In the interest of journalism education (and its subsequent awards) I buried myself in high school newspaper columns last week.
Of the 70-plus columns I read, one particular one stuck with me. The author, a high school senior, discussed her longing for freedom - from her parents, overbearing guidance and everything else we all despised only some ...
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All right, this isn't working.
I'm attempting to write this column, albeit late, and I'm finding myself overwhelmed not in other work but rather messages.
Instant messages.
I expected to be done with the Facebook topics - for this year at least - but I can't help myself here. Normally I'm capable of writing with numerous distractions, with computer windows of Facebook, AIM, Gmail and music open. But today (Thursday), that's not happening. Facebook Chat is tormenting my attention span worse than a concert light show.
I just logged out of Facebook. Yeah, cue the doomsday music - I'm facing distractions beyond my handling ability. Flashback to 20 minutes ago: I'm in AIM conversations with work colleagues, Google Chat windows with my friends and Facebook Chat messages with friends whom I've not spoken to in months or mere hours. Hell, I have one person messaging me on Facebook and Google.
I can't work like this people! Off goes the Facebook.
I hear the elders and more logically minded students now: "Why don't you just turn it all off?"
Hell no.
I must suck bandwidth from this powerful Ball State University pipeline. I must stay connected. I must be ready to receive incoming messages about any random-ass topic at any single point. Maybe I'll need YouTube. Maybe I'll need my e-mail, never mind it's already going to my phone. Perhaps the little pop-up window in Microsoft Outlook will alert me to another nagging mass e-mail I must know about, complain about and subsequently delete - immediately.
That's just it: Immediacy. Yes! Now, not later. This hour, not tonight. Today! Not tomorrow! Well, unless it's work I need to do - then that can all wait for tomorrow. Procrastinator's curse, indeed.
This is culture for our generation. Look at Bracken Library's computer systems, each with two 19-inch screens. (FYI: Had to Google for that statistic.) Two screens for Web surfing seems outrageous, but it's a concept my desktop computer has spoiled me with since freshmen year. It works great for legitimate uses like media production and editing, yet I've mastered the ability to keep e-mail, documents and Web browsing on one screen while allowing for instant message programs on my second screen.
With the advent of Google Chat and now Facebook Chat, my Web browser is my instant messaging program.
Even if Internet access is nixed for my laptop, I've still got the cell phone in my pocket. There's still a "line out" to the outside world there, whatever "the outside world" really is.
Every Finals Week I see friends' statuses and away messages updating the world on their failure to achieve any progress on respective papers, projects and consequently sleep. Somehow it's imperative for our friends - allegedly as busy as we are - to know our paper is "sucking," our group project is "hellish."
As if we didn't figure that. I've never seen an away message saying, "I love this paper! It's come together quickly and efficiently thanks to the diligent work of my group members!"
We spend more time complaining about what we're not getting done and not enough time actually doing it. Actually, we spend more time updating each other on things we are or are not doing than we do spend time on things that are realistically productive.
Then again, to us that is productivity.
If you're curious as to the original point of this week's column, it was about the freedom that comes with college - coincidental, really.
I'm opening Facebook again. Before I launch into further hypocrisy, you should go be productive, or at least go be distracted while trying to be productive.
Just be sure to update me on how that goes.
Write to Dave at heydave@bewilderedsociety.com
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