It’s been a long while since I was a web-land professional, but I remain fascinated by the meteoric trajectory of the social media genre. Almost everyone, it seems, is engaged in social media in some form – FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo – if you’re not logged-on, you’re out-of-touch!
Why do we do it? Is it some sick voyeuristic tendency to keep tabs on our loved-ones, a quest for our own 15 minutes of fame? Or just a sign of the times?
Personally, I find social networking downright convenient.
As someone who suffers from extended periods of debilitating depression during which the very idea of having to endure the insufferable torment of engaging another human being in conversation teeters on rendering all relationships too damned burdensome to be bothered with, I enjoy the liberation of being able to flutter about in relationships that, while dear to me, don’t require massive amounts of time, energy and commitment to keep them afloat. This then allows me, with only a small investment of time, to maintain relationships that I would otherwise permit to lapse. That’s not to say these relationships aren’t meaningful to me. Due to a combination of factors, we often find ourselves time-poor, and social media sites make communicating in frequent, bite-sized chunks incredibly convenient. You may not call 50 friends to say you’ve discovered a sensational recipe, or enjoyed a certain book, but this way, if something you comment on piques the interest of a friend, it can start a conversation you wouldn’t have otherwise had.
These technologies provide the opportunity to hold dialogues you wouldn’t ordinarily have and maintain connections you may not have sustained long-term.
Friends long out-of-touch, family overseas, old housemates and school friends. These are people we care about, but, due to conflicting responsibilities and time pressures, may not keep in touch with as often as we’d like to.
It’s a way of touching base – at the touch of a button.
And why not? We bank online. We shop online. We date online. Why not connect with our friends and family online too? I live a fairly compartmentalised life where the various aspects of my personality and friendship groups don’t overlap much, so it can be interesting to see the eclectic collection of disparate personalities who in various ways and degrees, comprise portions of the rich tapestry of my life, converging on a single site.
Online, as in life, discretion is the better part of valour. Those prone to over-disclosure can get themselves into trouble. Colleagues could potentially come to work informed that you’re hungover. Friends could be forearmed that you’re miffed that they didn’t turn up to your BBQ.
Regardless of the medium, the need for sound personal judgment remains. Chances are, if you’re the sort of person who’s going to notify the Twitteratti of your break-up before you speak to your partner, in days gone by, the local grapevine would have known about it long before your partner did anyway. Technology doesn’t make a person good or bad, it simply gives them the means and opportunity for impulsive publishing! Drink-and-dial in a new medium!
Today, more than ever before, we strive to feel connected and understood. Social networking technologies permit us to connect at a micro level on a macro scale. The ultimate in personalised expression and democratic communication tools; they provide a sense of intimacy and connectivity that negate traditional boundaries such as distance, time, language, culture.
The don’t replace in-person interactions, they complement them and in doing so they provide a life-line for those that are isolated.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to check my messages…
interesting material, where such topics do you find? I will often go
Thanks for dropping by – I’m glad you enjoyed my post.