So often, I see my dear friends updating their social media channels on a feverish basis and I have to wonder? How are they able to focus? How are they able to connect? Trust me, I see the value and utility behind all of these technological innovations but I also worry that we are starting to become "one trick ponies." Instead of sending updates every five minutes from the football game -- why not relax with your friends/family and enjoy it? Maybe take a moment to take in life instead of documenting every inch of it.
I worry in a society where technology is king and speed is vital -- what does this mean for process and thought? We are raising a generation of children who are used to having everything and FAST! A society where if the answer isn't present they can just Google it. What about innovation? What about creativity? What about communication? All of these things take time and practice but with some many short cuts what might happen?
How do we create a balance? On Fridays, I encourage my staff to stop communicating via email and have conversations with each other. I foster an open door policy because I would rather have someone have a conversation with me than just shooting me an email. I suppose the fascinating juxtaposition about this post is discussing the importance of offline communication through an online channel this is where I think there needs to be a balance -- what do you think? How are you fostering that balance?
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3 comments:
Hi Heather, I share equal sentiments.
Finding the balance is all about finding certain times of the day to involve one's self in different online communication mediums.
On Twitter, people aren't tweeting incessantly; they are jumping in when they see fit and when they actually have the time to do it.
There are also ways around fragmented communication. Applications like HelloTxt.com help you update your status on various profiles, though it's somewhat limited, as there's no one-size-fits-all program.
All in all, be natural in your pursuit of online platforms. Social media was never meant for marketing. We have to remember we just have an opportunity now, and it's just another way to engage consumers-- but not the end all, say all.
It's all about discipline. I spoke on a MIMA panel about data overload and ways to manage the sheer amount of data we sort through, opt-in for and decipering what's worthy our attention.
I made an offhand comment that, like any other part of your life, your digital life requires discipline. For example, I said, it's sad how many people send evening tweets to the effect "I'm playing with my kids," when they in fact, are looking at their phone or computer and are not playing with their kids.
You would be amazed how many people still come up to me and share how guilty I made them feel at that moment. I wasn't trying to be a prick, but I know this frame of thought is constant in me personally keeping things separate, balanced and still plugged-in.
Great minds think alike. Your post sounds familiar--http://tinyurl.com/8euup5. We absolutely cannot ignore our "offline" networks. In fact, our online networks are really just an extension of our personal, face-to-face networks we nourish each day.
Think about the folks you know and trust. Most of them live in this city right? You probably see most of them every month. You probably work with some of them. Online relationships are no different. You need to spend time getting to know folks. Learning about what interests them, what they believe in, what they're passionate about. The powerful thing about the online tools is you now have the opportunity to connect with folks you never had access to before (well, technically you could have connected, but it would have been tough). Folks like Chris Brogan, Sarah Evans, Danny Brown, the list goes on and on.
I think in the end it's finding the mix that suits you best.
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