Gleaning, definition: finding scraps of knowledge on the web.
My solution here is something I already know — run away from social media for some portion of the day. When I did that in the first half of June I did fine; when I didn’t in the second half, well. I lost a considerable amount of focus. This is, for me, a tale as old as time.
John Scalzi
I’m glad to glean that Scalzi is skeptical of social media, despite all the hoopla about social media being a Good Thing… It’s nice to know I’m not the only skeptic.
Despite being a self-directed nerd myself, I do realize that many others use social media as a way of getting attention and looking good.
I gleaned a quote from Mark Manson.
QUOTE If you happen to spend way too much time on Instagram (please don’t), you’re probably familiar with the trend of “self-love” or “self-care” posts — usually by absurdly attractive 20-somethings sitting in a bubble bath or climbing a scenic vista, followed by the caption,
“Just had to getting away for a while to take care of myself.
#selflove #gratitude #blessed”
Meanwhile, their poor partner probably spent three hours taking pictures of them in thirteen poses trying to make it look as natural as possible. UNQUOTE
Vanity is social, and social is human, says I. Samuel Johnson said something like, “We all want to be stared at, and if we have some worthy accomplishment, then let them stare all they like.”
To Johnson, I think, getting attention through social media would be unworthy. Of course we would like to get love and attention from our social tweets and such, but we can take it too far:
Pavlina knows this very well. After being a famous prolific social media guy, one day he decided to STOP. Then lightness …he felt so liberated… At long last he could carelessly walk along without considering what he should photograph for others, without thinking of what he could say for his next post.
Surely there is a firm line between a healthy social vanity and “living for others.” A new trend is now catching on: Some tourists, in rebellion, will walk around quaint Dutch canals while having left their cameras back at their hotel. I can relate: It feels so nice and daring to “be here now.”
And if I do photograph a windmill, I won’t fuss around with shutter speed, light aperture, focal distance and so forth. I bought a “point-and-shoot” so I wouldn’t have to break stride. As they say, life is for the living. Not for zombies drooling at their screens.
… There I was, walking down the sidewalk, a tourist in Central London, complete with camera, when I turned into a luxury hotel to meet up with a world-famous chap, Derek Sivers of Oxford. We had breakfast.
Later I’m walking along past the Royal Academy—“Wow! You don’t see big statues way up the walls back in Kansas, Toto!” So I fished into my pocket for my point-and-shoot. And then I laughed, right out loud on the sidewalk.
An hour ago I had been with Derek; although we had “hugged a North American hello,” neither one of us could “give a care” about taking any selfies. Sorry Toto.
A week later, when reminded of this, Derek joked that he doesn’t like having his picture taken. But in reality, I guess “world famous” marketing would require being comfortable with pictures: We just didn’t want to take “time out” from our “real” life.
This summer I made Derek laugh. You know how some people go to Miami to lie on the beach, reading a thick Danielle Steel? I went to Edmonton to sit on a hotel chair, binge watching Enterprise. Call it a “TV vacation”… Obviously, therefore, I am not against media, be it television or social, but I do agree with the ancient Greek slogan: Nothing in excess. (At home I have no TV)
Today I am gleaning other people’s opinion of social media… Why? Because to loudly bray my own opinion would not be politically correct… as I have never been on social media.
…
Sean Crawford, hoping to glean comments,
North of Crowsnest Pass
‘The light within the valley’
Sources:
John Scalzi is mostly known as a novelist and blogger. From his blog Whatever, June 29, 2020.
Mark Manson is mostly known as a blogger and nonfiction writer. The quote is from his email to me, without a carbon copy list, of Monday June 30. (link)
Pavlina has a comprehensive self-help site, including One Year Without Social Media. (link)
Derek Sivers is mostly known today for his three Ted Talks and his blog. (link)
Samuel Johnson, back in the days of King George III, was mostly known for composing the first English dictionary. Today he is known from the biography by his young Scottish companion, James Boswell. The biography runs to several volumes, which I have downstairs—to be read a bit at a time, in moderation.
Sean Crawford is mostly known for his plain, drab, humourless life. Also, he japes.
