JACKIE GREENE
10/09/2012
Visulite Theatre (16+ (Must have ID) - Under 16 with Parent Only)
Doors Open: 8:00 - Headliner Begins: 9:45
Many of you have been wondering about my recent online absence. The sudden and unexpected closure of all my social media accounts. (Facebook, twitter, etc). The short version is that I simply wanted to limit my distractions for the time being. I think the whole “being active in social media” thing needs a reboot. Seriously.
There’s a long version with much more to it, but I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details. I’ll just say that I honestly believe we’ve all developed a unique sickness. One that is difficult to detect, because we all accept and even encourage it.
Actually, fuck it. I’ll bore you with the details.
“Is he dead?”. “Did he retire?”. “I hope he’s okay.”
These are a few of the sentiments that have been relayed to me by close friends who are still active online. Since I’ve had no social media accounts, there was no way for me to be aware of these comments, except for good old-fashioned word of mouth.
I am both touched and bewildered by these comments. It’s heart warming to hear them, yet the subtext is strange. At what point did we equate going offline with death?
Like me, do you find it odd that we automatically assume something is wrong when a person closes their Facebook account? It’s as if we’ve become so dependent on social networking that we view it as a literal lifeline. That “tether to the net” we all used to joke about when smartphones first came out isn’t even figurative anymore. It’s very real.
The irony of course is that the opposite is true. When I closed my accounts, nothing was wrong. Everything was right. I began living my life the way I used to, without the tether to the virtual “world”. It’s truly astounding to realize how much time we spend on Facebook and twitter. Let me say this: when I closed my accounts, the battery on my phone lasted three times as long! Amazing.
It’s todays youth that I really feel for. The teenagers who are already struggling with their identities are growing up in a world that records their every move. A landscape where every action is public record. Every growing pain, slumber party, first date, first kiss, drivers exam….it’s all tweeted, facebooked and instagramed. One kid’s awkward growing pains can be entertainment for thousands. A high school kid who has some embarrassing moment can easily be forced to accept daily ridicule as their misdeed circles the social network.
RUSTON KELLY
Start Time: 8:30
