Social Siberia

While I thought of how we used the term, I read that 'Social Siberia' isn't just a metaphor.  The New York Times  reported that people who face social rejection perceived a 5 degree drop in temperature, in the lab and have hot food cravings. 'Warm welcome' and 'cold shoulder' seemed to relate to physical reality, according to the research.  So taking this information, I drift away and think of the metaphor as a reality of my world. Research or no research, I feel like there's more to it.

I've heard people use the above term numerous times before and now I can finally say it makes sense. It's like experiencing a new wave of media that is making being 'social' very different from how it used to be.

The term 'social' in the days of yore - no I don't mean centuries ago, let's switch back to a decade - meant that I got out on a Friday/Saturday night all excited about looking nice and meeting people, checking out a new restaurant/club and just 'schmoozing'.

For those of you who aren't aren't aware of the term, Schmoozing means to 'converse casually especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.'

But with the rise of the new media, my being social has narrowed down to Facebook. Well, most may argue that there is orkut, tagged, bebo, hi5 and all those numerous other social networking sites, but honestly, to keep one profile up and running is a task. It seems to me that we're definitely looking at a necessary evil. With obstacles like distance, time and place, people are now using the internet not just as a means to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, but also to be social and well, fall in love.

Does this not feel like it's the end of the world? This is it all - this is Social Siberia. We're not meeting people anymore we don't see and get the real thing. It's like reading a book. I know you're awesome Kindle and I'm glad I can carry you around and fit you into almost anything, but will you take me to another world and make me feel as involved as a book does? - I think not.

I know our world is now all about advancement and moving into the new and upcoming, but what we're losing along the way is reality coupled with experience. I like being social but it's like we're always one shot away from the real deal as we sit comfortably on our couch and say 'I love you' to someone we've  never met in person. I'm not discounting the fact that social networks have made it easier for people to talk and discover but they're bringing about 'connected cocooning' where we're just getting more distant - from friends, family and all the people we love.