The Connected Life

We often focus on the negative when it comes to social media. Just yesterday I was emailed an article by Newsweek about how social media is merely a time consuming distraction that makes us less intelligent. If anything I thought it was humorous about how negative the author was about Facebook and Twitter.

In reality I think social media exists and continues to grow because at the heart of being a human is a desire to connect with other humans.

One of my recent loves has been listening to TED talks. Remember the Mister Splashy Pants video? That was a TED talk. I watched one earlier this week that was an ingenious way to show how we value social media as a means of making human connection.

If you can’t see the video, come here to watch.

Some of my favorite quotes:

  • I think understanding social networks, how they form and operate can help us understand other social phenomenon. I.e. bank runs, crime, warfare, market crashes, spread of product adoption.
  • I think we form social networks because the benefits of a connected life outweigh the costs.
  • Social networks are required for the spread of good and valuable things like love, kindness, and happiness.
  • “I think if we realized how valuable social networks are, we’d spend a lot more time nourishing them and sustaining them. Because I think social networks are fundamentally related to goodness and what the world needs now are connections.”

Why do you use social media and join social networks?