“Screenshots Of Despair” Reveals The New Human Condition

More and more of us are spending more and more of our time Staring at screens; And it's amazing how we've started to get emotional about pixels.

I'm pretty sure the last thing I see before I die will be one of Those blasted balls spinning rainbow cursor. And I'm not alone (good call on the Morrissey, guys).

The latest paean to the Increasing power of online graphics, text and symbols is the fascinating Tumblr "Screenshots of Despair," a site the which catalogs and re-contextualizes Sometimes inadvertently depressing the images we see online, along the lines of "No one likes this "or" Are you still there? "

Inspired by New York Times columnist Rob Walker's "Gallery of Anonymous Internet Avatars", Screenshots of Despair creator Josh Kimball views the project as an attempt to capture the current state of the human condition, "I think the screenshots inspire Pangs of real isolation. To me, the best of these screenshots are Supposed to be practical social media interface elements, but They read as inadvertent commentary on one's entire existence. "

Kimball, Who is an executive editor at a trends research firm, thinks the site has caught on Because It exemplifies nerd dark humor and creates broader commentary on the meaning of digital connectivity. "Everyone has these Pangs felt before," he says.