Is Sharing Really All About Caring?
What it means to share and how sharing is now becoming a central component to understanding how our society is changing socially, politically and economically.
What Is Sharing Anyway?
When the average person is asked, what is the first thing that pops into his or her head when you mention the word ‘sharing,’ they will almost always blurt out the word caring. As children many of us were taught that sharing is a fundamental lesson in learning how to be generous and selfless. We are told that sharing is good and it will benefit yourself just as much, if not more, than it benefits those you share with. There are countless childrens’ songs dedicated to encouraging the act of sharing, there are activities like ‘Show-and-Tell’ where students are motivated to share something about themselves through some kind of physical object and there are entire childrens’ movies and shows devoted to the idea that sharing is caring. Kids these days have the word ‘sharing’ engraved into their brains from an early age and they are taught to associate it with only positive things, but we never really discuss why that is the case.
Barney — Share Your Stuff (SONG)
If you were to type the root word ‘share’ into a dictionary search engine, such as the Cambridge Dictionary, it will tell you that the word ‘share’ most commonly refers to an even portion of a divided good or goods, also known as a ‘fair share’. When you continue scrolling you will come across the concept of joint ownership of an object or multiple objects. ‘Share’ can also be interpreted as being the physical act of dividing a given resource into those equal portions. Nicholas John writes about how this definition has adapted into the digital era in terms of the internet being one big resource divided amongst the public as something we can all ‘share’ and use on our own individual terms to our hearts’ content.
On the other hand sharing is defined as being something that people have in common whether it be their beliefs, values, experiences, feelings, likes, dislikes, and more. Even though sharing is commonly understood in terms of division it also serves as its own paradox in that it brings people together. People can ‘share’ involvement in an activity like sharing the drive: where two or more people take turns driving in order to lessen the length each person has to spend watching the road alone. Sharing can also bring people together by deepening relationships through communicating with each other on a more personal and authentic level. When someone decides to let someone in and reveal their inner thoughts, feelings or troubles this is also considered to be ‘sharing’. This can also be seen through social media and the internet as a whole in regards to the sending of content from one individual to another, or through posting on a public site for everyone with access to view.
Sharing Isn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows
John illustrates how despite the seemingly perfect facade that this rhetoric of ‘sharing’ displays there are ways in which the concept and definition of sharing can also be interpreted as a negative thing that can have a nasty impact on society. File sharing, for one, is a crime and it is extremely hard to contain and prevent as it is very easy for individuals to ‘share’ commercial content or information anonymously. This behavior is theft by any standard and even though there are many legal ways to ‘share’ content with other users, the internet also creates a sort of vulnerability for users and creators to be at risk of this kind of criminal behavior. Data exploitation and manipulation from corporate and or governmental presences is another apparent threat to individual users that highlights the contradictory message of sharing online. Even though we are bombarded with the message of sharing more and more we are in turn putting more of a target on our heads and we are essentially giving these power hungry organizations more ammunition that can be used against us. The ‘sharing’ of data in this sense goes in both directions: we share our data online specifically on these media sites and then the sites ‘share,’ or more accurately sell, our information with third-party sources. This concerns people because even though they are willingly allowing this information to be posted publicly these parties and platforms are taking advantage of this openness and monetizing it for profit and or surveilling it in order to predict new ways to draw people in to keep ‘sharing’ and maintain their loyalty.
Where It All Began: With Some Sheep and Legs
According to “A Short History of the Word ‘Sharing’” the earliest use of the word ‘sharing’ comes from the Old English word “scearu,” which refers to the groin: where the trunk of the body divides into the legs, or the act of shearing something. The word share was interpreted as solely meaning to divide or cut in the 1300s, however it evolved into having ties to distribution and conservation during the 16th century. Not only was sharing equated to physically dividing something, but it came to embrace the act of giving the divided pieces to others in order to meet their needs and ensure survival.
It was during the 19th century that sharing once again took on a new meaning relating to communication and interaction among those who hold more intimate relationships. In addition to being interpreted as allocating resources or splitting something into multiple parts, sharing came to be known as the act of disclosing one’s worries or problems with one or more people. Nicholas John describes this new form of distribution as: “sharing the problem… and thus lightening the burden,” showing off a more unified interpretation of the word. It carries the meaning that the person who is revealing this information is sharing and the person/people listening are in turn taking on this issue as well and potentially offering ways to help eliminate the issue.
It wasn’t until the twentieth century that the average person would actually refer to talking as ‘sharing’. As a kid you may remember, at one time or another, sitting in class chatting with your neighbor when your teacher catches you and says the famous line: “care to share with the class.” Building off of the idea of revealing one’s inner thoughts and feelings sharing became the basis of support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or religious groups like the Oxford group where members would confess their greatest sins or struggles. Sharing can also be tied to the way institutions operated with patients and their peers: those who were institutionalized based on mental illness or other factors were urged to share The creation and success of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous pushed this “therapy culture” as John describes it, which really took wind in the 70s and 80s. According to this idea, people began to believe that this act of ‘sharing’ was key to understanding one’s own identity and the personal relationships they hold.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Billy Bibbit Scene
Share Your Life Inside and Out
As the digital era emerged into society and the internet became a public resource and social media began to take wind, the word ‘sharing’ acquired yet another meaning. Prior to the creation of these social media sites ‘sharing’ was still considered a neutral word: you could disk share, time share or file share with the invention of the internet and computing power. But according to ‘A Short History of the Word ‘Sharing’” what really marked the shift in connotation of ‘sharing’ was the invention of social media and its emphasis on bettering society through the exchange of information. Before 2005 words like post, send, publish, paste and an array of other synonymous words held the spot of the button one must click to generate the action of putting content on a person’s page or sending it to someone. Now media companies have turned to using the word ‘share’ as the central indicator of the action of publishing content in order to tie positive associations with it. People are encouraged to ‘share’ because it shows an engaged participant in societal interaction and involvement which is exactly what these social media companies want. ‘Sharing,’ as John describes it, represents the new economy that drives the world today: the sharing economy.
Despite their attempts to be associated as these picture perfect online communities, John asserts that social media forums are nothing more than ideological representations of a distorted reality. He shows readers that the term ‘sharing’ has become vague and it is not entirely clear what we as users are being told to ‘share’. In the years following 2007 we have been told that the object of sharing is pure authenticity and depicting your unique personality for the world to see “sharing the real you,” as John puts it.
The More You Share the More They See and the Less You Do
One of the biggest concerns that users face in the current state of the digital age is data sharing and the role corporate surveillance plays in determining our behavior both online and in the real world. In a democratic society such as the United States people have expectations regarding their right to privacy and independence. Even though the internet allows people to create and enforce their own identity on the digital format, corporations and government entities are exploiting this “sharing phenomenon” to their own benefit. Companies like Facebook claim to “not be in it for the money” but that is simply not the case. Data sharing is one of the main steps necessary in advancing algorithms designed to introduce you to the kind of content you want to see. The more you share the more accurate the feed will be in finding exactly what you want, and in turn obscuring your outlook from opposing perspectives that may sway your opinion. Sharing in this sense can work against widening your knowledge and understanding of the world even though you may be trying to become more informed.
Corporate surveillance is another way in which people’s privacy and sharing habits are being manipulated for commercial gain regardless of the consequences it poses to them. “In this arrangement, the company provides free services in return for unlimited access to users’ personal information and data trails, which are then refined, packaged and sold to advertisers,” explains John Naughton in the article “The New Surveillance Capitalism.” He discusses how by encouraging people to move toward owning mobile devices like the Iphone as a main way to access the internet this leaves people susceptible to complete monitorization and misuse of data sharing.
Is Sharing Bringing Us Together or Driving Us Apart?
Today we are being taught, more often than not, that our involvement in online communities is being closely monitored and so people feel that it is essential for them to keep up appearances in order to hold onto valuable online relationships. As one can see in the article “My So-Called Instagram Life,” people crave attention and validation from particular individuals and so they tailor their sharing habits accordingly. People these days are motivated to only share content that contributes to the appealing character they are trying to portray. Clara Dollar writes: “That version of me got her start online as my social media persona, but over time … she bled off the screen and overtook my real-life personality, too. And once you master what is essentially an onstage performance of yourself, it can be hard to break character.” Despite the fact that this persona directly contradicts her true desires and characteristics as a person she felt the need to adopt this personality and consistently share posts that fit that persona in order to feel worthy or good enough. She even admits to being jealous of the people who would share their authentic selves regardless of how it would make them look, and how people would judge them as a result. This culture of sharing yourself to the world may have started off as innocent with pure intentions of presenting the real you, but nowadays it has taken on an uglier form where people feel the need to depict this perfect looking life/character.
Sharing today in the social media world is not as simple as being a way for people to reveal more about themselves and connect with others on a more personal level. Sharing is essentially all about clicks and maintaining popularity in order to sustain these luxurious lifestyles. Many people make steady incomes from social media platforms and even though it may seem like they are being down to earth most of the content that is posted on these sites is deliberate and strategic. Sharing is not as genuine as many people think it is, and it has developed into what it is today through socialization and advancements made in social media forums designed to increase user engagement.
Why Share At All Then?
In Nicholas John’s piece on ‘sharing’ he asserts that the internet and the creation of social media supports the idea of sharing extensively, he goes as far as saying that this phenomenon has developed into the perspective that sharing will bring about a better society. With the development of the Web 2.0 most people were under the impression that the opportunities it provided would encourage people to share like crazy but strictly in an informative and productive way. This behavior can be attributed to the perspective that cyber optimists have, as detailed by Lindgren in his chapter titled “Cyber Debates.” He explains how cyber optimists predicted the world wide web would impact society: “the internet would lead to a new economic system where everyone could take part. It offered new and efficient ways of putting suppliers, producers, and consumers in contact with each other. Innovation would be democratised and disruptive, while the playing field between big corporations and small startups would be levelled.” Even though people had a new and vast space to share content and services it is naive to assume that this invention wouldn’t come with just as many flaws as benefits. People may be able to share things about themselves or their businesses but the internet is not perfect and in fact it is serving to widen the gap between the wealthy and the less fortunate.
According to Michael Grothaus’ article “The Internet is Increasing Inequality, Says the World Bank,” the internet is not living up to its high expectations. Despite its technological advances to technologies the internet is not providing the level of growth, jobs and services as people expected it would. “Those already well-off and well-educated have taken advantage of the Internet to achieve great success, however those on the lower end of the economic and education spectrums have seen fewer benefits,” showing us that those higher up on the social ladder can share all we want but it will not benefit anyone but those who monetize that information.
Sharing Today
One of the biggest sources of discussion currently going on regarding the word ‘sharing’ pertains to the concept of the sharing economy and how it is serving to benefit the market as a whole and encouraging productive entrepreneurial behaviors. In a time where services like AirBnB, Uber and Lyft exist people are learning quickly that not only can they save money through switching to sharing resources but they can become entrepreneurs themselves. In the recent news article “The Sharing Economy Is As Old As Markets,” Dwight Lee addresses the ways in which sharing has been a theme that has existed for centuries and yet we are still learning how to effectively take advantage of all the rewards that sharing poses to us. Throughout history sharing has been a method of helping each other in order to gain a mutual benefit, but in more modern times sharing is less popular when it comes to material possessions and services because people tend to prioritize themselves and their time above everyone else. The word sharing in this sense is accompanied by an expectation of reciprocity in order to create valuable commercial relationships.
He goes on to point out the other position of this concept and how not everyone willingly adopts this reaction to sharing, many people see sharing as a form of pity rather than mutual gain. According to Lee, people who subscribe to this perspective tend to say things like: “The so-called sharing economy is more about greed than altruism,” or “The sharing economy isn’t about sharing, it’s about making as many quick bucks as possible.” Which is overlooking the countless ways in which sharing is not a one-sided transaction that only benefits an individual party. Sharing is not perfect in any way, there are faults just like anything else in this world but if done effectively it can serve as a powerful tool for everyone involved. This differs from the original definition I was presented with in that most of the interpretations associated with sharing has to do with openness and deepening bonds through full disclosure. Even though sharing in most senses refers to being generous and authentic there are many ways in which it can be looked at through a finer lens.
Conclusion
On the surface most people would look at the word sharing and simply tie it to its social understanding and how we as humans function better as a collective entity that shares in order to ensure everyone’s needs are being met. Whether those needs are therapeutic or resource related we learn that sharing is essential for our growth. After researching the concept in depth I would say that these definitions did not stray very far from the initial understandings of the word ‘sharing’ but they definitely have taken on more complicated meanings depending on the context and new developments. Sharing works as a tool that both opens people up to new opportunities and outlooks but it is a double-edged sword in that it can also serve to obscure our minds and limit ourselves to only affirming things we already believe in or support. We choose what we share to others and what we expose ourselves to but outside entities like media companies and algorithms dictate what we continue to expose ourselves to. I would define sharing as a form of expression that can be powerful as a means of unifying people and helping bring them out of bad situations and helping elevate themselves in order to achieve more. But I can’t neglect to consider the way that sharing is manipulated despite its good intentions for selfish means of personal gain.
I wholeheartedly agree with the various definitions proposed both by Nicholas John and the many other writers who provided their takes on the vast concept of sharing in different mediums and contexts. I believe that sharing has taken on a form of informative value in regards to activism and increased awareness especially in the last few years. Sharing others’s stories and experiences has served to be beacons for many movements that otherwise may have gone unnoticed. Sharing in the sense of relaying stories and values of others as a way of encouraging people to become more informed and aware of what is happening around them is still important to consider nontheless.
Works Cited:
https://www.shareable.net/a-short-history-of-the-word-sharing/
https://foundationinc.co/lab/psychology-sharing-content-online/
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/sharing
https://www.fastcompany.com/3055498/the-internet-is-increasing-inequality-says-the-world-bank
https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2015/Leesharing.html
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/how-the-internet-controls-you
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/10/what-facebook-did/542502/
[Simon_Lindgren]-Ch3-Digital_Media_and_Society.pdf
