Time Keeps on Slipping...
Wow, I didn't have an update the entire month of August.
That just goes to show how low a priority LJ has become for all of us. It's unfortunate with the rise of Facebook we have also seen the fall of LiveJournal. In High School and early College, LJ was a popular outlet of communication for and between this group of friends. But in the last year or so, it's usage has dwindled into almost nothing.
Like I referenced, I'm sure Facebook has something to do with it, but it's not as if FB is a "new and improved" LJ. LJ was always more intimate and mature than Xanga and MySpace, which was appropriate for the members of this social sphere. FB is great for networking and being connected to countless others, but out of everyone on your "friends list," how many of them can you consider actual, close friends? LJ on the other hand really gave us all a deeper connection as we shared and commented on our thoughts and the thoughts of others. It was an extension of the investment we all has in each other's lives; a tangible manifestation of our friendships.
It's a bit ironic that as we went our seperate ways, we communicated through LJ less. One would think that our barely seeing one another would increase our LJ usage. For a while it did, but as time went on and we began to establish ourselves in new environments with new people, our desire to keep up with old friends and share our daily experiences decreased. That's the other side of things; it also makes sense that as we got "caught up" in new things, the importance of keeping in touch lessened. Where before we had common ground and shared experiences to discuss, now (for the most part) we're all doing our own thing. Having to update everyone on everything new in our lives lost its appeal.
But let's not exagerrate the place LJ, FB, and the like have in friendship. If people want to maintain friendships and are willing to put out the effort necessary, they will be maintained. In this day and age it's not difficult to pick up a (cell) phone, send an e-mail, or log on to AIM. In my view, friends (or groups of friends) are not interchangeable commodities. I'm very greatful for the friends who I do keep in relative regular contact with. When you come across people who's company you enjoy, whom you connect with on several levels, and most importantly, you can trust, be thankful.
So what about LiveJournal? I really don't know. It was good while it lasted, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. Livejournal is dead. Long live Livejournal.
That just goes to show how low a priority LJ has become for all of us. It's unfortunate with the rise of Facebook we have also seen the fall of LiveJournal. In High School and early College, LJ was a popular outlet of communication for and between this group of friends. But in the last year or so, it's usage has dwindled into almost nothing.
Like I referenced, I'm sure Facebook has something to do with it, but it's not as if FB is a "new and improved" LJ. LJ was always more intimate and mature than Xanga and MySpace, which was appropriate for the members of this social sphere. FB is great for networking and being connected to countless others, but out of everyone on your "friends list," how many of them can you consider actual, close friends? LJ on the other hand really gave us all a deeper connection as we shared and commented on our thoughts and the thoughts of others. It was an extension of the investment we all has in each other's lives; a tangible manifestation of our friendships.
It's a bit ironic that as we went our seperate ways, we communicated through LJ less. One would think that our barely seeing one another would increase our LJ usage. For a while it did, but as time went on and we began to establish ourselves in new environments with new people, our desire to keep up with old friends and share our daily experiences decreased. That's the other side of things; it also makes sense that as we got "caught up" in new things, the importance of keeping in touch lessened. Where before we had common ground and shared experiences to discuss, now (for the most part) we're all doing our own thing. Having to update everyone on everything new in our lives lost its appeal.
But let's not exagerrate the place LJ, FB, and the like have in friendship. If people want to maintain friendships and are willing to put out the effort necessary, they will be maintained. In this day and age it's not difficult to pick up a (cell) phone, send an e-mail, or log on to AIM. In my view, friends (or groups of friends) are not interchangeable commodities. I'm very greatful for the friends who I do keep in relative regular contact with. When you come across people who's company you enjoy, whom you connect with on several levels, and most importantly, you can trust, be thankful.
So what about LiveJournal? I really don't know. It was good while it lasted, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. Livejournal is dead. Long live Livejournal.