Technology as narcissism?

As the gadgets to capture audio and video get smaller and lighter, and as the tools to edit that content and then distribute it via the Internet become easier to use, I think there is a danger of narcissism, or what I call the "look at me" phenomenon.

Lately I've been getting more email that goes something like this: "Look what I just did! It's great! Stop by my Web site and watch the video (or listen to the audio)."

The subtext is "Whatever I just did is way more important than anything you happen to be doing, so stop what you are doing and look at what I am doing."

Or something like that.

I don't have the time to watch everyone's video. Or listen to their audio podcast. I barely have time to do my own work, much less live/watch/listen to someone else's life vicariously.

I think this is one of the negative consequences of these emerging digital technologies--I record, therefore I am. There are people experimenting with wearable devices that make digital recordings of everything one does, in real time. But let's face it, hardly any of us are really all that interesting ALL THE TIME. And even if we were, who has time to watch it? Is the future of television 6 billion reality shows, each starring ourselves? Kinda makes George Orwell's future look good by comparison...8^)

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