Get a Life! an Online Life!
The Tide Has Changed
Our society is divided into two types of people: those who have online lives, and those who do not. At one time, if you spent more of your waking life online than offline, you were a geek, a nerd, you were out of touch, you were weird, your were a freak.
Finally, the wave has begun flowing in the opposite direction.
Now, it is pretty commonplace to have multiple email addresses, a blog of some kind, a place to share photos, to get our entertainment (music, video, TV, film)online, and to be involved in some other kind of social networking community.
Social networking communities have received a bad rap, due to MySpace. Social networking communities allow people of all ages, races, genders, political beliefs, sexual orientations to come together when they have a common interest. Name one place "in real life," where that is true 24 hours a day.
In all fairness, the term "in real life" or IRL, also needs to go. Online is just as "real" if not more so in some ways. People can make real and true connections online with friends and family members.
The reason that real connections can be formed is that an online life requires something that people are not always so good at in person: communication. Communication is at the heart of everything we do online. We are communicating our interests, the details of our lives, our hopes, our desires, and our beliefs. We share this personal information with words and images through emails, IMs, blog entries, and photos.
Get A Life: A Primer for Living Life Online
What about the rest of the folks who don't have an online life? How are we supposed to keep them in our circle? When your online life is just as important, or more important than your offline life, how do we fit in those people who just refuse to get on board?
We need to train them, they need guidance, they need help.
1. Get Your Own Email Address. And Use It.
How do you feel about people who don't even have an email address, or one that they check anyway? How on earth do they expect you to keep in touch with them? How do we share links and other information with them? The telephone? Please.
What are we going to do with those couples who share an email address? Please. No more bobandsally@ - just make two different email addresses. It's not that hard. It's free.
Please, get your own email address, check it once a day, and communicate with us!
And on that note...
2. Sign Up for IM.
If you really want to have a conversation with us, use an IM service. Forget the phone.
2. Cancel Your Newspaper Subscription.
Or what about those people who still have the local newspaper delivered to the house? Why mess around with so little news on a dirty and costly newsprint when all the news you could every want (and more) can be found online?
Save yourself some money, some recycling, get more up-to-date news, and save some trees, go ahead and cancel that newspaper.
3. Use a Digital Photo Sharing Service and Visit Our Photo Site
These are also the people who still use a camera with film. Then they pay a lot of money for prints, usually double prints, thinking that everyone will want a photo of the back of Uncle Joe's head. Hello? Ever heard of digital cameras? Share the good photos with us online, forget the prints!
No, we will not give you prints, and no, we will not email them to you. Please. Just check our flickr or Shutterfly accounts.
4. Read Our Blogs
Want to know what's going in our lives? We have no time for telephone chit chat. Read our blogs. That's why they're there.
5. Stop Asking Ridiculous Questions: Do Your Own Research.
All of the information that is available to us is also available to you. Use Google, do a search. Do some of your own research for a change.
The ship to the New World is sailing. Are you on it?
Published by Pam Gaulin - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment and Lifestyle
Pam Gaulin is a freelance writer, journalist (B.A., Journalism), new (and next!) media writer and artist. Associated Content named her 2007 Content Producer of the Year. "First for Women" magazine featured... View profile
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19 Comments
Post a CommentThis is something I've always thought too about internet and people in general.
Five stars from me.
Many of my inlaws don't even own a computer! The ones that do are always calling me and asking me "how do you do this? Can you come over and help me?" I spend a great deal of time on the computer and some of the friendships I have made online are even more meaningful than some of the friends I have "IRL" I make most of my income online as well. I don't know what I'd do without internet :-) Haha, but I do have one of those "bobandsally@" emails you were complainig about, lol. It works for us though because my husband never goes online and his relatives can send him stuff to me. I have several email accounts for different purposes though. Anyway, this was a fun article, good job.
Except for the newspaper point, Pam, I am ready for the future (in fact, I am living it as I type...smile). Be well, Michael
Okay, just today my ex told me he was going to take away my computer because he feels I'm addicted to it. I was just reading the forums here! And then, I came across Michy's post, linking this article. I was so glad I could pull it up and show him ... see? I'm not weird, YOU are! Thanks so much Pam!
Pam- This one really blew me away. Powerful, witty, strong, to the point. When people want to know why I don't work in a traditional office, I should just link them to your article. Super!
Rissa, I re-connected with someone I had known when we were in junior high. He found me on Classmates.com. Funny how things work sometimes.
I met my hubby online. After 11 years together we are very happy. The true psychos I met where IRL. Great article!
RJ, some of my richest moments are spent IRL - with my family and especially with my toddler. At the same time, I know people online more than I know some people in IRL. :-)
I think this is one of your best pieces, but I disagree heartily with what you say.
I think I great deal is lost when people become too dependent on the web. You really don't deal with people, but the online identities of people you will never meet or really know. None of my best memories have anything to do with staring into a computer screen. Your case is well stated and I'm sure you speak for a large number of people, but I hope someone writes a rebuttal!
Congratulations on your CP award; I for one, think you deserved it.
Good point and article Pam. I know for a fact that if the "online" reality didn't exist, I'd have to car travel 7 hrs. , just to go sign personal legal documents with my lawyer in the U.S. The "Online life" is so credible nowadays, that signing documents over the internet is now considered 'legal' and holding in courts. it sure saves a lot of gas too. Less gas consumption, more money and less pollution! Aha, eureka! ;-)