This past January, I started post-graduate studies at the University of Denver Colorado and I've been enjoying every minute of the experience of being a virtual college student. In just a matter of weeks, I've learned so much about the topsy-turvy world of social media and the positive/negative affects it can have on different personality types, regardless of age.
My class had a recent assignment where we were asked to view a video of an individual who "gave up" the Internet for one calendar year. Our Professor has encouraged us to share our views via a blog post, so the following paragraphs below are redacted excerpts from my evaluative response. In recent years, I've come to recognize that I can come off too strong when it comes to voicing my opinions, but I'm a firm believer in the value of being a straight shooter and if I come off a little too Judge Judy, well c'est la vie to you and me! Besides, I think Judge Judy rocks and if I had scored higher on that LSAT in the late 90's....well, maybe I'll be a federal judge in my next life (-:
I had to watch the video in its entirety twice in order to confirm that I wasn't taking anything said out of context.
I felt an internal struggle in me while I was watching the video because I wanted to feel sorry for this person, but I didn't. So I watched the video a 3rd and final time fast forwarding to certain sections I had marked that I felt clearly conveyed this individual's perspective about the pros/cons when it comes to the Internet. This individual believes that there is high value in using the Internet for social purposes. I do not agree with this position. I believe there is tremendous value in using the Internet for learning, but I do not see any value in using the Internet for social purposes.
Two words: perspective and sacrifice. These are the two words that kept popping up in my head while I was listening to this individual share their experience of spending a year offline, unplugging from the Internet, which apparently is life support for some. I could be totally wrong here, but I suspect a 26 year-old first responder's life perspective on sacrifice would be completely different than this individual's views on the subject. I say this because initially I thought the perspective was coming from the mind of a 24/7 plugged "millennial" but then I realized perhaps age has little to do when it comes to perspective about the value of social media. Could it be that the perspective is based on personality type?
On video, this person comes across as a genuine, nice, and kind human being, but I'm left wondering what in the world is going on in the mind of a professional writer who claims that being unplugged left s/he in a state of boredom all alone with "nothing to do" so instead they consumed this precious time playing video games. Seriously?!!! Wasn't s/he supposed to be creating and writing while still earning their salary from their employer, an established nationally recognized publication?
OMG, do I sound like a mom? I honestly can't remember the last time I ever felt "bored" because I didn't have anything to do. Maybe like when I was 12! This individual could have taken that year to travel around the world off the grid. Now that would have been an interesting story! This video/article just left me feeling very annoyed. Please tell me I'm not the only one that feels this way. Well, even if I'm all alone here, I feel better letting off a little steam (-;
Hello? (echo, echo) Anyone still reading my post? What do you think about the value of the Internet for social purposes? I'd really like to know! In the words of Duran Duran, Please Please Tell Me Now...
https://vimeo.com/187406542