Media babies

A nephew and his wife have their first baby.
Within 24 hours of the birth we receive a clear, close-up piece of video showing this wee babe in his crib. He opens his eyes and blinks the odd time. He stretches his little arms and legs. He sneezes. We gather round the computer and watch every second with much oh-ing and ah-ing. He's small, born early, and with issues. So it's been exciting to see this little guy that we've been cheering on for so many months. The next day we watch again on our computers as the Mom gets to hold and snuggle her wee baby for the first time!

Another family member had a first baby this summer. Once again, we see pictures of Mom, Dad and babe within hours of the birth. On FaceBook, we have seen countless little pieces of video as this baby girl has grown. In fact the little baby has already signed up with Facebook!

I talked with a friend just the other day. "You wouldn't believe it - we see her learning to sit, learning to make noises, even her first giggle. Yes, there are many pictures, too, but when it's a baby, it's very special when the pictures come to life. Sound is a much more important element than most folks know." This little girl has seen a camera so many times, she will never think it the least bit intrusive or threatening. And what a thrill for relatives and friends who may live far away. With just a click, they get to watch intimate little slices of life of their loved one - and they can watch over and over again.

I wonder. I wonder if being a media baby will make these kids different. I wonder if being photographed and told to "look up" and "turn around" and "walk over there" will make these kids more confident. Will they grow up being able to look down the barrel of a camera without a flinch. Are we raising future actors, anchor men, film stars, models, movie producers? It's powerful stuff. The image. The voice. The movement. This is not museum stuff. This is life in full color and sound. Life as it's going by. In fact, yesterday's footage is already history, and the audience is waiting for the next update.

Web sites like Facebook are called social networking sites. A good name. Because that's what they do. It's like the town square of another time. Folks gather together to chat and visit - get caught up on the latest gossip and comings and goings of their communities. Families get to see pictures of their loved ones, a baby taking it's first step, a new sofa, a trip to a far away place - it's all there. We know a lot more about each other than we used to. In most cases, it's good. Just friends and family staying in touch.

And you know what? I'm going to keep track of those media babies - you never know.