Social Media Overload?

It all began way back... when? Can any one of us remember a time we weren't tapped into the every move of every person we know?

Well there was such a time, believe it or not, when a cell phone was nonexistent, and only drug dealers or high end business men carried pagers. Now even small children carry a cell phone, because their parents can't imagine not being able to get hold of them wherever and whenever. As an aside, has anyone stopped to ask why these parents don't know what their children are doing WITHOUT a phone? But that is another topic for another time....

Then everyone was on MySpace, then Facebook, then Twitter... theoretically so that we can connect with friends and family we have lost touch with from around the world, and be tapped into the latest of news that matters to us, at our fingertips.

But how many users of these applications actually use them for such lofty purposes? How much of what is posted on Twitter is useful and purposeful and how much mindless useless chatter about things as scintillating as taking a bathroom break, being tired right now, or eating a donut? Do we really need to know our friends' lives in play-by-play action? Do we WANT to? Is this somehow like peeking through someone's window and seeing their private life, and is this secretly what everyone has been dying to do?

Those who are - dare i say - addicted to these applications will defend them to the death. "I use Facebook to connect with family in other countries" (how noble!) "I use Twitter to get the latest local news feed" (how responsible!) "I use MySpace to post pictures of my kids for friends to keep in touch" (how sweet!) But really.... let's be honest here. We use these things because we are nosy and bored, aren't we? Maybe you DO post pictures of your kids, but don't you also spend another hour after that playing with the food fight app?

I'm not saying these things are bad, (personal opinions notwithstanding), but let's at least be honest about what they are for, and ask ourselves, don't we have something better to do with our time, at least PART of the time?And how would we feel if we suddenly saw everyone we know staring in our window in real life? Interesting.

Confused

Why is it that we feel the compulsion to always analyze and label everything we feel?

I am too complex for such compartmentalizing.... and i am finding it confusing to place any pre-conceived labels on what is going on in my brain at the moment.

There are good things and bad things in there, and things that aren't either... they just.... are. I don't always LIKE what's happening in there; it gets a little rowdy - causes me to have troubles sleeping and sometimes even bad dreams, but i can't stop them, so i may as well live with them

So.... you ask me how I'm doing... i say... i don't really know.

art and the internet

As an artist it is an endless issue for me: do i post my work online for all to see and enjoy, or do i keep it safely tucked away where no one can siphon it away from me and post it wherever and whenever, effectively whoring away my blood, sweat and tears; my emotional child - and passing it off as their own.

I think this is something that needs to be more heavily addressed, for, in talking with someone who's opinion I value very highly, his comment was, "if someone took it and were using it, that would be like a compliment because they think it is cool." Fair enough, and from an outside perpective, i can see where one might think that.

On the other hand, could you for a moment, imagine the one thing you are good at, the one thing you take pride in doing, and which requires you to pour out all your emotions and time and passions to do.... something which when it is complete, almost brings you to tears because when you look at it you are proud of your accomplishment, and also because of the emotional burden attached to it.

And then imagine that someone took that from you and sold it to Jerry Springer and you saw it whored out in the cheapest manner for all the world to see, but not in the way you meant it, and not with any ounce of credit for all your hard work and dedication - your talents spread across the media, flayed out and naked - not the sacred love of your life anymore but merely a cheap prostitute.

Would you be sad? Angry? Dismayed? Heartbroken? Yeah.... so think of that the next time you right click/save an image off Photobucket or any other private art site, and think of the person who created that artwork and what they were trying to do when they posted it. If you want to use it ASK first... i'm sure they would be thrilled to know they have a fan, but be considerate - remember, karma strikes when you least expect it.

of big plans and brain tumours

So i have been getting these sharp pains in my left temple (my left, not yours) and it has been happening now for the last couple of weeks. Finally today the stress of wondering what it could be caused by, led me to look up the symptoms of a brain tumour, which only perpetuated the problem.

You see, the symptoms of a brain tumour are vague and generalized, and they make a point of telling you that the symptoms could also be many other things, so even if you have a few of them it might not be what you think. Also, supposedly, many brain tumours go undetected for a long time because they have NO symptoms. But you can't go for screening because it's not a common enough illness. WTF!!! Even if it's not common, i wanna know if i have it! Wouldn't you? Needless to say, i left my search even more perplexed than i was when i started it.

Anyway, i can't let my possible brain tumour get in the way right now - i'm planning on getting on a plane in 36 days, and i'm very excited. This is a new chapter of my life, and if it includes a brain tumour, well then, the tumour is just gonna have to get used to the fact that if it wants to live with me, it will have to obey the rules and do some chores to earn its keep. I think that's only fair, don't you?