Aimless use of Social Media

I would be lying if I said that I haven’t given many ‘props’ to social media. I also would be lying if I said that I have not based many of my business proposals solely off the fact that companies absolutely need to use social media. I supposed the fact that contributing to this blog is a direct indication that I am in fact a sucker for this ever-evolving communicational craze.

However, I cannot help but think about the amount of hours many must spend – from top to bottom – by professionals in an array of industries to contribute to this self-marketing obsession (not saying all social media focuses on the self – read below). As studies indicate, and there are many studies to choose from, the use of such sites as Twitter, digg, del.icio.us, mybloglog and even LinkedIn have increased at higher rates than How I Met You Mother. This raises a significant question: Where do these influential titans of industry get so much free time to talk – at times aimlessly – about anything and everything on the platforms provided by these social media sites?

Let us not forget that CEO rates tip the scales at an average of $200 or more. Let us not forget that most of this networking is done during peak hours during the ‘work’ day. I am not discounting the fact that social media is used to garner ideas and generate innovative new thinking, however, does it not bother anybody else to see upwards of 15 one-sentence replies to a comment about somebody’s ‘status update’ on LinkedIn?

Maybe this is simply an obscure thought, but how, as professionals and potential marketing trend setters, can we justify the waste of so much time on hollow conversation? For those who are leading key discussions and conversing about relative, impactful topics, keep on keeping on – you are amongst the few who are using the phenomena known as social media for all the right reasons.

BG

How does one celebrate another who has impacted the lives of so many, all while being mindful that this person’s reach extended in 16 years what many would not be able to touch in a lifetime?

How do you say ‘thank you’ for lessons learned through another’s strife and pain, all while realizing that relinquishment of individual hardships shed conversely without hesitation nor remorse?

How can personal lessons of optimism and gratefulness be taught through observing a life unjustly cut short, all while realizing that the role model of so many was barely old enough to, legally, get behind the wheel of a car?

Is it illogical to think that we can learn much more from those with so much less, or purely irony that we preach appreciation and love, but only truly understand such concepts when our loved ones are lost?

These are questions that can only be answered when life turns unexpectedly, seemingly without reason or reconciliation.

Thank you Brandon – you touched the lives of so many, and were an inspiration to all.