Social and Taste Hierarchies on the Internet

In his flowery, over-the-top, almost incoherently foggy and abstract essay (yes, I know; I am refusing what I have been refused!), Bourdieu writes about social constructs of judgment and taste. I honestly bumbled my way through it and got lost in his terribly long sentences; however, there were some things that jumped out at me. His idea of the body as a “memory-jogger” is interesting (244). He says that all of our gestures, phrases, and body language – no matter how subtle – are signs of our understood place in society; we act according to the “agreed upon” social constructs.

This was written in 1979. So let’s consider today’s internet/social media driven world and how that affects Bourdieu’s idea. As education, information, and social trends are now one click away and can disseminate so quickly, how does it affect the way we see and portray ourselves? Do you think technology has resulted in a more homogeneous social/taste hierarchy – or has it made larger gaps – or had no effect at all? And what about social media? How do we portray ourselves via Facebook, Twitter, etc. based on our assumed social standing? Does a digital space make it any different from “real life” interaction?