Franzen

Franzen’s essay “Liking is for Cowards. Go for what Hurts.” Mainly deals with the concept of liking versus loving, as well as our infatuation with consumer technologies such as BlackBerrys, and Facebook. He clarifies why our infatuation with technology delivers an easy alternate for love. “The striking thing about all consumer products – and none more so than electronic devices and applications – is that they are designed to be immensely likeable.” Franzen boldly claims that this is “the definition of a consumer product.” If considered in human terms, he relates this to people who can be defined by their desperation to be liked. These people go to extreme measures to present them self in a likeable pose. They are narcissists and cannot bear the thought of their image not being accepted, desired, or just plain liked. Franzen’s core claim could arguably be that highly apprehensive and self-absorbed  people are solely concerned with being liked, acknowledged, and approved. They have no integrity, and will soon become obsessed with satisfying what others’ want to see in them despite what it actually is. Today’s electronic devices and applications are so popular among these people, and for that fact, the majority of today’s society, because they are all targeted around and have access to the means of achieving these hopes that these people have of being accepted and desired. Technologies like these, such as Facebook, allow you to create a profile that defines you within the boundaries of a few quotations and photos; they enable you to associate yourself with what’s popular and socially acceptable. They hope to increase their appeal to others via these technologies and since attaining that satisfaction is so desired it really is what so strongly sells these websites and electronic tools the vast majority of today’s self-obsessive and concerned society.

                In Franzen’s essay he essentially criticizes society of what we are all truly guilty for; the strong, desperate desire to be liked and accepted. He explains how today’s technology are majorly used as social tools to enhance our social life, appeal, and popularity. I would definitely agree with Franzen. Even I myself, and I can think of many, many others who fall into this category at one measure or another of desiring so strongly to be liked. It is deep down something that is so desired in us and an obsession that these social applications are just feeding. In that light, are these technologies considered good, or sef-harming? How much more will we become dependent on Facebook, and these type of medias for our social stature; and to what level is it considered superficial?