Saturday, February 7, 2009

i think the beatles had it right...

i want to hold your hand.
hold me tight.
come together.
got to get you into my life.
all you need is love.

according to resalin i woke up on the philosophical side of the bed today. we were talking about twitter, which for those of you who don't know, is a social networking tool where people post and read updates on each other's lives. for example, my roommate had a long conversation with a man in england about hot cross buns, which she had never heard of, all because she posted something about making a cake.

me: i can't believe you twitter

resa: it helps with reporting and all of the editors ask me about it when I interview
so I tweet

me: i guess? i mean i don't know how it works, but i just think it's a little silly.. i mean andi talked to a guy in england the other day about making cakes. it's like we try so hard for this human connection that we feel the need to update every second of our day.... but real fulfilling human connection isn't going to happen that way

resa: I know
reaching out with both hands
its' instant, shallow gratification

me: yeah... even though the world around us is becoming so technological, when it comes down to it we're still human and we need touch, sound, taste, smell, and to actually hear - not read - the other person because their voice and intonation says so much more than their words sent via cyberspace
and i meant sight not sound
i guess i think that hearing is really important

resa: you woke up in the philosophical side of the bed this morning
though I agree

for the record i am not a member of twitter. i dont "tweet" as they say. resa argues that it's a very good tool for reporting, and while that may be so, i just can not justify using the site. i realize that it's not much different than updating my status on facebook or myspace, or even posting a new blog, but for some reason i find it unsettling.

so what does twitter have to do with the beatles? well during this conversation i was listening to the soundtrack from across the universe and shortly after my comments about what constitutes real human connection "i want to hold your hand" came on. then after that i heard "hold me tight." i think with all this advancing technology we are missing out on the positive effects that come from human touch. for those of you who watch grey's anatomy, the new cardiothoracic surgeon has asperger syndrome. during the last episode she had a sort of panic attack and the only way to calm her down was through deep touch pressure, basically a really tight hug. the pressure soothes the nervous system, reducing anxiety.

so the moral of the story is, if you're feeling low - and i'm sure most of us are with the economic situation and other various downers in our lives - let someone hug you, listen to soothing music, light yummy smelling candle, visit an art museum, eat some comfort food... basically appeal to your senses, but don't attempt to fill a void with internet fluff.

4 comments:

  1. Oh Melanie, you are so right. Cyberspace is a poor substitution for the human touch and the real experience. I do love your blog! Cyberspace is the best for keeping in touch between "real life" connections.

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