Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand…
Bob Dylan's lyrics marked a dramatic generational shift and they ring true again with the newest digital divide: social media.
Dylan's generation swapped information at cafés and protests, and spread their messages through pamphlets and the underground press. Today, we have Facebook and Twitter to exchange ideas, and blogs to build grassroots movements.
As easy as it is to network from the comfort of one's home, only 5 percent of Americans use Twitter, according to a recent Harris poll. Less than half of adults have either a MySpace or Facebook page, with just 16 percent updating their page daily.
Some say they just don't "get it." Why would I care that hottie1955 is eating Cheerios for dinner? Where am I going to find the time to Twitter all these twits? How is it social to spend your day hunched over a computer?
Since Wah-Wah-Wah.com isn't working, I'll tackle these questions before addressing why social media technology is the best thing that has happened to the Internet since the search engine, and may be even more important.
Complaint #1: Why would I give a hoot about people's menial, mundane tasks?
Choose who you follow and friend carefully. Drop people, or just block updates from them if they don't fit with why you're using social media. But give people a chance before getting too trigger-happy.
These technologies are in their infancy; people are figuring them out and need to be educated. Consider starting a conversation asking if people are annoyed when others comment on what they ate. Sure, you may upset some people, but if they're offended, they can de-friend you.
My Facebook use has been focused on who I knew in the past, but I'm now focused on who I want to know in the future. You need to actively seek out people whose thoughts interest you to raise the level of your social media experience.
Complaint #2: I don't have time for social networking.
These sites can be a time drain, but once you learn how to use them, they can save you time and money, and help foster valuable connections.
For instance, my wife recently was craving pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). I went to Yelp.com and found a list of restaurants, each with customer reviews. The social review site allowed us to read the reviewers' biographies, e-mail them questions, see how many people agreed with the reviewers and even rate the reviewers' reviews.
Not only was it quicker than the Yellow Pages, it provided more information. In addition, the site holds restaurants accountable to each customer, and even holds the reviewers accountable.
Yelp does more than help find good grub. Doctors, lawyers and even politicians can be rated.
Complaint #3: How is spending more time in front of my computer being social?
