SMITH Magazine, the online journal of pithy six-word memoirs and FRONTLINE/Digital Nation — a PBS documentary project about life in the digital age, are seeking six-word entries in a contest to describe life in the digital age. Besides a feeling of minimalist zen, the winner gets a DVD collection of FRONTLINE films.
“In six words,” they ask, “tell us how the web and digital technology are changing how you think, work, live, or love.”
Their examples include: “I have even Twittered during sex” and “Dull persona. Second Life ego enormous.”
This could be fun. I bet the print journalists out there have more than six choice words for the digital revolution. How about, “The Internet killed my newspaper job.”
Or for those who have embraced all things digital and learned to sharpen their prose in short, 140-character blasts, “Twitter taught me; omit needless words.”
And for those who have found that Facebook and privacy don’t go well together: “I ignored my dad’s friend request.” or “Regret posting Edward Fortyhands Facebook photos.”
Include your six word masterpieces in the comments below after you submit them to SMITH.
P.S.: You can’t use the ones above in the contest — they’re totally mine. Which brings me to another rule of life in the digital age: “Stealing content is rude; give credit.”
Alexandra Fenwick is an assistant editor at CJR.