- Jun 20, 2013
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Here is article :- (Updated)
The words come from the prologue to The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. If you've seen the film or read the book, you might recognise them. They refer to the dislocation of time travel (yes, I realise the clue is in the title
) but there is something about the description of being there, and then not there... that captures some of the feeling of disconnect, of dislocation even, that we can get from social media presence, and absence, too.
I'm just back from a short social media absence: I was on holiday in Ireland for 10 days, providing the chance (amongst many other wonderful things) to get stuck into some serious (and not so serious) reading.
This summer's reading pile included The Time Traveler's Wife so I could join in a readalong being organised by Amy Palko. The first prompt for discussion is about ways in which we are all, on some level, time travellers, how we move backwards and forwards through time in our minds and hearts, revisiting old wounds (and triumphs), worrying about or fantasising over the future, rarely settled in the present moment.
Too much time online can have a similar effect. Maybe we can't time travel (yet) but we can move easily across countries, continents, languages, and time zones. We can get lost in online conversations and lose track of time. We can switch on too often and too soon, and lose focus and attention on what's here, in front of you, in the real world, right here, right now.
And yet being present in the online world matters too. There's advice aplenty on the importance of a social media presence for individuals, authors, bands, charities, businesses, writers and no doubt time travellers too.
But what does it actually mean to be present online?
Reading is a huge part of the way we spent our time online, but is reading enough to make you feel present? Mostly it leaves me feeling invisible, like I'm not really there, unless I also ‘do' something to signal I've read the post. A comment, a response, a sharing of the link on Twitter or Facebook...
Oh, but that requires signalling that you are ‘there', and yet, perhaps you do not want to be seen to be there, as you're not really present, because you don't have time to be present (noticing, listening, responding, chatting, advising, engaging).
If I am busy, I might post an update on Facebook to let people know I am ‘here' (where?), safe in the knowledge I don't need also to be there, in real time. It's just like pinning something up on a notice board. People can read it at their leisure if they want to - it's not a conversation starter, it's just a sign. My presence alongside it is not required.
Whereas Twitter takes time, and it takes presence. You can't just jump in and jump out again. (Well of course you can, technically, and lots of people do, but it changes the nature and the feel of the interaction. It's what makes Twitter so powerful, and also so challenging, because it takes time and yes that thing again: presence.)
I don't draft posts to go out when I'm away any more, because it doesn't feel right - they don't resonate in the same way (even if it's just to my ears). It doesn't feel right to invite you over when I'm not here - even though I'm not here anyway, most of the time, on the days when I do post and am therefore ‘here'.
Confusing, isn't it?
And of course these aren't the only disconnects.
The words come from the prologue to The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. If you've seen the film or read the book, you might recognise them. They refer to the dislocation of time travel (yes, I realise the clue is in the title
I'm just back from a short social media absence: I was on holiday in Ireland for 10 days, providing the chance (amongst many other wonderful things) to get stuck into some serious (and not so serious) reading.
This summer's reading pile included The Time Traveler's Wife so I could join in a readalong being organised by Amy Palko. The first prompt for discussion is about ways in which we are all, on some level, time travellers, how we move backwards and forwards through time in our minds and hearts, revisiting old wounds (and triumphs), worrying about or fantasising over the future, rarely settled in the present moment.
Too much time online can have a similar effect. Maybe we can't time travel (yet) but we can move easily across countries, continents, languages, and time zones. We can get lost in online conversations and lose track of time. We can switch on too often and too soon, and lose focus and attention on what's here, in front of you, in the real world, right here, right now.
And yet being present in the online world matters too. There's advice aplenty on the importance of a social media presence for individuals, authors, bands, charities, businesses, writers and no doubt time travellers too.
But what does it actually mean to be present online?
Reading is a huge part of the way we spent our time online, but is reading enough to make you feel present? Mostly it leaves me feeling invisible, like I'm not really there, unless I also ‘do' something to signal I've read the post. A comment, a response, a sharing of the link on Twitter or Facebook...
Oh, but that requires signalling that you are ‘there', and yet, perhaps you do not want to be seen to be there, as you're not really present, because you don't have time to be present (noticing, listening, responding, chatting, advising, engaging).
If I am busy, I might post an update on Facebook to let people know I am ‘here' (where?), safe in the knowledge I don't need also to be there, in real time. It's just like pinning something up on a notice board. People can read it at their leisure if they want to - it's not a conversation starter, it's just a sign. My presence alongside it is not required.
Whereas Twitter takes time, and it takes presence. You can't just jump in and jump out again. (Well of course you can, technically, and lots of people do, but it changes the nature and the feel of the interaction. It's what makes Twitter so powerful, and also so challenging, because it takes time and yes that thing again: presence.)
I don't draft posts to go out when I'm away any more, because it doesn't feel right - they don't resonate in the same way (even if it's just to my ears). It doesn't feel right to invite you over when I'm not here - even though I'm not here anyway, most of the time, on the days when I do post and am therefore ‘here'.
Confusing, isn't it?
And of course these aren't the only disconnects.
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