The Internet Being a 3rd Space
There's been conversations about the internet being a 3rd space for many people. But by its definition, it's supposed to be a place that's not home and not work... But for many, it's all 3 at the same time. If you work from home and you browse the internet as your 3rd space, for socializing, hobbies, etc... All 3 spaces have now been narrowed down to:
Home (1st space)
Home (2nd space, work)
Home (3rd space, fun time)
I am not immune to this, despite being aware of this and the potential downsides of it. I think I'll leave my general thoughts on the downsides of your 3 spaces all being the same for another blog post, but for now, the main downside I'll bring up is: Boredom.
Despite access to everything the internet has to offer, I still feel quite bored almost all the time. I'm involved in many activities and hobbies, I learn about different things frequently, but... that feeling of boredom is still there. And I think the solution is that, I need external stimuli. Stimuli that doesn't come from home or my computer. My body and mind need fresh air, nature, and to be in different environments.
Which leads to a question: In the pursuit of overall self-actualization, is spending less time on the internet one of the rungs on the ladder? And if it is, what becomes of the friendships that were made online?
The first question is rhetorical, to me: The answer is "yes".
The second question is genuine, and I don't have the answer yet. But I think it might mean less and less time dedicated to friendships online but, time spent on those friendships would be more quality, as it would involve less "memeing around" to pass the time and more conversations about sharing interests. I think this general feeling of "boredom" or "lack of stimuli" would resolve itself.
So, what becomes of this blog and my site? Less posts, but higher quality, I hope. I still want to document my life and store information onto my blog and site.
I think converting "The Internet" from a 3rd Space to a "Library" is huge. Instead of it being a huge and nebulous "3rd Space", it should become "Library" or "Cafe". The world opens up a lot more when life moves from:
Home
Home/Work
Internet
to:
Home
Home/Work
3rd Space (Internet, Gym, Park, Nature Trail, Restaurant, Bar, Bookshop, etc)
EDIT: I looked more into what makes a "3rd space" a 3rd space and found this list of characteristics that the authors Ray Oldenburg and Karen Christensen state in their book, "The Great Good Place", that qualifies a 3rd space:
Open and inviting. You don’t need an invitation or appointment, and you can come and go as you please.
Comfortable and informal. You feel that you belong there.
Convenient. It’s close enough to visit often, ideally right in your own neighborhood.
Unpretentious. Everyone is on the same level, there’s nothing fancy or fragile, and it’s not expensive.
There are regulars. And often there’s a host who greets people as they arrive.
Conversation is the main activity. Discussion, debate, and gossip are part of the mix.
Laughter is frequent. The mood is light-hearted and playful. Joking and witty banter are encouraged.
This list of characteristics of what defines a 3rd space, according to these 2 authors, puts things into a different perspective for me. Calling "The Internet" a 3rd space and combining every site, altogether, doesn't make a lot of sense if someone spends the majority of their time on 2 sites. Someone that spends 4 hours a day only on Wikipedia cannot really call that a 3rd space as that does not include any socialization, so a few of the guidelines wouldn't apply at all.
Conversely, if someone spent 4 hours a day on a forum, socializing, that wouldn't inherently be considered a 3rd space either, since there are many forums where laughter is not frequent, it's a pretentious space, it's not open and inviting, etc.
If certain corners of the Internet are not 3rd spaces, then what would they be called? I guess it would just be a fancy way of isolation.