Friday, August 1, 2014

Social Media

.
More and more people seem to be spending more and more of their time interacting through Social Media. Even when there is nothing going on in life, it is worth telling the world about it… What we cook, and eat. Whether we are sleeping or are suffering from insomnia. What we are doing, mot doing, planning to do, dreaming of doing. If we are going somewhere, or have cancelled. It all is posted on Social Media, occasionally accompanied by selfies of the person posting it…

And when we are done posting about ourselves and our own lives, we often feel like we need to post about other people’s lives. About how the world is ‘going to hell in a hand basket’. And how ‘they’ should be doing things differently, should be coming up with different solutions, should make different choices, and on and on and on.

It makes for an interesting mix of a kind of exhibitionism, and looking outside of ourselves to point out to others what is wrong with the world.
On one hand we publish so much about ourselves, our likes and dislikes, and our selfies that at times one may think reading along that it is way too much information. On the other hand we seem totally unwilling to look at ourselves when it comes to problem solving, or handling situations we are faced with ‘in the real world’. That world that is out there; that doesn’t require a computer or smart phone to join.
That world where the sun may be shining, and children on a hot day are begging their parents for an ice cream cone.

Even in the world of Social Media it is easy to see polarities at work…
The digital world versus the physical world. Ourselves versus ‘them out there’.

Of course this is not the only function of Social Media. Social Media are a wonderful platform to stay in touch with friends, to share your thoughts, the music you like. They make it possible for your friends to ‘travel along’ on that adventurous trip you are making. From that perspective, Social Media allow us to expand our horizons and to make our own world bigger and more interesting.

The danger ~ if one could call it that ~ is that we focus on things that are super superficial, and combine that with an (un)healthy dose of negativity. It may be our opinion, and therefore worth posting from our perspective. But is that really the energy we want to bring forth into the physical world? That world where the rain may be breaking the heat spell, cleansing the air, and making it smell so good…

Perhaps, if we have nothing positive, productive, fun, loving, or kind to post ~ we just shouldn’t post it.
.
.

No comments:

Post a Comment