Our digital culture provides oodles upon oodles of benefits and efficiencies. You can collaborate with people around the world. You never lose touch with classmates, teachers, or co-workers. In one sitting you can email a long lost Aunt, listen to a Pearl Jam bootleg, research a trip to Madagascar, all while streaming a college hoops game and instant messaging some random Internet friend who's really starting to creep you out.
During this economic downturn and the recent financial crisis, it's been amusing to check in with friends on Facebook via their status updates. Everyone has a different perspective on the event. Which got me thinking...what if our grandparents had Facebook during the Great Depression? Essentially the 1930s equivalent would be Grandpa or Grammy sending off hundreds of identical one-line letters every couple hours. Get out the quill, dip it in ink, scroll the same sentence 200+ times, seal the letter with one of those old-time wax seals (naturally leaving your own special mark) and head to the post office. Repeat as needed. Would this have been a good thing? I'll leave that up to you. Meanwhile, I'm taking a trip down an imagined memory lane to think of some of the updates our grandparents might have made during those lean, difficult years.
"Standing in bread line. Again. Wicked hungry. Stomach growling BIG TIME."
"@FDR please get a public works project going in my neighborhood!!"
"Just pawned my watch for a loaf of bread. Where's the time gone ;)"
"Sent 13 year old boy off to work at textile factory today. Holla if ya dig child labor!"
"Got a new bowler hat and suit. JK! Still wearing the same raggedy ones from 1931."
"The dusty smudges on my face don't look so hot in this light. Sigh."
"Is. The. Stock. Market. Freaking. Kidding. Me."
"Check hot new meal tips on www.EatingTurnips7DaysAWeek.com"
"Tidying up this flophouse. As much as one can tidy up a literal flophouse that is!"
"I'm pretty sure "Great Depression" refers to the current economic climate....but I'm actually really depressed. What do we call that? The Other Depression?"
"LOL, just found a $5 bill in my mattress!!"
"Hey, here's an idea. Next time the economy collapses and unemployment reaches 30%, let's not roll out Prohibition at the same time, K? I need a goddamn drink."
"10 Ways To Turn That Hungry Frown Upside Down :)!!! www.DepressionOptimist.com
"Met a cute guy...he's ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-fed. But who isn't!"
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