A couple days ago I was reading an issue of Elle Canada when I came across an interesting article about Craigslist. The article is about the author's personal experiences and sentiments towards the 'Missed Connections" page on Craigslist.
The author explains her admiration and dedication to this page because she says, "it pleases me when someone references a location that I know". In her article she gives an example of a post that someone might write in the "Missed Connections" page on Craiglist, "Saturday night, tall black girl, mauve skirt, buying a hot dog, Bathurst and Queen." She explains that these types of postings entice and excite her because she has a friend with a studio in downtown Toronto close to the intersection of Bathurst and Queen and therefore she feels a connection to the posting on Craigslist. She writes that although she doesn't fit any of the above characteristics, she still feels a connection to the people in the listing, that she feels included. She writes, "Bathurst and Queen, I smile to myself. Yes, indeed, this is my town."
After reading this article on personal ads on Craigslist, I feel slightly concerned for the future of human interactions. More specifically, I question the type of human relations that such internet social media as Craigslist are promoting. This article certainly intrigued me to check out the "Missed Connections" page on Craigslist, through which I have found many alarming and interesting scenarios. There are many different postings, such as people who glanced at each other on the subway, or nearly incoherent desperate pleas to old lovers, people trying to give advice on relationships, to even scandalous encounters in a gym shower.
I have heard about these types of online personal services, but I had never browsed such a sight until today. Firstly I find it fascinating that quite a number of people post their 'encounters' on this site. Reading some of these posts, it's amazing the whim that people will take on trying to find a random person that they exchanged a glance with, or thought was cute when they passed each other while grocery shopping, etc. etc. There are so many bizarre yet everyday situations that people put such hope in and post online 'ads' almost to find a lover/significant other.
I find this type of participatory media to be rather entertaining to read, and rather interesting. I wonder how successful these services actually are? How many people actually find the person they are looking for and how often do those connections work out? Do participatory media such as "Missed Connections" on Craigslist provide useful services to humanity? Is this website simply an contemporary extension of a newspaper's personal section? Or is this an abuse of partipatory media that could be used for greater things?
Being I'm new to this type of media, I may be too critical of the "Missed Connections" section. The site does provide a forum for those searching out "missed connections" in everyday life in the city of Toronto, but it appears as an abuse on good intentions. Perhaps this medium provides a sense of community amongst people, but if so, what does that say about the state of humanity?
I don't think you're too critical of the "Missed Connections" section. I have never heard of these "Missed Connections" before! I think they're very creepy. Just because you happened to make eye contact with someone on a subway doesn't mean you need to ever see them again, much less hunt them down online. I doubt many of these connections ever work out, but I think it's still an invasion of privacy. I read a few of the "Missed Connections" and some of them describe in detail exactly what the person was wearing and details about their physical features that could potentially identify the person to others. The people posting these sightings need to get a life. Reminds me of the song by James Blunt, "You're Beautiful" with the lyrics: "She smiled at me on the subway, she was with another man, but I won't lose no sleep on that, cuz I've got a plan..."
ReplyDeleteUpon reading your post, I most certainly do not think you are being too hard on this website. As this was also my first encounter with “Missed Connections,” I found the whole concept of it quite strange.
ReplyDeleteFurther, I think you are right on mark when you question the current state of humanity in regards to the recent rise of this specific participatory media.
Why is it that we turn to online forums in search of everything meaningful in life today? Do we resort to living almost vicariously through our virtual lives if our everyday lives are lacking?
For now, this is an interesting phenomenon to keep an eye on; however, I think we will only be seeing this sort of behaviour become increasingly normalized as time goes on.
I do not think you are being too critical either.. although how nice would it be if you felt that same connection to someone, checked out the site and they had already posted something about you? What a love story! (But of course those stories surely do not happen often).
ReplyDeleteI do see the site as having a purpose to those who really did "feel something", missed that "connection" and need to tell them self they tried. Although actually "trying" would have been striking up a convo in the first place in person had they really "felt" something. So then I agree.. people ARE creepy and DO need to get a life. But I do think the site has a purpose, yet could be improved in some ways. It is quite unfortunate that some of the posts give an abundance of details about a person, because that really is an infringement of privacy.
PS LOL at the reference to James Blunt lyrics.