Has Social Media Made You More…Social?
December 2nd, 2010 § 4 Comments
It’s pretty commonplace for us computer nerds to hear, “You need to away from your computer more!” or “Have you been outside AT ALL today?” I’ve actually been asked this question a lot less as I’ve gotten older, but I think it’s because nowadays the Internet is portable (enter iPhone.) Anyways…it used to be that computer nerds were thought of as these people who just sat in a dark room, dropping crumbs all over themselves and wearing coke-bottle glasses. It’s almost like the complete opposite now. Obviously if you don’t have a computer, you might be living in the 80s still…but aside from that, you may not be as social as us who are glued to our computers.
With the introduction of chat rooms way back when, and nowadays with Facebook and Twitter, computers and the Internet have allowed us to be more social than we ever have been. Obviously communication avenues have expanded, and people are gathering information in larger and quicker quantities, so the opportunity to meet new people is always there when you login to social media sites. Like I’ve said in previous posts, I belong to an awesome generation. We know what life was like pre-Internet, and know what it’s like to be considered digital natives as well. IMO, it seems so much easier to meet new people and make new friends now than it was before social media existed.
Yes, it kind of seems like a no brainer – it’s called “social” media for a reason. Duh. But, Twitter wasn’t originally designed to be a site where people could talk with strangers and swap ideas, then create offline conversations called “tweet-ups.” We’ve taken social media and turned it into more! And to top it all off, many people on Twitter consider the people they follow, although maybe never having actually met in person, their ‘friends.’ Do you?
Has social media made you, in fact, more social? Do you get out and meet people off the Internet? Do you attend tweet-ups?
I don’t understand the mindset that being social online is different than being social offline. The argument doesn’t hold a lot of weight from my perspective. I use tools online to enhance my communication with other people. The tools aren’t there to replace my offline social life, they’re put in place to enhance it.
Jason, I get what you’re saying. Do you meet people you meet online in person? I guess for me, social media hasn’t totally replaced my offline relationships and my meeting of people that way, but I definitely meet a lot more people that become my friends from online communities versus meeting them via offline methods. Make sense?
Hey Kim,
Talking about the two major Social Networks I think Twitter kind of is a Social Life of its own. At least the way I use it. I have met a small number of my Twitter Contacts in real life, have a couple of Twitter-Friends which I never met and mainly use it as a source of information.
Facebook on the other hand for me is a great tool to organize my social life (online and offline). I know all my FB-Contacts in person and try to keep it that way. The great thing about FB in that sense is, that it makes it easier to organize a real-life meeting. Instead of calling every one, I can simply add an Event or open a group-chat or whatever. And last but not least, having moved from germany to mexico it’s an awesome way to stay in contact with friends and family. And lets face it, without the internet and chats I wouldn’t even know the friends I have in Mexico and probably would never have left germany.
Greetz
Elmar
Hey Elmar! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I agree with you that Twitter is kind of a social life in its own right. I see the way you use it is different than the way you use Facebook, for example. Me too. And, businesses should use them both differently as well.
Hope all is well with you!