Social Media for Life Improvement
Social media is a hot buzz phrase. Sometimes we talk about social media like they’re technology. Other times we act as if social media are a separate world, where “followers” are a goal and “to friend” is a verb.
If you think that way, you’ll miss the main advantage of social media. Used well, they can improve the quality of your life.
Last week Jackie Cameron had a marvelous post her blog titled: “Social capital and why you should start building your network when you are young.” Definitions of “social capital” differ, but they all agree that there is value in our social connections.
It’s the social part of social media that delivers the value. It’s the friends who support you and the friends of friends who help you find out about job opportunities. It’s the people you connect to and the knowledge and relationships they share with you that are the value.
All the rest is technology. Technology is constantly changing, but human nature is constant. Human habits change, but slowly, adapting to new technology.
So what can social media do for you? Social media can extend your reach and help you stay in touch with more people.
Social media can help you reap the benefits that social networks have always offered. People with strong social networks are happier. They’re healthier. They handle stress better. They live longer.
Your challenge is to use the new social media to do the things that human beings have always done. Use them to stay in touch with your friends for life. Use them to reach out to old friends and new friends.
There are other things you can do. You can pick up ideas and new information. You can share information easily and broadly.
But social media will do the most to enrich your life when you attend to the social aspects. Make new friends. Stay connected with friends old and new.