Thursday, February 18, 2010

INTERNET BACKLASH

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of online discussion of the benefits and disadvantages of being online and Social Media, and I figured I may as well put my two cents' worth in.

First of all, I was very impressed with the series of blog commentaries made by one of The New Yorker's top writers, George Packer, which you can link to in this article and also click on a podcast discussing the topic and go to the New York Times article that stirred him up in the first place.

Then, just this morning, my dear friend, Dr. Mary Ann Somervill, sent me the following, which got me to thinking in a new way about this subject.


I particularly liked this comment in the second paragraph of the second story, Be The Change:

We inhabit a world, he says, in which there are "no edges to our jobs" and "no limit to the potential information that can help us do our jobs better."

We all know that children need boundaries in order to feel safe and comfortable and thrive.
But we adults do too. And computers and the Internet have removed some of these traditional boundaries.

So, in a new world in which we have access to millions of new connections, we can use technology to be less connected. And in a new world filled with an overwhelming assortment of new conveniences, life can become more inconvenient. And it's all about "fuzziness", the lack of edges, not only to our jobs, but to every aspect of our lives.

In the past, this had been a challenge mainly for the suddenly rich. Such a person would find themselves flooded with so many more options and choices that choosing became a major activity. And those who didn't take this aspect of their new lives seriously ended up burnt out, dysfunctional, perhaps even addicted.

And now that we all are inundated with the riches of online life, we too are flooded and have to spend more time making selective decisions. And it can be a daunting task. A wonderful time to be alive, for sure, but not if we ignore the risks of becoming less human and much more fuzzy.

Oops, time to close this post, check my emails, order some books from Amazon.com, check my balance at Wells Fargo online, do my daily posts on Facebook and Twitter, and tune into a webinar.
Jerry

Speaking of choosing your input, you might find my latest post at my prosperity blog, www.MoneyloveBlog.com, interesting on the subject of Moneylove Mind Mix.

No comments: