Kevin Hillier says social media has a lot to answer for
I ’ve written before about my views on social media and the impact it’s having on our lives, positively and negatively.
A well-known friend of mine recently had personal issues and went missing. Many of his friends walked the streets of his suburb looking for him, while others decided to post an all-points bulletin on Facebook and Twitter. I found the latter a grave breach of trust and a total invasion of his privacy. People he didn’t know became privy to his situation and the post alerted the press, who monitor social media very carefully.
We’re talking here about a fellow human in a vulnerable and precarious condition. And while I can see some logic behind the action, it is just too intrusive for my liking.
I see photos of intoxicated people posted on social media by their friends. Employers view prospective employees’ social media sites and a photo like that could be the difference between getting the job or missing out.
Do we really need photos of everything? I saw recently that a father had taken photos of his young son being attacked by a kangaroo. How about putting the camera down and helping your child? Not surprisingly, the photos ended up on the local news and in the papers. Talk about priorities!
Food shots
I laughed at a cartoon I saw this week which sums up the social media food obsession. A waiter was asking a customer if there was something wrong. The reply was “No, everything’s fine,” to which the waiter said: “Then why haven’t you taken a photo of the food and put it on Facebook?”
One of the saddest sights for me is dining out and seeing people looking at their phones and not talking to each other.
The ability to connect with people overseas and interstate is the best aspect for me and sometimes it’s good to see what your friends are up to. It’s a new and exciting form of communication, but I just hope we never lose what separates us from other species … the ability to engage each other in face-to-face conversation. Your thoughts are welcome. ■
If you have any news or events, let me know at kevin@howdypartnersmedia. com.au
