Zeitgeist

            In class we had to read an article about Zeitgeist and the Zeitgeists of the past generations. Zeitgeist is the “spirit of the times”. Well I think one of the main Zeitgeists of this generation is communication.

            What made me think of communication was youtube. Youtube brings people together. It is so easy to find something in common with someone who laughs at the same videos as you. This bonding comes from videos that have gone viral, that almost every one has seen. There is no better way to connect with old friends than over a video of autotuned news or some other funny video. It has also created new vocabulary (for example, “viral”) which bonds together people of different internet subcultures, like Nerdfighters. It also showcases how our generation has had so much access to other people our age around the world. Many companies have even tried to take advantage of youtube and design their ad campaigns to cater to those who use the internet. For example, Old Spice posted response videos to people that wrote in with questions or comments on their youtube or twitter.

Text messages are a relatively new form of communication. Now almost everyone uses them to stay in touch because they find it so much easier than calling. I have friends who use tens of thousands of text messages, and hardly any talking minutes. Its so easy to just pick up a phone, write the one question you need to ask a classmate, send it off, and get a response a few minutes later. How easy! It has also led companies to use teenagers’ obsession with text messages to their advantage. Cell phone companies have been designing fancier and fancier phones to try to make a profit off of those who can’t live without the internet and music on their phone.

The internet, youtube and text messages all have something in common: communication. Its absolutely fascinating watching all these people connect and make friends from all over the world. I have a few friends I have made from the internet whom I consider to be my best friends. I wouldn’t have met them and keep in contact with them if it weren’t for these new forms of communication.