Photo credit : aslakr/flickr
Few days back I posted a question on linked in "How much screen do you consume " and received couple of interesting answers. I thank all the people on Linked In who shared their feedback and I am carrying forward that discussion on my blog now.
Julia Shacklock had a very interesting observation that two people at the same place can be in two completely different ‘virtual places’ using multiple screens. She also commented aon the requirement of having a single screen a single window to the world instead of going through or switching through multiple screens that we do now on a daily basis.
Screensumer & Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds are not just the worlds where you take a different avatar or identity. Virtual worlds is anything that is taking up your time & attention so that you are more immersed and engaged in the screen through which you are consuming it and less engaged with what’s happening around. It happens all the time and it changes your perception of reference, context, reality, distance, relationships and many other human sensations and attributes.
For example, in a same room your wife is watching something interesting on TV and you are doing some serious work on your laptop. In this case, you are not attached with your physical environment or the person who is near to you. You and your emotions are more tuned to the screen that you are consuming. Since your wife is watching an interesting program she may like to share it with you and you may block that response with a frown. Also, if you are getting disturbed by the interference of the other screen – TV and want her to lower down the volume or such, your wife thinks you are a jerk and can’t enjoy simple things iun life and all you know is to be the slave to your laptop. You both are at the same place, same time but in the different virtual world. These virtual worlds of screensumers are the virtual worlds inside the real world.
Now, this is not a new phenomenon – we think over things and we multitask and we overtask. Our engagement, feelings and expressions are not limited to our physical presence and the physical surroundings.
This is not new, but no other generation in the past was so immersed in the virtual worlds than we are now. The billions of virtual word can change not just the equations with your family and relationships but with the entire society.
Virtual worlds are not barriers to the real world relationships and transactions. They are enablers in fact. Social Networks, Mobile phones, Email, Video conferences and other types of screen based communication can bring people and societies more closer and together and people are already doing that. But as we have the couch potatoe syndrome for the over consumption of TV and we are seeing it’s effect on society. We are still unaware of the fact how our combined consumption of screen is impacting our senses, body and health.
The problem mostly happens with youngsters and blind followers of a particular trend. Early adopters, social influencers and professionals do it because of their attachment with that particular trend or technology. They have a cost to that consumption and also the gains. People don’t understand the priorities in their life and simply mimic the ‘media moguls’ and the ‘super novas’ on the web. With millions on memes, trends and hypecycles on the screens these days, it’s very easy to lose focus in real life and spend the time, day, week, months, year and life in this massive matrixed hypermedia.
The other problem with hypermedia screens is that it is there are no real boundaries and everybody is in the state of denial that they are addicted to their screens and have an OCD towards their screens.
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My name is Santosh Maharshi, an ex-bollywood child artiste & now an Internet & Media professional from last 12 years. I have worked with