If you’re reading this, you absolutely own or have access to a computer and some form of internet; and I assume that most of you will have made a Facebook account, probably a good portion with an Instagram, Vine, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest, or Snapchat (YouTube?). I admit I am signed up for all of these social networks and a few more, each having its own purpose and content to explore (for me at least). We live in “The Age of Information” (to reiterate a modern cliche) where our attention has become a thing of great value; and consequently, we get blasted with large quantities of info as we all try to gather as much of this attention as possible. Sure, it's a business thing too, advertising companies run millions of dollars of ads through these services, all engineered to attract your eyes when you scroll onto their page; however, the media industry is far from the only thing that is exploding from the rise of the giant social networks.
For the first time in human history, the entire world now has the ability to share ideas, opinions, findings and entertainment. I can still remember the days that Facebook didn’t exist, but it is still old enough now that I can’t imagine what life without these places was like (and smartphones only add to the effect). All of this, and I still find everything amazing. Everyone has a voice now, everybody feels that sense of weight behind their actions when they post on a blog, and the more views (or likes) they get, the better they feel as their ideas and concerns reach out to more interested people.
Now, here’s where the illusion meets a wall, even if you have a lot of Facebook friends or Twitter followers, most people still only have a voice to those around them. Physically localized communities and small, tight-nit internet cultures make up a majority of the audience most people have when they log on to write something to “change the world.” That’s the problem with these forms of networks: it’s very difficult to actually make yourself heard. Twitter, Vine, and Instagram can sort of work, but creating an argument on any of these services in tricky, especially when confronted with character limits and having to include a photo or video. Snapchat, Facebook, and Pinterest are just simply too private for an individual to reach anybody, and none of these platforms are made for it either. The list goes on and on.
Coming to my main point, that is why I decided to turn here. The Odyssey seems like just the place for me to turn to discuss my ideas with anybody who feels like listening. Do I expect to make it big here? No, and neither do I expect all of my ideas to be new (or even good); but I’m not just doing this to change the world either. This is also a great place for me to practice my writing and to share experiences. In other words, I’m as much a reader here as anybody else who clicks on the link for this article, the difference being that I’m reading into myself and opening my thoughts up for feedback.
