A Flaneuring Experience in the Virtual World

Cyber-Flaneuring or what we are used to calling net surfing, is an interesting new concept of looking at ourselves and our surroundings. Apart from the usual standard social networks like Facebook and Twitter, there are various other networks such as Tumblr and Pinterest that allow its users to a great level of freedom, allowing them to experience myriad things virtually. Users on Pinterest and Tumblr can enjoy unrestricted viewing where they can browse through galleries of photos without necessarily having to participate in them as well as go unnoticed.

As I daily explore my virtual world completely mesmerized and in awe with the beauty of pictures which are shared and re-blogged by users across the globe, I realize that the virtual world is very much connected with the natural world. However the connection with nature is both implicit and explicit. It is very easy to observe the explicit connections with pictures of beautiful landscapes, lush green fields or photographs of models showcasing the new collection at London Fashion Week enabling the users to know the existence of certain places as well trends in fashion, increasing everyone’s knowledge. Even if the users haven’t visited a place, they know what it looks like.

Whereas the implicit conditions can be positive and negative. For example, if I see a picture of a volcano, I will be seeing the beauty of it and not the disruption it may have caused where it erupted. I may miss out on the underlying meaning behind it and interpret it in my own way but there are pictures which promote eco-friendly living and other destinations. Virtual networks serve as a medium for people of a wide age range to be eccentric without letting it affect their life. In their own control, people are allowed to express freely, explore, share, and even learn. Anonymity on the internet is the largest form of power. The persona that anyone can create is perhaps one of the biggest liberations- the freedom to be anyone.

Just like a coin has two sides, so does this freedom, it could be either harmless or threatening. In virtual networks people can freely reflect upon their beliefs, ideas, liking and disliking without the fear of being judged because majority of youngsters live in a social norm and tend to get embarrassed by their actual likings which may be different from the expected. These networks allow us to keep ourselves updated on a variety of things around the world. Such as a person sitting in United States interested in Indian culture can browse through photographs related to the same. Or since I cannot go for New York Fashion Week, I am still able to see the latest trends and designs that were showcased. On Pinterest a person can not only see the latest fashion trends but also learn how to make furniture or paint on a canvas through DIYs (Do It Yourself). Furthermore, these networks promote connections between its users, although it is up to the user if he/she wants to remain anonymous or give away his/her identity. For example Tumblr has a segment of fitblrs, bloggers who share their fitness stories, healthy recipes and motivational pictures with others who want to become fit. These fitblrs are asked for advice by users who are both anonymous and known with their personal details available for everyone to see. So over time people do connect with each other through similar interests further adding to the network.

Now on the flip side, even though the virtual world provides us with an abundance of information it can be a bit risky. Firstly, we become ‘friends’ with people across the world, whom we may not know too, which can make us vulnerable. Secondly, posting insensitive comments on these networks might offend some people leading to actions being taken by the law in severe cases or even indirectly hurting a person or a community. Some might argue that its freedom of speech but this freedom should be used wisely because a single inappropriate act by an individual may threaten an entire network. Our actions and thoughts can influence as well as change other’s thoughts which might change a third person’s thoughts and so on. These influences can be translated into negative thoughts as well causing serious damage.

Furthermore, as extensive as the virtual world is, we are missing out on experiencing many things because it does not have a body and is out of grasp of the rules of physicality. For example, if we constantly see photographs of authentic dishes we might be unable to enjoy it fully when we are actually eating the food because of repeated exposure. Another example that comes to my mind is travelling. Most of these networks post beautiful, scenic pictures of many countries which we enjoy browsing and are motivated to visit them. However when we in fact go for a holiday to that particular place our expectations are too high due to the pre-exposure which can be disappointing at times. So the physical aspect gets diminished each time. Also, person to person interaction is become lesser each day as people are more focused in their virtual worlds.

Although many of the mentioned virtual networks have rules set up to prevent unacceptable behavior or to protect those who use it, some are still careless enough to post sexually suggestive pictures or promote self-harm content.

It is important to be careful with our actions, even though we have the freedom to explore the virtual world while keeping ourselves anonymous there should be a sense of responsibility towards others who are sharing the same virtual world as ours. As much as I enjoy my virtual world that teaches and updates me on the most recent events around the world, I ensure that it’s ethical and responsible. Cyber flaneuring is as much or even more fun than roaming around the malls in our cities so continue exploring but remember to regularly take a step back into reality.

Blog Writer: Arvika Bhakri,