Deconstructing Society

In the many interactions I have at networking events, speaking engagements, and other social gatherings, I find it shocking at how prevalent some of the fears people have on social engagement. I can't say that the fears are entirely unfounded, but to allow those fears to keep someone from entering the digital social space concerns me because by severing that opportunity, you sever the chance to expand your voice, extend your brand's influence, and your also sever the ability to learn from others with unique perspectives.

Most recently the one fear that was mentioned by more than one person was the fear of how social media has begun the deconstruction of real life interactions. This perceived change in how we communicate with one another is the crux of why a new generation lacks the socialetiquette to interact in real life professional situations and creates an awkwardness that is hard to overcome for those that lack those social skills. In a sense, real face to face communication is being replaced by constant connectivity to networks like Twitter, instant messaging, video chats, and other supplemental forms of media.

The fear comes from a generation that still remembers what it meant to have a firm handshake, a look in the eye, and the ability to read body language. I'm not that far removed from those days, but for someone who's been involved in media for over 10 years, it's been a clear cut understanding for me on which medium is most appropriate for what I have to communicate. The question I ask is, with all the technology that is introduced in our lives, are we failing to promote face to face interactions, encouraging people to rely on social networks to pass the message along?

I have always been an advocate for using social media to supplement your real life relationships, not to replace it, but I'm a rare breed of my generation that understands the need for both. Do you see us losing ourselves to these networks? Do you see a younger generation deferring to online networks and growing into social awkwardness?

I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. The fear to me seems almost silly, while I understand it, I just don't see it happening. But I'm looking at the issue from my own eyes. Perhaps your eyes see something different.

Photo Credit John H.M. Tsang