Posted by garnet71 on June 27, 2009, at 16:20:12
In reply to from babble to twitter, posted by Dr. Bob on June 25, 2009, at 10:21:45
A twitter babble hybrid seems creepy to me.
Regarding that site in general terms- I've gone on there to see what it's all about, and I found nothing appealing about it. It doesn't bother me that others like the architecture, but for me, I'm overwhelmed by emails from several accounts I've had to maintain over the years and it's just one more thing that would keep me from more personal social interactions.
For electronic communications in general - it's exciting people now have so much access to knowledge and technology saves time with both business and personal business oriented stuff-like forms, applications, procedures, and definitely facilitates business communications (though wastes lots of time because people tend to unnecessarily cc everyone "JIC"...then you end up with a zillion emails that you have to read to see if something pertains to your job or is important to note.) Sometimes for business I think it 'creates' less time.
But for my personal life it has taken away from the dynamics and also my time for more personal relationships. I used to get fwd'd emails daily, jokes, inspirational stuff, stories - stuff people pass around, etc. From people i used to talk on the phone with or see regularly. It was way too much email for me-so I started ignoring all of those types of emails and don't originate them and never respond to them. Yet, once in a while I'd write back a note and actually personally ask someone how they are doing, maybe ask about their kids, a personal email, and get a forward, unpersonal email in return.
Maybe I'm just uncomfortable reducing human relationships to one dimensional manifestations interacting through routers and fiber optic wires. there is a lot of mutual communication here on this forum, but when communications get superficial, one dimensional, and/or less personalized, it somehow takes away from the human spirit.
That's a common feeling, I suppose. The whole virtual dating thing creeps me out, and online dating in that it blurs reality; it's an artificial reality when so many people portray themselves as who they wanna be, not who they really are.
I guess people are busy, but it seems like these types of communications sometimes make people more busy.
Today I went swimming with my friend at the pool at her apartment and it was really nice hanging out. Probably my only friend left who doesn't even use text messaging. We only talk about once every two weeks, on the phone then in person, but it seems to remain my closest friendship.
I'm not one to shy away from technology whatsoever, but I find some of the social applications to be objectifying, dehumanizing, and a precursor to an uncomfortable, potential merger of reality and fantasy. In other words, it makes me think that people are going to start creating their own identity out of fantasy, and desires of who they want to portray themselves as (based on superficial desires) rather than realizing an identity from past human relationships and personal interactions at both the micro and macro levels. Instead of becoming an individual through learning, growth, and human intereactions it's like creating a false persona that covers up the true person. It seems narcissistic.
Maybe some think it's better for people to create their own identiy based upon wishes and desires of who they want to become rather than cultivate the core self into a 'personality' as a whole or identity derived from learning and experiences?
poster:garnet71
thread:903108
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20090529/msgs/903493.html