The Paranoia of Social Media

What were the old measures responsible for assuring us of our social status?

The adages tried and true included the kind of car you drove, the clothes you donned, the music you listened to, the books you read, etc. Harmonizing with the human race (or at least its members with whom you wanted to associate) meant falling into trend lines — whether the “in” items were of interest to you or not.

But are you sensing the same shift as I am?

The most important items now are of a technology nature, and, for people who spend any considerable time online, the products and literature in question are now new software applications or the latest information contained in a popular blogger’s post.

The result is an inconsolable rat race that can quickly spin out of control as we find ourselves monumentally concerned about the dangers inherent in stepping away from the screen for any length of time. The Web moves fast, obviously, and the most accomplished bloggers have devised systems of information gathering that work for them.

But the issue of pacing is real. Following Twitter conversations, responding to Facebook messages or groups, uploading pictures to Flickr, reading blogs and watching viral video all offer tremendous possibility in terms of information gathering and sharing. But at what cost? At what time investment?

Perhaps the key, then, is to find comfort and contentment in what can be controlled. What are my true passions? What is it that genuinely interests me? And then, what is the benefit of keeping pace with things that don’t capture my genuine attention? What are the detriments?

The Internet facilitates niche-ization like no medium in history. Trying to pace with the Jones’ because we’re horrified at the notion of falling behind will only lead to a sweaty brow and a refillable prescription of Prozac.

Does this ring true with you?