Technoexhibitionism
Jul 21, 2008 3:38 PM | Posted in Articles, OpinionA Google search for technoexhibitionism returns nothing (until now), so I’m claiming the invention of the word, and defining it to mean the use of technology (usually through the Internet) to reveal private details of one’s life for no substantial reason other than personal pleasure.
As far as I know, the very start of this trend was the invention of the webcam. Back in the day, all a webcam could do was take a picture every minute and upload it to a website. You did it every minute because that’s how long it took to upload a decent pic on 56k. It wasn’t live, but it was the beginning. People were interested, and they wanted to watch. Blogging was the next major stage. Blogging sites like LiveJournal, Blogger, and Xanga added a community aspect, giving rise to MySpace, Facebook, and the general concept of social networking. And now, we have Twitter and this concept of micro-blogging, where the emphasis is on less substantial, but more live, up to the second, postings. While all these services allow you to limit who sees your updates to friends only, most people decide to make their posts public. Advanced cell phones like the Blackberry and iPhone have allowed this sharing to become even more live and detailed, including the use of pictures, audio, video, and live chat, at almost any moment.
A lot of people still opt out, choosing not to put their private lives out there for anyone with the ability to type a web address. But an increasing number of people want to share their lives. Advances in technology have made it easier for the less savvy to engage in. Will we ever grow out of this? Perhaps. But for now, it’s new and interesting, and people want to do it, for no reason other than the fact that they can. In a way, it makes you famous. Millions might not watch you, but the fact is, they could if they wanted to. Where is it going? I’m not sure, but as a technovoyeur, I like it.
Are you a technoexhibitionist? I want to know why or why not. “Because I want to” isn’t a very good reason at all. I do it because I like to keep my friends informed. I don’t think I have a particularly interesting life, but everytime I post, I see people reading those posts. Somebody’s watching, and they keep coming back. I don’t feel comfortable sharing everything, but that might change as I become more comfortable with it. For me, technoexhibitionism keeps me honest. I put myself out there, not trying to impress anyone in particular. It’s very egotistical, admittedly.
One response to “Technoexhibitionism”
(Comments belong to their respective posters, not me. If you have a problem with what they say, complain to them.)
By v64 on Jul 21, 2008 3:45 PM
If you’re a technoexhibitionist, why do you do it? Do you have a specific audience in mind? Is your life just for your friends or for the Internet public in general? If not, why don’t you? Is the technology too hard to use, or do you just think it’s weird and invasive? Do you like to watch at all?
To elaborate on what I said earlier, I certainly would not have gotten so deep into it if It wasn’t for my iPhone. The ability to browse the web and post this stuff with ease makes it easier to impulsively share something. My old phone had the web, but it was slow and neutered, and not worthwhile. I think as more people get these types of phones in their hands, it’ll really take off. I know people who shunned things like text messaging and blogging until they were able to do it easily, and then it became fun and interesting for them.