FOOT - I'm So, Totally, Digitally Close to You

     Reading the article I'm So, Totally Digitally Close to You, made me realize even more in depth than I already did just how creepy Facebook and Twitter can be. Mind you I am one of those people that he mentions in the article that has been connected to the internet for a majority of my life, but I know the boundaries of it and I do not let it rule my life. When the author was mentioning how his friend posted updates on twitter about making sandwiches daily, I realized that there needs to be a boundary of what goes on the internet and what does not. I don't mean just things like what type of sandwich this lady is eating, because I am sure maybe somebody cares about that, but things like where you are and where you are going and where you live are just not things that need to be shared to the wandering eyes of creeps out there on the internet. That 'foursquare' application that is on cell phones as well as through facebook is very, very creepy. It allows the user to publish exactly where they are. It is not vague, either. It will say things like "Katie May just checked into White Hall on Kent State campus" (not that I use this app, just an example!). And to be honest, this is just too much information.



Additives online?

      I do have a facebook, and I like it. I use facebook to keep in touch with friends and family, especially the ones who I do not get to see very often. I have nothing against it, I just think that people need to be aware that even with privacy settings, anything you put on the internet can be seen by others. I have my facebook settings correllated to the most private it can be, but I know that it could still be seen or hacked, and that is why I do not put things like my address or phone number on there, like some people do. The only other real concern I have is what the article was saying about people can get too wrapped up in these websites. It becomes an addiction, and if people realize that the internet and the real world are too different things, there may not be a problem. I like to think of the bad aspects of social networking as the additives to this ambient, parasocial universe. Giving too much information, not protecting yourself and letting the addicting additives rules your universe may compromise your internet-life, but if you use the two and realize the differences between life and your web-life, you'll be just fine being digitally close to friends online.