Photo by David Fitzpatrick.
Let me be the first to admit I can take an idea, pummel it into the ground, dissect and distort it, work myself into a frenzy and emerge the other end with no clearer idea on what I really think about the topic anyway. When it comes to over thinking I could be President, Secretary and Chief Cheerleader of the Over Thinking Society. However, having now spent more time online than is mentally safe (seriously some uni team has to launch a study into the long-term effects of copious social media consumption on adults – bugger the kids I think it’s the mums and dads who are cruising into trouble) I’ve come to the conclusion we are all just thinking a wee bit too hard about … well EVERYTHING.
This past week or two on twitter we’ve seen a website launch a new body image campaign where the first challenge was to post a selfie of your make-up free face. This worked a few other folks into a lather about how that wasn’t helping with the big issues of feminism and was in fact still highlighting beauty – look at how good I look without make-up! In some cases really big, academic words were used and I began to feel really stupid. A rebuttal was launched.
Someone else fell off the “no sugar” wagon and felt guilty (OK she created the “no sugar” bandwagon to start with but hey it was chocolate croissants in Paris). Then a nutritionist weighed in with her book on how quitting sugar made her ill and then another website offered an overview of the whole kerfuffle.
The great thing about blogs and social media is that it has given a voice to the voiceless. There’s some great work being done by ordinary folk in their lounge rooms pounding out blogs about dealing with disability, mental illness, transgender children, suicide, illness and a whole host of other topics. It raises awareness, personalises the issues and in the long-term has the possibility to change the world.
Yet overriding that is the opinion driven, hungry beast of the new media which requires an enormous volume of content on a daily basis. The speed of content production forces everyone into a rapid fire response mode where views are formed at the speed of light and distributed just as quickly.
Then we find ourselves in the world of the make-up free selfie and quitting sugar debate where response upon response fuels what begins to seem a pointless fire.
Is this what new media is all about? I understand the power and appeal of opinion driven content – there is nothing more bland than a conversation where no one is willing to say what they think – however is that all there is to new media?
Is there any room for long-form content? Where ideas can be discussed at length or identities profiled in-depth? Is it possible to be a fence-sitter and survive in new media with objective reporting and discussion? Can slow-blogging be a successful model amid all this SPEED? In fact, is the current model sustainable or will it burn itself out in a spectacular bonfire of argument and counter-argument?
If you have been spending time online how are you feeling? Do you enjoy the drama of the opinion driven content with the rebuttals and responses coming thick and fast? Or are you a little overwhelmed by it all?
What do you like to read online?
Hi , I enjoy reading random blogs. I enjoy reading what others are up to, where they have been and importantly what they think. Such a great opportunity to look inside the lives ( good / bad and all the learning experiences in between) of others we may not have opportunities to ‘get to know’ in our regular daily lives.
I also enjoy Facebook but find it different to blogs. In my experience Facebook is used often as a way to create an illusion of perfection in a life but feel reading between the lines it’s more a case writers are convincing others it’s all good when in reality it’s themselves they are trying to convince. Maybe that’s just my friends though ha ha
I am enjoying reading through your blog. 🙂
I think that’s true about Facebook!!
I rarely rant and the way the pack moves and chews through controversy is interesting to watch. X
It is an entertaining spectator sport.
I think I am feeling too overwhelmed to comment! I do like reading opinions but I guess it depends what the topic is, and how important it is to me. I don’t like it when the debate gets nasty, and reading the comments can be depressing as it seems to bring out the worst in people. Sometimes I think it’s not over-thinking that’s the problem, it’s over-talking, or over-engaging – better to get out and smell the jasmine than contribute to the blathering that goes on.
I really liked your point about people writing about the realities of their lives & what they grapple with & think that can make a huge difference to readers who share similar struggles.
I think when it gets nasty it really does become a horrible place to be. It will be interesting to see how the new media develops.
This is such a great post. I’ve been feeling like that – I can’t keep up with all the pieces and the comments and the reactions. Like Mrs Woog said, it’s interesting to watch. But only for a little while before it starts to feel toxic.
I don’t tend to rant on my blog, but there are a few in my drafts folder which (I hope) will never see the light of day!
Yes there are some days when I have to turn off the computer and “back away” because it has become too toxic. Yet there are other times when social media and blogs perform amazing acts of kindness which blow you away in what can be achieved when people come together for good.
Hi Janine,
Excellent Post! Having just written my very first opinionated (for me) Post in 2 years I can honestly say it felt really great to get some of my thoughts and feeling about blogging down and it received a record number of comments but it has likewise been exhausting – so many responses, interesting points of views to think about. I definitely couldn’t do a Post like this on a weekly basis! I find keeping up with other social media platforms completely overwhelming and don’t engage in any debates on the forums – much prefer reading about the day to day lives of normal everyday bloggers and think there is definitely a place for slow blogging. Mel x PS – loved your Post on Opting Out too. I opted out of my career 9 years ago to raise the kids, will be interesting to see how that all pans out I guess!!!
Thanks for stopping by Mel, your blog is lovely. I hope you are right and slow blogging can find a suitable niche in the busy blogging world.
Love your post – I always do, Janine. Darn straight people are too involved in the silliest things lately. Eating sugar, wearing no make up. Honestly, who the heck cares. Such trivial stuff and entirely narcissistic when you think about it. I can assure them that life was not meant to be that serious, complicated or boring. x
I usually only read blogs online – most of which are not political or controversial. I think it’s in my nature to avoid controversy. I that my half-asleep state was not a good one for me to attempt to read about these no-makeup selfies, I find myself more confused than when I started.
Oh no you have to have your wits about you to try to read Razer.
Love this post Janine. I am completely overwhelmed with information overload right now and burnt out. I agree the content machine is on overdrive and I think it’s had its day. I am retrieving my brain from the interwebs and planting it back in the real world. I do enjoy reading two sides of a debate and thinking about where I stand – it’s good brain exercise. But there is always a for and against and I think things are rarely that black and white. Good for self-marketing though, taking an absolute position 🙂 Rest assured your blog is still cutting through my overwhelm 🙂 xx
Lovely to have you stop by – interesting that you think the content machine has had it’s day – I don’t see it ending anytime soon but I’d love to be proved wrong on that one!