Tuesday, April 15, 2014

me and social media

 

I have been trying to write about the world wide web and social media for a while now, and have never been able to finish; the idea inevitably explodes into a million firecracker tangents, seemingly impossible to capture and share intelligently.

I fell in love with the true democracy of the net. This of course presupposes that you live somewhere that affords you internet access-but theoretically, every person on the planet could literally have a voice in a worldwide conversation. That is an astonishing thought. The internet, such a lovely word. An interchanging web of shared human consciousness and experience. Communication on a personal level with someone who lives in a place you’ve never been and probably never will go.  A window into an alternate reality that maybe could have been your life but for some reason isn’t. A place to share to whatever extent you are comfortable what your life in fact is. The internet is throbbing with voices and the world is changing. It’s simply a matter of frequency. It’s not much of a stretch to see this as an evolutionary shift toward a state of being that is wired differently-sensory expansion, CONSCIOUS collective consciousness. Sometimes I almost see us all decide to make worldwide changes together for our common good. I somehow think that the more we know about one another, the more sense that idea will make.

On a side note, and pardon the departure, I would like to share that that last comment elicits some guttural fear in me.  I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian home and was taught, biblically, that a one world movement would signify the end times, triggering the Rapture and the Tribulation. Part of me is afraid that I am becoming the Antichrist and helping to usher in the unleashing of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Brainwashing is a tough thing to overcome. I am apparently willing to gamble my mortal soul for this one; just don’t really see the benefit in isolation.

About two years ago I got a Twitter account, my first truly immersive experience in the world of the web. I learned that I like the remove of Twitter. It’s very low commitment. You can post pictures but it’s a lot of WORDS, and its character limit makes you hone your idea and wrestle it into tweetable submission, also appealing. Gotta have a positive outlet for those aggressive tendencies. Facebook, on the other hand always kind of scared me. I would laughingly joke that I didn’t want to be found, but I guess I actually meant it. Social media is showing me the limits of my comfort, my boundaries. It’s easy for me to share what I think or believe, even if it’s somewhat shocking, but to share my LIFE with people? Squirming, party of one. Privacy is a very personal, emotional conversation, just look at the headlines. Recently, I got myself a Facebook page, but just for business. Problem is, the web has the power to connect all my disparate selves. Find a Facebook page, find a blog, find some Tweets. What then of my separate business and private lives? Why am I separating them? I am in fear of some fundamental unacceptableness in myself. I’m afraid that my opinions or beliefs might adversely affect my business. The split is making me crazy. Once again, I am gambling on unity. If i can’t yet unite the world with this bloodless coup blog (aim high), maybe i can unify my life. I am sure I will lose some business, sure I’ll gain some. But there will be nothing to hide, no hats to switch out.

Let me just ease into these communal waters gently and float.