PSA: it's time to log off

Does this look familiar? Does it look fun? Do they look social? Like a community? What would you do in this situation? Wait! Let me guess! You would pull out your phone, wouldn't you? Of course you would! How awkward! The "cell phone effect" is a snowball.

How far will it go? Will it ever stop? According to Gary Shteyngart and the Auschwitz Selfie Girl the answer is no. Her holocaust-selfie offers a brief and terrifying glimpse into Shteyngart's future: social media exposure will dominate all other communication and all judgement will be made in terms of online popularity. What a terrifying prospect.

I know what you are thinking: I would never be so obsessed! Ten-years-ago-teens never would have imagined carrying an encyclopedia of the life of every acquaintance they have ever briefly encountered in their pockets, either... but look at us now! Those same teens are now the very grown-ups manically documenting the lives of their small children and forgetting to enjoy the everyday moments.

Wait! I know what you are thinking! Isn't this a blog? Like a social media blog? Yes, yes it is and it seems to be one of the most ironic places to discount social media. However, where else could I guarantee my message will reach its audience? Alas, here lies the paradox: how can one voice their opposition of social media to the to the intended audience (heavy social media users) without using the only common channel?

The solution is to log off and free yourself from the tethers of connectivity. It's not to say everyone should delete every online trace, but to remember that memories are equally, if not more, valuable if they never get posted online.

Life happens offline.


images: https://douglasgreen.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/friends-laughing.jpg, http://static.parade.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/do-we-text-too-much-ftr.jpg, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=http://img.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2014/07/620-breanna.jpg&w=1484