Effective communication. Internet photo

“Social media tugs the private into the public sphere with an almost irresistible force. Be followed, be friended — or be forgotten. This imperative creates a great deal of tension and unhappiness. Most people, much of the time, have a need to be quiet and still, and feel disinclined to raise their voice. Yet they sense that if they do not, they risk being seen as losers. Device anxiety, that restless tug to the little screen, is a reflection of a spreading inability to live without 140-character public affirmation. When the device is dead, so are you.”

Roger Cohen, a NY Times columnist, said this as part of an article* called “An Old Man in Prague” about a Czech who saved the lives of Jewish children before the Second World War.  That man  is now over 100 years old, but his deeds were never recognized before because he never spoke about them.

We have been writing about communication in a digital age. Social media has many features that people, especially the young, enjoy and even become hooked on. The messaging is often trivial and may be compromising the ability of people to communicate  in a more meaningful way.

Mr. Cohen takes the pulse of human beings who feel pressured to join the flood of voices on the internet. This quote is beautifully expressed.

On Blogfinger, our readers hesitate to say much in comments, but I guess they feel safer when talking to “friends” on Facebook. But, those social networks should be used with great caution for many reasons.

Any comments?  We offer more privacy on BF  than you could experience on Facebook.

—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

BLOSSOM DEARIE   (Here’s a message that would be best communicated by a hand-written note or, even better, in person.)

*  Link to An Old Man in Prague:    NYT link