Yesterday Tech Crunch’s Alexia posted an article entitled ‘I’d Rather Watch Instagram Than A Movie.‘ Highlighting how Hollywood is no doubt competing with what she described as ‘kill time’ startups. Fair point.

The post sparked a variety of interesting comments, some agreeing with Alexia’s argument and some against. I’m not going to debate the difference between Instagram or movies, because a person can spend their free time doing whatever they please. But from a society perspective, the mere fact that this kind of argument has legs is alarming.

The drugs don’t work, they just make you worse

Two years ago I wrote a post about how spoiled by technology we all are, with one excerpt being; “Technology can be just like a drug… Give someone a little taster and if they like it, they will want a little more.
Give them a lot more and they get addicted, they forget how they lived without it and begin to lose control.”

That was then, and this was one woman’s comment under the Tech Crunch article reaffirming my excerpt:

Hollywood aside, this fragmented behavior and loss of attention concerns me. I agree that the tech universe has found a way to entertain the masses. That said, social media can resolve to be a simple addiction rather than a habit with benefit.

Take heroin for example. It feels good…it numbs your serotonin receptors into submission. Without our understanding of heroin’s affect on the brain, we would all probably assume heroin was a great idea. But what about social media’s affect on the brain? What about the fact that most people can’t wait in line, have dinner, watch their wife give birth, etc without re-directing their attention to a group of mostly strangers?

Long term thinking is being affected by our constant diversions and short attention spans. So…go kill Hollywood if that’s your intention but try not killing your brain in the process. Do you think Plato could have written The Republic if he was constantly hounded by Twitter notifications? Social media has an amazing benefit but have we all forgotten the simple benefit of thinking in our own heads? If you can’t last 24 hours without your phone and social media, you’re an addict and as funny as that sounds, it’s not.

She’s right isn’t she? That comment was by Caroline Giegerich,a Huffington Post Blogger and Social Media Consultant.

A world in denial

So where does this all end up? In a world where residents of cities like London already live in fear of communication with strangers, afraid to make conversation while we commute and generally get extremely anxious about the unknown; how are we really moving into a better connected world? A world where we attend concerts, momentous events and amazing festivals only to experience them through the 4.5 inches held in our hands, exchanging the emotional excitement so that we can garner the attention from people we don’t even know. For what reason? Because we ‘crave’ the buzz and egotistical thrill of being in the spotlight. Still not addicted?

A moment of clarity

In the same comment thread, another user posted a link to a video of a poet known as Marshall ‘Soulful’ Jones performing a piece titled ‘Touchscreen’. Powerful, entertaining and though provoking. I have transcribed the video into words for all of you 140 character quoting whores.

Listen. Appreciate. Acknowledge. Think.

Introducing the new Apple iPerson complete with multi touch and volume control, doesn’t it feel good to touch, doesn’t it feel good to touch, doesn’t it feel good to touch.

My world is so digital, I have forgotten what that feels like.
It used to be hard to connect when friends formed cliques, but now it’s even more difficult to connect now that clicks form friends.

But who am I to judge…

I face Facebook more than books face me hoping to book face to faces, I update my status 420 space to prove Im still breathing; failure.
To do this daily means my whole web wide world would forget that I exist. But with 3000 friends online only 5 I can count in real life, why wouldn’t I spend more time in the world where there are more people that LIKE me. Wouldn’t you?

Here it doesn’t matter if I am an amateur person, as long as I have a pro-file, my smile is 50% genuine and 50% genuine-HD, you will need blu-rays to read the whites of my teeth, but im not that focused.

Ten tabs open, hoping, my problems can be resolved with a 1600 x 1700 revolution, this is a problem with this evolution, doubled over, we used to sit in tree tops, till we swung down and stand up right, then someone slipped a disc, now we’re doubled over at desktops.

From the Garden of Eden, to the branches of Macintosh, Apple picking has always come at a great cost.
iPod, iMac, iPhone, iChat, I can do all of these things without making iContact.

We used to sprint to pick and store Blackberries, now we run to the Sprint store to pick Blackberrys, it’s scary.
I can’t hear the sound of mother nature speaking, over all that Tweeting, and along with it is our ability to feel as it’s fleeting.

You would think these headphone jacks inject in the flesh the way we connect, the disconnect, power ON. So we are powerless, they got us love drugged. Like e-pills, so we e-trade, e-mail, e-motion like e-commerce because now money can buy love, for 9.95 a month – click!

To proceed to checkout – click! To X out where our hearts once were – click!
I’ve uploaded this hug, I hope she gets it – click!
I’m making love to wife, I hope she’s logged in – click!
I’m holding my daughter over a Skype conference call while shes crying in the crib in the next room – click!

So when my phone goes off in my hip, I touch and I touch and I touch, because in a world where there are voices that are only read and laughter is never heard or I’m so desperate to feel that I hope the technologic in reverse the universes so the screen can touch me back, and maybe it will, when our technology is advance enough to make us human again.

The following are 25 points taken from 100 points @julien noted in a recent blog post about life, people and happiness.

These are the ones that stood out to me and if I am not already living by them, I will be incorporating into my life.

1. Spend more time around people that both challenge and respect you.
2. Remain skeptical forever.
3. Fight for what matters.
4. It’s easy for people to talk a good game, so watch how they behave instead.
5. Find things that inspire you and pursue them, even if there’s no money in it.
6. Learn a new language.
7. Eat more protein.
8. Keep people around you that will tell you the truth.
9. Genius gets you nowhere. Execution is everything.
10. Don’t discriminate. Connect anyone in your network to anyone else.
11. Twitter followers don’t keep you warm at night.
12. If given the choice of equity or cash, always take cash.
13. Repeat people’s names when you meet them.
14. Always remember those who helped you. Deliver two or three times as much value back.
15. Learn to meditate. Go on a retreat if you have to.
16. Say no to projects you don’t care about.
17. Find ways to cheat the system– just don’t cheat people.
18. Good connections are about people, not social networks.
19. If the internet is the best thing in your life, you have a serious problem.
20. Find mentors. Just don’t call them that.
21. If you see someone who needs help, stop asking yourself if they need help. Instead, just help.
22. Everyone feels like they’re not good enough. It’s not just you.
23. Courage is a learned skill.
24. Go to Iceland. It’s worth it.
25. Don’t take anything personally, ever.

Inspired by http://inoveryourhead.net/100-tips-about-life/

The end of a year and start of another is no doubt a time for reflection. Another depressing Christmas period followed by the anti-climax of a New Year countdown that is supposed to symbolise a fresh start. Gimme a break.

New Years resolutions? Don’t bother with the added pressure, we already commit to more than we have time for, so leave the gut in tact and erase the thought of joining the gym, trust me, you’ll save a lot of money.

Challenges seem to find their way into my life on a regular basis. By challenges I could mean problems, I could also mean opportunities. I guess that’s all based on outlook.

I always find myself saying to people that ‘time is the most important thing in my life’. As if I am the King of productivity and make the most out of every second. That would be an understatement. In all honesty, at the moment; time to reflect is what I seem to have a lot of.

For a long time, my head was in so many places, so many projects and my energy was spread between a variety of commitments. I didn’t really have a clue how to time manage and found myself obviously, spread thin. I was always looking for the next leap, the next jump, more excitement, more opportunities, more networks and never found contentment. Yes, this is both frustrating and demoralising.

Knowing these weaknesses, we can have an idea of how to approach the next steps. For me, 2012 will be the year of both commitment and contentment. It’s time to be appreciative of what I have. Time to understand what I have achieved so far and what I can accomplish if I put my mind to it. Time to focus on the things that I have in front of my eyes and to stop reaching out to try and grab what I can’t have. Time to realise that I made certain decisions for a reason and have to make the most of the present. Time to realise that sometimes bad things do happen. But there’s nothing you can do about them, so why worry. Hakuna Matata!

I was recently told that the reason I ask so many questions and over think is because I am an Aquarius. Maybe this is true, maybe not, but I know in 2011 I exhausted myself trying to figure this out.

All I now know is, if I give the best with the tools that I have and dedicate the right amount of time each commitment; I know I will have done my best. And I guess that’s ok. And maybe for once I’ll be happy with that.

I’m just a little bit caught in the middle
Life is a maze and love is a riddle
I don’t know where to go I can’t do it alone I’ve tried
And I don’t know why

I am just a little girl lost in the moment
I’m so scared but I don’t show it
I can’t figure it out
It’s bringing me down I know
I’ve got to let it go
And just enjoy the show

Lenka – The Show

We all know very well that activity within social networking can lead to distractions. With one click, we can find ourselves hopelessly lost in a labyrinth of fascinating experiences that have nothing to do with our initial focus. Serendipity is part of the splendor of social media, but it is something that necessitates discipline to learn, entertain and be entertained, while also staying the course. In the end, we exchange time and privacy for exposure and attention. – Brian Solis

No title, just a big bold font

Some of you may have noticed that I have been vacant from the social space for a while now. I vacated the social space on Oct 30th 2011 and have written this to give a little insight into the madness.

From Facebook to Twitter, Google+ to the infamous Klout. I’m over it.

I believe in innovation, ideas and creativity.
I have a passion for building, sharing and meeting real innovators.

Unfortunately I don’t believe that I achieve these traits in the social space and social networks (or mine particularly) carry the same value they once used to.

I have spent the best part of my twenties trying to find a balance that allows me to excel, achieve and enjoy life at the same time. Social media and the rise of opportunity that came with it, gave me all I needed to excel, but I am yet to find that balance of work/life happiness.

Time is everything and there is not enough of it. Status updates, following, subscribing, liking, sharing, replying, commenting, retweeting, scoring systems and badges leading to split personality disorders, manifested egos, over the top arrogance, utter bullshit and fakeness, lack of productivity, vision, direction and innovation, uncertainty, stress, boredom and ultimately… burn out.

I really want to say more, but right now I am not sure how to say it. So i’ll leave you with this from Brian Solis that sums it all up nicely.

The reality is that the cost of social networking is great and without checks and balances, engagement can cost us more capital than we have to spend. The net result is then social and emotional bankruptcy. And, the most difficult part of this unfortunate state is that it is at first difficult to recognize and far more exacting to overcome.

There’s a saying, “everything in moderation,” but it’s impossible to explore these new horizons with anything less than exuberance. This is our time and who we are online and in the real world is ours to define. But without ambition, desire, and focus, social media is a recipe for chaos. Through all of the distractions and fatigue, we must continually renew our focus to bring important goals to life based on our actions and words in each social network.

I ask you to pause for a moment. Think about what it is that inspires you. Think about what it is you are trying to achieve. Now, look at what it is you’re doing today and compare these activities and results to your aspirations. Do this at fixed intervals over time to plot your position and look ahead to where it is you’re hoping to reach. Then ask yourself, “am I on the right path?” Never stop asking that question. The answers are more important than you might think. – Brian Solis

Quotes are taken from this post by Brian Solis – The Human Cost of Social Connectivity