Understanding Individuals - Mark Zuckerberg



Understanding Individuals - Mark Zuckerberg

Part A: Development (700-1000)

Infancy and Childhood

Mark Zuckerberg was born n May 14, 1984 at the White Plains at New York. Viewed as the ringleader as, he set up a social networking site known as Facebook, that made him and his site popular throughout the world. Mark is one of the youngest billionaires of the world along with being a co-founder to his site, CEO as well as President of his business. The surprising fact is that Zuckerberg is not even 30 years old yet. Some people go as far as claiming these to be his story's early days as he has more to achieve still (Vargas, 2010).

He had started showing signs from an early age of intelligence and was particularly interested in programming, to most it seemed to be a non-contemporary hobby as Mark would spend all his free time in the development of various computer programs, with particularly emphasizing on channels of communication. Mark's earliest creations was a device named Synapse that used an artificial intelligence software for determining the listening patterns of its users, which is when Microsoft and other companies intended on hiring him. He however rejected these offers and went ahead and joined Harvard University.

It was during his stay at Phillips Exeter Academy that he got inspired to create Facebook using the student yearbook. In his dorm room, he and the co founders of Facebook Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin created a site that changed how people would socialize forever.

Psychosocial development of Mark Zuckerberg (Erik Erikson's Work)

Erik Erikson introduced a theory where he claimed that children developed in a predetermined order, and shifting the focus from cognitive development he focused on the ways children socialized and how these interactions affected their sense of self. His theory of psychosocial development had eight stages with two potential results.

His theory claimed that for successfully completing each stage, it would hinder the path to completing the rest of the stages and that would result in the personality being healthy and interactions being successful. However if one was unable to complete the stage that would result in the ability to complete further stages to reduce and therefore lead the personality to be unhealthy and damaged sense of self (Douvan, E, 1997).

First stage is of Trust Versus Mistrust. Based on the consistency of the caregiver the ability to trust is, developed. Once the trust is, built then the child becomes confident and feels secure to be in the world without feeling threatened. Not completing this stage successfully leads to the child being unable to trust for life, sense of fear is developed, there is anxiety, high levels of insecurity and feeling of mistrust. Mark's parents were encouraging and supportive from a young age.

Second stage is of Autonomy Versus Shame & Doubt; at this stage, children explore their independence between the ages one to three. If they are encouraged and supported to be independent like Mark's parents who ...