Openly Obscure

Let's see I have a Facebook, a Twitter, a Blogger, etc, etc, etc. I would say that I am pretty connected to the online world only because I've been scolded for spending too much time on the computer and not enough time with my friends and family. First, this whole aspect of blogging was created as a means of expressing oneself over the web to share each other's views in an easy manner. Today, we have this new concept of "live" blogging in which people are able to tell their life story and whenever they feel like doing it. But when does it become too much? When do we differentiate our online life from our real life?

We literally have our bio-datas online through Facebook. If you don't know what a bio-data is, basically in Indian culture when you're looking to get married...well through an arranged marriage, you or your parents create a bio-data "resume" and then its distributed through the various channels that be. I think you can tell where I'm going with this is...But anyways, Facebook is fine. Meeting people and people connecting is one of the best things that could come out of the Internet age. If you think about it, people have never been quite as connected to one another through blogs, Twitters and Facebook since the dawn of time. The way people interact these days is quite astounding...it's interesting because we'll see someone on one of our friend's Facebooks and then if we see them in a bar or club..."Hey, you look familiar...aren't you on so-and-so's Facebook?" How many times has that happened to you? I know its happened to me at least a few times...the times I can remember anyways. No, that's still not bad - I mean in this case it promotes human interaction which is a great thing. However, it is also a very bad thing.

If you read my post, I'm Mad as Hell, you'll see that I mentioned that we're become humanoid, void of that important factor that makes us who we are; our humanity. Many of our interactions are all done online...whether we're at work, home, even our phones and digital devices make it easier to get wired and maintain this constant contact. Isn't it a bit much though? Millions of people who live in NYC use a site like Match.com or eHarmony to find love but they can't find it out in a city of over 8 million people? I can't believe that...and yet at the same time I can believe it. We live in a superficial society. I'm not going to sit here and write that I am not superficial on some level but what we are subject to in terms of beauty is SO distorted, it's no wonder that we have to look online to find people these days. You think that model you saw on the billboard is really that gorgeous? Think again...

I read an article a few days ago about how someone was on a date and was Twittering about how bad the food was...the guy who was on the date with the girl who Twittered it got a text message saying, "Wow, this food is horrid." I guess she forgot that he was following her...oops! I mean literally, you're sitting with someone and having dinner...how important are you that you need to Twitter that instead of just expressing it to the person you're with...I don't want to rant but seriously put the phone away. I mean you have your valid reasons but still if you're letting your connectedness get in the way of your real life social situations its just not worth it. When your online life is taking you away from your friends when they come over and family time then you know something is definitely wrong. In a society that is already too wired to one another "online," where do you draw the line between online interaction and social interaction?