Fiction

Jonathan Franzen once said that he and his best friend, the late David Foster Wallace, determined that "fiction is a way to combat lonlieness." I am now positing that Wallace wrote Infinite Jest because he was infinitely lonely (not really a big secret). And with this supposition I believe I just might know what Infinite Jest is about, finally.

I haven't read it since college, but c'mon, no one really knows what that book is about. The more I think about it, the more I realize I have no idea, I just know Franzen and Wallace are both fantastic writers and the death of David was massively unfair; to him and his friends and family.

There's a construct/plot device in the book that says there's a video somewhere that you literally cannot stop watching. You will watch it until you die because you won't eat or even move from your chair. I find that idea fascinating and frightening because on a metaphorical level, the internet and social networking websites have come pretty damn close to making the idea of 'infinite entertainment' a reality. And that is a very, very bad thing.

The first time I lived alone, I read tons and tons of books. I read one in a 30 hour binge once. I see now how lonely (and bored) I was, and as Franzen said, fiction was my defense mechanism. But, due to the lack of technological advancemets that year, I was able to overcome the lonliness. I did read a ton of books that year, but I finally got tired of reading and actually went out and socialized with friends at real, organic, places that don't exist in cyberspace.

I recall hanging out with a friend and having a 6 pack of Bud Light every Monday night. Going to a pub down the street to watch a baseball game. Going to lots of movies. The list goes on. But, if Facebook and Myspace were around back then, I would be even more semi-agorophobic than I am now. Without that year of being almost socially overwhelmed, I'm quite certain I'd have a much harder time living alone now (and yes, I have possibly regressed towards lonliness, but I don't feel lonely and don't think my semi-agorophobia is my fault). Shit, that was an important year. Kudos to the girl who basically made me get my own place.

But man, if I had the chance to sit on Facebook or whatever and write blogs all day (hmmm), I'd be totally stunted. I'd be the guy who's 30 and hasn't kissed a girl.

Kids today have way too many options for entertainment that don't involve "other people", which I realize is a concept that's scary and way the fuck out there...but people need people. And while it's cute to get a nice email now and then and read those useless facebook "status" things, the opportunity cost is far too great.

I'd like to conduct an experiement where a single 20-something doesn't log onto facebook for a week. The benefits could be unthinkably huge. It would be hard, especially on weekends - and especially if you live near Los Angeles, which is social-armageddon unless you are a movie producer or do tons of coke - but it's worth it. Unfortunately, I don't know any single 20 somethings, so I'm going to have to try this myself. I bet the following happens:

1) at least one person will be angry at me for ignoring them, yet won't pick up the phone
2) I will ask someone to hang out that I've never hung out with or asked.
3) I will think it sucks
4) But by the end of the week, I will see the folly of the internet (aside from online shopping, without this, I'd never buy anyone a Chritmas gift, and probably have about $20,000 more in my Savings account).

So starting at midnight tonight, I'm logging out and not logging back in.

When I break, I promise I will admit it. (I was soing to say I'll post the results, but I will totally break by like Tuesday).