There was a time, back in the dark ages, when people survived without the constant posting of their lives on the Internet. There was a time before the Internet. I was there. I remember it. And I remember the first time I was introduced to the ARPANET and the promise of worldwide communication and sharing of information.
It all sounded so glorious in those days. It sounded like Star Trek and the world coming together for the greater good… the ultimate democracy?
That’s not exactly what we got.
It would be easy to list out a string of all that is wrong on the Internet and its demise (too strong?) into the world of Social Media. We all know it. We all see it. Apparently, we all crave it… a way to rubberneck from the comfort of our home or our own personal little window into the drama that unfolds each day. The soap operas of a new age. The Seven Deadly Sins have gone viral and are raking in the clicks ($$$).
How do we step away from that? Is it even possible to close Pandora’s Box? In a world addicted to sensationalism and individuals looking for easy money or to become “Instafamous,” can we move forward in a positive light?
They used to ask, “if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make any sound?”
Today’s corollary must be, “if you do something IRL (in real life) but you don’t post it on Social Media, did it really happen?” … pics or it didn’t happen…
How do we get people back to living their lives IRL without the constant pressure to immediately share it all on Facebook or Instagram? How much more present can we be if we are just there, without devices, without pictures, but with the people we’re with?
More to come…
Photo: Skeleton Knick-Knacks in Cozumel… Jeff Carroll
