This past weekend I watched a documentary on HBO, Hear and Now. It was about a couple that had been deaf all their life and they were going in to have cochlear implants, a surgery that helps to develop the sense of hearing. Throughout the movie you watch this couple get excited about hearing the leaves rustle in the wind, the water crash along the shore and the sound of a light switch turning on and off. It made me realize I take this sense for granted everyday.
We learn from a young age to tune out sounds around that might bother us. For example, the keys while I am typing this article wouldn’t usually be the dominate sound since the music is on and people are speaking in the background. I have learned what sound I would like to focus on and which sounds to tune out. It is hard to think that our brain could be overloaded with a simple click of the mouse.
It is easy to apply this concept to social media. There is so much “noise” going on around us, we have learned which outlets we would like to focus the majority of our time. For some people they like to connect with friends on Facebook while others like to create new connections on Twitter. No matter what each person chooses, it is best as an individual to remember that people have different motivations and needs. Don’t be too critical of your co-worker because they don’t get what you are doing on a social website because someone might think your endeavors are silly and pointless.
Just as it was a new world for the Brodsky’s, it is a new world for all of us. Social media is adding new aspects to our lives, but we never want to take for granted the simple pleasures.
