ERODING EMOTION

One big problem exists: Emotions erode with time. You’ll put
up with co-workers who pull out pictures of some recent event
but most of us tend to run when someone suggests sitting down
to view that old home movie or pictures from that vacation
back in 1978. Newlyweds always seem to have a wedding
album handy but grandma and grandpa have theirs packed
away someplace (if you’re lucky).
So the goal becomes trying to share emotions in a timely
manner—in near-real-time whenever possible. Whether it’s an
IM session giving you a blow-by-blow account of the heated
debate coming from the corner office, a newly snapped pic of the
goings on down at the local pub, or a recently recorded audio clip
from your friends at the concert that you couldn’t get away for,
communication offers more emotional value when it is timely
and fresh. Wireless Internet applications will help users make the
most of personal communications while the content to be shared
still has value, before it erodes and becomes lifeless and dull. 222

NO, I DON’T WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

Photos are a great example of sharing emotion. Think about
the pictures the average family takes: The subjects are people
and places that they care about—family and friends, places
they visited, etc. The activities pictured add more detail to a
child’s birthday party, a friend’s graduation, or scuba diving on
that Caribbean vacation.
Now think about what you do after you get the pictures
developed (assuming you don’t leave the film in a drawer for a
year). The natural inclination is to show others. Why do we do
it? To share the emotions that we felt when the pictures were
taken. Whether you were there when the picture was taken or
not, you’re still fair game when those pictures come back from
the photo lab.