My very few regular readers may have noticed that I haven't blogged lately. Like many of my "boomer" friends, I'm comfortable with, and curious about, trying out all the new forms of electronic communication. Still, I haven't become as fanatically attached to them as the younger generations are. I have a cell phone, but don't feel compelled to turn it on most of the time. I shut down my social networking page for lack of interest. I haven't "tweeted" for weeks, and haven't updated my blog for months. So it's not that I haven't tried these things, I just don't quite get the point of them.
I recently read The Dumbest Generation, by Mark Bauerlein. Aside from its rather blunt and insulting title, he makes some good points about the downside of being too "wired."
According to Bauerlein, obsessive use of social networking sites, games, and cell phones has made teens and young adults even more susceptible to peer pressure and pop culture than they've ever been in the past. In addition, on-line activities tend to replace reading anything of substance and experiencing a wider range of cultural activities.
But I guess what bothers me the most about social networking, blogs, tweets, and the like is the implied narcissism behind it all. I was raised to NOT blow my own horn or talk about myself all the time. This used to be considered rude; in the on-line world it is the norm. I am also cautious by nature and wary of revealing my personal life to strangers, so part of me finds the amount of self-revelation available for public consumption on-line, as well as the assumption that anyone cares to hear it, a little shocking.
Perhaps this is why I never seriously pursued my childhood dream of becoming a writer. Much as I like to express myself in writing, it takes a lot more courage than I have to expose my innermost thoughts and emotions to public view. And perhaps this is the real reason why I don't blog more often.
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2 comments:
Well, you're a wonderful writer anyway. Perhaps fiction would suit you so you could hide yourself behind or inside a ficticious character.
Love,
Sis
Dear Grasshopper,
I totally agree with you about all the social networking sites and the twitter moment-by-moment updates of the participants. What happen to those who fight for privacy laws and not having all of our information online, blah, blah, blah??? Who cares where someone is dining at the moment? Or what TV program they are watching? Or wheter they just sighted Ashton Kutcher? Narcisism is right -- you got it Grasshopper. I have been asked a number of times to "join" Facebook sites and LinkedIn, the professional site, of friends and family. I have declined. Anyone who I want to know or see -- can get hold of me via phone or e-mail. That's the extent of my connections. Thanks for your honesty!
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