Don't Get Lost in the Social Media Cloud

Submitted by Grace on Tue, 09/15/2009 - 12:28

Let's face it. We have not only embraced social media, we breathe it in. Celebrities, corporations and even governments utilize this as a powerful tool and platform for communication, collaboration, and interaction. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu, Blogger, Wordpress, Myspace, and Plurk, are only some of the more popular brands of social media out there. Mind you Social Networking is just one component of this social computing cloud that has emerged from the web. So what is social computing you ask?

Forrester Research defines this as:

"A new social structure emerging in which technology puts power in communities, not institutions...Sounds like Web 2.0, right? We think not. And here’s why: Web 2.0 is about specific technologies (blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc) that are relatively easy to adopt and master. Social Computing is about the new relationships and power structures that will result. Think of it another way: Web 2.0 is the building of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s; Social Computing is everything that resulted next (for better or worse): suburban sprawl, energy dependency, efficient commerce, Americans’ lust for cheap and easy travel"

The essence of social media is that everyone can become a publisher. And it’s the tools on the internet that enables this phenomenon to happen. This is why social media is increasingly moving the power out of the hands of trusted institutions and into the hands of everyday users, who decide for themselves what products they should buy, whose information they should consume, what marketing they want. It's particularly powerful because these technologies of the modern Web are, indeed, reshaping our society, particularly of the younger generations that spend so much of their time there.

However, the problem is that with all the user generated content on the social web one can get lost in inaccurate data, misrepresented facts, or even an excessive amount of propaganda. One can quickly become overwhelmed by the sudden rush of information, opinions, and just plain noise. Try and absorb it all in raw form and you are guaranteed to drive yourself nuts. Like in any sort of media, not everything you see or hear is true (ahem good ex: twitter is a communication service NOT a news source). Remember, the mistakes of old media can be repeated when using new media. A good example of this is a recent article about how social media can be misused to spread anger and lies about 9/11 .

There also arises the issue of how people behave or misbehave on the social web. I think there is a need for stronger online social etiquette ...Chris Brogan (famous social media guru) mentions a couple of "right-on" ones on this link. One of my favorites being: "Please don’t send every little app you try. If you’re not aware that you’re doing it, you probably still are. Be sure to click “no” or “skip” or whatever lets you not invite me to yet another little green patch, zombie biting experience, or buy my friends experience," (you people know who you are!).

I have also noticed that some people have no sense of what is too much information or for the matter have a lack of discretion. Most of social media happens on the internet and the internet is a public space. I guess what is true for social boo boos in real life gets carried on to online life. Take for example the case of the promiscuous Facebook user made fun by Failblog . Another one is the infamous Cisco Fatty who tweeted her way out of a job! So think twice before posting or publishing anything you don't want your friends, parents, co-workers, boss, boyfriend, girlfriend, or the entire world to know.

Despite all its pitfalls, I still like social media. A lot. It's still very new and we are all learning how to navigate through it. Just be careful to not get lost in the cloud! The main thing to remember is that, when using social media like anything in life, we should learn how to find balance. Plus, everything in moderation folks! Informing, connecting and building communities online can be used for so much good (ie. How charities harness social media for a social impact), but it can also be used for so much bad.

I'm very curious...good or bad what has been your experience with Social Media?

Don't Get Lost in the Social Media Cloud

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