It's as if the act of getting to know someone has gone by the wayside with the advent of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and the like. I write something on this blog and you know about it without ever having to talk to me. I Twitter what I'm doing and you can seamlessly add my thoughts into conversation even though I never expressly told you anything. I post a link on Facebook and you know what I'm reading, what I find interesting, and what I enjoy. You can literally read up on someone before you meet them just by Googling their name or reading their blog. Not only are we no longer anonymous, we no longer have secrets that others must discover about us. Going on a blind date? Perhaps read the guy's Tumblr first and it won't even be necessary. Considering a business partner? Not with a LinkedIn like that!
Since I love interpersonal and nonverbal communication as much as I love the media part of my chosen field/major, I find this fascinating more than I find it progressive. What will this mean about people's "getting-to-know-you" practices? Will we ever interact with different-minded people again? Even if every blog, Twitter, or Myspace incorporates individual thoughts, will we ever experience something totally outside our thinking or interests if we only follow or interact with those who lead lives similar to ours?
Heavy right? When Twitter goes mainstream and invites in all who aren't "social media experts," PR branders and media fiends, I'm going to follow someone who does something totally different than me. Any suggestions?
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