Do you think that it's rather unhealthy to be running two blogs in the midst of every other busy moment in life (I've also started DavidScoville.com)? On our carpool to work I was talking to @scottcowley. He mentioned how he'd read an article stating that the iPhone revolution has caused us to look inward and social media is becoming a catalyst to great social problems. For example, when a certain catastrophe strikes, more people are whipping out their mobile phones to take pictures and tweet rather than doing what they can to help the individual(s) in danger or embarrassment.
@scottcowley also mentioned that our social ills are caused by our need to be busy. It is not that we have to be tweeting/blogging/consuming etc. all the time--it's that we choose to be busy--and digital media makes it so much easier to do so.
The perpetrator of the problem is not the issue at stake--whether it's us or the media. However, maybe we ought to take a moment to think about how our busyness affects our social culture. Furthermore, where do we draw the line between working online (yes, I'm an online marketer just like most of the twitterers) and wasting time online? Even though we may be racking up followers and customers, what happens when our social fabric begins to tear by our selfish approach at social media?
And strangely enough, I sit here typing on one of my two blogs (not to mention lots of other online projects) while twittering. Hypocritical? Yes.
If you're reading--I'd like to know your thoughts.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I've never actually seen anyone tweeting or filming an accident instead of helping. I guess it happens, but I think it may be more of a fear.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the internet is making people detached from one another. In my opinion, this is also a product of an expanding population in general.
As far as wasting time, that's subjective. Looking at twitter's trending topics right now, like #nowthatsghetto and #letsbehonest, I'd say its a collasal waste of time. But, it's entertaining to other people.
At one point, TV was thought to have ruined people's attention spans by delivering 30 minute programs. The internet gives people the expectation of something entertaining every few seconds.
I really like this topic. I have been doing a lot of thinking about it myself. In fact, just last week I was contemplating the relationship between reality tv and social media. Just like any advancement (tech or otherwise) there is a good and a bad. I think it would also be interesting to study whether there is a any causation between soc media/increased content consumption and disorders such as ADD. Great post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAnswer: I don't know how I feel about this. I vacillate back and forth quite often. Is it too cliche to say "all things in measure"?
ReplyDeleteHere's what I do know: I have found it much easier to electronically maintain old friendships with people I I rarely see than to make new friends. This is a true trend I see in myself, and I don't like it one bit. I find myself having to go out of my way to make new friends, which is something that used to happen naturally for me.
The technology exists, and I'm all for that! I just need to take personal responsibility for how I use it and for how what kind of role I allow it to play in my life. I want to be able to give a good accounting for my time.