When you get right down to it, Social Media as it’s come to be called isn’t really all that social. The basic root of the word social is “of or relating to society.” I think most people would agree that the word social—as well as any variations of it such as socializing—implies that relating to society is really about interacting with other human beings. And that is not what social media is all about.
Sure, you communicate with other people using social media such as FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace—the list goes on—by posting messages somewhere on a social media website. Your online “friends” then see your messages and choose to respond—or not. Social media interactions like this have become a passionate pastime of millions of people worldwide. But unfortunately, regardless of what we choose to call them, these social media interactions are not human interaction.
Think about it. Anytime you’re on your favorite social media network, you might be communicating with other folks, but you are actually interacting directly with your computer. You’re sitting there, staring at a screen, typing words on a keyboard, and navigating with your mouse. What’s so social about that?
Now don’t get me wrong. Lot’s of people of all ages, find this extremely enjoyable. In fact, many of them find it addictive. And that, I think, can be a problem. When someone becomes addicted to sitting at their computer, regardless of what they’re doing there, they become isolated, cut off, and worst of all, alone. Indeed, when someone reaches this point, when they’d prefer to sit in isolation at their computer instead of interacting with the folks around them, they effectively become anti-social, at least by definition.
From my perspective, the singular basis of social interaction is meeting with people face to face. That applies to both my personal life and my business. I love people, and I love spending time with them. I love reconnecting with old friends and schoolmates. I love catching up with my buddies, whether it’s playing a round of golf or having a round of drinks. And at work, I get a lot more done when I’m meeting with live people face to face instead of sharing a flurry of e-mails, chatting using instant messaging, or having a conference call.
This, to me, is really what life is all about. The truth is that the quality of our lives is really, ultimately, based on the quality of our relationships. Spending face time with our family and friends is what makes all of the trials and tribulations of daily living worthwhile. Those times when we are face to face with those we love—or even those we just like a lot—are the quality times that we always remember.
I guess it’s a matter of everything in moderation. Spending time on your favorite social media site is fine—just don’t over do it. And while we’re at it, let’s agree that the same applies to any electronic media, and to an extent, even the phone. Sure, some times it’s impossible to get together face to face whenever we feel like it. Life get’s complicated. In those cases the phone or the computer are acceptable substitutes.
Just remember to use them to set up your next get together. You’ll enjoy your life a lot more.
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