I can’t help but think that we’re missing something as we’ve moved away from written words.
I don’t want to use multi-media social media. I don’t want to scroll videos. I am somehow repelled by Tik Tok. I liked Instagram for a year or two when it was about images, but more than that I liked to read the long captions for the stories behind the images. But then it tried to turn into Tik Tok. I can’t stand the focus on videos.
I wish there was a social media platform that was just words. Where people could write what they were thinking. Or maybe the very nature of it being “social media” would be a problem.
There is something about writing that forces us to think about what we are going to say. It forces organization to our thoughts. But it also puts everyone on a more equal footing. It is only the words that matter, not the clothes, or whether or not you’re sitting slouched over.
Writing gives a person the chance to be elegant with their words even if they can’t deliver them in a charming way when speaking.
Maybe it’s just the way my brain works, but I feel like reading things is somehow special. Images and videos are supposed to have so much more context. You can see what is there. You can hear the person’s tone, their voice, their expression. So why do I feel like something is missing in terms of real connection with all of the images and videos out there?
I can read a book or an article and feel like I am there. Like I am literally inside of the writer’s head, or the character’s head. But when I watch the video or scan the image, I always feel like I’m on the outside looking in. I can’t find the connection. I can’t put myself in their spot. I’m just watching.
Good words, well-written stories draw me in. They give me the chance to understand things from another perspective. They let me be the other person for a while.