How "Connection" Erodes Intimacy

The perceived need to be constantly connected to all of your friends is becoming a problem for face-to-face, personal, and private interactions. The networked public has brought about a general shift in attitudes -- what was once private is now public, and nothing is off-limits. The social networking technologies have even seeped into one of the most private aspects of a person's social life -- their love life.

About a week before finals began in the Fall 2010 semester, a new social network emerged, quietly at first, but then spread like wildfire. I'm talking about LikeALittle. LikeALittle is formatted similar to Twitter, and it has separate pages for different college campuses across the country. The basic concept behind LikeALittle is to provide a space for students to "flirt" anonymously with other students. Here you can see the example that is auto-populated on Clark's homepage:

Who wouldn't want to receive a message like that?

After a "flirt" is posted, other students can comment anonymously on it, and users can choose to "like" a post, or even send a private message to the author. Personally, I think it's a brilliant idea! It allows shy students to flirt with other students in their "native language," via the Internet. The site has exploded since December 2010, and I would not be surprised if they released a smartphone application soon. They are constantly hiring new staff.

Most of the posts on LikeALittle are innocent enough. Some examples include: "laughter is the best cure, and you're so good at it. i'd be your girl, if you just noticed it," and "Cute tallish one. I've seen you glancing :) Come say hi already!" However, some of the posts can get inappropriate quickly, which is why LikeALittle recruits moderators to make sure everything stays lighthearted and fun.

Students can use LikeALittle to say things they normally wouldn't in person.

Although I love the idea, I admit it becomes a little problematic. Whatever happened to passing a note across the classroom, or hesitantly asking someone to go see a movie? Sites like LikeALittle make those first romantic interactions less serious, and somehow less real. Because it is completely anonymous, its users are more likely to post things they would not say straight to that person's face.

The LikeALittle creators are taking advantage of the ideas of blurred boundaries, because they know they can reach their target audience at any moment. LikeALittle has also linked with Facebook, which is a smart strategy. By connecting their site to Facebook, the creators of LikeALittle can tap into the network of Joiners (using Groundswell terminology) and encourage them to become Creators or Critics.

The LikeALittle authors have established a community, much like Procter & Gamble's beinggirl.com. Their community was established around the problems young girls face every day. LikeALittle was established around the problems faced by shy students who want to meet new people. Since LikeALittle is not selling a product, they don't run the risk of shouting at their users.

If only it were that easy! (Source: http://globalthoughtz.com)

Personally, given the choice to make an anonymous "flirt" on LikeALittle or to actually speak to my crush in person, I would choose the offline interaction. Because LikeALittle is anonymous, the chances of your crush actually figuring out who you are are slim to none. If you seriously want to try and go on a date or even start a relationship, LikeALittle is not the way to go.