Recently, a Croatian designer, Tomislav Zvonaric, designed the model of a Facebook Bed. Basically, it is a bed that can make someone sleep, eat, work, and possibly die with Facebook around. One comment joked that if they add a toilet into the design one would never have to leave.
A look at the details of the design reminds me of only one word: addiction. As a human being living on this planet, one has got so much to do rather than being tied up to one thing. Yet it is sad to see how many people are over obsessed with things like Facebook or Twitter, and this design reflects how extreme this obsession could be. True, not everyone loves this design or will buy it, and even if they buy it they might not live their whole life on it. But just thinking about the idea of one tool having the power of controlling a person makes me feel scared. Sometimes I wonder in such cases, is the person the master or the tool?
Personally, I prefer a life that is not obsessed with anything: not TV, not Internet, not smartphone, not game, not drug, not any single thing. To me, being obsessed with one thing sounds like the loss of myself as I became dependent on some other things more than just basic need for survival. It puts me in doubt the ability of myself to face challenges when needed, e.g. when I’m sent to a place with no electricity for work, or when natural disaster forces me to strive for basic survival, or just for the sake of being who I am and having my own soul integrate without the brainwashing effects from those addictive things. I think I might be a little cynical over this issue, but I’ve seen people who are attached to TV or the Internet having a hard time during short period holidays where they couldn’t get as much access to those things because they had to meet people or the location did not have the service. They showed obvious panic and constantly wanted to get back to their “normal” lifestyle with all their information "updating".
But is that truly normal? Is that updating of your "friends" or shows that crucial to one's life?According to the moderate effect model in mass communication, media only has limited effect on the audience. In my mind, it suggests that media and audience interact, or are supposed to interact, in a way that is sort of like power/control mediation or negotiation, back and forth, with each side trying to take control. But I don’t know to what extent are the general people really able to fight back the conglomerate power of those few real game players who are after power and money.Since when has people started to measure their popularity by counting "friends" on Facebook (even though many of them are no more than just a name?), and photo ops for eyeballs? Is it true that the better you socialize yourself on Facebook Twitter LinkedIn or whatever, the more successful you will be? How many real successful people paved their way to the throne by spending days and nights "Like"ing whoever's posts? How many people dare to admit the emptiness they feel after they shut down their screens? What is wrong with the people? I just constantly get puzzled.
I feel fragile even thinking about that dominant power behind the screens, and feel reluctant sometimes to go with the flow. I don’t know if bearing in mind such an alarm of not being manipulated will make any difference in reality, but I believe this awareness at least makes a difference than ignorance at heart.
And NO, I will not want to sleep in such a Facebook Bed with nightmares of being trapped in spiders’ nets.
Facebook Bed source link:
http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/facebook-bed/
A look at the details of the design reminds me of only one word: addiction. As a human being living on this planet, one has got so much to do rather than being tied up to one thing. Yet it is sad to see how many people are over obsessed with things like Facebook or Twitter, and this design reflects how extreme this obsession could be. True, not everyone loves this design or will buy it, and even if they buy it they might not live their whole life on it. But just thinking about the idea of one tool having the power of controlling a person makes me feel scared. Sometimes I wonder in such cases, is the person the master or the tool?
Personally, I prefer a life that is not obsessed with anything: not TV, not Internet, not smartphone, not game, not drug, not any single thing. To me, being obsessed with one thing sounds like the loss of myself as I became dependent on some other things more than just basic need for survival. It puts me in doubt the ability of myself to face challenges when needed, e.g. when I’m sent to a place with no electricity for work, or when natural disaster forces me to strive for basic survival, or just for the sake of being who I am and having my own soul integrate without the brainwashing effects from those addictive things. I think I might be a little cynical over this issue, but I’ve seen people who are attached to TV or the Internet having a hard time during short period holidays where they couldn’t get as much access to those things because they had to meet people or the location did not have the service. They showed obvious panic and constantly wanted to get back to their “normal” lifestyle with all their information "updating".
But is that truly normal? Is that updating of your "friends" or shows that crucial to one's life?According to the moderate effect model in mass communication, media only has limited effect on the audience. In my mind, it suggests that media and audience interact, or are supposed to interact, in a way that is sort of like power/control mediation or negotiation, back and forth, with each side trying to take control. But I don’t know to what extent are the general people really able to fight back the conglomerate power of those few real game players who are after power and money.Since when has people started to measure their popularity by counting "friends" on Facebook (even though many of them are no more than just a name?), and photo ops for eyeballs? Is it true that the better you socialize yourself on Facebook Twitter LinkedIn or whatever, the more successful you will be? How many real successful people paved their way to the throne by spending days and nights "Like"ing whoever's posts? How many people dare to admit the emptiness they feel after they shut down their screens? What is wrong with the people? I just constantly get puzzled.
I feel fragile even thinking about that dominant power behind the screens, and feel reluctant sometimes to go with the flow. I don’t know if bearing in mind such an alarm of not being manipulated will make any difference in reality, but I believe this awareness at least makes a difference than ignorance at heart.
And NO, I will not want to sleep in such a Facebook Bed with nightmares of being trapped in spiders’ nets.
Facebook Bed source link:
http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/facebook-bed/