Two questions important to the evolution of social creativity.
1) What makes real-life interactions so compelling?
Daniel Goleman (Author of Emotional Intelligence): “During a conversation, mirror neurons in our brain replicate what’s going on in the other’s brain. When having a moment of real rapport- our physiology’s (heart rate, BPs, etc) connect. It’s almost like two birds dancing together.”
When this happens, there’s no need to ponder, reflect, worry about offending someone, the conversation just ‘flows’. Creativity and joy multiply.
2) Can this neurological calibration happen even when two people are only connected online?
That’s our job to find out, but what’s clear is that enriching the online experience by providing the right platforms, tools, and license to go wild IS transforming what’s being created.
Synesthesia
Synesthesia is a fascinating condition in which inputs to one sensory pathway - such as music or shapes - produce sensations in a different sensory modality. As technology used in social media evolves, it might just become possible to achieve a temporary synesthesia. Through purely an online interaction, there might come about a way to gauge tone, excitement, etc, similar to the way we do in face-to-face communication. This would mean the birth of ‘virtual mirror neurons’, and enable a virtual connection between people that is as rich as a real one.
Probability and timeframe? Slim & distant. Implications for creativity? Infinite & thrilling.
Moth Smoke Lingers... 