Social Media: The Great Equilizer

The dawn of social media is here... the "great equalizer" that which makes even the most socially inept of us eager to "collect" friends and tweet about what we had for breakfast. Why is this?

Introverts naturally seek solitude--not all the time, but especially in times of stress or as a way to relax. We used to go hide in our basements or bedrooms with a book or video game, but now we blog. We blog and we "tweek", we "link" and we "friend." It is a crazy phenomenon capitalizing on people's need to connect, while rewarding them for being loners - the ideal fire-storm for a tech-savvy introverted generation.

Social media was made for the introvert--as a way to make friends in the comfort of one's comfort zone. The pesky face-to-face introductions need not happen any more.

I for one am thrilled that introverts have been given the gift of social media. As a way to connect, as an avenue for the exchanging of ideas, for the safety it offers. However, we must remember, that like all types of networking it requires you to take it a step further if it is going to work. If you go to an event and exchange business cards and then never follow up--you might as well not go. Similarly, if you are going to maintain a Twitter or Facebook page--you need to take the business AND personal opportunities to make friends and contacts, off-line and off site. That means meeting for coffee, or actual phone conversations--even email (yes I know that is online, but it IS a great "next step."

It is too easy to go about collecting relationships and never growing any. If you want to find your success in business and in life, then it will take work once the door has been opened.

Meghan Wier

THE Social Introvert