I have to do this blog
for a Social Media & Society class (yes, I know cool assignment) and we're
going to have some fun with this over the next couple months (or more if I get
addicted). First thing is first, things I will promise you:
1) Proper English?
pfft. This is a blog, don’t hate on my improper grammar, or English, cause
well:
a) this is a blog, and
my blog at that.
c) For the most part
does anyone use proper English on personal social media sites ;)? (Facebook,
twitter etc)
However, I will do my best.
2) This is a social
media blog that is written by me and only me. This blog is ONE PERSONS opinion
on the way the world is, and is becoming. I do not intend to offend anyone, but
rather enlighten, and if you wish, follow what’s on my mind, and/or what my
teacher assigns for me to write.
Basis of
the Blog: Article 1 - Introduction
Zombie Nation you ask?
What is that all about? What’s that have to do with social media? Well, I found
this small article, and was captivated, because I’m a nice guy, here’s it in
short. The social media zombie apocalypse is among us says Megan O’Neill. She
has this brief article accompanied by this clever little photo that outlines
some types of zombie's and what you would feed on in terms of social media.
(In an attempt to
avoiding plagiarism I will avoid posting the photo, so please, go to this link
and find out what zombie you are http://socialtimes.com/social-media-zombie_b108631 )
I know many people
that relate to certain zombies on the given list and even I have some of those
lovely zombies on my friend’s list.
“The check in zombie” - “this zombie is
the most elusive, they always let you know where they are”
“The hashtag zombie” –
“#speaksonlyinhashtags”
(they have promptly
been deleted from showing up on my Facebook wall)
I however, am going
off menu. I am a zombie that feeds on photos, whether it is funny pages, and
quirky ones, or to those cliché keep calm photos. I am promptly adding my
classification of zombie to the list:
“The Re-post zombie" - "re-post/share/like enough to fill your news feed"
On a more serious note,
after I read this article, established my thoughts and sorted them out, I
realized something, this is actually TRUE! Yea, every one flicks by it laughing
at it, including myself, until I realized; this is nothing to be proud about, a
bunch of zombies behind a computer screen. So I am going to take this “Social
media zombie nation” to the next level.
I am going to attempt
to continuously prove that society today needs to be woken up. As scared as we
are for a literal zombie apocalypse (its gonna happen, I swear). We need to
realize that the social media zombie apocalypse is already among us. We walk
around sucked into this “social media” crap and let it control our lives like
we're a bunch of zombies that feed on it. I mean, they tell us, “stay connected
with friends,” ask yourself though, is that really all that is needed to be
considered a “connection” with someone these days? A Facebook friend, or
someone following you on twitter??
You look at something like the wedding vow and
connection you must have to spend your life with someone. Yea, the “M”
word, marriage. Everyone knows it; the rate of divorce is drastically higher
than back then. Why you ask? *Answer, daily double* Well, I came across
this picture, and it says it all. These days, the one thing that is supposed to
be pure and true in life, is ruined. The divorce rate is telling you, (rudely I
might add, snapping their fingers, starring) that even the ONE person your
supposed to care about the most and fight for the most in the word, isn’t worth
the fight, or worth the time. So, how do we expect as a world, and society, to have
even FRIENDS that won't backstab us, talk shit, or trust people, and treat us
all equally and with respect, if most can’t even honour the tradition of
marriage, and stay true to the vows they say to their loved one.
So ask yourself, is there really a point in
“staying connected,” because we all know what you're really doing. Comparing
your life to others, and depending on who it is, will have 4 different
reactions.
b) Envy. “Man, I wish I could do shit like that, you do cool shit, I'm keeping you"
c) Die of Laughter. "You post the dumbest, funniest shit! I'm keeping you"
d) Delete Everybody. (well, pretty much)
Lets face it, for the
most part we're all a bunch of creepy zombies who lurk around each others
Facebook and look at their photos, and who posted on whose wall etc. All we are
doing is alienating more and more people in our lives, and it’s all down hill
from here. Cure the social media disease before the Zombie Nation spreads and
there is no hope.
(I DO REALIZE THERE ARE SOME FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK THAT ARE LEGIT, AND SOME MARRIAGES ARE AS WELL)
(I DO REALIZE THERE ARE SOME FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK THAT ARE LEGIT, AND SOME MARRIAGES ARE AS WELL)
Nice disclaimer at the end by the way :)
ReplyDeleteAs for this whole zombie apocalypse that is upon us…
Society is about convenience and if that means talking over email, instant chats and texting instead of picking up a phone because that takes too long and you can only talk to one person at a time; posting pictures on Facebook so that 400 people (or probably more) can view them instantly instead of sending separate emails or god forbid, hard copy photos via snail mail (sorry Canada post) then so be it I guess.
This is how we operate now and you’re right….it only gets better (or worse) from here on in.
I find it interesting that there are only 6 types of zombies and even more interesting that I don’t appear to be a social media zombie at all. But maybe I am…maybe I’m the inconspicuous zombie…the silent and unassuming zombie…the true lurker.
In all honesty though, I believe that my generation has different values when it comes to social media.
Fading away or hiding behind computer screens doesn’t seem realistic to me and yes, I’m generalizing when I say my generation.
My point is that younger and future generations are growing up with this technology and these endless conveniences so that they have become the norm.
In and out of schools, in social circles, at home, at work.
Does that, a zombie make?
Yes, I believe as you do that it does.
Is it tragic?
I guess everyone’s perception is different.
I perceive it to be a bit wasteful and perhaps even self-indulgent in some cases.
I think it’s commendable that you show passion and commitment towards waking us up as a society and staying true to honesty and integrity but I think that it’s easy to say it.
I wonder though…how will you accomplish this. How will you stay on this path of righteousness?
Good luck to you my friend :)
Great job Damon!!
ReplyDeleteI myself have Zero friends on Facebook( I don't have an account), But it sounds like they might not be "friends" anyway.I can speak about the "M" word though. I have been married for 16 years to my wife(Best Friend). As far as the divorce rate today being so high, I am going to chalk it up to the fact that couples spend more time on Facebook making sure they are connected to their so called friends ,than they spend with the one person that was supposed to conquer the game of life with them.
I strongly believe that you can only get out of something what you put into it.So when it came to our wedding vows my wife and I sat down and made our own vows together( In Person) so that they meant something to US!! We choose to use our vows to help guide us in the present and well into the future, by doing so realized that we had similar beliefs and goals in life, making it much easier to keep our marriage intact. If all people do is repeat the vows that everyone else has chosen to use in the past, then how do they have any meaning.I believe the key to marriage is communication, so I have a hard time understanding why with the ease of communication today marriage continues to struggle?
I was going to share a personal story of how social media just about destroyed me 2 years ago, but it is still to raw. The issue for me was not how to stay in contact, but the ease at which others could maintain secret contact when there should not have been any at all.
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