Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Let take me take a #SELFIE - The Social Evolution - A Historical Look

There is a popular song out now by the Chainsmokers called #SELFIE.  It pretty much sums up the social culture today where you would go into any public place and everyone has their smartphone in their hand texting about what they are doing that night or generally about nothing at all.  The texting and selfie craze is getting out of control and is destroying normal interaction between people in public places.   However, this is not a new thing.  Every decade had its own version of #SELFIE.  Let's take a look.

So I was born in 1969, so I will start with the 1970s.  In the 1970s, the popular culture was Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll.   People interaction meant going to a club, getting a little high with a little help from their friends, chainsmoking and listening to some long drawn out rock and roll songs from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Yes.   The sex part was evident with free love and the case of looking for someone to make out with at the end of the night.  This was the decade of no technology so you had to talk to people.  Some of the best stories came from the clubs.   The #SELFIES consisted of turning that old Polaroid camera around and hope that you take a straight picture after one too many vodka tonics.   The 1970s lets just say is a classic time.

Then we move onto the 1980s., my favorite decade.   After all I was a teenager and it is a time in your life to embrace the popular culture to the fullest.   This was the decade of great alternative rock and gender bending.   Guys wore makeup, had long hair and girls wore those leggins.   It was probably the best decade to take those selfies since there was a lot of color and individuality.  After all from a music perspective, it was the decade of Duran Duran, Culture Club and my favorite heavy metal, think Motley Crue, Poison and Van Halen.  People interaction, like the 1970s meant, you go to clubs.   There were still no cell phones except those mega bricks in the later half of the decade, but who wanted to carry those.  A #SELFIE was more like taking a picture of the people you were with instead of taking a picture of yourself, since everyone looked so interesting.

In 1991, someone happened that killed the great 1980s culture.  It was called grunge rock.  Thanks Nirvana.  The songs got darker, people started staying inside and if you did go to a club, it meant slam dancing into people to angry music like Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward and Korn.    It was the decade of least people interaction, why? it was when email was the main way to communicate.  You probably did not want to take a selfie since you probably had a black eye and no makeup.  This was the decade where the internet became mainstream and going online was the main way people interacted.   Yes there was email and beepers.  Yes, beepers, remember those?  It was the start of carrying about those devices in your pocket so anyone can get in touch with you anywhere you are.  Social interaction was determine on how much black clothes you can wear in one week, yes,the social angst decade.  Don't talk to me!

Going into the new decade meant the advent of cell phones and eventually smart phones.  Everything changed?  Why?  Since those little devices have cameras now.   By the latter half of the 2000s, all of a sudden those cameras tied to the internet to create what we know as the new social media interaction.   After the downward spiral of the 1990s, the 2000s and 2010s were a welcome change in the social evolution.  People got out more and interacted, but in a different way, online.  At first, it was pretty cool to post pictures on social sites and yes, taking a selfie.  But that was in 2010-2012.  Now in 2014, it is out of control especially when even the president is taking selfies and listening to EDM Music    Rock and Roll as you knew it, is dead.  Thanks Avicii and Daft Punk!

So remember back in the 1970s, chain smoking was the most popular activity and now in 2014, the most popular activity is taking that #SELFIE.    Wow, this little old group called the Chainsmokers knew something when they named their group tying the 1970s culture to today's culture.  What will be the next group name with the latest craze?  I am open to suggestions.   Now to go to Starbucks so I can join everyone for a meeting of not looking at each other and but texting each other about how I need to take a #SELFIE.



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