Social Media

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What started out as an electronic wishbook - aka directory of students on college campuses with pictures turned into a way for those students to communicate with each other and share their goings ons with the rest of the community.  Then it became a place to share pictures.  And overtime it has turned into something else completely.

It's turned into a propaganda machine, a censorship machine and, most interesting to me, an instrument that allows regular people to think they have relationships with celebrities and brands.  And when I think about it that way, I' like wtf?

Pierce Brosnan posts a picture of himself with two other celebrity friends drinking a beer with a caption that says, "Love relaxing with these guys after a good game of golf."  And what follows is a bunch of stupid comments from the peasants with stupid comments like "Have a great time." or "Good to spend time with friends" "Enjoy the day" and all this other stupid shit.  Guess what?  Pierce Brosnan doesn't even read your stupid comments.  He'll never respond to you.  He doesn't care about you.  He cares about you coming to see his latest film or watching his old ones.  You are a dollar sign.  You don't have a friendship with him and he doesn't have a friendship with you.

Or Tom Hanks posting a picture of him and his wife walking on the beach with their kids.  Beautiful family.  What a great night.  Beautiful sunset.  Blessed with such a beautiful family or whatever.  What a bunch of losers thinking Tom Hanks will ever read your comments. 

It's a way for you to feel like you have a relationship/friendship with your favorite star.  You don't.  

Same with brands.  Except there's some intern in the marketing department that may reply to your stupid comment.  Take for example Lexus showing a picture of the new LS500.  Then some underling posts a picture of his vintage LS400 stating it has 250,000 miles.  Lexus responds and says "That's a really beauty" or great cars today just as they were yesterday.  And the original poster gets all happy that Lexus acknowledged them.  It's ridiculous.  

They say people enjoy interacting with brands.  WTF?  I may think Paradigm makes good speakers but I'm not going to post anything under their picture of the latest shiny new thing.  OOOO can't wait for that.  I bet they sound amazing.  We are idiots.

Maybe it says more about society than anything else.  We'd rather interacting with brands and celebrities on a screen than interact with our neighbors.

I'm turning into a luddite.  Luddite - a person opposed to new technology or ways of working.  The dictionary says the term is derogatory.  Funny.  I view it as a compliment.  

Just remember... celebrities don't care about you.  Never have.  Never will.  All they care about is themselves and you purchasing whatever product they're slinging.  And in turn because people interact with them, they suddenly feel like they have influence.  Because they're in front of a camera.  They're paid to pretend something so well that you think it's real.  

If you make your living in front of a camera - I can honestly say I hate you.

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