One of the key ideas to Goffman is his idea of impression management. Through interaction with others in society, an impression of ones self is given off to others. This is automatic and inevitable. The way one perceives you is through this social interaction. This means that through messages that are given off, whether intended or unintended, they are the judgments by which people will hold their opinion of you (Layder 1998:172-175).The article, “Cell Phones Are the New Peacock Feathers” describes how males in England use their cell phones as a status symbol to give off an impression to females. The author equates this to how a peacock uses its feathers to attract other peacocks of the opposite sex. Through observations made, men were more likely to fiddle and play with their cell phones. This would hopefully catch the eye of a female and make her notice him and how important he may be. This is under the presumption that those who have cell phones are professionals and belong to a higher status group. A cell phone helps distinguish them from the rest of society and makes them seem more important. It also shows that they have “social importance and are plugged into a social network where they can be reached at all times.” This is why there has been a surge in the cell phone market. There is even a market for faux cell phones that even have lights and sounds on them. The image that they convey to society is this person is a mover and a shaker and is of vital importance. This image will then intrigue females with the hopes of establishing new relationships.The idea of using an object, in this case a cell phone, as an object to convey a status is what reminded me of Goffman and his ideas of impression management. The men in the article are interaction with others through the impressions they are giving off. These are impressions that are not intended messages that are sent to others. The most popular way of doi...
