I'm not talking about robots. I'm talking about the friends we make, keep and reconnect with through the internet. I just looked at my Facebook profile page and saw I now have 94 "friends". Some are friends from high school, relatives, friends of friends and some are friends I see regularly, a few times a year or every 5 to 10 or more years. I'm really enjoying reconnecting. I also email many people and talk to complete strangers on different forums. How did this happen? Do most people with an internet connection communicate with 25, 50, 200 people a day/week? Does it have to do with how much free time we have, how outgoing, how desperate, how popular, how shy, how curious, how much or little we know about the computer? I can't even answer that for myself.
My friend Virgil (a real friend, not just an electronic friend) emailed me and asked why I haven't updated my blog in 2 days. I thought to myself, oh my gosh, I need to think of something to write about. What if I miss a few days and people stop reading? Then I'd just be keeping a journal for myself. Would I keep doing it? Probably not. I wonder how I got so caught up in all this.
I feel like I should mention that I do enjoy seeing real people too. I definitely choose "in person" any day but I'd hate to give up my e-friends. Thanks for reading. Virgil, I'll try to do better.
I often wish I didn't have to spend so much time in electronic communication, but in my job, it's the best way to reach many of our students and prospective students. I'd rather talk with them in person. No one ever asks why I haven't posted in awhile. Maybe no one reads my stuff...or cares...whatever, I do it because it's fun.
ReplyDeleteTime may be a factor. I do not communicate electronically as much as you do. Although I'm on facebook I rarely use it. But then I may have a little less free time although I think what you do is much harder. I sense that you are more extroverted as well. But I agree with Virgil. I enjoy your blogs and I miss them when they aren't there. If no one read my stuff, I think I would probably still write.
ReplyDeleteI don't know.
ReplyDelete