Comment fever
by Bob on October 24, 2007
There seems to be a new way of communicating on social networking online systems. It's using public comments, back and forth, with another person, rather than private communication. And typically each comment back to the other person could be iconographic and non-textual, essentially devoid of true personal sentiment. And it's out there for everyone to read and share, rather than private.
So we have two people online, putting comments on each other's site as a way of having a conversation. And frequently it's an image, like a huggy bear, or something more risquee, and that's all.
I call it "comment fever" or "comment sickness". It's devoid of real human interactive meaning most of the time. One can easily become a robot just pasting up cutesy images on their e-friend's sites.
The deeper question is whether is cheapens the quality of human interaction. I think it does. It's cutesy, but not saying much. It would appear to be flattering, but it's usually just a mechanistic operation by someone. So it lacks the conviction and emotion.
The art of conversation is a very high art in most cultures and societies. Being able to be articulate is usually of high importance. But in the e-menagerie or circus, this is no longer a goal or heralded quality. The more you say, the less likely someone is to read it online. The e-friend attention span is short, very very short. So one resorts not to quality communication but to cheapened exclamatory short exclamatory phrases, pretty much sterile, impersonal and content-devoid. There are even websites which will provide you with the ready-made comment images.
One recalls Gary Numan and his 1979 hit song "Are Friends Electric?" when he was with Tubeway Army. It was prophetic. And I guess friends are now electric, sadly. Gary knew. I guess that's why he called the album where it was from, "Replicas". Shadow people or androids. Not human anymore.