It turns out people in the 21st century really don’t want to hear from you unless you are someone they’ve given a nod to already – and if they know you through Facebook, or LinkedIn, or My Space, or Naymz, or any of the 3000 other social networks, you’re okay by them. There’s some thought that one reason Senator Obama, despite having just made the Boomer cutoff, is looking so likely as our next president right now is that all those young people on their social networks really together form one giant social network – and to them, he seems like one of them. Savvy about their world, committed to their ideas, and entering by invitation.
It seems to me our only choice – as writers and artists – is to jump in and join the network – at least as far as is comfortable and not too demanding of the attention we ought to be spending on our art. But it’s certainly an interesting dilemma, as well as opportunity, for the writer who develops his or her work alone, in solitude, to bring it out there to the rest of the world. I guess it’s the 21st century challenge, and only time will tell how well we meet it.
1 comment:
Yes, I have somewhat sluggishly begun. Have a facebook and linked in presence. But keeping up with the chatter and polls and tips of the hat in these places more work than I can really do on a daily basis... but I'm there, a toe in the door. maybe as it takes over and becomes my new normal, I'll want to add to it more often.
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