Sigmund Freud's theory of narcissism it reverses the way in which it had been thinking before him, distorting it from the sense of its self-centeredness in man, to give it a new meaning. This theory reflects in contrast to any hint of man capable of finding ideal objects only in himself. This is the reason why it is also named as theory of the Other
Freudian narcissism develops in two stages, primary narcissism, related to the ego ideal and the field of desirability and secondary narcissism from which emerges the ideal self that accounts for what is desired. The first unfolds from within each individual giving you the possibility to feel free to love or hate different objects and thus make certain decisions. While in secondary narcissism the objects loved by the id, with which the ego identifies, would become ideal ego.
At present, the Internet and the complex world of Web 2.0 that remant it, intervene directly in the consciousness of individuals and dictate a behavioral scheme to follow, a new way of relating and appropriating reality. Day by day they penetrate our lives with greater subtlety, becoming providers and owners of the reality that surrounds us.. Every time the tendency is to stay more hours online and conform ourselves as more dependent on technology. Our social interaction has become less physical, while more virtual.
Deception of conscience, of conscience as deception. A new problem has arisen. This is the way in which Paul Ricoeur alerts us to the problem that we currently suffer from. Recognizes Freud along with Marx and Nietzsche as debunkers and masters of suspicion. Each one expressing from his perspective the crisis of the philosophy of modernity and revealing the insufficiency of the notion of the subject..
The statement proposed by Ricoeur provides the starting point to analyze the influence of the Internet on people's consciousness today. A deluded, sick conscience that is produced and reproduced under standards of alienation and hegemony.
Thus, modern society relies on narcissistic patterns to establish and reproduce power.. Capitalism generates the increased creation of needs in men, which can only be satisfied from the expanded consumption of goods. The achievement for such purposes, among other mechanisms and tools, builds on the strength of the media.
Alienation stands today as one of the greatest deceptions of conscience. Both the desirability and the desired fields, that is, the ideal of the self and the ideal self, are strongly affected by this problem. Alienation, understood as a form of specific relationship between the Subject and the other, in which the objects produced by the Subject become alien to him.
This concept refers to investment, which from philosophy arises in terms of the Subject-Object relationship, where the Objects produced by the Subject are opposed as something hostile and alien to them.. The Subject cannot exist without producing Objects, it is a necessity because only in this way does it self-produce.
Therefore in the Object, the Subject is recognized, since this is the result and expression of the characteristics and subjectivity of the Subject. However, this is just a it must be, in reality, it is found that the Subjects do not recognize themselves in their productions, nor do they necessarily identify with the other Subjects. The Objects have risen before individuals in a hostile relationship with respect to them and in this way the objective of realizing as persons through them is no longer fulfilled..
Alienation has appropriated narcissistic theory, as one more mechanism to dominate individuals. The creation of manifest narcissistic patterns through the Internet has made the individual believe the idea of diversity, freedom of expression and a recognition in it of their personal characteristics.
However, the Internet acts slyly, showing in each case what the individual wants to know, expects to listen, in order to influence, through a relationship totally contrary to the individual and covered by the veils of alienation. As a result of this relationship, it is appreciated that it is the Internet itself that induces a type of behavior, a way of life that, in most cases, was not the result of our own invention and initiative.. It stands as an important space, from which it is constantly encouraged to consume merchandise, follow patterns and imitate stereotypes..
We maintain a dependence on it, to the point that today many intellectuals are advocating a necessary and urgent disconnection (off line). The Internet is conditioning and modulating a type of alienated subject, which in turn translates into a type of subject and passive citizen, in which not only the conscience has been damaged, but also the unconscious.
It is impossible not to conceive of the direct or indirect interaction of individuals with the media, be it television, radio, the press or the Internet. An accumulation of subliminal information is constantly received (or not) that directly affects the unconscious level. The media transform us into dissatisfied, dissatisfied, consumerist individuals; with great potential to affect the sphere of our emotional well-being and quality of life.
This is assertively observed in Frei Betto when he expressed, in a play on words with the famous Cogito ergo sum Cartesian: Consumption, therefore I exist. It is attracting attention that we live in a globe-colonized world where consumers need more than citizens. It is not the interest of the media, that people have values, but that they consume.
These reflections allowed Frei Betto, conclude in a simple thought and as such of great importance for our times, namely: that we no longer have paradigms as at some point were Gramsci, Luther King, etc. This space has been replaced by figures and characters that Hollywood has created.
Both the Internet and any other means of communication are at the service of the prevailing system of social relations and it is almost impossible to divorce them, since from this union the hegemonic control of one class over others within society is gestated. As expressed Gramsci, The normal exercise of hegemony is characterized by a combination of force and consensus, which are balanced in different ways, without force overly dominating consensus, and trying to make it seem supported by the approval of the majority, expressed through the called organs of public opinion.
The Internet has been designated as one of the structures that has the greatest hegemonic control over the consciousness of individuals. The consensus that has been achieved over the majority of society has been reached without the use of force or coercion.
Through the use of narcissistic patterns such as the use of famous people or researchers from certain branches of knowledge, the Internet and the mass media in general influence the conscience of individuals, legitimizing the information they want to reach the majority. The hegemony over the consuming public has led the media to realize the high esteem held in celebrities and the way in which this esteem is spread across various contexts.
For example, if an athlete or a pop star advertises some food product, in our narcissistic desire to follow them or wish to be like them, we understand that it must be good and healthy, simply because that person advertises it. This is an authority that is not questioned, it works as a model or paradigm to be imitated, canceling any possibility of analysis on whether the figure in question used for the promotion of any merchandise, is itself someone knowledgeable or expert in the field of knowledge that they promote.
The Internet, while providing a seemingly infinite space for information and knowledge, constantly encourages us to follow lifestyles and behavior, to govern the way we see ourselves and relate to others. Generally, these styles and ways of life coincide with a type of personality previously constructed for the individual., associated with the predominance of narcissistic patterns.
The psyche and the unconscious of humanity as a result of all the above, also becomes colonized and bowed to a type of power and therefore to a procedure that is being modulated, among other actors, by the media and the Internet. In this way, they act by limiting the individual to think for himself, so they work to restrict knowledge, erode instinct and intuition, and decide what people should conform to in terms of living life..
Yet No Comments