tr.im: Twitter Meets Narcissus
In just an hour or two the Google News search for has expanded from 18 listed stories to 31. At the time there were 18 indicated a visit to that link at Google displayed a count of 22. So what? C’mon, let’s be precise oh great purveyor of search. The story may be growing legs and may account for the nearly meaningless lack of count precision. A topic that was dominated by ‘techie’ sources has been gathering mention in the MSM from the likes of The Chicago Tribune, CNN, the Telegraph - UK and The Washington Post.
This blog has featured comments in the past on the relative merits or lack of same on all things referred to as ’social networking’. This story features Twitter as the black hat in the no saga, saga of tr.im. Some reports measure the quantity of ‘URL shortening services’ at a dozen and a half while others describe the count at ‘umpteen’. In this blog’s characterization of such things as ‘who cares’ or why does it matter one small concern may be noteworthy.
The excerpt and link above suggest a component of all this social networking nonsense. Misguided attraction to less than worthwhile endeavors have a real cost. Proponents suggest a meaningful value of social networking on the internet or the electronic substitute for basic human interaction. That may simply be the marketing strategy of one more useless E enterprise duping the masses only for financial gain of the ‘players’. Not unlike snake oil peddlers of the past this new breed found the human vulnerability which allows otherwise ordinary people to rationalize this behavior as something it is not.
How about accepting this for a theory? Electronic social networking is the manifestation of narcissism on a massive scale. One can elevate their self-image and importance with the use of a fad activity. Furthermore it enables those unable or unwilling to pursue social interaction in traditional ways an avenue with low or no risk. That means you have nothing ventured therefore nothing (worthwhile) gained. There is no need to be genuine or honest and the whole matter is rendered useless other than to satiate narcissistic tendencies of all. You can define how wonderful you are by your participation and deluded measurement of your self-worth.
It’s not like MySpace or Facebook didn’t demonstrate how this sort of thing will evolve. So now, one has to be a twit to be fashionable. Funny how the promotion of these fads rarely include the downside until something happens to boost interest in the tabloid press. Even then it only serves to boost ad sales from the demographic that feeds on sensationalism.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com