A Means to an End.
Social media is great. I love networking via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, GChat, and AIM as much as the next person. As I’ve moved deeper into the world of social networking, I’ve learned something: It is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself.
As much as possible, social media networking must always end in face-to-face contact. If you have the means to connect with someone in person via social media, you need to do so. Otherwise, it’s just voyeurism. There are, of course, geographical limitations that will never allow you to meet in person with someone you’ve connected with, which is both the beauty and the curse of social media. You can connect with people you never would have otherwise (@rhetter, @flowerdust, @tonysteward for me, for example), but your ability to meet with them on a tangible level is low.
Let me give you two examples of what I’m talking about:
- I found out about Andy Drish after he was in an article in Des Moines Juice. Then I visited his blog. I found something I really liked, so I re-posted it on BeDeviant.com. He commented on the post. Then I found him on Twitter via the “Meet Your Commenters” plug-in for WordPress. I followed him, he followed me, we exchanged tweets, and finally met for coffee yesterday in downtown Des Moines. All through social media. It served as a means to an end.
- I started following The Lutheran magazine on Twitter not too long ago. They posted a few tweets while they were were at a social media conference, I asked them some questions, they answered, it was a good time. A few weeks later, I got an email from Amber at The Lutheran asking me to reformat a post from this site for their e-newsletter in January. She had found my blog after following me on Twitter, read some posts, and thought that some of the content would fit well with what they’re doing. I sent the final article in yesterday and a connection between Amber and me was made.
I set out a challenge a few months back to have coffee with every Des Moines tweep (a “tweep” is a person on Twitter) that I’m following or who is following me. I want to use social media as a tool to connection much like a pencil is a tool for drawing.
Social media in and of itself is okay, just like a pencil in and of itself is okay: Yellow, long, sharp on one end and dull on the other. Not much to look at really. What really gets exciting is when you look at what a pencil can create: A sketch, a life story, a poem for your wife, etc. In the same way, what really gets exciting with social media is not what it is but what it can create: Relationships, connections, friendships, websites, business ideas, ministry opportunities, and on, and on.
So, if you use social media tools, what are you creating? What relationships are you building? What lives are you influencing and allowing to influence you?
I've found that life is about balance and phases. You can't go from A to C without visiting B. In relation to your blog, if you skip phase B (i.e. never meet up with said person and develop a “relationship” over the internet) then to me personally, that's not a relationship I would like to have. We as human beings are social beings and are meant to act that way in person. More and more I find the internet and it's social networking capabilities to be a mask for people who believe they don't need to have an in-person relationship with others. As a person who meets face to face for my job with people I've never met before but have e-mailed/phoned, the relationship feels incomplete without shaking their hand and making eye contact. Good article, I like the direction you're going with this.
good stuff Justin.. i wrote something remarkably similar on my blog a few days ago.. http://www.wannabetheologian.wordpress.com
YES! Exactly!! It's not about us! It's not about our significance. It is simply a means…. It must have a purpose beyond us. Well said.
Love it…have some of the same stories…I think it was @lizstrauss how made a comment about blogging by saying, “we don't teach pencil.” It was somehow in regards to it not being a tool…probably more of a space. This is probably all of out of context and I misinterpreted her…
But all that to say, I love our take on this and the pencil analogy…using social media as a catalyst that moves you into relationships with people offline as well.
Awesome.
rhett
I totally agree! I'm still trying to get used to random people following me on twitter who appear to be doing so for some kind of marketing reason. That just makes no sense to me. Twitter, facebook, myspace, etc. are all amazing tools that should be used to improve communication, not replace relationship. I tell people all the time how thankful I am for these resources. I feel like God has been extremely gracious to put so many people into my life to love on, and equipped me with a means to facilitate that call.
I tell people all the time how thankful I am for these resources.