Media That’s Truly Social . . .
I like this organization’s website redesign. It’s welcoming, and it gives each of us an opportunity to write something about ourselves, and as a result, to learn more about each other.
Very often the only impression we have of our peers is the face that is presented in the business world. But we are all made up of many layers. I recently heard a statement that left an impression. It went something like this: “If you tell everyone everything, you leave no room for surprises, and they’ll lose interest.”
These days, many of us live in two worlds. There’s the one where we eat and sleep, and there’s the other one where we scroll and “like.”
The virtual world is not necessarily an indication of the real world, as the information is filtered with every post that’s made. Some people tend to be more of the open book, and others tend to feel most comfortable writing the occasional “Happy Birthday” prompted by a computer reminder. Whether you jumped into the game with two feet forward or dipped your toes in a bit later, it still takes some time navigating the waters to learn how you want (and need) to present yourself in the cyber world. And when you finally figure out your own personal mission statement and get the words just right (at least for your comfort level), you are reminded that you went over the word count. Then you have to edit yourself.
I don’t know if all of this self-examination is making us better people or is making us anxious to be around people or is helping us to make better connections. I do know, however, that I finally figured out how social media is most helping me.
When going to events, I find that I immediately have a topic of conversation on hand. There is an art to looking for an ice breaker, to starting a good conversation. When you are Facebook friends and are privy to a person’s recent vacation or favorite pet or pet peeves, it is that much easier to delve into a meaningful talk.
Perhaps there is a way to incorporate the positives of technological advances without losing touch with the basics of human relationships. As long as it serves to enhance, and never to replace, we’ll be fine.
Debra Scala Giokas is the director of marketing at Certilman Balin and originator of Debra Ann Dolls, crocheted dolls that benefit local charities and children in need. For information, email her at debraanndolls@gmail.com.
. . . And Media That’s Not
It’s true, social media has made everyone more accessible and transparent, but it should also put us on notice that what we hear or see may sometimes just be an illusion.
As a teacher of news/media literacy, I teach college students how to be wary of just about everything online. Verification is key, as is common sense. Everyone who is interested in accuracy should take a media literacy course. The firehose of information we are bombarded with on a daily basis needs context in order to be understood.
As for the social aspect of “social” media, we are for the first time in the history of human communication seeing unfiltered, unedited, and many times uninformed conversations feeding into each other a million times over, with the end result being chaos, albeit seemingly organized. Thirty years ago if someone shouted obscenities to someone over a phone, the entire world didn’t listen in, only maybe your parents or significant other on the extension. Today, platforms have been created for just about anyone with access: soapboxes for the world’s 7 billion people, and the sound is deafening.
But the tools we have created are invaluable. The world has become much smaller, and we can now stay in touch with just about anyone we want from virtually anywhere. Journalists can locate people and documents quicker, doctors can stay in touch remotely with patients, and grandkids can send their love to faraway grandparents.
If used responsibly, the tools we have been given are a revolutionary leap for understanding one another better. But, like everything else humans invent, there are those who find ways to misuse the privilege. Spotting them is key.
George Giokas is chairman of the board of HealthDay, president/CEO of StaffWriters Plus, Inc., an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University’s journalism department, and author of the young adult novel Nickel Ice. Follow him on Twitter @georgegiokas5.