New Scientist

I was reading Michael Marshall’s article in this week’s New Scientist (7 March 09) where he talks about the latest findings regarding the relatively ‘new’ Social Networking that has been online for a while, and he discusses the implications.

Social Media

He refers to a recent Aric Sigman article in The Biologist where social media is the topic for discussion and the affects that Social Media, Facebook in particular, are having on face-to-face social contact, where Sigman argues against a commonly held view that its leading to isolation and loneliness (as most of us are aware) can lead to illness and death.  They’d been some ‘media’ who-ha that announced how being on Facebook could lead to cancer!

However Sigman was seeking clarification on the somewhat smudged association and it opened up a debate about how maybe socially vulnerable groups were being affected and was their chatting to friends online without face-to-face contact minimizing social skills and capabilities? Marshall’s article gave reference to a study published in the Journal of Social Issues back in 2002 where it asserted the opposite and how the social interaction found online did in fact ‘reduce loneliness and improve well-being’.

The Hidden Benefits

He added that another report in 2006 showed that people mainly stayed in contact on Facebook with people they knew offline.  He also referred to an article from the New Scientist from 2007 that gave beneficial examples of how some groups with social afflictions, such as Aspergers syndrome, are positively benefiting from social networking sites.

The House of Lords

Marshall also made mention of an imbalanced argument asserted, in the House of Lords, by neuro-scientist Susan Greenfield, where she put two particularly good questions:

1. Why are social network sites growing?
2. What features of the young mind, if any, are being threatened by them?

But Marshall advised she gave rather stereotypical and unsubstantiated arguments as she sited the Internet’s responsibility for an increase in ADHD and other such extreme examples.  All very disappointing of course.

Online Accountability

As a Business Coach to Therapists and Coaches I’m involved with both off and online marketing, and its clear that social networking is an important business tool going forwards.  I like the online ‘accountability’ factor (although scary at first) I feel it helps us examine our motivation and we get a quicker response online where something does or doesn’t work.

As for the report regarding most people being in touch with friends and family through sites like Facebook, I’m not so sure that this is still the case in 2009 as there are lots more people selling online than probably were 3-yrs ago, and subsequently taking their product to a ready-made market on the social sites.

Facebook and Twitter

And many successful Internet Marketers use Facebook (FB) to keep in touch with their customer base.  But Twitter, in particular, is proving to be the more immediate of tools enabling a large reach in whats described as ‘real time’.  And maybe there’s a switch coming as having thousands upon thousands of friends requiring a dialogue (in FB) is beginning to take its toll, at the business end of things.

Only this week on the www.thirtydaychallenge.com/tv radio show IMTW that Ed Dale runs with co-hosts Lynn Terry and Michelle MacPhearson, the  topic was Facebook and Ed talked about how its spinning out of control, advising the hundreds of messages sitting in the ‘inbox’ he’ll never have time to reply to.  He mentioned how its time to start splitting off the social (for your nearest and dearest) and business, and how the introduction of Fan Pages has enabled this, although nothing new I heard some say.  A little black and white perhaps.  But if we start denying access of our personal profile to our business market then how long before our prospective customers decide to head off to another ‘counter’, its difficult to predict. They may just ‘flock’ to Twitter, Facebook’s biggest fear.

Ed Dale

I look forward to seeing how Social Media develops over time because it looks set to stay.  For business purposes its time (if you haven’t already) to start taking it seriously and develop a presence there.  My recommendation would be to share the best of who you are, take it slowly and use it with integrity. Whatever you put on there becomes part of your history so be clear about what you want to achieve from the outset.  And don’t be afraid to open up and be accountable, because in my view that is the way the world and business are moving.  And I for one welcome it.

Jane

1. http://www.facebook.com/Jane Unsworth
2. http://www.Twitter/JaneUnsworth

1. @lynnterry : http://www.clicknewz.com
2. @michellem :  http://www.michellemacphearson.com/
3. @ed_dale : http//www.tubbynerd.com

These are their websites together with their Twiiter direct contact names if you fancy dropping them a line too. Twitter allows a maximum of 140 characters.