"When a generation's main mode of self-expression is a Facebook post, it is unsurprising that we do not understand ourselves. It is impossible to practice the examined life through a Tweet." - Paul D. MillerI read this and thought it made sense. But then I wondered, when people "Tweet," are they trying to use that as a way to practice the examined life? And is self-expression the (only) way we (should) examine our lives? It was a good sound bite, but I'm not sure I buy it in the end.
Your thoughts?
It is a nice soundbite, but (ironically) too short, I think, to do the situation justice. Social media can prompt some examination that wouldn't happen otherwise- about one's public persona and personal identity, for instance, though it may just be a superficial examination. Also, forced concision can be a good tool for thinking about what really needs to be said (hence the power of a good soundbite), though again this is no guarantee that a person won't just string together many shallow, thoughtless posts/updates instead.
ReplyDelete