Looking for the Gaze: The Case of Humiliation in the Digital Era

The internet constitutes a virtual “place” for sociability. It is a platform for interactions based on reciprocal and dialectic exchange between “being seen by others” and “seeing others”. As new technologies emerge, ways of viewing are revised: The main innovation of the internet has been, in ordinary life as in the media, seeing, hearing and showing everything with the individual at the center of permanent interactions established in a virtual world that makes it unseen by the naked eye. But visibility is a trap: In attempting to a part of the virtual world through self-exposition, individuals expose themselves to potential sources of humiliation. This article will explore how the internet has redefined individuals’ representations of self, while exposing them to the misappropriation of their image.

Looking for the Gaze: The Case of Humiliation in the Digital Era

The internet constitutes a virtual “place” for sociability. It is a platform for interactions based on reciprocal and dialectic exchange between “being seen by others” and “seeing others”. As new technologies emerge, ways of viewing are revised: The main innovation of the internet has been, in ordinary life as in the media, seeing, hearing and showing everything with the individual at the center of permanent interactions established in a virtual world that makes it unseen by the naked eye. But visibility is a trap: In attempting to a part of the virtual world through self-exposition, individuals expose themselves to potential sources of humiliation. This article will explore how the internet has redefined individuals’ representations of self, while exposing them to the misappropriation of their image.

___

  • ANSART, P. (2006) Les Humiliations Politiques. In DELOYE, Y. & HAROCHE, C. (eds.).Lesentiment d’humiliation. In Press.
  • BASTARD, I. (2012) De la Visibilité à L’attention: Les Musiciens Sur Internet. Réseaux. 5 (175). p. 19-42.
  • BAUDRILLARD, J. (1987) Au-delà du Vrai et du Faux, Ou le Malin Génie de L’image. Cahiers Internationaux de Sociologie. vol. LXXXII. p.140-141.
  • BÉLIARD, A. (2009) Pseudos, Avatars et Bannières: La Mise en Dcène des Fans. Étude d’un Forum de Fans de la Série Télévisée Prison Break (enquête). Terrains & Travaux. 1 (15). p. 191-212.
  • BELHOMME, L. (2010) Interview with Serge Tisseron. L’identité et les Liens Transformés par les Nouvelles Technologies. Cahiers de Psychologie Clinique. 2 (35).
  • BENJAMIN, W. (1991) L’œuvre d’art à L’époque de sa Reproduction Mécanisée. Écrits Français. Paris: Gallimard.
  • BOËTON, M. (2013) La génération Y, une Classe D’âge Façonnée par le Net. Études. 7 Tome 419. p.31- 41.
  • DAGNAUD, M. (2013) Génération Y : Les Jeunes et les Réseaux Sociaux, de la Dérision à la ubversion. Les Presses de Sciences Po.
  • DILMAÇ, J. A. (will be published in Fall 2014) If looks could kill… The case of Humiliation in Digital Era. European Journal of Research on Education. 6 pages.
  • DILMAÇ, J. A. (will be published in Fall 2014) Représentatiton et Mise en Scène de soi sur Internet : le cas de la Cyberhumilation. Cahiers Interdiciplinaires de la Recherche en Communication AudioVisuelle. 17 pages.
  • DUBET, F. (1991) Les Lycéens. Le Seuil.
  • ELLISON, R. (1991) Invisible Man. Penguin Classics.
  • ENRIQUEZ, E. (2006) L’autre Comme Objet de la Violence Humiliante. In DELOYE, Y. &
  • HAROCHE C (eds.). Le Sentiment D’humiliation. In Press.
  • FOUCAULT, M. (1991) Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Penguin.
  • FREUD, S. (2012) On Narcissism : An Introduction. Karnac Books.
  • GEORGES, F. (2012) A l’image de l’Homme : Cyborgs, Avatars, Identités Numériques. Le Temps des Médias. 1(18). p. 136-147.
  • GOFFMAN, E. (1990) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Penguin.
  • GOZLAN, A. and MASSON C. (2013) Le théâtre de Facebook: Réflexion Autour des Enjeux Psychiques Pour L’adolescent. Adolescence, 2 (84). p.471- 481.
  • HAROCHE, C. (2008) L’avenir du Sensible. Les Sens et les Sentiments en Question. Puf.
  • HAROCHE, C. (2006) L’appauvrissement Intérieur de L’individu Dans le Capitalisme Contemporain. In Y. DELOYE & C. HAROCHE (eds.). Le Sentiment D’humiliation. In Press, p.15-35.
  • HERTZ, M. F., DONATO, I. & WRIGHT, J. (2013) The Relationship Between Youth Involvement in Bullying and Suicide. Journal of Adolescent Health. 53 (1) Supplement, p.1-3.
  • HINDUJA, S. & PATCHIN, J. (2010) Bullying, Cyberbullying and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research. 14. p.206-221.
  • HINDUJA, S. & PATCHIN, J. (2009) Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Corwin Press.
  • HIRIGOYEN, M. (2004) Stalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse and the Erosion of Identity. Helen Marx Books.
  • LALO, V. (2012) Des Figurines aux Avatars. Le Journal des Psychologues. 6 (299). p.24-27.
  • FANTI, S. (2009) Des Milliers D’adolescents Sont Humiliés et Insultés sur Internet. Le Matin Dimanche. [Online] 22th February. P.18- 19. Available from: http://www.sebastienfanti.ch/dossiers/ presse/2009/Cyber-intimidation.pdf. [Accessed: 13th May 2014]
  • LIVINGSTONE, S. & BOVILL, M. (2011) Children and Their Changing Media Environment: A European Comparative Study. Routledge.
  • PASQUIER, D. (2011) Pratiques d’Internet et Pouvoir des Apparences. Le Journal des Psychologues. 10 (293). p.32-35.
  • SARTRE, J.P. (2003) Being and Nothingness: an Essay on Phenomenological Ontology. Routledge.
  • SIMMEL, G. (1991) Secret et Sociétés Secrètes. Strasbourg: Circé. TISSERON, S. (2011) Intimité et Extimité. Communications. 88 (1). p.83-91.
  • THOMAS, L.V. (1984) Fantasmes au Quotidien. Paris: Librairie des Méridiens.
  • UHL, M. (2002) Intimité Panoptique. Internet ou la Communication Absente. Cahiers Internationaux de Sociologie. Presses Universitaires de France. 1 (112). p. 151-168.
  • Websites
  • ABCNEWS. (2009) Teens Sued for Fake Facebook Profile. [Online] Available from: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ AheadoftheCurve/teens-sued-fake-facebook-profile/ story?id=8702282 [Accessed: 12th May 2014]
  • ANTI-BULLYING ALLIANCE. (2013) New Survey Finds Parents and Teachers Struggle to Keep Kids Safe Online. [Online] Available from: http://www.anti bullyingalliance.org.uk/press-centre/ new-survey-finds-parents-and-teachers-struggle-to-keep-kidssafe-online.aspx [Accessed: 2nd May 2014]
  • DITCH THE LABEL. (2014) Annual Ditch the Label Bullying Survey 2014. [Online] Available from: http://www.ditchthelabel.org/ research/index.php/329176/lang/en [Accessed: 2nd May 2014]
  • KNOW YOUR MEME. (2010) Jessy Slaughter. Part of a Series on Viral Videos. [Online] Available from: http://knowyourmeme. com/memes/events/jessi-slaughter [Accessed: 12th May 2014]
  • LE GORAFI.COM. (2013) Après Nabilla, Wikipédia Menace de Retirer les Pages de Dave, Mickaël Vendetta, Woodkid et Frédéric Lefebvre. [Online] Available from: http://www.legorafi. fr/2013/04/30/apres-nabilla-wikipedia-menace-de-retirer-lespages-de-dave-mickael-vendetta-woodkid-et-frederic-lefebvre/ [Accessed: 3rd May 2014]
  • NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL. (2014) Cyberbullying. [Online] Available from: http://www.ncpc.org/ topics/cyberbullying [Accessed: 12th May 2014]
  • OBSERVATOIRE DES DROITS DE L’INTERNET. (2009) Cyberharcèlement: Risque du Virtuel, Impact Dans le Réel. [Online] Available from: http://www.internet-observatory.be/ internet_observatory/pdf/brochures/Boek_cyberpesten_fr.pdf [Accessed: 12th May 2014]
  • PUBLIC.FR. (2011) Justin Bieber : Un Hacker le Fait Disparaître d’Internet ! [Online] Available from: http://www.public.fr/ News/Justin-Bieber-un-hacker-le-fait-disparaitre-d-Internet103259 [Accessed: 5th May 2014]
  • REPUTATIONSQUAD. [Online] Available from: http://www. reputationsquad.com/ [Accessed: 5th May 2014] RUDYSOM. [Online] Available from: http://www.rudysom.com/ [Accessed: 5th May 2014]
  • STOP BULLYING NOW. [Online] Available from: http://www. stopbullyingnow.com [Accessed: 5th May 2014]
  • STOP CYBERBULLYING. [Online] Available from: http://www. stopcyberbullying.org [Accessed: 5th May 2014]
  • THE GUARDIAN. (2010) Tyler Clementi, Student Outed as Gay on Internet, Jumps to His Death. [Online] Available from: http:// www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/30/tyler-clementi-gaystudent-suicide [Accessed: 12th May 2014]
  • THE HUFFINGTON POST. (2012) Amanda Todd: Bullied Canadian Teen Commits Suicide After Prolonged Battle Online And In School. [Online] Available from: http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2012/10/11/amanda-todd-suicide-bullying_n_1959909. html [Accessed: 2nd May 2014]
  • WIRED SAFETY. [Online] Available from: http://www.wiredsafety. com [Accessed: 4th May 2014]
  • YOUTUBE. (2010) 3 Amandine du 38 Miss Amanda j’adore Aller Aider les Pays en Difficulté Aka 333 Francs Mille Cfa. [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=u5IWEUv5ojE [Accessed: 10th May 2014]