In a day and age where very little is private and everyone is enjoying their 15 minutes (plus!) of fame, there always seems to be new ways for people to brag about themselves. One of the sites I find to be the most self-indulgent is Formspring.me (well, honestly, it's a tie between this and Daily Booth).The concept is that anyone can ask you anything and you will provide an answer. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Boxers or briefs? Vodka or Gin? What are your super powers? What makes you awesome? These are just a random sampling of questions that I've seen. Granted, I think this might be appropriate fodder on a dating site such as eHarmony, but just to throw out into cyberspace? Don't we all have better things to do?
I'm under no illusion that people are fascinated with me or my life (now, if I were a celebrity or other high-profile personality, maybe folks would appreciate some insight into my world). But, do strangers really need to know that I love Archer Farms' dill pickle cashews from Target? Are their lives made richer by finding out that my knee hurts when it rains?
Social media is an amazing tool to create community, to make new personal and professional connections, to share ideas, to collaborate, and to broaden your horizons. But, I really see no point in the platforms that do nothing more than contribute to people's ego and sense of self-importance. Each year, the internet delivers more and more ways for us to talk about ourselves. However, it's the sites and tools that allow us to talk with one another that bring us closer together and build bridges.
Instead of me asking some random acquaintance what her/his favorite soft drink is, why not use that time to make a real difference? World peace, anyone?
DISCLAIMER: I suspect this post might irritate some of my social media colleagues who use Formspring.me and Daily Booth. If so, my apologies. I get paid the big bucks to discuss controversial subjects and challenge the status quo. Well, if big bucks means no bucks, that is.
Woman! I love this post! I love that you get paid the big bucks..oh no..wait...you DON'T get PAID!!!
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to hire you and QUICK!
Seriously, love your writing style and your insight!
Amanda: Thank you so much for making the time to leave a comment. You are such a doll! And, especially, thank you for the nice words. They came at just the right time ;->
ReplyDeleteAmber, as always, a well considered viewpoint wonderfully expressed. Thanks for always having your finger on the wifi of life.
ReplyDeleteElayne sent me. Often see your comments on her FB page and I'm glad I stopped by. You make some excellent points. But I swear, the thing I really don't get is Farmville and Virtual Cafe. Did you real the article about the couple that allowed their baby to starve to death while they raised a virtual baby? Freakin' crazy stuff out there. I'll be following and stopping by again. Drop by my place, too, if you're so inclined.
ReplyDeleteElayne: Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. You are always so kind (and good for my ego!).
ReplyDeleteJayne: Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a note. I think gaming is a whole different animal. People have long been addicted to video games and Facebook gaming is just the latest way to feed that addiction and reach a whole new crop of people (moms, the elderly, folks who won't buy an X-box but spend hours adding animals and vegetables to their virtual farms). But, yes, you are right. The whole Farmville phenomenon is pretty out of control. And, what a time gobbler!