My version of The Social Network
Why is everyone so drawn to Facebook, Linkedin Twitter and Youtube? Is it because you get to be a "busy body" around other people's private affairs, weekend lunch/dinner venue and you get to view pictures of your friends that you haven't met for ages? I think the primary reason for social networking sites being popular is really the thought of instant connectivity.
But because of all these electronic social networks, humans are getting less connected. Less connected on a personal basis. Yes, all of us have handphones (most of us have Smartphones) and we message/i-chat/what's apps each other. But gone are the days that we sit down for lunch or dinner togehter without taking out the Smartphone and start to look at emails or Facebook etc. The connection has become mostly electronic, losing its personal touch.
I mentioned in the previous blog that one of the things that I need to do during weekends is really to meet up with friends and family. Or at least give one friend a call to ask about how's life treating him or her. I think the face-to-face interaction is important. People forget that the social network needs to be fed and nurtured with constant and somewhat more intimate interaction.
That is why, my version of The Social Network is "old school". It is really about catching up with friends over lunch or dinner, and sharing personal experiences. If you chat with someone on Facebook and you think that you know the person well - you might be wrong. You must remember that people have different personas on different platforms.
When you are on a Social Network platform, you want to present the best of yourself. How happy you are. Which expensive restaurant you are going for lunch or dinner. How cute your baby or pet looks. But in person, people may be quite different. That is why an "online persona" may differ from a person's character by quite a bit.
To understand a person deeper, you need to see his or her facial expressions. Understand where he or she is coming from by reading in between the lines. And also notice if there is consistency between the facial expression and the spoken words. Thus, my version of The Social Network is really through meeting up or at least talking to people on the phone. Not really the electronic social network that we are so addicted to.
Having said that, I still love to blog, to go on Facebook and to go on Linkedin, I think that I also just want to know what's happening to my circle of friends. It is sometimes heart-warming to see family photos, exciting to see friends travelling around in another country, interesting to see what my colleagues and friends are up to during the weekend. Just that, in the meantime, friends don't forget to meet up from time to time. Nothing beats that sort of face-to-face interaction.
CC
But because of all these electronic social networks, humans are getting less connected. Less connected on a personal basis. Yes, all of us have handphones (most of us have Smartphones) and we message/i-chat/what's apps each other. But gone are the days that we sit down for lunch or dinner togehter without taking out the Smartphone and start to look at emails or Facebook etc. The connection has become mostly electronic, losing its personal touch.
I mentioned in the previous blog that one of the things that I need to do during weekends is really to meet up with friends and family. Or at least give one friend a call to ask about how's life treating him or her. I think the face-to-face interaction is important. People forget that the social network needs to be fed and nurtured with constant and somewhat more intimate interaction.
That is why, my version of The Social Network is "old school". It is really about catching up with friends over lunch or dinner, and sharing personal experiences. If you chat with someone on Facebook and you think that you know the person well - you might be wrong. You must remember that people have different personas on different platforms.
When you are on a Social Network platform, you want to present the best of yourself. How happy you are. Which expensive restaurant you are going for lunch or dinner. How cute your baby or pet looks. But in person, people may be quite different. That is why an "online persona" may differ from a person's character by quite a bit.
To understand a person deeper, you need to see his or her facial expressions. Understand where he or she is coming from by reading in between the lines. And also notice if there is consistency between the facial expression and the spoken words. Thus, my version of The Social Network is really through meeting up or at least talking to people on the phone. Not really the electronic social network that we are so addicted to.
Having said that, I still love to blog, to go on Facebook and to go on Linkedin, I think that I also just want to know what's happening to my circle of friends. It is sometimes heart-warming to see family photos, exciting to see friends travelling around in another country, interesting to see what my colleagues and friends are up to during the weekend. Just that, in the meantime, friends don't forget to meet up from time to time. Nothing beats that sort of face-to-face interaction.
CC
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