What time is it?

Another day in the park You’d think it was the Fourth of July People talking, really smiling A man playing guitar Singing for us all Will you help him change the world Can you dig it (yes, I can) And I’ve been waiting such a long time For today

It’s Chicago’s Saturday in the Park (You might also like ” Does anybody know what time it is” buyers recommend).

Basic other-directedness per David Riesman’s The Lonely Crowd. We are living in a social media age, which has its own triggers (Views, Likes Comments and Shares). Marketing now moves from intuition to algorithm (Amazon’s recommender system not only combats buyer’s remorse, but upsells matching merchandise). People no longer have a need to ask strangers  – where can I best flag down a cab (Uber) – what time is it (Apple watch) – how do I get from point A to B (Google maps) – what’s the best place to grab a hamburger (Yelp) So, to mingle among fellow city dwellers, in common areas like a park on Saturday, and hear things like “can you dig it” (cause someone was singing in Italian) is such a rarity.

Most of the time, one just Googles it, We created media. Now each medium in turn shapes us and won’t let go. They re-orient us to be other-directed i.e. conforming to those numbers of Views, Likes, Comments and Shares, albeit all virtual.

Excuse me, can you take a pic for us. Sorry, have you heard of “selfie”.  Just Beat it!