Yes, I commited facebook suicide and then came back from the dead….

Over the past few weeks or so I’ve been reading The Cult of the Amateur by Andrew Keen. I bet most of you have heard of it in blog-o-land, and I bet most of you disagree with his argument. Why wouldn’t you? Although, Keen isn’t against social media or technology it can come across that way. In fact, that is why I loved the book so much when I started reading it. 

For the past year or two I have really questioned the use of social networking and social media in my life. I sometimes fail to see the benefit. For example, I think Now Public is a great idea (one that completely blew my mind when I discovered it), however I want my news to come from an established paper that for some reason I feel is more “credible”.  Maybe I am a little elitist in my thinking, so be it. I also think The Globe and the CBC are better sources then The Metro,even though EVERYONE reads The Metro.

Since I was questioning the benefit of web 2.0, I was really buying into Keen’s argument. Then I found a gross bug in my apartment. Since I had just moved in and feared that the past tenates moved out because of a bug/mouse/rat/something equally as disgusting problem, I freaked out! I was jumping and screaming on my couch as my friend (who doesn’t live with me) killed the bug. I was convinced my house was infested. The first thing I did was run to computer and look up the bug on Wikipedia. Of course I was too discussed to read the description myself. Needless to say when my friend read it outloud tome, I immediately called my landlord and demand he get someone to professionally spray my apartment.  I don’t know how reliable the Wikipedia article was, but I bought it hook, line and sinker.

My apartment has not yet been sprayed nor have I seen anymore disgusting bugs. The moral of my story is that no matter how much I might disagree with web, 2.0 I embrace it everyday. I IM, facebook or email my friends on a daily bases. I read at least one blog a week and listen to at least one podcast. I love how small the world seems when I can connect with my friend all over the globe.  But most importantly when I have a question or what to know an answer I google or wikipeidia it.

I think the best thing Keen’s book points how reliant we are on social media. I think in many cases, maybe it is all for the better.

September 16, 2008. General, Social media.