The Anti-Social Side of Social Media

Undoubtedly, social media has changed the way many of us communicate.  This blog is a case in point. However, it seems more and more social media has made us all master multi-taskers absent of focused communication and in many cases downright unsocial.

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, MySpace they can all be accessed and used from most phones and PDA’s today.  These tools, while extremely fun and useful at times, also act as a haven for those who choose to not engage in the society that surrounds them.  To illustrate this, a buddy of mine who lives in New Jersey and rides the train in to Manhattan commented on how little interaction there is anymore among commuters.  Everyone is buried in their iphones and BlackBerries. The argument is that on the train to work, you don’t want to talk to strangers you don’t know, but instead with the people you’re close to, or connected to. Those folks just happen to “live” in that handheld device and by taking out our phones, we put up a figurative wall between ourselves and those around us.

Certainly, this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, because I am a user of technology to stay in touch, but I often think of a paper weight that my wife keeps on her desk.  It has three simple words, “Be Here Now.”  It serves as a reminder to remember to be present in the moment and to not get swept away by the distractions in life.  However, I think it can also be applied with how we live in this evolving world of social media.

We are a social creature to be sure, but the next time you find yourself reaching for that PDA in your pocket and you’re in a social setting leave it tucked away. Try appreciating that moment for what it is - an opportunity to engage with the world that is around you and in front of you.

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

Tags: be here now, Blackberry, Blog, Facebook, flickr, iphone, myspace, PDA, Twitter, YouTube

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