

It is the narcissistic middle-aged, not the young, who love Facebook and Twitter - minus
http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/5185908/it-is-the-narcissistic-middleaged-not-the-young-who-love-facebook-and-twitter.thtml

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scott_s
One 15-year-old writes about his friends, and dozens of writers mistake it for
actual data.

In case my point is not clear: we don't actually know the demographic break-
down of who uses social internet sites like Twitter and Facebook. At least, I
don't, and I've never read anyone cite any studies. Consequently, this piece,
and write-ups like it, are speculation.

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tokenadult
Yes, this is an opinion piece, not based on any particular evidence, not the
conclusion of a scientific study.

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scott_s
Opinion pieces are fine, as long as they explicitly state the status of the
premise that they start from. In this case, the premise he starts from is
"most users of social internet sites are not teenagers." Then the opinion part
of the piece tries to explain why that is.

My complaint is that there's no evidence for his premise. In other words, he's
trying to explain something that might not be true in the first place. I worry
that he, and his readers, don't know the distinction.

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pxlpshr
I think these kind of articles miss the point of "status updates". For most
people, it's not really narcissistic behavior so much as it is efficient
social communication. Of course you can find outliers, douche bags are
everywhere with or without Twitter/Fb.

I can't tell you how many times I've caught a drink, attended a community
event, or grabbed a bite to eat with my friend(s) simply because I read he was
nearby, etc. Real-time communication makes things more exciting for people
that like more spontaneity in their life. I think introverts tend to have a
problem with it, and are the most critical of others having fun and
socializing.

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indiejade
Maybe.

But if we look at the historical significance of the Internet, it was built by
and has been largely dominated by introverts. The Internet has always kind of
been the one place we can all "find each other" to have interesting,
stimulating conversation while the rest of the world gabs about trivial
things.

However, Facebook, Twitter (to some extent), et. al, have really brought
extroverts in full-force to the Internet, and to some extent they are
encroaching on our "space." The hype has definitely clogged up the noise-to-
signal ratio, and weeding through all of the extraneous fluff can be tiresome.

So maybe it's not that introverts are exactly "critical," of the new
narcissistic "lookie at me! lookie at magazine cover!" vibe the Internet has
taken on, but that it subtracts substantially from what makes the Internet
interesting.

~~~
pxlpshr
I couldn't agree more with your last paragraph. :)

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DarkShikari
Reminds me of this classic image: <http://i26.tinypic.com/e8lfu1.jpg>

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TrevorJ
I would say that that's the vibe I get from Twitter on occasion.

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grellas
It is funny how the isolated impression of one 15-year-old is being used to
define an entire generation's supposed social networking habits.

I am a boomer, but no particular fan of boomers, yet one who will stand up and
say that boomers, like others, come in all shapes and sizes and are not all
strutting peacocks, contrary to what the author says or implies.

And since when does using social networking to better connect with friends, or
for any of a number of business, social, or other purposes, become a mere
outlet for vanity?

Even if his premise were true, the author does a lame job of advancing it.

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teilo
How many times do we have to hear this tired screed about social media? Try
googling twitter and narcissism, and you will see what I mean. Some of my
brethren in the Christian community are the worst offenders. I mean, it's
popular, so there must be something wrong with it, right? Narcissism is the
closest they can come, and so they milk it for all it's worth.

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callahad
The medium doesn't make the message. Twitter provides wonderful control over
what you see, and thus, it is what you make of it. Follow people that use it
in a way that you, yourself, find useful.

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cdibona
Whoa! It's like they know me. That's: <http://twitter.com/cdibona> for those
looking to see how awesome I am.

Seriously though, did we need a link to obviousland today? It that what HN is
for?

