On the eve of 2011, I feel it necessary to be nostalgic and look back. Not just back at the past year - a year filled with incomplete resolutions and failures, coupled with successes and joyous moments - but at a more broad scope of what defines us. It came to me in a dream last night and after I woke up, I had an "ah ha" moment. The type of moment where you feel like what you're sharing with the world will move mountains & solve conflicts; when in reality, it's just another thought, shared with the world wide web, possibly lost in the shuffle of headline news and celebrity gossip.
Social Media is the lifeblood of many. It's a place to collaborate, connect and procrastinate. We use it in every aspects of our lives and as it creeps into our work environment, rules and regulations become more apparent and important. There is much banter about the right things to do on social media and the wrong things. Things that can get you fired, divorced or reprimanded by family/friends. A simple picture of you dancing on a bar four years ago with your BFF's boyfriend could get you all of the repercussions mentioned above.
For instance, you head to the bar and you're on the hunt for the next person to fall in love with. You meet her and have a great time. Whether you woke up alone or with her, you begin the process of adding or figuring out who she is via Facebook. The days of asking for phone numbers have disappeared, much like the land-line phone has. Is it sad? I think it's smart. But there will always be naysayers swearing Facebook isn't that interesting or cool. Sounds like a personal problem to me.
20 years ago, what defined us relied heavily on our work, family and friends. Now, we are defined by our posts, likes and tweets...and I think it's great. Posted pictures define us. Friends we're connected to, define us. Followers and retweets, define us. It has nothing to do with who we are in person and everything to do with who we are online. You hear stories of people who are type A in person, yet type B online. Guys and Gals who have online relationships and real-life relationships that never cross paths. Do I think that last part is great? Absolutely not...but I think it's amazing to see the ways people are using it to benefit themselves.
I had a dream about Social Media. I know, i'm a huge nerd; but, it made me realize, more than ever, that what i'm saying on here or my wall, will define the type of people I can meet, the jobs I could be offered and the places I can live. I'm excited for the changes social media will incorporate in 2011. Finding new ways to help increase our online persona.
What all this means...don't be a naysayer. We'll just talk about you so much on Facebook or Twitter, that by the time you're ready to create a profile, we've already created our own.
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