My Favs From Socialnomics

A few of my favorite points from Chapter 1 include:

- "Spending time on social media makes you more productive."
- "Business models need to shift. Simply digitizing old business models doesn't work."
- "We no longer look for the news; the news finds us."
- "Businesses don't have a choice on whether or not to DO social media, their choice is how well they DO it."

The most amusing key point from this chapter was that social media is productive. As a college student time spent on social media websites is used to procrastinate while "stalking friends" and be generally unproductive. Yes, users can gather information, learn about what their "friends" are doing in their lives, and share news with their circle of connections. However, I wonder how truly productive the majority of people find their time on Facebook. That isn't to say that businesses who are active on Facebook aren't totally productive because I definitely agree with the point that businesses don't have an option in joining the world of social media. They do, however, have a choice in how well they manage it. In that sense, social media is very productive for brands.

My chapter 2 favs include:

- "Individuals and companies are starting to lead their lives as if their mother or board of directors were watching their every move because they probably are."
- "Effective companies and people embrace critical feedback. Digital comments that identify areas for improvement are invaluable."

I really like what social media is doing for ethical conduct of companies and their transparency. After all the nonsense that has gone down with the collapse of many CEOs and their respective companies, people want the truth. We are coming to expect more: more sustainability, more honesty, more options, more availability, more service. Businesses will gain customers by handling their business openly and engaging in a honest conversation with employees, customers, and stakeholders. Social media can aid all of these things if done well.

Chapter 3 key point:

- "Social media allows individuals to take real-time inventories of their lives and helps answer the age-old question, "What am I doing with my life?" This benefits society because it encourages more people to engage in productive or charitable activities."

I totally agree with the second part of the above quotation. The social media world is entirely separate (but still impacting) from the real-world. It is a known fact that people are projecting their best self (or the image they want people to perceive) on their social media accounts. More people take pictures to be able to show their friends they are doing something with their lives. No pictures on Facebook now equates either an unwillingness to share with your community or that you simply don't have a life. I mean, who wants to take pictures of themselves watching TV every night?

On the other hand, when I read that social media helps us know what we are doing with our lives I would argue that it does the opposite. I would dare say that social media can make us realize what we aren't doing with our lives and this can be a depressing thing, especially for young people who do not understand that online personas via social media do not represent the full picture of a person's life. Check out this article to get more info on the topic: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=134912484. It's timely and relevant and important for children growing up in a world that is lived out online.