Friday, August 24, 2012

I Quit ...


Another dear friend threw in the towel at the Facebook arena. He joins the increasing number of white and grey cutouts instead of friendly faces I see online…

As human we long for human interaction. Our needs are almost uniform… love, respect and acceptance. But we still like to think ourselves as very distinct people with very refined and unique need of human interactions and genuine insight in human relations. The only good news is that we are all equally ill-informed, inapt, confused and scared.

Social networking is like crutches for the very real handicap of human nature.

It’s a welder’s helmet. Instead of human interaction we hide behind a screen trying to maintain a safe distance from hurt and chaos; roll eyes at others on their feeble attempts of showcasing a successful life and relations; look down upon on the crazies for posting even their toilet schedule online; register impersonal broadcasts of life events; judge people left, right and center;  ….and sharing funny images and quotes to pretend participation.

Social networking is complicated; almost as complicated as society itself.

Though I am personally not sure what benefit is the renouncing of the mere imitation, is it a misplaced sense of will power or a demonstration of being a little better…I don’t mind FB, at least it gives me a site to always sign-in when my agenda is to be unproductive …

Quitting FB is surprisingly one of the things I do not strongly advocate or reject … there are many other ways to stay in touch with friends, waste time on internet or demonstrate one’s intolerance of social norms. 

3 comments:

Priyaranjan Anand Marathe said...

Hmm. Jaron Lanier - Wrote a book on this - UR not a Gadget. http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Not-Gadget-Manifesto/dp/0307269647

Read the reviews, has many valid point.

Also impt. social n/w has reduced real interaction.


Great tool but..

Manu said...

:-) well said Priti.. Was waiting for this one.. Made me smile... As they say ppl can be anyone or anything online... Its funny how most choose to be stupids :-D well surely doesnt apply for!
A place where friendships are requested and friends are accepted or rejected on a click of a button, where you literally block someone you dont like, really is an over simplified "social structure" which sadly does not help one to deal with real life situations...

To remain in touch with friends, i agree it helps :) but one needs to be in touch with self before outside world. A little at least :-)

Priti said...

thank u for pointers to the book "You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto" look interesting, will read ... though i just think ...social networking or FB may be for some ..its not for all

i am still embracing... how there are no 'rights and wrongs' in life ... but a single website having so much importance associated with it ... seems to be trending towards w... :)