What was the sexual revolution of the 1960’s? While I wasn’t old enough to really be aware of it, at its essence it changed the definition and etiquette of who it was OK to have sex with, right? There’s a lot more to it than that, but that was one of the most basic and fundamental things that changed in that era, and after that shift happened, the definition and etiquette have continue to evolve and different age groups and social groups have their own ideas, but the sexual revolution, which was also really a social revolution transformed culture.
When people talk about Facebook and myspace and Twitter and other social networking sites, a lot of people talk about how those sites will monetize social networking and those kinds of things in a more forward looking fashion.
Well I am here to tell you a second sexual, or at the very least a second social revolution, has already happened, and it’s as simple as what happened in the ’60s.
Facebook has changed the actual definition of the word “friend” for most people under 40, and a lot of people over 40. By fundamentally changing the definition of the word friend, people are shifting their ideas about privacy and communications. It has already happened. What we don’t yet know is how that will transform our social work environments when 20-somethings have one set of standards and definitions of what is OK, communicating with a boss over 50 with a very different set of definitions and expectations of what’s OK, it’s going to be the 60’s all over again, though probably a lot less psychedelic.
There’s a new movie coming out next month called We Live In Public, it already won the best documentary at Sundance this year, and it’s in the running for the Oscar. I have seen it and I really think it captures some of the good, as well as the dark side of this revolution. It’s such a watershed moment in our culture, I think this movie is going to wake everyone up to what has already happened and it’s going to force people to rethink where we are all headed.
The revolution has already happened. Now we have to see what’s next.
-Ric
Yes. And, like the 60s free love, which I was too young for but tried to replicate a couple, few, times in my day, FBing in the 21st century can get you lots of friends (love?). But, in the light of day after you gave the guy your number and you see he’s a creep you go “what the f&^k have I done?” Of course un-friending someone is a lot easier than un-sleeping with them. Oh, did I say that out loud?
Eh, I screwed up my previous URL.