Post by dylantooflycrow on Aug 3, 2011 9:31:18 GMT -5
In William Deresiewicz’s essay “The End of Solitude,” he states, “The goal now, it seems, is simply to become known, to turn oneself into a sort of miniature celebrity.” He argues that through social networking such as myspace, facebook, and twitter, people are becoming less able to cope with even the idea of being alone. He says, “Not long ago, it was easy to feel lonely. Now, it is impossible to be alone.” The idea is that when we’re alone we are capable of introspection. By examining ourselves in our alone time we can be more productive with ourselves. That much I agree with Deresiewicz.
However, I cannot agree with Mr. Deresiewicz that social networking is destroying everyone’s sense of themselves. When he said that the goal is now simply to become a “miniature celebrity” among our facebook friends, he was wrong in many cases. Yes, some people do overuse facebook for attention. But, those same types of people who NOW in the 21st century use facebook for attention are the same kinds of people who have always been fighting for attention. Facebook is just an easier way of gaining that attention.
William Deresiewicz also said, “The MySpace page, with its shrieking typography and clamorous imagery, has replaced the journal and the letter as a way of creating and communicating one's sense of self.” Now, while I agree with this statement, I would go on to say that this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many people use myspace and facebook as a journal or to post their work. If they are looking for approval from others, that’s an easy place to find it.
He also goes on to question, “How does it enhance my sense of closeness when my Facebook News Feed tells me that Sally Smith (whom I haven't seen since high school, and wasn't all that friendly with even then) "is making coffee and staring off into space"?” Obviously, that does not enhance your feeling of ‘closeness’ towards Sally Smith. Your fault for adding some GirlBully you didn’t like pushing you into the wrong bathroom in high school. Yes, when people use facebook too much, they begin to use it for pointless things like telling us when they’re making coffee. Facebook should be used for keeping up with family and friends who are close to you emotionally but not geographically. Use it right and be happy. Use it wrong and be an attention-fiend.
My point is, don’t blame it on the internet when it’s a person’s fault for their lack of character. William Deresiewicz does understand the value of the internet but thinks that it grew overrated just after the creation of high speed access and the age of texting. I disagree. When used correctly the internet and smartphones with texting and other apps are very important technologies in today’s world. With that said, I agree with William Deresiewicz that there is also a need to step back from technology and the rush of everyday life and be alone in introspection. But that solitude does not have to be complete and all the time. So keep up William Deresiewicz. Keep up.
However, I cannot agree with Mr. Deresiewicz that social networking is destroying everyone’s sense of themselves. When he said that the goal is now simply to become a “miniature celebrity” among our facebook friends, he was wrong in many cases. Yes, some people do overuse facebook for attention. But, those same types of people who NOW in the 21st century use facebook for attention are the same kinds of people who have always been fighting for attention. Facebook is just an easier way of gaining that attention.
William Deresiewicz also said, “The MySpace page, with its shrieking typography and clamorous imagery, has replaced the journal and the letter as a way of creating and communicating one's sense of self.” Now, while I agree with this statement, I would go on to say that this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many people use myspace and facebook as a journal or to post their work. If they are looking for approval from others, that’s an easy place to find it.
He also goes on to question, “How does it enhance my sense of closeness when my Facebook News Feed tells me that Sally Smith (whom I haven't seen since high school, and wasn't all that friendly with even then) "is making coffee and staring off into space"?” Obviously, that does not enhance your feeling of ‘closeness’ towards Sally Smith. Your fault for adding some GirlBully you didn’t like pushing you into the wrong bathroom in high school. Yes, when people use facebook too much, they begin to use it for pointless things like telling us when they’re making coffee. Facebook should be used for keeping up with family and friends who are close to you emotionally but not geographically. Use it right and be happy. Use it wrong and be an attention-fiend.
My point is, don’t blame it on the internet when it’s a person’s fault for their lack of character. William Deresiewicz does understand the value of the internet but thinks that it grew overrated just after the creation of high speed access and the age of texting. I disagree. When used correctly the internet and smartphones with texting and other apps are very important technologies in today’s world. With that said, I agree with William Deresiewicz that there is also a need to step back from technology and the rush of everyday life and be alone in introspection. But that solitude does not have to be complete and all the time. So keep up William Deresiewicz. Keep up.