Is social media making us smarter or more stupider...

Just to be clear, the grammatical error in the title is intentional; however, fifty percent of people wouldn't realize it. All of MY readers did though I'm sure! ;) I thought of this question the other day when I was walking around town (I generally get my blog inspirations during general wanderings) thinking of my next blog post. I had recently tried posting a Status in Facebook and was informed that I had surpassed the 420 character limit. I then remembered that Twitter limits to a mere 140 characters. That got me to thinking: if we are limiting our  thoughts to think in short bursts are we making our brains more efficient and concise, or are we stymieing our creativity and deep thought? One could argue that we do in fact still have those deep thoughts and creativity, it's just that we pull out the nuggets and what's important. That could be, but if you browse through Facebook's Live Feed, or Twitters Tweets, how much of that stuff is "important nuggets"? "Really craving a blueberry muffin" "Wish the kids would go to bed"... and so on. 

There is another power at play here: accessibility to information. No doubt, social media has helped spread important information globally in just minutes. Take for example the uprisings in the Middle East. Facebook not only helped with the organization of demonstrations, but it also brought the event to the world. Previously, we would have had to wait for the reporters to tell us something on the evening news. Now, we simply look at the status updates and the articles and pictures being uploaded, shared and "liked" around the world in REAL TIME. The internet allows everyone the opportunity to be heard; that includes people that have nothing of value to say, or that can barely speak. It is my thought that reading should bring me "something": either make me smarter, make me ponder something new, or stimulate my brain in fun ways. Too much of the crap I read does none of the above. In fact, with all the grammar and spelling mistakes that I am inundated with, I might in fact be getting "stupider"! 

Truly, I have no right to be preaching here. When I write, I surely make grammatical errors, and if I don't, then it is just dumb luck. I can't tell you the rules of when to use who vs. whom, or when to use a semicolon vs. a simple comma or basically any English writing rules. The bottom line is this: In the "olden" days, there was a professional editor that was responsible for reading anything that came to the public's eyes. Now, we are constantly bombarded with raw, unedited, often pointless material every minute of every day. It's a double edged sword, and I'm not sure which side is sharper. Are we getting smarter or stupider? Did this post stimulate your brain, or was it just a waste of time? 

One week in Thailand

During my three months in South East Asia, I spent a total of nearly a month in Thailand. During one week up North, in Chiang Mai, I was extremely productive - from a touristy standpoint anyway. I became a Master Chef (that's what my certificate says anyway!), I studied the art of Thai Massage and can now put someone through a very painful 2 hour massage, and I went on an overnight jungle trek where I became a mahout. OK, that last part is a little exaggeration, I learned how to ride an elephant, and got to pet a baby elephant so that counts for something. 

All these experiences cost me a total of just over $100. The massage course was 5 days long and included lunch everyday, the cooking class was 1 day and I got to eat all six dishes I prepared (which actually tasted amazing), got a cookbook, and DVD showing how to carve food things like in the picture below. The trek was a two day hike that included all meals, an elephant ride, and an overnight stay in a village hut. Now, if you can do all this for so cheap, why would anyone NOT want to stay there? Good question. I love Thailand! The food is delicious, the people are friendly, and everything is cheap - even when it is expensive. And when people say they can't "afford" to travel, often it is just the plane ticket that costs a lot. You probably spend more staying at home! I certainly have! So book a flight and go to Thailand, you won't regret it! :D

Called out

The beauty of writing down your goals/resolutions/dreams is not only that you have something to shoot for, but you have something to look back on and measure progress. The beauty (and subsequent challenge) of sharing this with others is that they can now "call you out" if you are falling short. And that's what family and friends SHOULD do. They should support and applaud you when you are achieving; and help to push you forward when you are stumbling. I've heard many a person say: "well, they are an adult, they can do what they want", but I say "Rubbish!" If a friend tells me they are going to do something or want to do something, then I will do my best to ensure they reach that goal - keeping them in check when necessary. I have frequently torn cigarettes out of the hands of friends that are "quitting" only to face argument and excuses - there is always the occasional "thank you" as well. If you didn't mean it and you don't want help, then don't tell anyone.

I have been called out. In my New Years post, I said that I wanted to stay in touch with people more than I had been, and that I wanted to post four blog posts a month. Well, I have sent many more emails than I had in the past, but I haven't come close to my goal on posting four times a month. At the time, one a week didn't sound like much, but now it seems like a workload! However, even taking measure of my current situation I refuse to say that my goal was unrealistic - YET. Granted I have been working on other things at the same time, but I have still had plenty of opportunity to keep good on my pledges. So to the people that have the guts to call out your family and friends, thank you. I appreciate it, and your other friends will too, even if they don't admit it! :)

Addiction to connectivity

How many times a day do you find yourself checking emails or or thinking that you NEED to check emails. If you sit in front of a computer all day, that probably isn't even a thought, it is simply an automatic action. Also, since nearly everyone has a "smart" phone, you don't have to think about it, because it automatically comes through! But seriously, how many lives would be lost if you ignored your emails, text messages, phone calls and (God forbid) Facebook for a day? What about a week?

On my travels I am one of the few that still does not have an iPod/iTouch to carry around in my pocket, I still travel with a small netbook (my big clumsy fingers aren't adapted to the small touch screens), so it requires a little extra effort to get out the computer and get online - granted, not a big deterrent. I notice myself often asking "Do you have Wifi?" before getting a place for the night or even for a meal. The other day I talked to a guy who had been traveling for months, that had TWO iPods - one for data, one for media - and admitted he is addicted.

The point is, even if you break away from the "real world", and leave everything behind to travel the world, the desire to get online doesn't always follow; it still requires extra effort. Even though I automatically ask for Wifi a lot, I can easily go without it. I have been on boats for a couple of days at a time, or villages with absolutely no internet distractions and I don't miss it one bit, but when it is there, it is tough to ignore. It is like going on a diet and having a piece of chocolate cake (or whatever your vice) put in front of you.

So now, I am going into the jungle for a couple of days, we'll see how many lives are lost when I don't check Facebook for that time! :) Could you do it too??