Glad I can make it to day 4!
Looking good and feeling great. Especially since this blog now redirects to my domain. Uber cool!
Today, I must say that I have been having a pretty sociable time in the social media space. A few Facebook likes on stuff I've shared and got a number of Tweeter followers too. Connections are established, now the challenge is to make them more meaningful.
Now more than ever, we have nearly unlimited power to make connections and establish our personal networks - except perhaps the power of your bandwidth. The digital world literally has no boundaries and the internet has empowered us to reach out and make connections in any location with any culture and this is evidenced by the rampant development of different social media platforms and the rapid rise in the number of users who's routine now includes updating their Facebook walls and Twitter feeds several times a day.
Together with this phenomenon of social media explosion are certain advantages and disadvantages.
Aside from instant communication and constant updates, the major positive impact of social media usage to business owners and entrepreneurs is word of mouth marketing and connection to their customers. It helped generate leads, build a following, get immediate feedback and it allowed businesses to listen and get the pulse of the market.
As social media crossed geographic and cultural boundaries, it also leveled the playing field between big corporations and small business. Wherein the most sociable one got the advantage. Its not just between big and small business, it also facilitated delivery of service and exchange of ideas.
With all the beautiful things social media has done, it has also caused some evil. On top of the list is productivity. Admit it, we all have been guilty of this: cyberslacking. Looking at our Newsfeeds and streams or making status updates and posts when we are supposed to be working. It has made us narcissistic and lonely. It promoted me-me-isms not just in millenials but from people of all ages. We consciously beautify our lives with status updates, check-ins and overfiltered images but we don't stop there we check out friend's updates and well, you know where we can get from there: envy, discontent, depression and that list can go on and on.
Apart from slacking there is also cyberbullying. As we all have seen, anyone can be bullied and hated online from the shallowest to the deepest of reasons whether an inappropriate message was posted intentionally or without much thought, netizens' wrath can fall upon an unsuspecting victim much to his or her surprise. Sen. Tito Sotto, claims he was a victim, a student who became known as AMAlayer was harassed online for a video of her losing temper in the MRT station and celebrity Bianca Gonzales for tweeting her opinion against informal settlers. These are just some of incidents that went viral in the local social media scene.
Technology, in particular social media is defining our cultures and values in an unprecedented way. It is important that as we go onboard and adopt these new mediums of connecting and interacting, we keep in mind the basics: respect and consideration. Just because you are free to say something, you will do so and post it for the world to see. That's just you expressing your opinion and you might be wrong. Yes, you can dare your "friends" to unfriend you if they do not like the things you post but be careful what you wish for because you might just get it and it is sad to be be deleted of one's friends list.
Where am getting at is that social media should be used to grow your network, not shortlist it. And, in order to grow that list you have to be sociable. Be gracious, generous and ethical with your online interaction. Remember that its not just the Golden Rule. Everything you put online doesn't belong to you anymore. It belongs to the web. A community of persons and technology that indexes and stores everything. Just because you deleted something you put up without thinking, it doesn't mean its gone. So be respectful and responsible. Don't indulge cyberspace into a feud that you can settle with just one person. Better yet, don't be the one to spread anything bad online.
Again, the name of the game is social media - be socially aware and socially conscious. Think hard before you click, avoid making status updates when you're mad. Always seek permission when reposting someone's word and quote them. Do everything in a way that you would want everyone else to do for you. Be sociable!
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