Experiencing the social phenomenon of ppl communicating to me through social media or memes one-level removed. A few days ago I had dinner with a bunch of ppl and the conversation kept getting interrupted by someone pulling out their phone and showing me something on Twitter or Tik tok or Instagram (surprisingly not FB b/c this is for old ppl.)
Them: Hey, how are you?
Me: I'm good, how are-
Them: -speaking of 'good,' did you see this Tik Tok about 'good' as a racist construct?'
Me: No, I'm not on-
Them: -let me pull it up. *opening up phone*
Me (waiting): ....ok...well...how are you? You doing...
Them *still pulling up video*: ...hmmm...wifi must be slow here.
Me: Well never mind, you can show it to me later, so-
Them: -oh, wait this video is funnier. It's a remix of Urkel in Family Matters. *showing me the video*
Me: Yep. That's funny with no context in my life or this situation we're experiencing in real time.
It didn't feel like I was talking to humans. I would be asked a question and then someone else would interrupt with amusing stuff on phones. I was talking to the living/breathing embodiments of Twitter and Tik Tok, these twitchy bodies running toward the next attention-grabbing thing. Not staying long enough to establish any rapport.
It was surreal. At a certain point I started watching myself...inside Twitter. It felt like I was involuntarily put in a Twitter bubble by the ppl I surrounded myself with at this dinner. And I didn't know how to get out of this bubble without being rude or getting up from the table and leaving.
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