Social Media for Everyone

Social Media for Everyone
When I grew up there was tv with only three stations. We didn’t have to surf because we knew what was on the other station and choose this one. It was simple. Now the choices seem infinite, the young constantly surf through stations, twitters, social media outlets like FaceBook and YouTube for what is going on. I have to be honest, all this media is somewhat daunting. In the polite world in which I was raised we listened before we spoke. We completed our tasks like homework without the radio on, let alone IM and mp3 devices. It seems less complicated, but also less connected to others. We were in our own world. Now is different.
If you are 30 or younger you grew up in a world fully connected and in the last 10 years more fully connected. While I will never understand why someone has to talk on their cell phone in the elevator, the bathroom, or at the dinner table, I do completely embrace the joy of being able to get to someone right now when I want them. That is cool.
I grew up in an era of no or low self esteem. If we didn’t win at some age group sport, we didn’t get a trophy. Our parents didn’t always come to our games or events. We weren’t always told we were special, or that we were loved. I know this because I was there not only for myself but with my friends. That was the way it was.
My own son grew up hearing he was special, he was the best, he was important. We listened to him babble like it had true significance. He and his age group went into day care early because both parents worked. At his day care he was cherished and made to feel important within his group. He parallel played with his day care friends. He and his friends believe what they have to say is vital and important–that is the way we have raised them.
It occurs to me that all these social media networks are like the parallel play of his early sandbox. Most social media posts to me seem like some kid saying “listen to me”, “look at me”, “I am special”, “what I have to say is important”, and maybe it is.
Communications and sharing is important to our society, it greases the wheels of evolution. While I sometimes get a headache when I receive my hundreth twitter in a day I do stay connected, I do listen because sometimes, NO all the time, each day I learn something from someone who I never met but was willing to share their story with me through some social media outlet. Let our evolution continue and let more of we old guys join in in the discussion. Playing in the sandbox was such fun, let’s do some more.