Keller @ Large: Do We Really Need Twitter All The Time?
BOSTON (CBS) - At first, I thought I had made a mistake and was reading a fake story from The Onion, the online parody newspaper.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
Podcast
But no, it was a real news story in a real newspaper, the Globe, all about the trend in concert halls offering so-called "tweet seats" for audience members who simply must tweet about their experience in real time.
No kidding, this is for real.
The Globe quotes one grown man saying he no longer distinguishes between talking with a person and communicating over his smartphone, and needs his Twitter feed to truly enjoy a show.
"If something interesting or unique happened once or twice during the performance and I wouldn't necessarily be able to remember it later, I'd want to tweet it.''
Really?
To each his own, I guess, but it's hard not to see this as a tad on the sick side.
For starters, it's narcissistic and rude to fire up your personal devices in a theater, no matter how quietly you're typing.
And I couldn't agree more with the guy from the Huntington Theater who tells the Globe:
"From the moment the curtain goes up to the moment it comes down, the art on stage is all the engagement the audience needs. That onstage moment you miss to read or send a tweet could be the one that sends chills up your spine, stirs you with empathy, or sends your imagination wild.''
I think his observation could apply to life outside the theater as well.
Certain experiences are best enjoyed in full as they occur.
A gorgeous sunset, a child's smile, and walking the dog come to mind.
Sharing is great, and if you want to share your pleasant moment on Twitter after the fact, knock yourself out.
But if the act of sharing crowds out true appreciation, cuts short the savoring of an experience, or becomes an end more important than the appreciation itself, it seems more of a curse than a blessing.
But one theater manager says the tweet-obsessed have to be accommodated.
"You're talking about people who can barely help themselves from texting while they're driving,'' she says.
What a pity.
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.
