Let’s Talk – Social Media is Dead

The growth of communications via social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter LinkedIn, blogging and such like has been unbelievable over the past few years.  Facebook is now claiming that it’s fastest growing group are females between the ages of 55 – 65.  Those born in the mid 1990’s have grown up with cell phones, texting, email and Facebook as part of their day to day lives. Recently we have seen the very positive capacities and usages of Social Media in the Vancouver riots in Canada and the Northern African conflicts.

As always there is a flip side – has the art of starting and holding a good conversation been lost?  Where is the art of starting or holding a good conversation with someone face to face gone?  From what I can observe the teenagers and early twenties are holding the majority of their discussions over the internet using social media networks.  Young couples are texting each other from within the same room both working on their laptops or iPhones.  Is this the way of the future?  Has social media taken over the art of conversation?

What has happened to being able to actually start a conversation and talk face to face with someone?  Talk over the telephone instead of texting.  Is there a danger that qualities and skills might disappear and the main form of communication will be via technologies networks?  How will individuals related to each other as couples and as work colleagues?  Maybe in years to come we will be running classes again on the art of communications teaching people how to just talk to each other again.

All said, maybe the opposite is that we are being trained in the learning of telepathy.  Given that those using all of the social media networks are interconnected by Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging.  So what does that mean?  Well let’s put it this way, the connections possible worldwide, and the ability to tune into several discussions at the same time from anywhere in the world at anytime opens up possibilities.  If technology can pick up on these waves why can’t the human brain?  Well whales use brain waves to signal to other whales hundreds of miles away, as humans we not learn these skills yet.  Research into Technologies and brain connection were conducted back in the 1970’s in the University of California Los Angeles UCLA.

“At this moment, parapsychologists and paraphysicists have not yet learned enough about telepathic communication to positively verify that telepathy is a real phenomenon, at least as far as the mainstream scientific community is concerned. However, the evidence is mounting up and research is continuing, with many already convinced that with the right training, anyone can develop and use their natural telepathic communication abilities.  “ Reference http://www.telepathyrevealed.com/?p=2174 June 2011

Social Media technologies are the training ground in teaching our brains the capability to have all multiple discussions.  Does this mean by using telepathy that all those “following” or whom “Follow”, or those that we share as “friends Only” see our inner thoughts?  NO it is my opinion that our brains will have the ability to recognise only those thoughts we wish to share.  Those thoughts that we don’t want to share will remind in safe corridors with built-in self protection so that we the “unique self “will survive.

The University of Maryland in a global study of young adult’s use of media, found that students actually experience symptoms akin to drug withdrawal.  Thus the effect on ones brain and its requirement to be stimulated again and again from the use of social media.  “The study’s conclusions also draw light to the fact that the youth of today are “fickle” and do not care where their information comes from, rather it is the information itself that is coveted the most”

Reference  http://www.sciencebrainwaves.com/news/post/Social-media-students-go-cold-turkey.aspx  Jan 2011

Like internet social media our brains will be able to tune in and out of discussions as and when we wish.  We will still be able to block and hide our inner thoughts have spam detectors and get rid of junk interference.  Maybe our brain will need to grow much larger than they are today or we will reactivate the dormant areas that we are always been told we have to cope with the information explosion we are facing.  The Tom Cruise 2002 Movie The Minority Report  demonstrates the use of preventative thoughts from monitoring brain waves to protect society “In Washington, D.C., in the year 2054, murder has been eliminated.  The future is seen and the guilty punished before the crime has ever been committed.”  Reference http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/

But will we lose the intimacy and been able to see the laughter and fun on our faces, the expressions we made and the touch, feeling of a hug or kiss and the mystery of you.

Communication is vital in our lives but not by social media alone – so talk to someone face to face – maybe this post is a few years or centuries too soon?