I have a friend visiting and we’ve been chatting up a storm. Sara has a 13 year old daughter, Jillian and just showed me photos on her computer from her teen’s recent party in their basement rec room. Maybe this isn’t so exciting to you, but what my Sara told me while showing those photos was. Notice I said that the photos were on the computer, however, Jillian had posted those photos on Facebook. Her profile is set to “friends only”. That’s great. However, it’s highly possible that the photos were shared by her friends. And some may have been shared publicly. Sara then told me about another recent party in their town where the parents were gone for the weekend and the son (who is in high school) and daughter (an 8th grader) were left home alone and had friends over. The result? Photos were posted on Facebook of kids drinking, ranging in age from around 13 to 17, and those photos spread far and wide, including publicly. All the kids were talking about the party too. The parents found out very quickly. Busted. And surprisingly, this was the second time that the son was caught drinking. Who really gets hurt here? The parents. In a small town, their reputation turns to mud. In this case, they are shunned by the other parents now. Why would they leave these kids, especially one who is already proven to be irresponsible, on their own?
The story above is a strong example of the power of social media. News about that party spread fast! In the days before the internet it was easier to get away with throwing parties when parents were away. The “evidence”, or photos, was less likely to exist in the days of photo development. And if there were photos, they were shared in person and could be kept under wraps; only a chosen few saw them. Getting caught required a neighbor’s observation and the willingness to say something. Not anymore. Now, Jillian’s party, thankfully, did not include alcohol and was supervised. The photos consist of kids enjoying themselves while drinking soda and fruit punch. It’s not so much the kid’s reputation; it’s the parents. Think about how viral our lives really are because of social networking and individuals who choose to leave their accounts wide open for anyone to see. If you’re a parent and you don’t want to be “the talk of the town” DO have that conversation with your kids now. Now that Sara and I have finished chatting on that subject, we’re going shopping! Joan Jett sang about reputations (see below). And, you are most welcome to stop by at our website and on various social platforms: Facebook,Twitter, and Google+.
Let’s face it. Mr. Zuckerberg is probably not your cup of tea and you don’t plan on having coffee with him anytime soon. We learned from “The Social Network” that he is ruthless and if you’re in his way, well, step aside. He does have some admirable characteristics though, including determination, focus, and energy.
Like him or not, he’s going to be a influencing our lives for a long time. And who knows? Maybe marriage will make him nice. After all, the new Mrs. certainly sees something there; do you think she calls him Marky? Oh wait! This is going to be a POSITIVE article. No name calling or negativity here. Now, what has Mr. Zuckerberg done for us, besides allow us to be a 900 million plus people that use his services for free?
Here’s a few:
Allowed small businesses to flourish by giving them exposure. Some small businesses wouldn't even be on the map if it weren’t for Facebook (including one of mine). It’s a free launching pad IF used correctly.
Given us an easy way to communicate. Do you still use email or do you tend to use private message or just simply share on your wall?
It’s opened up our world to new relationships. Exposure! And just think, you could be sitting with your laptop in your lap and wearing a bathrobe right now. Who’s gonna know? And that new friend you meet on Facebook today…you may be meeting tomorrow in person!
Given us the opportunity to mingle with celebrities while we get to know them. I was tickled when Howard Kaylan of The Turtles responded to a comment I made on a post of his. And he wasn't just saying “Groovy” either.
You can even own a piece of Zuckerberg! Purchasing stock is a choice.
Get reacquainted with folks you knew oh so many years ago. For me personally this has been a big like all the way.
Send greetings and virtual “gifts” without spending a penny or running to the store!
Made it possible to for us to get the latest news and/or current events faster than a speeding bullet. Not only that, but we can interact with people about our take on that information immediately. Go ahead and show distaste or delight!
Now that’s only eight. Bet you can think of at least ten more. And sure, much of the above applies to other social networks. Maybe they’re more significant, perhaps less significant, or only strong for you and a few others.
The point is that as much as we moan, groan, and complain about the Facebook all the time, it’s a part of our lives that we enjoy. After all, if you didn’t like it, would you still be using it?
The Turtles sang about being "Happy Together" ...we ARE, aren't we?
Apologies for not being around at your birth, AND for being a few days late for your birthday, but hey, I couldn't be.
Never worked for Odeo, so, wasn’t around during the “Twittr” days. And wait just a minute! Technically, Twitter hasn't been public for six years (yet). And nope, wasn't there when you went public in July 2006 nor was I there when Twitter “spun off” in April 2007; I’m not a techie!
No Twitter...
... I discovered you in January 2009. Not working at the time and bored off my gourd, I cautiously set up my Twitter account. I was painfully shy, using a photo of a snippet of my favorite coat as my profile pic, using my first name and last name initial, and my tweets were set to private.
Slowly, I inched forward.
And blundered. Made some mistakes early on such as not using @ when replying. Was scolded by a follower for that and called “mate” by another; that’s what happens when you’re a female with the nickname Gerry.
When Easter rolled around, I thought it would be cute to post a tune by Echo and The Bunnymen. My choice of song apparently wasn’t so adorable to my followers; via an app I discovered that twenty-four people had unfollowed me shortly after that post. Embarrassing? Sure, but it taught me to think harder about how I was presenting myself in a public place.
Being the sort of soul who doesn’t give up easily, I kept at it. Early on, I met some wonderful people who I’m still in contact with today and those relationships have spread to contact via other social networks and/or via phone. There’s a few that despite their living some distance away that I’ve met “in real life” and others I’ve attempted to meet up with but the timing was off. At any rate, it’s a pleasure to meet them all, in-person or virtually.
Three plus years ago it was easy to meet people on Twitter. Now, with the growth of babbling and spam that’s out there, it requires some effort to see through the clutter.
And, the lack of visual with this social network never appealed to me and I still dislike that aspect of it.
Plus, I’ve never been happy about the fact that tweets are public; just google yourself. They may not be on the first page, but a bunch of tweets will be listed from a few days before. For that reason, I take a lot of conversations private; why let the whole world in on some details about me that I wouldn’t ordinarily spew out in idle conversation?
Those exploratory first few months taught me a lot. During that time I also took a series of classes via internet to learn how to help small businesses with social media and discovered how my marketing background smoothly fit in. Lucky me! While having fun on Twitter I was transitioning my business with expanded services at the same time.
Those of you who haven’t earned your wings on Twitter yet and want to grow your business: Don’t give up. Work with a professional who can get you where you want to go and advise you on how to incorporate your presence on various social networks in a more strategic way.
If you’re on Twitter for networking, a class is worth your while to get the basics down (something I call the “Rule of 2000” will annoy you when it creeps up, for example). And, look for meet-ups in your area where you can eventually meet some of your followers.
So Twitter, what’s in store for you and me in the future? For now, our relationship is pretty solid and I plan on spending more time with you. If you inform me about change beforehand and prep me a bit, I’ll respect you. And do continue to be a platform where lasting relationships begin. Thank you, so far.
We’re still surfin’ and the bird IS the word. For a special musical “tweet”, click here.
