off-stage right

Today, we are witnessing a perfect example of how much of an effect technology and media has on our lives – both positively and negatively.

For the last 45 minutes I have watched Tweets and status updates fly into my inbox about Michael Jackson’s passing.  This afternoon during a meeting, it was from twitter that I learned of Farrah Fawcett’s passing. Over on my Google reader feed there are at least 20 stories already about these two talented artists.  Both who had a profound effect on pop culture during the last four decades.

Using social media tools and networks, beautiful messages from across the world are creating tiny virtual memorials.  Through reading others thoughts and sharing our own, we are creating a common experience.  We don’t feel alone, quite the opposite we are with our friends and loved ones, the same people we shared these artists work with.  Our friends from childhood are with us and in a very healthy way we are all expressing the emotional impact that a tragic painful death full of suffering and a shocking surreal passing are having on us.  Over the last few years, we (the collective users) have truly created a new manner in which we gather.  This is undoubtedly going to affect communication and interaction for the rest of our lives.  It is and will have a profound effect on the arts.  That would be the beautiful part of the Life 2.0

But both were too young and I hope their families will be able to be strong during what they will now have to endure.

Because of reality T.V. and 24 hour non-stop news channels, the public feels empowered and entitled to bear witness to every detail of tragedies like this.  The news media is literally besides themselves.  Tonight’s evening news was supposed to be about Farrah retrospectives and now they have to dig up videos from Michael’s career, find people who worked with him.  CNN is even discussing the fact that their stories are changing – after all Larry King had Farrah guests all lined up.  There is a race to get a quote from family members.  The disgusting hunt for photos of grieving friends and families had begun.  We can only hope the children involved aren’t exploited.  There will be magazines cover stories, endless rumors (already CNN is reporting abuse and enabling by Michael Jackson’s family and how many times did we see the picture of Redmond O’Neil in chains visiting his mother).  We have become a culture of ambulance chasers, disaster junkies.  We are creating a whole new level of schadenfreude that is much darker and parasitic.   The Housewives of several cities, Jon and Kate, Speidi, Brangelina, and others have made us addicts to other peoples pain and suffering so much so that when a speck of joy is seen we question it’s veracity.

I think we all have to take a moment and really look at how we are using this technology.  We need to reflect on the meaning of privacy.  We have to stop making celebrities out of exhibitionists.   We have to find a way to use this technology to create community based on the positive things in life or at least group catharsis.  Sure reality shows can be entertaining, but they are also becoming damaging and we need to as a culture find some balance before we start telecasting gladiator fights.  We aren’t entitled to use digital means to live anyone’s life vicariously.  There have to be boundaries or we will just become more and more like vultures feasting on one another.

(Note – I am not picking on CNN it is what is always on in my house, I am sure the other networks are being just insane.)

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