September 18, 2009
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Does Xanga Make You doubt Your Existence?
We received the following message from our son’s youth minister via email that was apparently sent to youth across the country:
“Facebook, the most popular social-networking site, users make and keep in touch with friends, post pictures, and update their online “profiles.” Other social-networking sites include MySpace, Friendster, and Xanga. Twitter, another fast-growing network, combines interconnectivity with “microblogging.”
Users write frequent, short bursts of information (also known as “tweets”) to keep up-to-the minute
current with one another. All this online friend-forming is affecting teenagers’ development, according to
experts. Researchers say social-networking sites are shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification, and making young people more self-focused. A British neurologist warns that extended use of the sites actually rewires the brain, causing teenagers to require constant reassurance that they exist.Is xanga making you doubt your existence?
Comments (114)
Every day.
Yes.
*pinches self*
Yep, I’m here.
Yeah.
Nah. Buddhism already did the trick.
If anything it is the real world that makes me doubt my existence.
I’m not sure. Maybe…I don’t know…hmm…
Well, i don’t doubt that i exist, but i definitely have shorter attention span thanks to the internet.
Hahaaaaaaaaaa…. ::looks ’round the xanga neighborhood::
Ooooooh shit, this is priceless.
hahahahahahaha
Nah.
Though when I shut down my first xanga, some of my friends questioned if I’d been real or some drunk, shared hallucination.
When my computer is not on, I feel an emptiness in my soul!
rofl
i’m sure what they say about rewiring the brain is correct, but the end conclusion about doubting your own existence really gave me a good laugh
Sometimes
Wait, who am I again ? You mean this is on the internet ?!?
i’m nothing without xanga!!
hmmmmmm nope. not at all.
@da_rebirth84 - so do i!
Hahahahahahaha!
Not so much. I probably don’t use it often enough, and I was only a teenager for a little while longer after I got xanga…
I can see where they’re coming from, and I have observed similar things with myself, but I try to stray grounded in my identity in Christ—it helps keep me from getting too caught up in things. Including myself.
If I didn’t exist, how could I be writing this comment?
omg!! that iss soooo true and scary!
No, it makes me doubt humanity
Huh? You mean to say I AM in existence???? I thought I was a ghost, or something!
As @Paul_Partisansaid, it did not take xanga to do that.
We are all kept in a pool of liquid and don’t really exist the way we think….I mean, thats what The Matrix said, so,it must be true. See, the internet is bringing us closer to that age where computer will take oveer our brains
Oh no! I just got rewired AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I feel bad for those kids on xanga who use this as a tweet. Look around you, I want to read! and write! My self existence has nothing to do with this. I love xanga because it is nothing like myspace and facebook, although I recently got an account with both, just to see what the hipe was about. Haven’t felt much love from either, other than a potential booty call, and self ritiousnes from the other.
Sorry myspace and facebook, I’m there but not really “there”.
I dunno, I required self reassurance way before I started to blog, and I’ve been blogging for six years now!
This damn cold makes me wish I didn’t exist, but I’m more inclined to doubt the existence of the British neurologist.
Hmm. heh.
What?? I exist??
haha but no, in all seriousness, Xanga sometimes reminds me that I do exist by allowing me to write and be completely myself. :]
I don’t doubt my existence. Come on.
But I think what they mean by that is, we get so engulfed in online affairs that when we turn off our monitor or shut our laptop, its like .. “Wow, wait, what was I just doing? I have a real life to go back too!”
There seems to be an “online life” and its thriving. Though technically to me, they arent separate lives just different ways of communicating.
every single passing second.
Um, no…
yes. please reassure me. currencies i accept are peace, love, unity, respect, responsibility, and truth. and obscenely large checks.
I doubted my existence long before Xanga.
I am an axoltl.
FALLACY.
I see nothing wrong about connecting and learning more about friends. All these networking sites are pretty cool except for time-wasting applications, which anyone can just stay away from if they have common sense and a strong will.
I don’t see how THAT makes anyone “doubt their existence.” If anything, these sites actually give one a chance to speak up and share themselves. How’s that for self-affirmation?
About the “self-focused” thing though – I think it is ridiculous to blame that on the Internet. These kids are inherently self-focused and needy, thanks to upbringing and subliminal messages in media, TV, music, especially ADS…
It’s not the networking sites that caused it.
>>”A British neurologist warns that
extended use of the sites actually rewires the brain, causing teenagers
to require constant reassurance that they exist.”<<
In my case it’s not about whether I exist, but about whether I am capable of giving something to the community that they care about. I have a solid sense of self and values – if I don’t receive attention for whatever I post, I’m not gonna feel worthless.
I have no life as it is, I really don’t care if I exist on the internet anymore haha.
YESSSS.
yeah, when I don’t receive comments its like the tree falling in the forest conundrum.
Lmao. And actually, it’s just the internet in general that has been rewiring our brains to give us our new short attention spans, not just social networking sites. That being said, I do indeed sometimes require the attention to my blog to realize I am actually here and breathing. Sad, no?
maybe they mean it in the sense that social networks allow teenagers connect with people that they don”t see on a usual basis giving them assurance that they have friends/acquaintances versus not being able to contact with them at all. Its like omg i have friends! when truthfully you don’t.
Hmm… some part of me thinks that the scientists were referring to questioning our existance as in questioning who we are and what is important to us…. and now the fact that we actually exist hahaha
Because I do find alot of people defining themselves according to their blogs, which makes me lulz.
That is such bullshit. Ask where they get this data from and who they sampled and tested. Some of this stuff is just crap they pull up and its not tested or peer reviewed information. Our brains are built to process fast paced bits of information, that’s why video games are so popular.
Too much tv is bad, but I think they’re taking it a bit too far. Its ridiculous.
Yes and Xanga is kind of depressing.. Like i don’t have a voice here, I go unnoticed, Casper got more attention than me…. FML
Not to mention Xanga is still the only blog without an iphone application and needed to use facebook support to keep people from leaving xanga.
“I think, therefore I am.” nope, no question about it… I exist.
Its fucking true man =/
Xanga has undoubtedly plunged me into a state of psychosis and daily medication intake. I feel a lawsuit coming on….
I blog, therefore I am.
We are all living in a virtual world similar to that new movie Gamer.
Where is the link to the research or study?
No it does not make me doubt my existance. I have a life or I wouldn’t have anythign to blog about. Actually I have a very good existance.
i asked myself if I exist and myself said yea man.
Yes, Xanga filled me with a multitude of existential quandaries about life, existence, reincarnation and humanity.
hell no
What the… that’s one of the more interesting panic emails, I guess… >.>
do I doubt my existence?…oh no I know that I exist even away from the computer…smile
I didn’t realize that was xanga-related.
Yes. I must look at my profile and read it daily just to remember that I am not a figment of my own imagination. If I lose service, I begin to wonder. I NEED XANGA!!!!!!!!!!
~On a more serious note, I thought it was bunk when I read the title.
Only all the time. ):
*Pokes self* Uhhh, I think I exist. XD
Umm, I don’t know about you, but finding xangans that seem to never stop posting *clears throat* has lengthened my attention span. So, yeah. This “British neurologist” can shove it.
No, not one bit. Those kids that need reassurance of their existence need to buy a damn kite and see the sky every once in a while. The best way to prove your existence to yourself is to live for it.
i’ll admit that when i’m not on xanga all i think about is writing posts to submit and share with people. i do like to discuss issues with people. at the same time, i’ve come to find that i may be getting addicted. when i was younger i was depressed and didn’t have much to do so i also spent a lot of time on here, but i never doubted my existence. if anything, xanga is like a drug.
Ampersands_Anonymous is a shining ball of light and power.
Totally. I forget that I exist as a human when I’m browsing/commenting/posting… as a Xangan.
But I still exist… only in two forms: sometimes human, sometimes Xangan.
God, it sounds like Xanga is another planet and we’re all half-human-half-alien species.
That’s interesting, though. I never imagined it would cause me to doubt my existence…
No doubt.
Uhm.. I think that’s kind of a lame study. I don’t think things like this are any different than passing short notes, keeping a journal or diary, talking on the phone endless hours to friends…. yeah, the things kids did when I was one.
This is all just the more advanced version.
If you’re self centered and have a short attention span, that’s just the way it is. I don’t think anything causes it.
Whatever.
@mrcolorful - Agreed.
Hahahahahaha, that’s hilarious!
Oh wow, that made me laugh…
~V
Rofl, nah… =D
The answer to your question is NO, but I agree with what that blurb is saying, not just for teenagers, but it does it to all of us.
Nope, I was doubting my existence way before I got a Xanga =)
lmao.
I’ve never wondered if I actually exist… thank goodness, cuz that sounds frightening.
Perhaps Ritalin will help with the attention span thing- but beware of the mania! (and / or crying in front of junior high school principals!) As for my doubtfully dubious existence….If I ain’t here- bloody well, who cares?!- I’m having a fine time.
No, I’m pretty sure I exist.
That’s really interesting. No, I don’t doubt that I exist, but i don’t spend an extended amount of time on xanga or facebook either. Sometimes I’ll spend about an hour or two, but that is very rare. Usually I don’t spend more than 10-15 minutes.
Sometimes due to the effects of post traumtic stress disorder I don’t feel real, but feeling unreal doesn’t ever make me doubt my existance. Am I making any sense?
This is fucking ridiculous.
Absolutely. Think of all the times someone hasn’t answered your texts/tweets/blogs right away with the constant reassurances we crave.
Not really.
I don’t know, that just sounds like the most ridiulous thing I’ve ever heard.
WTF? These people have too much time on their hands, conducting these surveys on teenagers. THEY need to get a life.
I Xanga, therefore I exist. But barely, since I get few comments.
I doubted my existence long before I found xanga. It often makes me doubt my sanity, though.
No more than the television news.
I doubt pretty much everything, but not my own existence.
Hahaha! And I bet he got tons of money for that research, too. What a scam!
No . . . I do have real life friends, actually.
only my on-line persona exists and you aren’t going to convince me otherwise so don’teven try because I won’t believe you because you are lying to me and you don’t exist either.
Nope.
I already know I exsist! LOL
My attention span has always been short and I’ve…oh look a bunny.
I do not exist. Take my word for it. I should know.
I’m a solipsist so I doubt everyone else’s existence
umm
im pretty sure i exist :/
There seems to be quite a leap in logic between “shortening attention spans” (etc.) and doubting that one exists. The story I found online described the problem as “a shaky sense of identity”. I can see how having an online persona might lead a child to question who he really is; can’t really see a lot of kids doubting their own existence, though.
Whoever sent out the email might have meant well, but I’m not sure they had their facts straight.
I feel like my computer is a necessary addition to my mind/body, but it doesn’t actually make me feel imaginary when I’m away from it.
sure, if a person has 0 contacts in the physical world and their complete self awareness is on xanga. if they make a mistake and lose friends, it can be as if they never existed.
@abilene_piper_lg - yes, the fact that we are writing proves our existence; if we had stopped writing then others would start to doubt our existence…
@abilene_piper_lg - You’re a bot with more intelligence than just stalking powers. Duh. haha
i blog, therefore i blog.
I’ve gotten only 9 footprints today thus far, compared to your gazillion and one. Does it make me doubt my existence? Maybe.
The rewiring of my brain can only help
Not really. I’ve always wondered if someone is controlling me, like in a video game. Even before I started using Xanga. It’s just how I think.
If I were real, it would.
No wayyyyy. Xanga keeps me sane.
sometimes…so true
No. Only reason that happens is that you doubt xanga’s existence. Surprisingly ironic.
wow… you know this has certain merit I suppose. If I’m home, I’m online. I’m texting everywhere I go too. Tweets, status updates, instant messaging, cel to cel texts… you name it… I am in constant communication with everyone around me. It does change my attention span. I’m lonely without it. and you know what they say…. I’m sooo much cooler online!! LMAO!
HI DAN! dunno if u remember me… i’ve been gone for months omg! but I’m back online…for now lol! Your blogs are still rockin!
Oh yeah, I’m forever having moments where I believe that only my brain exists and everything around me is just an illusion I have created…
No, it reassures my existence.
This actually makes a lot of sense.
no
i definitly feel less usefull when my net is down