I watched the Look Up video recently and
have seen it quickly go viral all over the internet, the irony of which is not
lost on me….
The fact that the video was created
for the internet makes it nothing more than a cog, taking full advantage of the
machine of which it is a part of. The
video is just a highly romanticised concept, practically begging to be shared across
the social networks. It isn’t telling us
anything we don’t already know and I have seen similar such videos saying the
same things.
Preaching at people that we
should be less reclusive and reserved is all very well and good, but not all of
us are naturally outgoing. It is ok to
be introverted; it is ok to be shy. It
is ok to be whoever you are. Technology
at its core is about making life better for people, finding solutions and
improvements to whatever you need and social media is about connecting people
in different ways which is a good thing.
I agree that sometimes we can be
too connected to our phones and in a social setting it can be that everyone is
on their mobile phones or on the internet; socialising with others yet ignoring
the people around them.
But there is another side to the
story. (At this point I must mention
that Big Fashionista has spoken about this subject in Look Down and
you should definitely read it!).
For some, social media isn’t just
a form of entertainment. It isn’t just
about playing Farmville or seeing how many likes you can get on your Facebook
status. It isn’t just about Lolcats or
sharing your day on Twitter.
For some, it is an escape
route. For some it is a place where they
can find a community of people that they don’t have in their offline life. For some it is the place to go searching for
answers when none can be found. For some
it gives you a voice where you had none.
For some, what you find on the internet ends up enriching all aspects of
your life, both online and off.
Many of those reasons I can apply
to myself. I can pinpoint the exact
point that my life started to turn around for the better. I joined Twitter. The small voice that I had, it got
louder. My opinions got stronger. I found people like me, who think the way I
do, who have experienced what I have.
I know a network of people online
that I could never have found offline. A
group of bloggers who are based all over the country who get exactly who I
am. They understand the way I think, why
I think it and have lived similar lives.
This couldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the internet.
My offline life has been enhanced by the
time I spend online and I have met some amazing people, some whom I have met
face to face, others who I am yet to meet but feel like I know well.
The beauty of the internet and
social media is that you can get out of it as much, or as little as you
want. It is a resource. Yes we
should probably spend more time off our phones when in company and should ring
our friends more than we should text, but the benefits of social media are vast
and shouldn’t be discounted or discouraged.
