why you're wrong about facebook
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
This Jeff Koterba cartoon (2/19/09, if you’re coming to this post late) ran in my newspaper on Saturday and it made my eyes roll so hard, I got dizzy.
Want to sound outdated and left behind? Then smirk about how online social networking is only being done by pathetic losers living sad, sad lives in their mothers’ basements.
Stupid. That’s one reason newspapers are circling the drain—they simply refused to acknowledge the coming Internet tsunami and even now, evidently, they don’t quite believe its power. Maybe if they mock it, it will go away.
I don’t know about you, but my Facebook Friends are interesting, vibrant, involved, accomplished people whose lives are not the least bit sad. They just happen enjoy Facebook. And Twitter. In fact, they may be the opposite of sad and cut off because they have embraced new technology and a changing world.
We share mundane details of our lives sometimes. And sometimes we share links to compelling articles. Good jokes and videos. (Emphasis on good, we hope.) Job leads. Sources for stories. Sympathy. Support. Attagirl and attaboys. We comment on current events. We get creative. The 25 Things fad was creative writing. Now an entertaining little game is running through Facebook that involves creating an album cover. (Haven't received it yet? You will.) It's fun, entertaining, and can exercise a little design muscle. Nothing wrong with that.
Here’s a column from the Washington Post about all the Twittering (I’m not wild for the use of “Tweet” in this context—perhaps I’ll change) that was going on in Congress during President Obama’s speech last night. It’s less patronizing but still a little incredulous. People actually DO this stuff? Like, real people?
I don’t say everyone has to do this stuff but … well, to an extent, I do say everyone has to do this stuff, to stay relevant in a changing society. I know people in PR and marketing who have not mastered it yet. Seems to me they are choosing to become obsolete.
At the very least , everyone needs to understand the place, purpose and power of online social networking before deciding to reject it. And if you do reject it, be aware that you are cutting yourself out of a strata of society—and one that’s not as pathetic as you want to believe.
Want to sound outdated and left behind? Then smirk about how online social networking is only being done by pathetic losers living sad, sad lives in their mothers’ basements.
Stupid. That’s one reason newspapers are circling the drain—they simply refused to acknowledge the coming Internet tsunami and even now, evidently, they don’t quite believe its power. Maybe if they mock it, it will go away.
I don’t know about you, but my Facebook Friends are interesting, vibrant, involved, accomplished people whose lives are not the least bit sad. They just happen enjoy Facebook. And Twitter. In fact, they may be the opposite of sad and cut off because they have embraced new technology and a changing world.
We share mundane details of our lives sometimes. And sometimes we share links to compelling articles. Good jokes and videos. (Emphasis on good, we hope.) Job leads. Sources for stories. Sympathy. Support. Attagirl and attaboys. We comment on current events. We get creative. The 25 Things fad was creative writing. Now an entertaining little game is running through Facebook that involves creating an album cover. (Haven't received it yet? You will.) It's fun, entertaining, and can exercise a little design muscle. Nothing wrong with that.
Here’s a column from the Washington Post about all the Twittering (I’m not wild for the use of “Tweet” in this context—perhaps I’ll change) that was going on in Congress during President Obama’s speech last night. It’s less patronizing but still a little incredulous. People actually DO this stuff? Like, real people?
I don’t say everyone has to do this stuff but … well, to an extent, I do say everyone has to do this stuff, to stay relevant in a changing society. I know people in PR and marketing who have not mastered it yet. Seems to me they are choosing to become obsolete.
At the very least , everyone needs to understand the place, purpose and power of online social networking before deciding to reject it. And if you do reject it, be aware that you are cutting yourself out of a strata of society—and one that’s not as pathetic as you want to believe.
Labels: facebook, koterba, social networking, twitter
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