Ain’t this brilliant!
Since I discovered digital social connectedness (i.e. Twitter etc.) back in March, I’m glad to tell you lots of amazing things have happened: I’ve found great contributors and stories for my journalism work, been asked to speak at events, write, present, produce, collaborate, learned loads, had lots of laughs, and discovered world-class, world-changing people, ideas, and resources.
And I know, from what people say, that shed loads of good things have happened for many of my online, and offline, friends too.
Last night I chirped that our digital relationships help banish creative and intellectual loneliness. Loads of people identified with that, many saying they’d found connections that started out on our screens, becoming long-term, strong, mutually supportive and beneficial friendships, often with people meeting face to face and working on good stuff together.
I reckon we can always find smashin’ people to share our passions, ideas, dreams, goals, and hopes. Ain’t that brilliant?
Some just don’t get it!
But despite the massive growth in this stuff, everyday I still get daft comments from people who just “don’t get it”.
So I say: “Business, and life, are about people. People are on social networks, which we know (yip, us privileged ones who do get it! he he) are simply tools to facilitate something much bigger and more important than any one technical platform.”.
They still don’t get it!
Anyway, I’ve thought of twenty five “types” of people who in my experience so far say, or think, they don’t need social media.
But hang on!
I am not slaggin’ off these folk – after all the vast majority of people are not digitally connected, and it’s not long since we weren’t either! And my list most definitely does not including people with no access to the Internet, the disadvantaged, or those in terrible situations etc.
Rather, I’m amused that less than a year ago, I was in quite a few of the following categories, and it was only thanks to a random discovery through a favourite blog, that I even bothered to look at Twitter!
So let’s see how many folk we can help by winning them over and showing them how to get connected. My reasoning: the more people who understand and benefit from this, the greater our chances of working together to do good stuff toward a better world.
Here’s my random 25 types who at the mo, just don’t get it. Oh, and I’ll chuck in a bonus.
Picture credit: Lamrock-images (Course my list refers to no one in this bus queue!)
1) Self satisfied folk who believe they have everything they currently want.
2) Journalists, broadcasters, presenters, directors, producers with established, well-paid jobs in organisations where they feel respected, safe, comfortable, and are creatively and professionally fulfilled (usually closing their eyes and minds to the crumbling structures beginning to collapse all around them). These people are quite rare since to my knowledge many friends and colleagues do feel insecure about their current positions.
3) Shop keepers who make enough money from people walking through the door without having to reach out to new customers or give extra value.
4) Business people with a product of service that’s in demand and for which they have little known competition.
5) Creatives working in organisations, or freelancing with lots of work, where they feel comfortable, well paid, and respected, with some freedom to do things they love.
6) Marketing and PR companies and their staff who currently have plenty of work doing traditional stuff for clients who are still able to pay them lots of money and who don’t yet get the fact that these old methods aren’t really working.
7) People who are not hungry to expand or stretch themselves.
8) Conformists, compromisors, and closed minded folk who have set ideas, fixed opinions and attitudes, and don’t want to feel, or be, challenged.
9) Celebrities who are OK with their current level of fame and think they’ll continue to get adoration and acclaim just by keeping on doing the same things, perpetuated by big media.
10) Academics who are surprisingly still feeling secure about their funding, even though ultimately their work may have almost zero impact.
11) Wealthy/financially secure people who can fund anything they want and can’t see themselves ever needing to connect with others except through paying them.
12) People who don’t go online much, or at all, those who have not yet tried social media, or even know what it is. Those who are scared crap-less!
13) Trades people who get work from recommendation and established customers.
14) Anti-social or arrogant folk who don’t like community, conversation, connectedness, and don’t love people.
15) Folk with nothing to say, no ideas, no story they need to tell, no one they desperately want to help, connect with, or impress, or those who lack a burning desire to express themselves or communicate.
16) People who do not want to change the world or make a difference since they feel quite comfortable as they are thanks very much.
17) Those who do not care about other people or don’t feel a need to make a contribution.
18) Fakers who don’t want multiple connections to eventually reveal who they really are.
19) Professional people who don’t see the relevance digital connectedness has to their work or lives.
20) People in corporations, public institutions, well-off companies who are quite happy as they are and don’t believe much will change to threaten their comfortable position.
21) In-demand people who have highly sought after qualities, skills, or experience. Socially popular people with so many options they never want for friends or face to face interaction.
22) Those who say they are too busy and think any form of online networking is a waste of time.
23) Folk who have all they need to achieve their goals without external support, collaboration, or the approval/adoration of others.
24) Stupid people.
25) My friend Bob.
Bonus track:
26) Funeral Directors.
Do they use social media? No offence to anyone who has lost a loved one, but I was just curious.
Would love to here what you think of this list. Can you think of more “types” who look at you in a funny tone of voice when you say you love being digitally connected? What do you say to those who just “don’t get it”? I really appreciate your comments so please go for it! Much love, Ian.
Hi Ian,
An inspired and comically comprehensive list. I wonder which will tumble first and embrace the digital communities or timidly enter the fray with little pomp and ceremony for fear of a chorus of “Ahhh you have seen the light”.
I recently read an excellent book called “Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom” It hi-lights 3 types Conceptual Objectors (Its interesting but merely a distraction), Risk Managers (I get it but its far too dangerous) and those with the Fear Factor (How to I maintain control and power).
I have a far richer dimension to my relationships being digitally connected and embrace any opportunities to meet these people in the flesh. The anti-digi folk seem to think they will fade away behind a computer which is just not true.
and Yes Laurence, the Face to Face brigade are very annoying. What do they think we are doing when communication her for example. I might not be able to see the whites of your eyes but I’m addressing you and you can read that just as the top message was directed at you Ian.
Once again, nice list Ian.
cheers
CJ