This morning, while feeding my puppies, a thought occurred to me. People often cite the Internet and electronic media as “cold.” I do not agree. In my opinion, we are actually using this technology specifically to reach out, personalize the world, share and touch lives.
I am no stranger to the web. I was introduced to the online universe in the early 1990s by a fellow artist working for the Massachusetts Cultural Council, who described a new horizon where artists could see, hear and read their work. It was a place that was not fenced off by the guardians of the art world; a place to reach the public with new works. As I had already experienced in the mainstream art community where I was told that what was wanted was “fresh” and “new” when, in reality, that meant works that were easily categorizable and sounded like something that had been done before; I was intrigued and happily found my way into the electronic cosmos as a “newbie”. I remember trying, then, to imagine what this “world” would be like – without corporeality, without physical place – with no idea how to navigate. It was strange, but exciting.
In the years that followed, I was a multimedia artist, fortunate to be on the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s list of approved artists, creating works of music, theater, and television for children and adults. Internet, although limited, was useful. Through the Internet, I found and participated in what was known as “interactive writing”, where writers came together to write side by side, forming a story in real time. I worked on a graphic novel. Within these experiences, I learned a lot about writing (in the science fiction genre at the time), about myself, the world, and the web. The strong desire to find other people who share similar interests and ideas, to meet brave, passionate and visionary people whom I would not otherwise cross paths with, to search for the new, the avant-garde, the unique – all of these things fueled and solidified my love for the “online” world.
In direct contrast was my ex-husband’s disdain. To him, this was a place of nonsense that didn’t really exist. As a local entrepreneur, he didn’t see the need to connect with a larger audience. Once, in the early 1990s, almost twenty years ago, when I suggested investing in Internet companies like AOL, Microsoft, and Apple, he described everything as “a passing phase.” Apparently not. But he wasn’t alone.
In those days, when he described “cyberspace,” people gasped and couldn’t understand the allure. There weren’t a lot of user-friendly apps or services, and there were a lot of “declines,” which is what we call being offline without notice. There was no widespread DSL, cable, or wireless, but that didn’t stop the wave. Over the next ten years, the internet came of age: dating services, email services, online classes, webinars, ebay, amazon, blogs, and now youtube, facebook, twitter, and much more. The Internet has become the new phone book, the place to find services and directions, to ask questions, the place to read reviews, get products, research. Summarily, single-handedly, he replaced the paper dictionary and encyclopedia.
But in all this seemingly endless clutter, we come back to a simple concept: connection. For most of us, living is about our relationship with others. As the world expands, it contracts. We still strive for the human factor, the touching moment; the sincere comment, the pat on the back, the rah-rah from a friend. The proof can be found in the blessing of social sites like Facebook and myspace. We, as humans, crave communication. For me, it’s what got me started here in the first place. We find strength and comfort in community, whether in person or in the flash of a wire transfer. So many times I have gone to Facebook and found comments or ideas that make me smile or broaden my horizons.
Our well-being is a complex matter made up of puzzle pieces that fit together to create who we are and how we feel. Our communication is not limited by physical interaction or the phone. Our ability to feel and touch is much greater. It travels on air waves and comes through cables and screens. The possibilities of getting there are endless.