Imposed Permanence

Is anyone else concerned about the concept of permanence?

Here's the thing. We live in a society that is simultaneously decreasing and increasing in permanence, and it sorta bugs the hell out of me.

Because things "move faster and faster" as time goes on, because MTV uses jolts, because every weekend a new major blockbuster comes out, because our Vice President can shoot a man in the face and we stop talking about it after a week, because there is a new scandel, a new update, a new model, a new iPod version, things tend to have less significance as they happen. If you screw something up, chances are if you lay low for a week, all will be at least forgotten, if not forgiven (pretty much the same thing these days). This means that people can go on national TV and make a fool of themselves without worrying too much about lasting damage. Paris Hilton can reinvent herself every year, and anyone who complains can be accused of "living in the past". This is the present, things move fast, people change, life isn't static, get with it. So we're coerced into being less focused on the intentionality of our actions, less thoughtful, taught to think less before we speak. Stephen King is great and here and now because he puts out a book a year, but Salinger or Robert Pirsig, well, who are they really? So there's that.

On the other hand, there is this growing sense of digital media and this confusing Homeland Security department that seemingly has access to an increasingly all-digital environment. VH1 makes a living off of finding embarrassing footage of stars--gaffs, old commercials, that two-week stint on "Charles in Charge", the bloggers (which now includes me, granted) have time and attention to (at least for that day) call up old posts, e-mails, newspaper articles, "Smoking Guns" (.com) from years, even decades ago. So in that sense, we're responsible for everything we ever say or do. Mention you smoked weed in a high school newspaper, that just might screw your chances for Senate. Get a DUI when you're younger... it could make you Vice President. Wait, I'm off track. Does anyone see my point and share a general paranoia about interviews, postings, publishings, etc? Things only seem to bite you in the ass if you become famous, but then again, we're twenty-somethings, so I think the assumption is that we're supposed to be famous at some point, right?

It's like this weird conspiracy theory--no wait, it's like an episode of Elimidate where the producers keep telling everyone "relax, have a drink, don't worry," and then edit together the most embarrassing drunken footage they can find from a series of disastrous dates. Society is implying that our actions carry less and less weight--it doesn't matter if you vote, it doesn't matter if you recycle, it doesn't matter if you drive your car everywhere-- you're just one person, who cares? But meanwhile, there is this preservation of action that simply has never existed before. Our lives, for the first time in history, are pretty much on record from the moment we can elucidate our own thoughts either verbally or through writing, and they can be accessed at any time, by pretty much anybody. Kids are so damn good at the internet, I bet an 8 year old hacker could probably steal my identity and use actual quotes from me that I never knew were recorded anywhere. Am I crazy here?

Does anyone else think about permanence? About making a mark on society in only a positive way, and not having your prom picture with the mullet and the braces shown on E! Entertainment television? Socrates had it easy... if people could have seen his acne, he'd never have been the father of modern philosophy.