It is almost Augean to admit to ones own shortcomings and yet in reviewing ones behaviours occasionally one feels obligated to do so.
The blossoming arena of social media, areas like 'Facebook', 'Twitter' and the blogosphere presents a truly democratic arena for self-expression. Unfortunately we are not all the enlightened intelligentsia we so persuasively convince ourselves we are before committing the act of placing ill conceived epehemera into the 'e-sphere'.
The question is who are we producing such works for and why? Many are worthy attempts to create a 'better ' world or to improve some specific area of life. Others are part of noble campaigns, or in some unutterable instances far from noble campaigns that are attempts to convince others that deep seated bigotries are in fact defensible.
Then there are blogs like this one. Random discourses of little discernible worth or function. Please do not misunderstand, this is no attempt to eviscerate ones own work or worth. Merely a reflection on its lack of import.
One can become enmeshed too in the counting game. Suddenly quantity outstrips quality. My culpability here is all too real. To look at ones blog and delight that 21 people have read it. How we cajole ourselves into believing that make us important! 21 people out of the 7 billion+ of humanity have glanced at the diatribe we occasionally produce! How the world must swoon at our Oscar Wilde like influence now.
Just as bad the 'follower' count on Twitter. What is this cultish slave like devotion to counting 'followers'. They are not our apostles! Why must one take it so personally when the figure reduces?
My point is simple really. The Internet is a wonderful social tool, but please don't let it give us an overblown sense of our own public worth.
Right, now I shall bask in the effulgent glory of counting my Twitter followers - wonder if they've gone up or down?
No comments:
Post a Comment