In the end, we really are all about ourselves. And the ugly truth about social media is that now we can publicly demonstrate that obsession to the world. It's not like we're more narcissistic than past generations, it's just more in our face given the 24/7 me me me outlets of Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, Instagram, etc.
Are we really so interesting that every utterance, thought, idea, and activity must be somehow cataloged and validated in multiple social media outlets? I most certainly am not!
How many likes, followers, and friends must we have to salve our egos and nurture our self-worth? Are selfies ever appropriate?
The overall effect is just so much noise. So many people screaming at the top of their social media lungs to be noticed and loved by strangers, no matter how fleeting the moment. Outshouting each other until attention spans become a joke and communication is nothing more than frazzled fragments of headlines and images whose impact vanish in seconds.
Go ahead, call me a hypocrite. I have this blog and a Facebook account, but not because I am just another ego-driven shouter. My excuse is I'm just promoting my books, and social media is a necessary evil required of today's self-published indies.
In my defense I'll say it did take years of careful writing and editing to execute my literary efforts and, based on feedback and reviews, many think they're worthy of some fleeting attention from the teeming masses.
Otherwise, I'd wrap myself in the comforting cloak of invisibility. While everyone's manically bouncing like pogo sticks for more attention, nothing would suit me more than to be unseen, unheard, and unnoticed.
Except for my books, of course!
Are we really so interesting that every utterance, thought, idea, and activity must be somehow cataloged and validated in multiple social media outlets? I most certainly am not!
How many likes, followers, and friends must we have to salve our egos and nurture our self-worth? Are selfies ever appropriate?
The overall effect is just so much noise. So many people screaming at the top of their social media lungs to be noticed and loved by strangers, no matter how fleeting the moment. Outshouting each other until attention spans become a joke and communication is nothing more than frazzled fragments of headlines and images whose impact vanish in seconds.
Go ahead, call me a hypocrite. I have this blog and a Facebook account, but not because I am just another ego-driven shouter. My excuse is I'm just promoting my books, and social media is a necessary evil required of today's self-published indies.
In my defense I'll say it did take years of careful writing and editing to execute my literary efforts and, based on feedback and reviews, many think they're worthy of some fleeting attention from the teeming masses.
Otherwise, I'd wrap myself in the comforting cloak of invisibility. While everyone's manically bouncing like pogo sticks for more attention, nothing would suit me more than to be unseen, unheard, and unnoticed.
Except for my books, of course!
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