Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Kids Are Not Necessarily Alright ...


So, I'm not the kid I once was ... but I'm still aware of social media and the trends in technology.  I suppose that's because, for the moment, that's my job.  I have to keep up with these things because I'm dealing with it on a day to day basis.

I have this blog.  I'm on Facebook.  I have a Twitter account.  I have a MySpace account ... but why link to it?  Who the hell is on MySpace these days.  I never really did anything with it anyway.  I joined FourSquare ... although I thought it was asinine from day one.   Google + ... yeah, I'm on that ... and it's a fucking joke.  I'm on Pinterest ... and Instagram ... and LinkedIn.   I mean ... common ... there are only so many hours in the day.

I try most new trends ... primarily so I can discuss it at work.  When my boss wants to know what Tumblr is, I can tell him without Googling it.   I don't have a Tumblr, by the way ... you have to draw the line somewhere.

And speaking of drawing lines ... during our office luncheon Thursday, I was talking to a co-worker about what games games are hot.  She needed help answering a 4 Pics 1 Word answer ... I told her the new cool game to watch for was What's That Phrase.  Everyone at the table proceeded to pull out their smart phones and start downloading ... you're welcome, Zynga.

At that point, our summer intern ... an attractive, if dim, college girl ... asked if I was on SnapChat.  Sigh.  Yes ... I know what SnapChat is.  I also knew what ChatRoulet was ... but I didn't waste time on that either. 

I just smiled at her and said no ... I'm passing on that one.   The others at the table asked what it was ... and she proceeded to explain that you can send a picture ... and it only stays on the screen for one to ten seconds and then is gone forever.   Two of my friends turned to me ... with looks of confusion ... and asked, "Why would you need to do that?"  I wryly said, "For the exact reason you think you'd need to."

Our intern laughed and enthusiastically said, "Yeah ... that's true.  But it's safe cause you can send a picture and then it disappears!"  I composed my patience and said ... "You do know you can take a screen shot off SnapChat, right?"  And she just stared at me ...

I leaned over and showed her how ... with a little manipulation ... you can save these "safe" pictures. Yes ... there are "protections."  SnapChat sends a notification to the sender if the receiver takes a screenshot of the image.  But guess what?  At that point it's too late ... cause that pic of your sweater puppies is now on some brodude's phone for eternity.  

She giggled and said, "Hey! This is great!  Now I can save pics that my friends send me!" 

Sigh ... yes ... yes, you can.  And, in turn, they can save pics that you send them.  Humanity is doomed.  I'm going to go buy a cabin in the woods and a typewriter ...

Well she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn't help thinkin'
That there was a little more to life somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
And if she had to die tryin'
She had one little promise she was gonna keep
 
Tom Petty - American Girl

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