My generation is defined as the generation which is on the go. Always connected, always communicating, always interacting, always networked & always with people. Talking, ideating, conversing & sharing ideas. The need to connect has become a prerequisite, even an obsession.

While isolation is imposed, solitude is chosen. The space between inhalation & exhalation is considered as the moment of truth for an individual, an opportunity to acknowledge & appreciate one’s existence.

Somewhere between tweeting & consuming conversations, that space has been invaded.

Am I the only one who feels that the time I spent reflecting on a few moments during the journey of life is scarily diminishing and headed towards oblivion. Irrespective of the fact that I may want to steal those moments of retrospection, the opportunity to do so is few and far between.

Is it due to this need to connect? The incessant thought that something is missing if I don’t tweet overpowers every other instinct that tries to break through the clutter.

Who are we talking to? A niche of peers who get it. A bunch of strangers who share our experiences, happiness & sorrows. Who empathize with our passions and longing to change the world. Be a part of a movement, be a part of a revolution?

We learn to form our opinions based on verdict passed by a seemingly innocuous mass of users, disconnected and unknown. Suggestions given by random strangers help us make an informed decision, the hallmark of the new consumer. Sporadic information bursts which make coherent thought a trained art and a broader perspective inconsequential.

The criticism I have heard so often about the social web is that a majority of conversations that emanate out of it are nothing but bullshit! An inane utterance expressed, let out in a moment of revelation or habitual necessity, inflicted upon the sordid screen watchers from time to time. Excruciating blurts described in detail about each and every minutia of existence!  Mere skid marks on the underpants of humanity, mingling in the depths of drain, with the infinite ebullition emitted by the seemingly endless masses, surging towards sea.

Is this worth being bothered about, looked forward to and leading a life in the midst of noise?

Now people may say, the social web is much bigger and far more enriching if utilized in the right way.  Prioritize they say, learn to switch off. And rightly so, this is not the entire truth. In fact it may be much farther than the truth. It’s a perspective. A perspective realized within the context of a moment. And sometimes, that is what matters.

The way the social web has democratized participation in a discussion, facilitated knowledge sharing and genuinely made is possible to connect with people across the globe is a revolution in itself. I understand it. I am a part of it. A blinking line crawling on a white background. A screen staring at me, listening, interacting, conversing, evoking thought and evolving with every breath. But can it really see me? Does it matter?