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Has the Internet Killed "The Experience"?
I'm really pissed at myself. I was totally against this whole "social networking" internet thing. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Myspace, etc. Crap. But, there I was one night watching "Baraka" on Blu Ray, (which I hope makes me appear artsy and intellectual), and I couldn't help myself. 10 minutes in, I wanted to do several things:
-Tumblr a picture of the film, saying, "Wow, this Blu Ray transfer is gorgeous!" and link to the film's IMDB page.
-Update my Facebook status to say, "BARAKA--DAMN YO!"
-Twitter "BARAKA FUCKING IS AWESOME GUYS!"
Sigh. I don't think my grandparents had this problem.
Why couldn't I have just watched the damn movie and enjoyed the total experience? Why did I have to report my findings to the world before my findings were even complete?
It must be some sort of narcissistic thing inside me (and from the looks of it, most of the Internet) that wants to own the experience before the experience has even happened. How many times have I seen blog posts with uploaded iPhone pictures and captions that read:
"Whoa, I just ate this sandwich!"
or
"WHOA, I'M AT THIS CONCERT!"
Whatever happened to being lost in the experience of that concert and telling someone after the fact? Whatever happened to getting lost in the experience of that sandwich...actually that one sounds weird, but you know what I mean. I remember talking to a friend of mine at a bar. I was about to update him on what I've been up to, but instead, I said, "Actually, you probably know everything already because of Tumblr." He replied, "Yep". Our conversation went silent. So, much for "social networking".
You know that if members of Congress are Twittering away during important speeches, this thing isn't going anywhere any time soon. Sometimes it makes me sick, and I want to quit it. I want to go back to the days in which you called someone on the telephone and then met with them in person. Instead, we hunch over our iPhones and type away into a vast, black void. But, it's a drug. It's a drug that constantly tells you that you have a voice. You matter because you have a Tumblr account, a Twitter account, and a Facebook account. They all make it possible for people to see that you actually exist.
Maybe this is why I can't get too angry about all of this. There are a lot of people who Twitter or Tumblr or Whatever-r who have nothing really exciting to say. I'm sure I am guilty of this from time-to-time. Their posts consist mostly of, "Man, this job blows" or "I just ate this meatball sub." No, it's not David Lynch or Shaquille O'Neil. It's Rob from accounting, and he's "currently standing in line at Best Buy".
And y'know what, there's something kind of beautiful and sad about it. We're all just a bunch of human beings, struggling to have a voice, struggling to feel significant in a sea of zeros and ones. Not all of us are celebrities with Twitter accounts...we're just human beings who want the world to know we're alive. And we hope that technology will help our cause.
That's not so bad, I suppose.
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Good article! Though I don't think the internet is fully to blame for the killed experience. I'd focus in more on the tool that sends those tweets to the internet ...the mobile phone.
Even before social media took off.. my friends, who are now sending tweets and blog updates , were then sending text messages or calling other friends during an experience. When I hear that irritating ringtone of a txt message during a movie or on a road trip, I'm reminded of 'the good ole' days' (before EVERYONE had a cell phone) My friends and I would get together and go out. And if you were there with us, good for you! ...and if you weren't, then tough!
Now, half of the friends in our group are txting or calling others friends to meet up with us or to give the play by play to those that couldn't join in on the fun. Distracting and killing the experience for everyone! So I'd say the internet didn't kill the experience, it just put a few more bullets in an already dying one.
The "experience" was killed the moment all of your friends got a cell phone. Enter Our New Reality 2.0
Good points. :)
It all depends on how much you enjoy "the game". For some people, well, for a lot of people, Social Media is business and their only way to try to make some money in life. For other people, it's the opportunity to expand our reach or voice all the way around the planet.
If you get a kick out of broadcasting to whomever might be listening (including potentially nobody) that you enjoyed a movie or something ABOUT a movie, that's part of the thrill of the event to you. It's the same way with taking pictures at parties. Some of the most fun and memorable stuff happens after the event's entirely over and people are discussing the media of the day.
On top of that, personally, when I hang out with people IRL, it's EXTREMELY rare that none of my media comes up in conversation. It's to the point now where I expect that people have read my blog or watched my videos instead of expecting them not to have. It's definitely a way of life, and it's DEFINITELY not for the faint of heart. :D
Hey Bill! Good to hear from you.
I have a question though: When you are hanging out with people in real life. Do people comment on what you twittered, IE:
Woah, dude I can't believe you had lunch today!
Or do they comment on:
Hey man, I read that article on your site...here are my thoughts on it.
There is a world of difference between the two. I mean, any audience I have is because of grass root, social networking type sites. So, I obviously see the need for it as a way to get your "art" (and I use this loosely in my case) out there. I guess my problem is that we aren't just sharing our work any more. We're sharing every minute detail of their life. Without contemplating what that means.
I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't say there's a part of me that enjoys Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. But, I'm also aware of it's very negative aspects and it's a constant love/hate battle for me. We've signed off our privacy to facebook without even batting an eye, really. Just youtube their privacy policy. There are plenty of angry videos about it.
I guess it really comes down to self control. The internet makes it very easy to share everything. I'm just trying to take a step back and say: Well, what am I losing by doing that?
ok. I see what you mean. That's a good point, and yes... I was referring to the use of social media to make people aware of what I wrote or a video I created.
To directly answer your question, I have *NEVER* received an IRL comment about something that I Twittered which was an actual status update. Then again, I don't Twitter actual status updates. :)
While I'm watching "24", and great stuff is happening, I definitely have the urge to inform whomever cares to listen that I'm having a quality experience right now, and this is why. I'm letting other people know what I consider valuable so that if they feel that I have any taste in selecting decent entertainment, they might check it out themselves and have a good time.
Similarly, I wouldn't Twitter "Sitting in XYZ bar". Instead, I might say "Hanging out with @erikbeck & @bobbymiller, because there's social value in that information. Similar to shouting-out "24" as a quality experience, I'm announcing that I'm having a good time, and this is why.
The fact of the matter is that you're right as far as the addictive need of sharing. It's like the "experiencing" isn't enough. At this point, when we have a good time, we're triggered to share that... because we can. It's part of the fun of the situation. It's like hooking up with that FOYINE chick, and then you don't get to tell your boys about it... What's the point of THAT? ;)
Spot on Mister Miller. Spot on. I have the sudden urge to post a link of this on my facebook, tumblr, blogger and twitter.
I sit back watching my favourite shows and just want to share what I'm experiencing. During Battlestar tonight, I participated in a liveblogging chat session with the cats over at io9. It's becoming a social everywhere you go. I wish I remembered the book I was reading that touched bases on the whole technological front replacing "human interaction" (it was a science fiction novella written in the early 1900's - scary) but upon reading that, I realized it's what we've all become. We want to share... we want to have a voice... we want one gigantic social 24/7.
It's reasons like these, Skynet will destroy us all.
I dont live in America and here I dont know a single person who blogs and most people dont even know what twitter is. But I have a tumblr and a twitter account. I mostly use the twitter for following people and sometimes its scary how many times a day people post updates.
I can only take your word for what people are like over there but if you dont worry about updating people constantly, and treat it more like a " I'll blog about it when I get home" thing youll be able to live your life. Its like when I see people at events videotaping everything. Sure... tape some of it as a reminder, but with your head stuck in a 2.5" screen your not going to experience anything and that almost makes what you filmed worthless.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that it has killed "the experience"... but it certainly has taken from it.
Very interesting article Bobby.
Definitely true. Good article.
We're becoming more and more detached from each other. It's hard to tell how it will affect us in the long run.
But for the time being, it's good to go camping. Take a week in the wilderness and leave all the wires and stuff liek that behind.
One good thing about this social networking craze is that we are documenting our lives, as if writing an elaborate journal, creating something we can look back on in several years. I try to keep this in mind when posting but the everyday takes over. I'm struggling to live the big things instead of making sure I can re-live it through video, photos and tweets.
I see kids texting in movies "dont see this movie" half way through the movie! Never before has this been possible! Potential sales could be damaged before the ending of the premiere! I've personally experienced this with Watchmen. I'm a movie buff, but the last 2 years-ever since I started Facebooking, I've become VERY selecetive what I spend my hard earned (& in this recession) valuable dollar.
I get the feeling that people 30+ like myself use these networking tools to "enhance" our social scene.
Really true Bobby...
The worse part in my case is that most of my friends (i´m not in USA) are not on twitter, tumblr or facebook... So I share all this things only with the google robot =(
Great article!
It's true. The whole sad lot of it is true.
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