...Like I come in two dimensions,
Like lipstick is a sign of my declining mind,
Like what I happen to be wearing is my new statement..."
I am of the growing impression that social networking devices on the internet are bringing me into a two-dimensional existence.
According to the internet, I am a successful (albeit unreviewed) actress, a quirky puppeteer, a "social butterfly," a slightly cynical but witty commentator who loves her friends, and have many other attributes about which one could conclude after sifting through snapshots, greetings to friends, self-descriptions, or just by looking me up on a search engine .
Well, now everyone knows me!
Or. . . do they?! Is this who I am!??
This is the thought plaguing me at the moment.
It's only really disconcerting when I compare these facts about myself with similar facts I've learned about others.
The internet has made me new friends and reconnected me with people I would otherwise have lost touch with, and I thank it for that.
However, the internet has replaced a genuinely human - three-dimensional, if you will - element of acquaintance. All the "necessary" information about practically everyone I know (favorite books, movies, quotes, what they did last weekend) exists in their "About Me" sections, or their most recent photo uploads.
By existing so openly on the internet, am I damaging my real life?
By putting so much stock into the persona of others portrayed on the internet, am I missing out on getting to know people tangibly?
I rarely ask my acquaintances what they have been up to, whom they are seeing, where they are attending school or working because I get unsolicited updates regularly in the form of "feeds" or uploaded photos very regularly.
While writing this I've been thinking of a certain friend of mine who avoids these social networking bull-shit-holes all together. I enjoy the company of this friend significantly because I always feel as though it is completely genuine. We see each other, we appreciate espresso at the same time, I can immediately see his reaction to my witticisms - such as they are without an hour of editing; comedic timing's not exactly my thing. This "three-dimensional" friendship is entirely refreshing.
And no, I'm not going to lie to you and say that updates on my friends aren't convenient. They're lovely; I love seeing what they've been up to.
I just wish it all seemed more. . . real
And in addition, I wish that I could be more real to them.
So perhaps in some sort of half-assed conclusion I should simply assert that I will henceforth appreciate the opportunities I have to interact in person, and set far less stock in the information derived from my triflings among the wires of the World Wide Web.
A weak conclusion? Maybe.
A comforting solution? I hope so.
(And yes, I do realize how rediculous it is to have blogged about problems with socializing on the internet. I do.)
1 comment:
By the way, I enjoyed talking to you about this tonight, and I enjoyed reading your blog post. You'll write good papers, kiddo.
I think it's interesting that you made the statement that certain interactions feel more "real." For one, it's interesting that the idea of a "real" world now exists. I guess the distinction is now needed because, apparently, we have created a "fake" world. Have we really? Where and what is this fake world, and where does it stop and the real world begin?
The fake world is real, but, like we talked about, it's a facet of the real world. Everything is real. Facebook, blogging, myspace, google, blah blah blah, real real real...but it's not enough. And it's awesome you know that. Refreshing, I suppose. For second, because I should have one since I started this with "for one", is facebook, then, an unexpected social enhancer? Since it gives us such a startlingly weird way of socially interacting, as well as getting all the small talk bullshit out of the way, can we then move into the interesting things, as well as making us more appreciative of "real" interactions?
Maybe the phrase judging a book by it's cover will change to judging a person by their facebook profile.
We should talk about this again. Long comment, must end.
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