Photo by Nathan Makan
MY FRIEND Erik made a late-night post the other day on his blog, the Perils of Punditry, titled “The Real Danger of Microblogging.” But it’s really about something bigger, about how this technology, so magical, so enabling, turns out to be, well, enabling. Like the dysfunctional kind.
Instead of opening new worlds, technology like Twitter and Tumblr ends up closing us up inside ourselves, adding new limits to our already limited limits. Erik says:
Many observers suggest that microblogging is a particularly odious form of narcissism. This misses the mark. Narcissism permeates our society, from blogs to personalized license plates. Twitter and its ilk are drops in that vast ocean. But Nathan Roberton’s suggestion that Tumblr is lousy for anything but agreeing with people all the time made me think about just how much the design of microblogging platforms influences participant behavior. To paraphrase McLuhan, the platform is the discussion.
Erik acknowledges what he’s found useful about this technology but laments, “Why does it feel useful but hollow?”
I believe such ennui is much more a consequence of allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by such things as Twitter and Tumblr. It’s certainly easy enough. Erik likens it to an addictive drug whose high keeps you coming back. Relegated to mere tools, however, such technology can assume a less troublesome role.
The real lesson here, Erik wisely observes, is that we can’t let technology ensnare us alongside only those we agree with. And as our mutual friend, Spence, noted, “I’ll hazard that engaging in an actual, real-time, face-to-face conversation with someone at a café is better exercise for the noggin than sitting by yourself at a keyboard.”
Prioritizing how you conduct yourself socially — online and off — is an important way to keep from being overwhelmed by social media. Indeed, contending honestly and openly with people who hold opposing beliefs keeps us sharp, keeps us true.
