Mark My Words

Are we becoming more virtually connected to the detriment of being physically connected? As more and more people are signing up to social media web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter allowing for hyper-communication through multiple information channels, do we run the risk of tiring ourselves out way before our time?

I love being connected, it’s such a great feeling to share and interact with people all around the world, but what long-term effect is that having on my lifestyle? For example, I find myself craving attention and am, to an extent, in need of being constantly interacted with. To me, this feels a lot like when I was a baby, who constantly needed to be re-assured and played with. Even though now I am (somewhat) educated and relatively successful in what I do, I still feel like I am simply going through the motions. I may have connections, but what do they mean, to me, a human? Does the “buzz” surrounding creating new connections change over time? Personally, I enjoy the long-lasting connections, the meaningful connections, though maybe this isn’t the image that is being portrayed by the media where quantity equals social superiority.

I see a lot of “brands” on these social media sites now, with promises of a richer, bigger, faster world. But who are they kidding? To me, their effect is the inverse of what I crave. They make me feel inadequate. The transparency that this world creates is one of exaggeration and divide. I don’t look up to these people, they are fake, and they live in their own cliques and bubbles. They are not social, they are machines. In the past I’ve pretended to be one of them, but I’m not, it’s not in my nature. We all have gifts, and mine is not being a fake. I wear my heart on my sleeve, which does get me into trouble, but then it is the honest life I lead. And once again I find myself clearing out my social profiles to disconnect from these machines, and continue forming stronger bonds with the people that matter in my life. You know who you are, and for being there I thank you.

The title of this post reflects that mentality (and a geekish mathematics fetish): a constant battle between highs and lows which may happen every week, month, year or even decade. For me, I see shifts nearly every month, but stronger people may experience this less often. The amplitude and frequency of these shifts is sure to increase, for me, and that is worrying. Do you see similar shifts? I know we’re all unique, but is this normal? As we get older does this derivative decrease or increase? I welcome your thoughts. (Oh, and it’s a sinusoid as we start at neutral base, with the y-axis representing whatever you would like it to represent.)