Self-Service: The Delicate Dance of Online Bragging

Evan Ratliff has written a helpful essay in this month's Wired about social media, Self Service: The Delicate Dance of Online Bragging. The second paragraph:

For sure, posting anything online is an act of either inherent immodesty or existence affirmation, depending on your outlook: “I’m alive! I’m doing (or discovering) things! People out there should give a damn!” Bragging is practically coded into social media’s DNA, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. We show off by noting the interestingness of our companions, the solidity of our relationships, the fabulousness of our meals. What are an excess of Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections for if not low-intensity name-dropping? “Look how many fascinating people are willing to connect with me.”