A few months back I started observing the behaviour of some deep sea creatures. They inhabit a very large ocean that brings most of its nutrients in the form of a light drizzle of decaying matter. I have lived in london for a while now, I can relate to the slight drizzle and the very large ocean of opportunity.
Because of the darkness, the apparent lack of context that is usually
provided by light, creatures have evolved to perform in fantastic new
ways in order to attract mates or prey.You can almost see houses of style at play as they empower people to perform in all sorts of colourful ways.
Their bodies are a little more protected as they feel their way through their reality. Some of those extensions specialize in connecting with certain chemicals, others with others.
The digital realm empowers us with tools through which to navigate it. It's not simple navigating a world where context is not as easy to assess as on the 'real world' through interpersonal physical performance and a lot of light and touch.
There was a time when I felt the digital world was more about escapism... and that we would go down that tunnel. Perhaps it's because I've always been very dreammy. We since have created new, more pragmatic tools through which to reconnect people with their habitats and catalyze touch. Social networking sites are perceiving the true value of connecting with what is real: Real gifts rather than virtual gifts; large repositories of photos documenting real events; status updates convey the right now; coming together and organizing future events...
Teenagers have a hunger for physicality, for exploring their bodies. They divide their time in the balance between possible playstation escapism, and SNS which feel like an empowering layer on top of the real world. As they navigate the strets, to me they look like little sea dwellers, with lot's of extensions, tools through which to sense and manipulate their reality, sometimes making mating a very awkward process.
(Images from the BBC)