The iPhone and the death of social media…

The title idea for this blog was stolen (borrowed?) from Errata.. And it’s also dedicated to Jess, Sketch , Dave, and Kim.

It’s not really a blog about the iPhone at all, really. Honestly I have nothing against the little gizmo, I just hate touch screens. So, when Apple decides to put actual BUTTONS on the damn thing, I might get in line to get one.. But I do think it’s a pretty nifty invention. And since my reverence for all things Apple is growing by the day, well, I can’t say too many bad things about it.

So, what is this blog about?? Authentic communication. And well, all the ways that we have replaced real contact with *stuff*.. Chat, webcam, facebook, myspace, IM, even blogs.. They have become a sort of Styrofoam version of what everyone used to do which is actually talk to one another. Remember the days of writing something out with a pen and putting it into an envelope, sealing it up with your own spit, and putting it into a box? Then you had to wait a few days. Anxiously hoping it would end up in the right place. Those were the days, right? Maybe. There’s no doubt technology has improved our life, but I can’t help but think we have lost a LOT in the meantime.

Last night I was fortunate enough to have dinner and drinks with three very lovely friends. I was reminded as we chatted and laughed how very isolated our lives have become. Even with all of the things that have somehow been created to “bring us closer” we have gotten further apart. We all drift, replacing authentic relationship with tiny tidbits of mediocre contact. But even as I grow more and more “connected,” (read: wired in) to the world I get hungrier and hungrier for real friendships and real conversations. I long for the five senses involved with a dinner date or coffee. I want to feel the whole thing, not just read about it. I want to smell the food cooking, hear the rumble of the restaurant, and see the table. I want to taste the bread and feel the tablecloth. I want ALL of it. Last night reminded me that NOTHING replaces that kind of authentic interaction. And even later, as we tried not to yell at each other over the band at the pub, I felt more alive. Because ALL of me was experiencing it, not just my eyes.

It’s like reverse sensory overload. We are so desperate for real experiences. Our lives so full of “replacements..” It’s like the first time you make homemade bread. You feel the dough with your hands, smell the yeast, see the flour and oil, hear the mixer and ultimately taste the bread. When you buy bread from the store, you immediately lose three or four of those elements.. Something is missing.

So I am straddling the fence.  My SmartPhone in hand.  One half of me loves technology.  The other half longs for that loud pub and salty martini.  I guess I will have to learn to find the balance.  In the meantime, I’ll keep my eyes out for the buttons on the iPhone..