We left off last week with a bit of a history lesson of what led to social media dominating the electronic landscape as it does today.
As I had stated last week, a friend had engaged in a discussion with another about how social media is more of a disconnector than a re-connector. He posted this on his Facebook profile and solicited responses in kind.
It was a matter that I hadn't given much thought until I read the responses. I was surprised to read what I did, but then not so surprised as I began to understand it.
The responses ran the gamut. Reconnector...renewing old friendships across the miles. Disconnector...the depreciation of the meaning of the word 'friend'. Reconnector...a more efficient way to communicate. Disconnector...you learn more negative qualities about that person whose friend request you accepted.
Reconnector...for those who work long hours with little to no time for letters or phone calls. Disconnector...those stupid games!
I'll digress on that one. I do like "Words With Friends".
But are we becoming a generation that has become more comfortable with misanthropy than real social interaction?
Ted Danson's character on the former CBS sitcom "Becker" would happily agree with the former of the two.
In social situations, when we disagree, there is less of a tendency anymore to 'agree to disagree', and more to separate ourselves from that person altogether or even react violently, whether it's verbal or physical in nature.
I know this because in this very forum, I have taken stands on views that have been to say the least, controversial. While some supported me, others spewed vitriol in my direction and de-friended me, never wanting anything to do with me again. The remaining messaged me privately asking me to help them understand why I took the stand I took, because they valued me as a friend and didn't want to lose me.
Notwithstanding, my backbone remains intact.
For the past 25 years, I worked in the radio broadcasting industry, and I spent more than half of my career as a journalist. Objectivity wasn't an option, but a tool necessary to do your job successfully.
And I believe I have been just that. Though objectivity sometimes carries no weight with the bull-headed so steadfast in their beliefs that they see no room for anyone in their lives whose beliefs are different than their own.
Among my family and friends, and I don't mean the ones on Facebook, there are whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, rich, poor, atheists, agnostics, Christians, Jews, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgendereds, high school dropouts, scholars, tradesmen, professionals, artisans, executives, ex-convicts, and law enforcement officers.
Muslims too. "OMG...he's a terrorist!!!" I can see it now. Grow up.
Just about every one of them would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.
There's positives and negatives to social media. Do the negatives outweigh the positives? I believe they do.
But then again, how long can you carry on an in-person conversation with another before life gets in the way and you have to leave, wishing 'I would have loved to talk about that some more'.
When I joined the planning committee for my high school class's 25th reunion, none of us ever would have dreamed that the number of attendees would be less than half of those who came to our 20th.
Nonetheless, we still had a great turnout, with many traveling hundreds of miles to be there. But I'm sure that social media played a role in determining whether or not many of our classmates were going to show up.
Some are content to live their lives vicariously through others or see the pictures of what someone is doing rather than going out and having these experiences on their own. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but why not go beyond a thousand?
You may have received a 'friend request' that you accepted with some degree of reluctance because it was a person you may not have cared for years ago. And as you browsed that person's profile, you may realize you may have misjudged that person.
Or that you were right about them all along and nothing's changed.
Employers are finding social media to be a useful tool in screening potential work candidates, or giving them grounds to fire an existing employee.
I like Facebook. It gives me an opportunity to share my life with others I don't get to see as much as I would like. Photos, this weekly blog, the occasional trip, my love of wine, things like that.
I don't do Twitter. I personally don't find my life all that interesting to 'tweet' about every single action I have going on. One form of social media that's fairly low maintenance is enough.
For everyone. I don't care who you are.
Anything beyond that is overboard.
I first started with MySpace. Once I learned that Facebook gravitated to a more mature crowd, I migrated there and shut down my MySpace profile.
If I spend that much time on social media, all I'll be 'tweeting' about is how much time I spend on social media. It doesn't make sense to me.
So what's my final answer, disconnect or reconnect?
It's all a matter of perception, and it boils down to this:
With great power, comes great responsibility.
Make of that what you will.
NEXT WEEK: The Ticking Clock
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