Social
Media has become a large part of nearly everyone’s lives. Consider my
Grandfather, in his seventies and blind, my Grandfather was one of the first
people I knew to have both a MySpace and Facebook account. Working in the sales
industry he recognized what both of these outlets could mean for society. What
is interesting about social media is how it has changed our lives, and what it
does mean to society.
When I wake up in the morning I do three things; I check
my work email, I check my Facebook account and I get up and get ready for work,
in this order. As a manager, I initially was checking Facebook to see what my
staff was up to. If someone was going to call off, I wanted to make sure that
they weren’t spending the day gallivanting instead of being sick at home. This
has turned into an obsession. I now feel the need to know what everyone is up
to. Why should this start my day? I have more pressing matters. Technology and
smart phones have made these forms of communication as simple as opening your
phone in the morning. Consider also my teenage sister, I do not know that any
of our family has been able to look into her eyes since she has received her
phone, she is constantly on Facebook.
There are other forms of social media as well. On the
Microsoft Office Blogs site, a member of the office team provided what rituals
we should be taking with our social media and networking. The author provides
this list; check your Facebook, Twitter and social media sites regularly
throughout the day, write and maintain a weekly blog, and thank those
individuals that choose to add or follow you. The author also suggests being
regularly involved in social media communities such as groups that support a
similar agenda or interest; we should also be checking blogs that we follow
regularly and responding to comments made on our personal blogs, or responses
to our comments on other blogs. The last ritual is what they call a
#followfriday ritual. This ritual involves focusing on others instead of
ourselves. On these Fridays, (that’s right, just one day a week,) we should
focus on following others (Microsoft, 2006).
Though there seem to be several stereotypes related to
social media, the largest would be the amount of narcissism that has taken over
our lives. A perfect example of this would be #followfriday. I am not inclined
to believe that this stereotype applies to all social media participants; of
course a large majority may fall into this. In previous blogs I have described
the belief that social media encourages infidelity and unhappiness in one’s own
life. I believe there are many that are responsible with their interactions;
however there are many that have brought this issue to light by being irresponsible.
In the opinion pages of the New York Times, Ross Douthat explains how social
media has led to moral decline. The belief that social media has become so huge
in our lives, has led him to believe that social media affects character. I
agree. A simple statement made me pause;
Ross Douthat states “self involvement is reaching an all time high.” We are so
interested in what we are saying, that we share this with everyone. We share
our personal lives and the details that at one time we may have only told our
best friend. We want others to sympathize with our problems or at the very
minimum be thinking about us, or probably more appropriate; me, me, me (The New
York Times, 2011).
Following this analysis I was having a moment of internal
analysis, I am disappointed in whom I have become! I fall into both patterns of
both ritualistic behavior, and shamefully, narcissism. I do admit that I only
have a Facebook page, and I am very careful about what is posted, however I am
always looking for who is adding me and who has stated they were with me. Is it
possible that social media is making us our own worst enemies? I can certainly
see that some of these behaviors I am not happy about and I may need to take a
Facebook break, I worry it may be as challenging as quitting smoking, or
quitting biting your nails. They say it takes time to break a habit, I hope I
can survive!
References
Microsoft Office.
(2006). What are the new social media
rituals? Retrieved on April 12, 2012
from:
http://blogs.office.com/b/office_blog/archive/2009/10/06/what-are-the-new-social-media-rituals.aspx
The New York Times. (2011).
The Online Looking Glass. Retrieved April
12, 2012 from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/opinion/13douthat.html?_r=2&hp
ReplyDeletesocial networks as a virtual system that seeks to link people is part of the modern world in which we are living, I do not think that the noisy comment so categorical about the good or bad of social networks, because things always They have nuances. Social networks can produce negative attitudes, however the underlying problem is how people understand networks and how they relate to them. if the people were more determined with themselves and they knew more, those attitudes would not happen.
Habits are always difficult to break but if people are willing to change is something that can happen and thus change their lives.
Each one must reflect on how he understands social networks and the role they symbolize and mean in his life, it is a personal process.
Despite having countless benefits, social media has developed within the human society the strong fear of being rejected by our peers. The seek of the approval throughout social network posting's is becoming alarmingly greater and greater every day.
ReplyDeleteThe habit of having rituals in social networks will not do more than increase this harmful effect of this media.
Allowing social networks to become an obsession will derivate in a society with less capability of concentration, and people more concerned about virtual relationships rather than real-life interactions.
Another important axis to have in mind is that having rituals will reinforce people's dependence on the social media rather than primary concerning’s: job performance, family's relationships and spending time with non-virtual friends.
We should shift our focus as a society towards the responsible use of the social networks, and benefit from its useful tools rather than obsess us with them.