"A very bored human" has commented on "a post by another bored human"
"A narcissist" has created an album
"A talented radio professional" has become a fan of a "superb writer"
"A megalomaniac" has taken the "How much of a megalomaniac are you" quiz
"ABC" became friends with "XYZ"
… and so on and so forth.
It's quite funny, surprising and amusing how human behaviour has changed over the years, keeping the technological excellence achieved by mankind in perspective. There was a time, not so long ago, when "poking a friend" involved a finger trying to dig deep into a friend's flesh. Today, it does involve a finger, but pressing a mouse button. Taking a look at someone's photographs in an album meant sitting at the table (or on the bed, if you will), getting comfortable, flipping the pages of a real physical album, with photographs tucked in their slots with a little bit of moisture on their surface. Now, it means, finger-on-the-mouse-clicking-away-happily-and-periodically and looking at the monitor.
Strangers becoming friends, friends sharing a secret or a joke, someone taking a preposterously dim-witted quiz, another someone trying to judge other people whether he Likes Them Or Not, you getting notified that ABC has commented on XYZ's photograph, acquaintances in your life trying to tell you What's On Their Mind, one funny status message trying to beat another, yet another someone getting employment options by somebody… Well, you get the drift.
Everything, just about everything that we used to do in the real world prior to this "Social Connection" revolution has now found a place in the virtual world. And we accept all of that. Gladly, for that matter. Maybe it was for the novelty it gave us in our rather boring and mundane lives. But, as we have witnessed throughout our lives, getting habitual to anything that takes to our fancy is but very easy for humans.
I am quite amused that the thought of "washing one's dirty linen in public" used to be such a bad idea. On the other hand, even if not "dirty laundry" is being washed, we are giving others a peek into our lives in a way we wouldn't have in the real world.
"Friends" in a way have been replaced by a new set of "friends"… the Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, CPU and Modem. Most of the interaction with our real friends is now happening via these new friends.
There is a large number of people who find a lot of pride in saying that their "Life Is An Open Book". Perhaps now they can rephrase that to the titular message of this post.
But is anyone, including me, complaining? Hard fact… No. Why? Maybe because this is what we have chosen. And now I think that "maybe" in the previous sentence is unnecessary. The fact is, we HAVE chosen this. And for as long as one can see in the future, which of course isn't much, this new way-of-life is not changing anytime soon.
And we wont even stop using all these "Social Connection" websites too. Since the social bit is now virtual, I guess we should rename them to something more suitable.
As I wrap up this post, someone is "gonna go to bed now", another one "thinks If I turn into a man for the day do you think I nice woman would come do my ironing lol", yet another one "thinks… she is in love with someone…=( "… and so it goes on.
Now, I'd better go and update that status message before this funny line that just hit my mind fades away!
Think.
Ctrl-Alt-Del… oops… Love, Peace n' Harmony
Sam
© Prateek Sharma May 2008
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