half-full or half-empty, continued

After filing that last post, I kept thinking how Panglossian and Pollyannish it may strike some...and yet I keep being hit on the head with examples of how the Internet pulls us together in meaningful ways as much as it can keep us in front of our screens. One of which is an upcoming meeting about the proposed pesticide sprayingover the Bay Area, in which concerned mothers are bringing together experts to brief us on what is really going on. I'd been pushing this issue to the back of my consciousness while trying to meet an editing deadline, but kept getting emails and links until I had to pay attention, and now I've not only committed to attending the meeting but pestered a bunch of friends via email to accompany me. The same thing happened with the disasters in Myanmar and China -- I couldn't get on my computer without somehow seeing some viral plea for contributions, and finally contributed. Sure, this kind of thing is splintering our attention. But it's also building our sense of connection and maybe also compassion.
For another aspect of what Internet culture is doing to us, however, make sure to read Emily Gould's hypnotizing article in the New York Times Magazinetoday. The kids had to wait until about 11 a.m. for their breakfast, but hey, it's Sunday...