Virtuality vs. Reality
creig bryan-mUOxt4 Mar 4, 2010 7:03 AMWith apologies to John T. Smith: Hope my tangential musings haven't brought about an F-14 escort divert.
Mitchell Lopez brings thought-provoking observations to mind in his last message on the hijacked thread. (DirectTV vs.Netflix).
My original thoughts were also mirrored by Jerry Seinfeld during his appearance on Letterman last night.
And then there's this: A link to an article in the Washinton Post entitled, "Obsessed with Smartphones, Oblivious to the Here And Now"
Quick survey: How much time do you spend interacting with other humans in a virtual manner?
How many minutes/hours of each day do you look at or talk on your telephone/blackberry/PDA?
This question includes the use of telephones (you know, house phones), cell phones, PDAs, Blackberries.
It includes laptop and desktop computers, but only for communication activities such as Skype, IM, email, Facebook, etc.
It also includes on-line interactive games, and activities such as Second Life, as well as hand-held video games (PSP),
but only when used interactively (with another person on-line remotely).
It includes any use of Twitter, MySpace, (i.e. any social/business networking site), and any on-line forums (like this one).
Of course, it includes any texting.
Passive entertainment (TV/DVD viewing, Youtube viewing, etc) is specifically excluded--no human on the other side.
While not specifically terming it a backlash, there does seem to be a certain groundswell of consensus building up, on two different sides of the issue.
Mitchell's muse mentions generational cycles, but the technology that allows for instant information wasn't available before the telegraph/telephone, so generations subsequent to that are the first to be exposed to virtual space. (Some may argue for the immersive reality brought about by Gutenberg, but reading is passive--the book doesn't reply. Likewise, correspondence (parchment or paper) was collected and delivered in rain/wind/sleet/snow reality).
I estimate that I spend about 3 hours each week day, communicating with others in virtual space. This figure includes my use of email and text, both personal and work-related. It includes any phone conversations, relatives and business contacts. It includes Twitter, tennis and Adobe forums. On weekends, that number increases to 4: I spend Saturday mornings catching up on the various on-line forums and Sunday mornings writing personal emails and talking to distant friends and relatives by phone and text.
What about you?
Keep Smiling.





