Twitter has become an addictive little distraction. It has replaced my urge to blog with a new urge to tweet. But despite the technical differences, and obvious limitations of twitter, I don't think anything has changed. I still "post" my thoughts and new ideas, and point to other people, and content. When others respond and engage, then we've started a conversation. Does it really matter that in one case we use an RSS Feed Reader, and in the other we use a Twitter App? I don't think so. We all have a limited amount of time for social activities of all kinds. We all have many circles of friends and colleagues with some circles being very large and other circles very small. Some of our social circles overlap while others are distant and completely unconnected. Despite which circle you engage with, you are using up a limited resource...your time.
Since we've all been alive for a while we've found ways to fill our time even if we choose to simply stare at the sky. Basic economics tells us that everything has a cost...right? (disclaimer: I'm not an economist - I'm prepared for the criticism and corrections - bring it!) By starting up one activity you give up another. Geesh, I hope I got that right.
So, I've been blogging less and tweeting more. Big deal. Does this mean I found blogging useless and "blearning" (copyright pending)* an invalid form of learning? No way. I still believe in the core fundamentals of 1) connecting with others, and 2) consuming and creating content. Both blogging and tweeting offer these fundamental activities for my daily required dopamine release. Consuming and creating content, and connecting with other people bring me great joy and happiness. I don't care what technology becomes that means to the end. Because I know that tweeting will not always be called tweeting and there is something else on the horizon: A bigger, shinier ball to get excited about and chase around the yard of my digital life.
*This is a joke. A ways back I thought it would be funny to try and start a meme, coin a term, etc. So, I thought blearning - learning by blogging - had a certain ring to it. I'm as annoyed at the bevy of buzzwords as you are, so laugh...please laugh.
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3 comments:
Just want to say I love the term blearning. I know all of these "b" words are getting to be a bit much, but I do enjoy this term.
Thanks for the comment, Marianne. It also works for me personally, because I think of it as my personal style, or BrentLearning...Blearning ;-)
And thanks for not taking things too seriously.
Good times!
Nice post. Coming from one that has yet to experience tweeting, I am not sure I agree with the equality of the two. How one can spread the wisdom that I see in so many blogs on a phone keyboard is not something I understand. I will watch and maybe even try. And thanks for the new word. But is it b-learning or blearning (as in blend)?!
Thanks
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