I welcomed a friend to Facebook with a status comment: “Welcome to the world of one-line reality.” As soon as I posted the comment I began to think about Twitter and Facebook status updates. Facebook’s new home page design betrays the fact on which Twitter has built its business: a simple feed of very short blurbs is nearly as addictive as crack. We love pictures and join groups on Facebook, but the real attraction for most, the honey that brings us back again and again, is the endless wonderful supply of tiny glimpses into the lives of others.

Without a doubt, this has been significant in my own ability to keep up with the people who form my world. It gives me a much better sense of what is happening on a daily (sometimes moment-by-moment) basis in their lives. People widely distanced from me geographically are now a part of my daily routine. And, they’re a part of it on my terms, at my convenience. I can jump into a thread of thought and disappear just as abruptly without causing any offense (not by the coming and going, at least).

However, everyone knows that these updates are no more than headlines. The full story can rarely be accurately captured in that one line, and certainly, it can’t be represented comprehensively. I have often found myself truncating matters to make sure they fit into the short space of a Twitter post. Just last night I posted: “had to call Tempe FD because pigeons caused an electical fire in our office development.” There was smoke and blackened stucco, but no visible flames. The “fire” was in an outside light in an archway and was not likely to cause serious damage. But, Tempe Fire wanted to come take a look and make sure everything was cleaned up and fixed. So, the post (not by intention) made the matter sound more dramatic than it was.

So, while I love the status feed, I begin to wonder how it is impacting my perception of reality. Is it furthering the simplistic sound-byte view of the world already established by modern media and communication? Is it expanding my view of reality by giving me glimpses into the lives of people I would previously never have seen? Is it both things at the same time? If so, what is the net effect?

Let me know what you think. How are Twitter and Facebook status feeds impacting your world?