Wednesday, February 23, 2011

On embarrassment and being 15.

So, I just came across my Xanga for the firs time in a while. I'm not going to link it or anything, because I once had some messed up and wacked out opinions on things. I also swore a lot. And I found an entry where I said I liked the Steelers. I can't deal with people knowing that I said that once.
Regardless, it has me thinking about current events. Just think about it. Blogs and other social media are the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. Want to talk to a football star? Retweet him. Want to ask out a girl, but you're too ugly and shrill? Facebook. Want to organize a revolution to overthrow the dictator that rules your nation? See above.
It scares me, sometimes. The power you get from just having a little charisma and a lot of Internet. Who's to say what you won't do? Who's to say what some violent, like-minded individuals won't do? When I started my Xanga, I needed some self-esteem boosts so I hit on chicks hundreds of miles away, and I eventually worked my up to people I actually knew. Funny story, I met my wife this way. This helped me grow from a child to a manchild to a childman.
It was a source of power for me, and I don't think I was that insane. Just think about what kind of empowerment fantasies a real nutbag can go through. "Hey, people are talking to me! Maybe that justifies my fucked up beliefs!"
Not to say that social media are inherently bad. I'm just considering the consequences of every action. I didn't think about this when I had my Xanga, so I'm kind of trying to make up for being a selfish, idiot teenager.

2 comments:

  1. I think I agree. I also like your progression from child to childman.

    Social media is changing a lot of things. Technology is changing a lot of things. I think a little too quickly for my tastes, but people would die without their iPhones. So, no death?

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  2. i think there's both pros and cons to social networking (i say this, ironically of course, via blogger). a few years ago, i just didn't understand things like facebook. but now social networking is so common that people actually expect you to have a facebook or twitter or whatnot. i think that, if i were to look back and see things i'd written years ago, i'd be horrified by what i'd said. i guess that just goes to show the extent to which people can change as they grow up.
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    http://a-rough-sketch.blogspot.com/

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