What Are You Doing?

I was talking about Twitter to a friend recently, and I think one of the points I was trying to make was this: when you are talking to people about what you think, it's easy to bullshit (as in when you IM, especially with people who aren't your close friends).

When you are relating to others in a big social group, it can be superficial, and kind of "gossipy" (as in Facebook's News Feeds, for instance). These modes of communication suggest a much greater degree of authenticity and candid expression than what they actually offer. At the end of the day, however, when we talk about what we are thinking, and when ego gets in the way, we all tend to bullshit a bit. Saying something can never reveal as much as doing something; this is something that is becoming increasingly clear in today's media.

The subtle genius of Twitter is that answering the simple question "what am I doing right now" is both incredibly mundane, yet much more revealing about who we really are than what we might say about ourselves. It's a very direct and personal manifestation of the "do, don't say" mantra that is at the heart of new marketing and the post-communication world we live in.

Just to be clear: I don't really pretend to know what Twitter might mean, in the long run. All I'm commenting on is the cool way in which a picture emerges of what a person is about from the things they DO, rather than what they might say about themselves. For this reason, it seems to go quite  nicely with a lot of the things regarding transparency and authenticity that characterize what communication is about these days. And it is also a great example of how simple technology- messages are easily sent from a mobile, for instance- can unlock a new, simple, yet powerful mode of communication.

Comments

[Asi]

To be honest, to date, I didn't really have the time and motivation to try to understand whats all the fuss is about.

From what I read, it looks to me like the longest ever dog lead anyone invented.

I hope i'm not going to eat my hat very soon but I just don't see myself immersing myself even deeper in social media...

A.

[Dino]

But Asi, do you not see the thrill of telling everyone what you are up to, at any given moment?

But seriously: I hear what you're saying, though I still want you to try it and see if you get a bit hooked.

[Asi]

of course you will get a bit hooked, but is that a good thing? let me be my grandmother for a second...you know, you can get hooked on powdering your nose as well...quite fun at the beginning but can go terribly wrong...

just saw David twittering while having quality time with the monkeys - whats good in that?

please try it and report...