I know it’s the 21st century, and advances in
technology have changed the nature of communications. The rise and popularity
of social networking sites —
Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Myspace, Skyrock, and the list goes on — is proof that the way
we communicate is ever-evolving. Add to the mix text messaging, online dating
sites like e-Harmony and Lavalife, and e-mail. It’s easy to see why letter
writing can be perceived as an archaic art form; it’s much easier to send off
an e-mail, a text message, or a 140-character tweet than it is to write a
letter — or pick up
the phone and call.
As a working artist, I see the value in using social
networking sites. Facebook and Twitter can help an artist expand his or her audience,
connect with other artists, stayed informed. We each use social media for
different reasons —
for some it’s a way to keep in touch with friends and family; for others it’s a
tool used for professional growth and development. I guess my question is this:
where do we draw the line?
We saw over the weekend (and this is not the first time but
the most recent) the inappropriate use of social media when a now former
employee of Alberta Premier Alison Redford’s office sent out a tweet asking why
Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith didn’t have any biological children. It
wasn’t just an inapt use of social media by a young employee lacking judgment
(although it was that, too). It suggests a growing, and in my mind worrying,
trend with respect to social media: the No-Filter Syndrome. We simply type, in
140 characters or less, the first thing that comes to mind and press “Send.”
There’s no thinking about the weight of the words, or their power to harm. We
shrug it off, saying, “Well, I’m honest and direct.” Or, if it’s our misfortune
to be called onto the carpet for what we tweet, we can reply, dryly, “Fine, I
apologize,” and carry on with our day.
It is fine to be honest and direct, and I appreciate someone
who can say what they mean more than someone who has to tiptoe around an issue.
But there is something to be said about tact and diplomacy, about being able to
talk to people without constantly demonstrating man’s inhumanity to man. Or am
I just crazy?
My point is this. For all the benefit and value that Twitter
and Facebook and Linkedin provide, nothing takes the place of live, direct
communication, either on the phone or in-person. An e-mail or a 140-character
tweet cannot carry the intonation of the human voice, or a wide-eyed look of
horror, or the crowing snort-sounding laugh. And EmotIcons (J)
are no substitute for human emotions. It’s hard to sustain a friendship, let
alone a relationship, that is based solely on text messages (although I know a
few people who have tried). I don’t think that it’s right,
or should be allowed to become “acceptable,” to announce to friends the death
of a beloved by text message. Or, maybe, I am crazy …?
Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay — and how we choose to
use it will speak more to who we are. I don’t have 50,000
followers on Twitter, or 10,000 fans on my Facebook page, but then again, I
don’t live vicariously through social media. Some people like to tweet about
life, others like to live it. Don’t get me wrong because some days I love
social media. But as you may have guessed, today isn’t one of those days.
It was great hearing your voice this week! I like that we have social media to communicate, but I like human conversation even better.
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