More Connected but Farther Apart

The previous post documented my leap into social media applications and initial thoughts on how I can use different platforms to become more connected personally and professionally. In my travels on the Internet, I came across two videos that present interesting perspectives on being connected.

The first is a short video by Shimi Cohen called “The Innovation of Loneliness” that I found by way of an engaging post by Knowledge Worker, Luis Suarez.

I did contact Shimi Cohen about using the video in this space and in the classroom and the response was both immediate and positive. In the past, I have often e-mailed photographers or digital artists to borrow their images for education-related endeavours and they have rarely gotten back to me, and never within one day. That brief exchange is encouraging on two fronts: first as a novice blogger trying to observe etiquette and copyright legislation, and secondly, as an educator who wants students to understand intellectual property legally and conceptually. As students and teachers embrace Web 2.0, they must become aware of the importance of requesting permission to use digital works.

The second is a video that I learned about after reading Nick Bilton’s blog post entitled Disruptions: More Connected, Yet More Alone. According to Nick, this video has been viewed by over 15 million people and it is funny, true, sad and perhaps a lesson for us all. Charlene deGuzman is the creator and lead actress in the video. She has made a funny and poignant film about missing out on experiences in our attempt to record them.