On the Mayorship of the Nets

And, Yes, I Do Mean Foursquare.

My first 'serious' experience with Mayoral status updates was on facebook last week, when I noticed a (real) friend (whose preoccupation with the iphone, especially at the dinner table, often tests the limitations of our friendship) post her recent political accomplishments: she was finally elected Mayor. I debated about whether or not to care, to understand what this meant, to indulge this internet preoccupation with an application I was nearly sure wasted valuable brain cells, and in a quick moment I moved on. After all, to indulge would be to give in. And then this article came along. While reading the first few paragraphs, my blood boiled with animosity towards the people who would rather play mind-numbing internet games than pay attention to the world around them, and isn't enough time spent in front of a screen these days anyway? I wondered how many of my own conversations (with friends/family/colleagues) are interrupted by the importance of mayoral status amongst strangers (unbeknownst to me), and felt an impulse to cancel all my upcoming happy hour plans as a preventative measure. But then, something changed. As the psychology behind this application unfolded (in the article), my innate tendency for competition took hold (the one that banned me from family board games), and all of a sudden my long-standing, purposeless rage against technology was replaced by a new innate need to become Mayor. Do you have to be voted in? Can I pay someone off? If you vote for me, I'll rescind all my technology-bashing blog entries to date and buy an iphone today. Einstein for Mayor, I'm serious. Enjoy!