.com. Retrieved from https://nobullying.com/six-unforgettable-cyber-bullying-cases/

Tuan, Y.F. (1991) Language and the making of place: A narrative-descriptive approach. Annals of the association of American geographers. 81(4). 684-696.

Silent one blog (2015, November 20). Is the pen mightier than the sword? [Image] Poetry Soup. Retrieved from http://www.poetrysoup.com/poetry_blogs/blog_detail.aspx?PoetID=65399&BlogID=29242