Recently, I registered for Facebook and Twitter because my curiosity got the better of me. I'm still on both, although I must admit I haven't a clue as to what Twitter is all about. At first it is fun trying to locate old friends that you haven't spoken to in years. And then...POP...the glow begins to fade as you come to the realization that once you've caught up, there really isn't much left to say. You also run the risk of getting your feelings hurt when you reach out and touch and they don't touch back!
There is really more to this movement than a desire to find old friends and keep up with current ones. I believe that it is symptomatic of a society that is moving away from the personal one- on- one relationship and heading towards a world where our relationships are nothing more than a collection of sound bites.
Just take a look at Twitter. Normal everyday people comment on their status with remarks like this...I'm yawning or I'm going to eat clams for lunch! First of all, who cares? Second of all are you kidding?
Check out Facebook and you will find the same phenomenon and you will also find me making the same inane remarks. My own daughter is beginning to ask me to join her for lunch on Facebook and that is really scary.
It is possible that we are entering into an era of communication that doesn't require the human touch, the human voice or the human presence. It is a way of having relationships without really relating at all. With the advent of these types of sites, you can have hundreds of friends who you will never have to invite for dinner or see in person! Initially, it seems like fun, but if you look a little deeper it really is indicative of a society that is talking all the time about nothing at all.
I hope that we make every effort to hold onto the world that existed before the computer age. Remember the days when a friend made you a cup of chicken soup when you were ill. Now it is possible to send a virtual bowl of imaginary soup to a sick friend without buying one ingredient or leaving the house.
When was the last time you received a handwritten letter from a friend? My guess is that it has probably been quite some time. The antidote for the current trend is this: Call a friend, go out to lunch, bring someone flowers to cheer them up and above all, don't post any of this on the internet!
It appears that newspapers are going the way of the handwritten letter. Newspapers are in trouble with many of them folding. Why? The recession (depression?) has something to do with it as ad revenues are down. But, it is really the internet. Young folks get their new priarily from cable TV or the internet. They don't buy newpapers. Folks who were brought up reading the papers still buy them, but they are in the minority. So, I guess oine can say "It's the internet, stupid!" It is a shame. Bartender!
ReplyDeletetaxlarry,
ReplyDeleteHuh? What? Just kidding, I understand what you are saying and I agree that our world is changing in ways that really are not for the better. I for one will miss the feel of a real newspaper in my hand, no matter how insane what's written there makes me!