So Pervasive! (An Outcry)
Text,
call,
Facebook/Google/i/Chat,
Twitter,
Skype,
Blogspot,
Wordpress
... nine different ways to know where you are, what you're doing, how your day has been... not including the fact that, if you're reading this, we possibly live within the same zip code.
I just read an article about Twitter on Relevant Magazine. It was brilliant and very much in line with some things that have been on my mind lately. (Here it is.) Jon Starcke and I even had a conversation about this during the twilight of one of the best weekends ever. He refuses to participate in Facebook, seeing it as a narcissistic way of participating in life with others, of selfish one-sided community. He even used the term "relational masturbation", and then I realized how deeply he cares about truly connecting with others. In so many ways, he is right!
Texting and calling are on that list, but the frequency of my phone making any noise during the day is slowly dwindling. If my phone made a noise every time someone contacts me via chat, Facebook or Twitter (which you can do, of course!) that wouldn't be true.
I wonder how many of my friends don't feel a need to contact me "just to say hi", because they already know that I'm in the library listening to Mates of State and thinking about all of this. Maybe they feel a bit closer to me because my thoughts are constantly pinned up across their online dashboards.
(I really don't mind that this is the case with Jess, Rachael, Blandine, or Magali. They live in Europe.)
If that's the case with you, let me tell you something: I don't feel close to you right now. I don't know that you're reading this! (This is mostly directed to Jake, out of pure frustration that he never called or texted me back on the one rare weekend that we were both in Wichita. It could also be roughly directed to Haley, who I literally have to stalk if I want to spend any time with her.) There are several people like this in my life, and it kills the happiness of seeing them once I realize that everything I was so excited to share with them in person is already part of the cloud of social facts they've acquired when they don't have time to be in touch with me.
Read that Relevant article. There are so many ways that the pervasive awareness of your friends can be beneficial rather than distancing. Use it right! Share things! Be creative! If anything, just be PRESENT.
I'd really appreciate it.
-Katie
call,
Facebook/Google/i/Chat,
Twitter,
Skype,
Blogspot,
Wordpress
... nine different ways to know where you are, what you're doing, how your day has been... not including the fact that, if you're reading this, we possibly live within the same zip code.
I just read an article about Twitter on Relevant Magazine. It was brilliant and very much in line with some things that have been on my mind lately. (Here it is.) Jon Starcke and I even had a conversation about this during the twilight of one of the best weekends ever. He refuses to participate in Facebook, seeing it as a narcissistic way of participating in life with others, of selfish one-sided community. He even used the term "relational masturbation", and then I realized how deeply he cares about truly connecting with others. In so many ways, he is right!
Texting and calling are on that list, but the frequency of my phone making any noise during the day is slowly dwindling. If my phone made a noise every time someone contacts me via chat, Facebook or Twitter (which you can do, of course!) that wouldn't be true.
I wonder how many of my friends don't feel a need to contact me "just to say hi", because they already know that I'm in the library listening to Mates of State and thinking about all of this. Maybe they feel a bit closer to me because my thoughts are constantly pinned up across their online dashboards.
(I really don't mind that this is the case with Jess, Rachael, Blandine, or Magali. They live in Europe.)
If that's the case with you, let me tell you something: I don't feel close to you right now. I don't know that you're reading this! (This is mostly directed to Jake, out of pure frustration that he never called or texted me back on the one rare weekend that we were both in Wichita. It could also be roughly directed to Haley, who I literally have to stalk if I want to spend any time with her.) There are several people like this in my life, and it kills the happiness of seeing them once I realize that everything I was so excited to share with them in person is already part of the cloud of social facts they've acquired when they don't have time to be in touch with me.
Read that Relevant article. There are so many ways that the pervasive awareness of your friends can be beneficial rather than distancing. Use it right! Share things! Be creative! If anything, just be PRESENT.
I'd really appreciate it.
-Katie
posted by LetterZ at
11:40 AM
3 Comments:
whoah!! Just over 10 percent are ages 18-24... I thought that would be a lot higher.
But anyways I am strongly on the side of twitter being a narcissistic tool... most generally. Not saying that it makes me mad, more sad in fact. It can be used for good, but I think generally people use it to tell people about themselves. Which is why it makes me sad... it's the human's longing for intimacy I am convinced, the longing to be heard and known.
I'd much rather hear about someone's life face-to-face. I'm nearly 99.9% sure I will never jump on the twitter band-wagon for many reasons that maybe we can talk about when we hang out. This weekend maybe?
By
Jenna, At
April 14, 2009 at 10:53 PM
oh my gosh, i looooove you. Seriously katie. . . after tonight i realize why we're in each other's life. Love you.
By
meg, At
April 15, 2009 at 10:39 PM
Was just alerted to this short post and I thought it segued nicely with yours, which was a great read.
By
Kyle Gach, At
April 20, 2009 at 10:39 PM
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