Written by Rachel Quinn, Chief Executive, One East Midlands
At home I am quite an avid Facebook user. Yes you get lots of random
rubbish popping up on it but if you manage your friend lists well and block the
requests for games and shares that often flood out then it’s actually a
marvellous social tool. For me it’s been a great enabler to keeping in touch
with friends and contacts I have all over the country and world. It also allows
me to build social contacts and social capital linked to my personal hobbies that
would otherwise be impossible. I’ve received great advice, information and
support from people I’ve never met before yet we share much in common.
In contrast I was recently ‘unfriended’ through Facebook by someone whom
I have known for many years. Elements of my lifestyle, namely the rearing of
free range animals for table, were at odds with their personal beliefs. In
reality this was not a personal rebuff just a decision that we don’t need to be
friends using this mechanism. Facebook amplifies the way in which you
experience other people’s lives and I believe in this case it only served to
amplify the bits that this person found distasteful. The result is that
Facebook has become an online community for me with many people I barely know
but share interests and values with. This is quite separate from my local
community where personal relationships develop regardless of the lack of common
interests outside local proximity and history. For me I value both and am
stronger for them.
Just occasionally Facebook also throws up an interesting thought,
dilemma or question. Recently an example of this popped up in the form of a
cartoon with caption that summed up my current work related frustrations
perfectly.
The cartoon showed a man and woman walking where the caption from the
woman reads:
“My desire to be well
informed is completely at odds with my need to remain sane!”
This is where my home use of social media immediately tips into work
context and where, for me, this statement is currently right on the money. I
need to know, I’m paid to know but quite often the more I know, the more
disillusioned I feel. This then leads me
to the next type of social media where more trouble can start……
Twitter……still considering myself a novice I am nevertheless becoming a
fairly consistent user of Twitter for work. It has limitations including
irritation, failed links to online material and the potential to amplify your
mistakes very far and very very quickly. However, it’s also the easiest and
fastest way to make your point to key decision makers I have ever come across. For
this reason I bear with it.
But Twitter sometimes gets me into trouble and I have learnt that it is
an easy way to unintentionally undermine other organisations. Last week I let
myself become annoyed at the number of “please like us on Facebook” style
tweets flooding out from certain national orgs. I shouldn’t have bit but I did
and publicly asked them to pack it in. It did the lead balloon thing is all
I’ll say.
So what have I learnt – if social media brings us together and helps us
build networks and articulate our thinking and dilemmas then that’s great. But
bear in mind it also holds the potential to pit us against one another and
damage relationships. All social media is a megaphone for our thoughts and
opinions.
Remember - it’s so easy to post that tweet or status update but it’s a
lot harder to later have to retract it. Use it and use it confidently because
the benefits can be quick and effective but occasionally be ready to back track
if you haven’t completely thought it through.
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