Not long after my last post (and subsequently joining Twitter) I came across a very interesting NY Times article (and a thoughtful response to it) on the effects of Twitter and other social media.
Basically, we are outsourcing our brains to the cloud. The upside is that this frees a lot of gray matter for important pursuits like FarmVille and “Real Housewives.” But my inner worrywart wonders whether the new technologies overtaking us may be eroding characteristics that are essentially human: our ability to reflect, our pursuit of meaning, genuine empathy, a sense of community connected by something deeper than snark or political affinity.Apparently there has been an increasing amount of research done on the effects of social media technology on our abilities as functioning human beings (no, not all of them are negative).
In his article, Bill Keller writes: "Twitter is not just an ambient presence. It demands attention and response. It is the enemy of contemplation."
Yes, we need more contemplation - indeed a very human enterprise.
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