Preserved Earth
25-03-2007, 18:08
Today's world provides us with an unsurpassed amount of communication capacity. With it though comes an unsurpassed amount of competition from the natural benefits of being the center of attention.
On top of the sheer technological wave, we now have social networking abilities which act as directories containing the profiles of everyone who wants to get involved. Before, it was the telephone, computer, and internet. Now we have websites which act as profile directories such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, Yahoo! 360, and Windows Live.
Although most individuals admit to social networking only as a way to stay in touch, networking is concept which lends itself to getting business done and meeting new people; in order to optimize one's opportunity at social networking, attention has to be allocated towards refining one's profiles to the point that it becomes just as important as preparing a 24/7 resume.
These directories also act as libraries in the sense that not only can you look up the fundamentals of someone's background, but you can also research the particulars of what an individual has done and how that individual is viewed (and approved) by others. Unlike libraries though which simply offer you information to be handled at your leisure, these profiles focus (and demand upon) opportunistic connections like references for work or your High School reputation.
So although the masses can benefit from social networking due to how seemingly EVERYONE'S information is out there, one's sense of individuality becomes tarnished. When everyone is expected to be open to new opportunities in order to utilize and implement every opportunity that comes their way in an fair and equal fashion, individuals become burdened with the chore of constantly staying up with the times and keeping up with the Joneses.
Ironically, the urbanites and yuppies who get involved with this the most are the ones who proclaim that individuality must be preserved. Ironically, it's those who submit to cosmopolitanism that argue against cultural imperialism, YET they support the usage of free flow of information to form an exclusive narcissistic class motivated by naive half-hearted charity and community service.
So why bother being unique if what you do or accomplish one day is forgotten the next? How does being unique benefit the individual when today's world revolves around (and depends upon) being able to connect and provide innovation rather than to simply innovate?
On top of the sheer technological wave, we now have social networking abilities which act as directories containing the profiles of everyone who wants to get involved. Before, it was the telephone, computer, and internet. Now we have websites which act as profile directories such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, Yahoo! 360, and Windows Live.
Although most individuals admit to social networking only as a way to stay in touch, networking is concept which lends itself to getting business done and meeting new people; in order to optimize one's opportunity at social networking, attention has to be allocated towards refining one's profiles to the point that it becomes just as important as preparing a 24/7 resume.
These directories also act as libraries in the sense that not only can you look up the fundamentals of someone's background, but you can also research the particulars of what an individual has done and how that individual is viewed (and approved) by others. Unlike libraries though which simply offer you information to be handled at your leisure, these profiles focus (and demand upon) opportunistic connections like references for work or your High School reputation.
So although the masses can benefit from social networking due to how seemingly EVERYONE'S information is out there, one's sense of individuality becomes tarnished. When everyone is expected to be open to new opportunities in order to utilize and implement every opportunity that comes their way in an fair and equal fashion, individuals become burdened with the chore of constantly staying up with the times and keeping up with the Joneses.
Ironically, the urbanites and yuppies who get involved with this the most are the ones who proclaim that individuality must be preserved. Ironically, it's those who submit to cosmopolitanism that argue against cultural imperialism, YET they support the usage of free flow of information to form an exclusive narcissistic class motivated by naive half-hearted charity and community service.
So why bother being unique if what you do or accomplish one day is forgotten the next? How does being unique benefit the individual when today's world revolves around (and depends upon) being able to connect and provide innovation rather than to simply innovate?