So I've just reconnected with one of my old best friends through FaceBook, and it's gotten me to thinking... why is it so easy for these social networking sites to completely suck us in?
It is pretty anti-social, don't you think? Couldn't I better spend that time out at the movies with my buddies, out for a drink, or even engaged in that tired old activity known as *exercise*. And doing a little quick Goggling, I discover that according to the Pew Internet & Research Project the majority of Internet users (54%) say the amount of time they spend online is about double the number they spent online only two years ago but is the same as that they spent six months ago (Ed. note -- how can that be true in Toronto? It's so cold that I think in response people have been decamping to their computers much more frequently) .
A buzz-term I've heard bandied about is "Internet addiction", and I think we're all a little bit guilty of that with possible spring election in Canada, intrigue in the U-S (will Hillary make history? Is Barack the only man for the job? Why do we care so much in the Great White North?)
I easily spend about 20 mins to an hour a day checking in with my face-crack, on my MSN space, uploading to FLICKr or previewing new bands on Myspace. And this is during work hours, eek! Although the American Psychiatric Association it doesn't expressly recognize such an addiction as an actual disorder, but then again, it took until the late 1970's for homosexuality to be declassified as a psychiatric disorder by this same organization, so keeping pulse with the fabric of today's society they are not so much. Some would say people also spend too much time watching television, reading, or following sports, and no such diagnosis exists for those activities either. Conversely, I may be adding fuel to the fire by asking people to pay attention to my posts, eh?
What about you - do you think we are all Internet-addled and are you addicted to Bebo/MySpace/Digg and the like?
What gets scary for me, is how prevalent cached information is. The pervasive rumour is that GOOGLE, the behemoth and undisputed champion of Internet search engines, has vast stores of databanks set up all over the Midwest where they keep reams of data on every keystroke ever entered on their homepage. Are you taking note, Big Brother? The government (e.g. the CRTC) in Canada may wade into the fray next year by beginning to mandate what constitutes User-generated content on private broadcasting sites such as CTV, Canwest Global's, and the CBC.
Do you want someone to keep the results of every Google search you've ever keyed in Enter to? I don't think so. But we broach a fine line between outright regulation of Internet ownership, and what constitutes viable, and unfiltered fair comment and speech. Just keep that in mind the next time you try to do a search for a journalism story on foot massages and enter "Massage Parlours." I learnt my lesson, trust me.
As a total aside, do make time to see both of the following in your spare time: Half Nelson, which I watched this weekend, is hands-down one of the best films of 2006. Ryan Gosling turns in easily the best breakthrough performance of any actor struggling to broach independent/mainstream success, and won a well-deserved Best Actor at the Independent Spirit Awards last month in Los Angeles.
And, make time to check out the new Landymore-Keith Contemporary Art Gallery at the end of my block along Dundas West, near Little Italy. A great retrospective is starting soon called Illuminated Cities, and opens on March 12th.. For more information e-mail info@landymorekeith.com or check out http://www.landymorekeith.com/
Monday, March 05, 2007
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