Having a Vowel Movement: Communication in the digital age. Part 2
Part 2: Instant messaging wants to destroy you.
Instant messaging is fast, simple, everywhere, and pure santorum-sucking evil. Open Facebook, did someone just send you an IM? Check your Gmail account; how about now? Do you have Skype and it’s auto-installed Firefox plug-in? What about AIM for all you pedophiles and people that still use Myspace? Even text messages are basically little IM’s. Instant messaging is very much a part of our world, fully integrated, and ready to make you look foolish.
Instant messaging de-humanizes conversation. You’ve probably heard this before but there have been a ton of studies on this. When people communicate via IM something just snaps and we are more likely to say things we normally wouldn’t. Four shots of tequila stuff, only without the broken windows and the soul crushing emptiness of seeing pictures of yourself in your tighty whities and a cowboy hat riding a rocking horse the next day. This phenomenon has a few names and I wont tell you my favorite because I promised Arachnode I wouldn’t cuss too much. I will however give you a link to Wikipedia and let your sweet detective skills put it together.