My Answer to Social Media Skeptics

On Sunday, October 10, 2010, I was invited by Lilly to attend the Global Work Party to Help Lebanon Go Solar organized by Young Leader Social Media Café (#ymlsc). It is a grassroot campaign that was led by 350.org. On this day, more than 6631 Events in 188 Countries celebrated climate solutions and sent politicians a clear message: “We’re getting to work—what about you?” I had the opportunity to meet very interesting people like Hiba Farhat, the regional coordinator of YLSMC. I also got to meet a couple of social media skeptics – this is where the conversation became even more exciting and this post is based on that conversation.

They believe that Social Media takes you away from the real world! Ironically, it was social media that got me to attend this “physical” meeting in the first place. If I were to summarize my answer to such skepticism, I would suffice by saying: Social Media is as real as it gets!

Here are some of the questions I asked the young skeptics in response to their disbelief:

How many of your friends in real life share your beliefs and thoughts?
How many of them can you discuss your true passion with?
How many add value to you on daily basis?
How many of them do you connect with on an intellectual level?
How often do you get to have enriching conversations?
How many of them are pure intellectual connections free of any bias and prejudice?
How much time do you spend wasting your time?
How many hours out of the 24 hours in a day are you effectively using?
Are you investing in your “sweat equity”?
Are you learning something new every day?

Their answer was very few!

Now try to ask the same questions in the social media realm … I have over a thousand Twitter connections and less than 10 are prior friends. This means that there must be something else that brings us together and that is our passions! What can be more real than that? On social media you are judged only by the value you add … not what car you drive, or title you hold, or clothes you wear, or money you have, or religion, or race, or any other societal dysfunction! You are what you give – this is reality!

Things to remember about social media reality:

Social Media is only a connection tool – it does not replace the physical reality, it is simply an extension of it
Social Media is a think tank of interconnected minds – that is something you rarely find in the physical realm
Social Media presents you with infinitely many opportunities – what you decide to do with that is up to YOU
Social Media is free – the physical reality you live in comes with a price tag

Are you a skeptic or a believer? Do you think Social Media is a waste of time? Do you think it takes away from your reality? Think About It!

Great Post John. Very well said. Social Media is all about sharing and making connections. People at times make Social Media a reason not spending time with frds. Skeptics will always come up with strange reasons.

ReplyOctober 14, 2010 at 1:41 pm

Kunjal Kamdar

As you said dear friend, it’s easier to come up with excuses than put in the effort and dare to try something different – your answer reminded me of a post i wrote about change “Change is still a dirty word, or is it?” http://wp.me/pIpk4-3p
thanks for your feedback Kunjal!

ReplyOctober 14, 2010 at 1:52 pm
John Antonios

Hi! Me again!
Ah… the “real world” argument! What a small “world” that “real” place is.
The “real world” is very small. You live in it within your street, town, city, and profession. What Social Media has done is open up this world to streets, towns, cities, countries and many different professions and interests.
In one sitting on a Social Media platform you can be talking to hundreds of people in 10s of countries about different subjects and interests.
You and I are a typical example. We started with a hello, went into running, moved into blog posts, chats, comments and we will hopefully meet soon.
People in Social Media are more and more getting to meet each other physically.
Social Media is the “real world” now! It is giving voice to everyone and opportunities. It is giving knowledge, friendships, support (in some cases life-saving) and so much more.
If this isn’t the “real world,” then I’m quite happy being in an artificial one. It has changed my life and the life of many others and it will continue to do so.
Great post John

ReplyOctober 14, 2010 at 1:42 pm

Mich

Our example is a perfect one Micheline … I think the odds of us meeting in the so-called real world are close to impossible … but thanks to Social Media, we were able to connect on so many different levels!
I want to to quote a part of your reply and add my twist to it … “Social Media is the real world now” … here’s my twist … SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE NOW WORLD …
thanks for sharing your thoughts Mich

ReplyOctober 14, 2010 at 1:56 pm
John Antonios

Wow, I think that the stereotype that haunts gamers is now haunting social media. Just because the activity itself is done alone or has a single player option does not mean that is how it is used. People use social media to organize real world gatherings, as your attendance at this event illustrates, just as gamers like to get together around their game of choice. However because people engage in the activity alone (or seemingly alone) non-users think that is the only method of consumption! Weird.

ReplyOctober 15, 2010 at 8:29 am

Kate Davids

Several media experts in the Nordic countries are commenting on the advertising in social media and the suppounding hype that it strongly reminds of the internet bubble of 10 years ago. Some believe that recent studies showing that several companies have strongly reallocated their advertising budgets toward social media are proof of the over reaction. Possible dissappointment in sales results could then turn the tide back to conventional mass media. Behind the fad there must be some strong ground, but are we already over the line?

ReplyOctober 18, 2010 at 8:44 am

Pekka

I can always count on your Pekka to strike up a debate on my posts thank you! Here’s my view of things: a point in history you are referring didn’t put into question the internet as a platform but the companies that where all of a suddenly investing in prefixes and suffixes (e- or .com). Besides, let’s not forget another huge element that plaid a role in the dot-com burst and that is the Y2K problem – after the turning point, overall spending fell drastically and eventually lead to slower growth. I can see how a possible analogy can be thought of when looking at social media and the dot-com bubble, but I have more faith in the former since it is controlled by the users rather than the owners.
Being an optimist, I look at the world today and clearly see that even though their might have been a dot-com burst in the year 2000, more and more companies are getting online … therefore, there might be a couple of bumps or hiccups for social media along the way, but i think it’s here to stay!

ReplyOctober 18, 2010 at 1:32 pm
John Antonios

John,
Thought-provoking post, as usual.
Yes, there are skeptics, and I, too, have spent too many hours trying to provide them with an “answer.” Why do we bother?
Why not focus our energies on putting this new and exciting technology to its best use for ourselves and others who are receptive to it? When the skeptics finally realize others are enjoying success with social media, they won’t need convincing. They will be begging for advice, information and help as they try to catch up.
–Chris

ReplyNovember 13, 2010 at 8:14 pm

Chris S. Cornell

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ReplyJuly 01, 2012 at 11:36 pm

My Answer to Social Media Skeptics

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