The Social Deathtrap

Chances are, if you're reading this, then you belong to a social network. Seeing as the only place I link this blog is on Facebook, you're on Facebook. Unless you're a random visitor, welcome. With proper consistent access to the internet anyone might find themselves part of a social network. Twitter, Facebook, forum or MSN, you're connected to other people pretty much constantly through these social networks. Even offline they have the ability to see your activity. I think we can all agree that is both a scary prospect and one we will continue to allow.

I'm not going to go into the why of social networking, we just do; we always have and we always will. I'm talking majority here, I've met more than a few people who swear off social networking and they might just be the smart ones...no offence. What I will delve into is perhaps the implications of being so closely weaved into people's lives without always being able to participate in them ourselves or in some cases being excluded altogether. Also, some other dangers cause by social networking that were not present in relationships of the past. A bit of a meaty subject, slightly salted with cynicism complete with a side of personal experience.

Bon appetit bitches!

Remember that time where if you did something regrettable to or with someone, you'd just pass that person by in life, learn a lesson and move on? Well no, neither do I in my adult life, but this used to happen all the time. I'd imagine in the 80s more than any other decade, seems a lot of people from the time have regrets about hair and clothes and stuff. What are they talking about, I love the 80s.

Today however, because of social networks, you might get caught up with the person (or situation) on a social networking site. This leads to photos, wall posts, friends of friends and an entire plethora of semi-permanent reminders that are there for all the other people in your life to sort through. No longer are your problems your own. Okay they definitely are, but you're so weaved into the fabric of the bigger picture that it's there for everyone to gander. As we've learnt from nature, observed behavior is not natural behavior. Any problem is only perpetuated by the wake of reminders, we can delete them or set the privacy level higher, but even that is an action that will carry with it certain implications.

In the past, you'd collect memories in a private photo album, store that away and pull it out when you were feeling nostalgic. There was a process to this that allowed reflection. We don't have that anymore, it's instant good or bad. We hear about intimate personal life changing stuff on the web and most of us brush it off, but what if it's not something we're supposed to hear. I mean, IS it something we're supposed to hear? Engagements, breakups, hookups, weekend retreats, jobs, getting fired, we all share things we'd usually have to meet up for drinks to discuss.

TMI!!!

Personally, this bigger picture, the connections through connections is really having a negative effect on something I'm trying to learn a lesson from. Everytime I'm in the clear, them albums come up or I hear about a sharing of a friend through a friend. It really slows the process of moving forward down, feels like an ichor of tar holding me down. Being so connected and so distant at the same time means I can't respond. It's not a phone call, it's a telegram.

Infamous telegraph time.

But it's the human condition to share. I do it, we all do, and we've all had it done to us. We deal with it as we can and the one consolation about social networking is that we're all definitely in it together, good or bad. It builds communities, it builds relationships, but also how we share can create the illusion of a relationship when it only exists in an online format.

Unplug your internet, unplug your friends.