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Popularity by the Numbers
12 years ago
This is something I have noticed that has been going on for a long time but never really thought about til tonight.
While hanging out with
chazzfox, we were watching Cold Case and she was browsing Tumblr. She had made a comment about how two more people were following her. This is not a bad thing but it did get me thinking.
Over the years as people have had easier ways of connecting and communication there has been a small group of people. Well maybe not small but I tend to ignore these types. They base how good there life is off of followers/viewers/people that pay attention to them. It happens on here, Facebook, MySpace, Youtube, Tumblr and any other similar site where a person can keep count on how many people are watching them.
It just blows my mind that someone puts a value on their life by the amount of attention they get from complete strangers that never talk to them. Never comment on their stuff. Never communicate with them in any other for them click one little button.
I know it is rare but I have heard stories of people abandoning their real life friends for these faceless internet people. They leave behind the people that are physically there for them. The people that want to hang out, talk with them, be their friends.
While I write this I do remember it is not just on social sites. It is in MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games as well. I know one person who will read this that can relate. The same thing applies.
I highly doubt anyone who reads this is anything like the people I have described. You may know someone though. Encourage them to turn the computer off and get away from it for a while. Get them some damn sunlight and some food besides Mountain Dew and chips.
While hanging out with
chazzfox, we were watching Cold Case and she was browsing Tumblr. She had made a comment about how two more people were following her. This is not a bad thing but it did get me thinking.Over the years as people have had easier ways of connecting and communication there has been a small group of people. Well maybe not small but I tend to ignore these types. They base how good there life is off of followers/viewers/people that pay attention to them. It happens on here, Facebook, MySpace, Youtube, Tumblr and any other similar site where a person can keep count on how many people are watching them.
It just blows my mind that someone puts a value on their life by the amount of attention they get from complete strangers that never talk to them. Never comment on their stuff. Never communicate with them in any other for them click one little button.
I know it is rare but I have heard stories of people abandoning their real life friends for these faceless internet people. They leave behind the people that are physically there for them. The people that want to hang out, talk with them, be their friends.
While I write this I do remember it is not just on social sites. It is in MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games as well. I know one person who will read this that can relate. The same thing applies.
I highly doubt anyone who reads this is anything like the people I have described. You may know someone though. Encourage them to turn the computer off and get away from it for a while. Get them some damn sunlight and some food besides Mountain Dew and chips.
I will say this...it does feel nice when I get a new watcher on FA. Makes me happy to upload things, especially now that I am fursuiting. More watches I get, the more I want to post new things for them.
I think where I start to make the frowny face is when I see folks view their big numbers as an excuse to turn into D-bags. The proverbial big fish in a small pond thing.
The internet is full of people who crave the attention they can't get in the real world, and I guess when you're that desperate maybe you don't know any better and think the high numbers count for something deep and meaningful. I think more than anything they can make you feel emptier, realizing you have so many people watching but when you need help or feel down maybe 2 of them really care.
...And I do admit I do get a bit of a rush of excitement when someone follows me on tumblr, because it means its someone new to meet. Most of the time they don't say anything though xD
Bah sorry if this isn't very coherent, I need to sleep...
I stopped watching someone because they tweaked three of my major peeves. No capitilization, begging for money when two days later talking about commissions, and their art seemed all sexual with no love behind it.
Taking pleasure in people's attention is a natural Extroverted behaviour. With over 75% of North Americans testing MBTI as Extroverts (as in, gaining their energy from groups and attention), the phenomenon of social networking makes sense. Socialized mammals will often derive a great deal of energy from the attention and contact with others.
That being said, for an artists page like FA the intent is that you gain this attention and network with others. You are intentionally OUTPUTTING energy to a collective. It seems illogical to derive resentment from not RECEIVING energy in return. Much like a tuning fork you must have something to vibrate against in order for this to happen.
Try watching others? The more you watch the more interactions you will gain. But being resentful a lack of input in a social complex designed to facilitate OUTPUTTING to others seems a bit counter-intuitive to me.