Of Twitter, Facebook, and the demise of social networking

 

So I quit twittin a while back. To be honest, it was just boring and narcissistic. I mean really, I don’t care what you had for dinner, or what movie you just saw, or what you listened to on the way home from work. I really don’t care that it is laundry day at your house. And my assumption is that if I don’t care about that stuff about you, then I really doubt you care about all that stuff I’m doing (or not doing). Not that I don’t care about you, in fact it is just the opposite.

 

But I guess before I get ahead of myself, I did (do) enjoy some things about twitter. I sold my Mute Math tickets quickly with a single tweet (personally I wish the collective twitter masses would say twit not tweet). As my church is launching a second campus, it was cool to see some twitpics (see… not TWEETpics, TWITpics).

 

Same with Facebook to a lesser extent. I stopped caring about seeing high schoolers post pictures of beer pong in their parent’s basement. I hide people from my feed who are into those mafia farm games. I hide people who take quizzes. I hide people who post lame things. So really I’m only left with 3 friends in my feed. And while a few facebook stati make me chuckle, most are just an attempt at being clever…with only moderate success.

 

But here’s what I’ve really found. If these are supposed to be part of social networking, I think they are failing. In the truest form, I guess they are connecting. I’ve “connected” with people I haven’t talked to in 15 years. It’s been fun seeing old, embarrassing pictures, all grown up with kids pictures, and to see what people are up to now. So now I really don’t have to go to my 20-year high school reunion. But with people that I’m actually friends with… not so much. A tagged photo, a comment on a status, or a mention in a note are not the same as a real interaction. I wonder sometimes if these things actually hinder real interactions. I don’t know.

 

Blah blah blah…

 

So I’ll cut to the point. Instead of hearing (er… reading) what you had for dinner, why don’t you come over for dinner and let’s have a real interaction. Instead of tagging you in a note, why don’t we go out for coffee, a pint, an old scotch, or heck, a bookstore, and actually make our own note. Instead of me trying to make a clever status/ twit, why don’t you come over and watch Arrested Development… it’s way more clever than you or I will ever be.

 

So the invitation is out there. My schedule is extremely full… but Emily and I talked the other day about this. It’s worth making intentional white space to hang out in person.

Your life really can’t be summed up in 140 characters.

Our relationships go way beyond a tagged anything.

 

Comments

[Roger]

Amen brother.

[Alex King]

I will take you up on that diner invitation. I am sure Megan will as well, just name the date. Oh yeah and dont forget, there is always money in the banana stand!

[patti kirkland]

I love this.