mattmoore.blog()

we have more tools than ever that reward us with communication
cell phones, video chat, instant messaging, text messaging
blue tooth, handheld, pdas, iphones, email
facebook, myspace, linkedin, friendster, orkut, bebo, skype

a generation of use has even created a new language
to optimize efficiency in these new mediums
lol, lmfao, brb, wtf, btw, stfu, nsfw,
yet, our efficiency has robbed us of the subtly of language
we represent our emotions with icons, glyphs and graphics
our inexplicable emotions are acceptably unexplainable

in the process we have created a lot of noise
which is digitized, stored, backed up, recalled, searched
the byproduct of noise is a depletion of signal
the signal is the quality and potential of our social connection
we forget how to write a thoughtful letter
or have a meaningful conversation
or how to be respectful

we are constantly compounded by feelings of having to perpetually respond
our work, lives, vacations are filled with an impulsive connectivity disorder
but does anyone have anything valuable to talk about?
or are we just narrating our lives to each other?

our days are consumed with thoughts of cellphone rings
we can hear its call from at least a hundred meters
or sometimes it’s a phantom ring our memory creates
it’s rhythm is there when we wake up until we go to bed
we move, eat, and sleep with our devices
the circadian rhythms of our phones. would you believe that?

humans have a social capacity of 150 simultaneous connections
when we are over capacity we forget names, identities, relationships
now we have these sophisticated websites that represent our more subtle connections to people we will never talk with again
you’d think all this networking would allow us to use our brain cycles elsewhere
but in fact, it dominates our thoughts
we spend more time of our day managing responses
organizing inboxes, answering calls, sorting intangible relationships

how do we find meaning in all this?
i want to have relationships that are real, that are based on trust
not ones where people can so easily misrepresent, disguise,
unabashedly embellish