Straddling The Road Between The Information Super Highway And A Dirt Road

Confession time - I'm a corporate communicator who dislikes social media. I mean there are days I detest it. My love for it stopped at about... Myspace.

There's one platform I genuinely believe is different and changing the dynamic of how professionals communicate. More on that in a moment.

For as long as it's existed, I've had a love-hate relationship with social media.

At the beginning it was a glorious idea - to give people a common place on the internet where they could connect with classmates or coworkers long lost to time, to connect with family and current friends, to share special and intimate moments. It was "all good." (Anyone remember changing their Myspace layouts or creating their music playlists or being friends with Tom?)

But even then I could see tiny glimpses of where it could go wrong. I remember back in like 2009 I posted a photo of my son's first communion to Facebook and a third cousin I barely knew responded "you let him wear that in church?" I was embarrassed and felt compelled to apologize for what I, as a father, did with my own son, to a third cousin. Like WTF?

Since then, we've seen social media explode. For awhile (third cousin aside) it was glorious. Then it started changing with regular snarky comments, dislikes (what a stupid concept), anonymous bullying and all out war.

I was still hopeful. I knew if we all just worked together, we could harness this terrific technology to bring us closer to each other.

But then social media took some major turns for the worse. The National Institutes of Health published an article in 2012 concerned about the impacts of social media (Social Media and Suicide: A Public Health Perspective). By then many of us were hooked. Surely our children were.

Multiple studies from the Mayo clinic (Teens and social media use: What's the impact? - Mayo Clinic), to the Wall Street Journal?(social media usage has been linked to several mental health issues) demonstrate over and over again the major concerns about the impacts of social media to young adults, teens and preteens - especially girls.

We now have two generations of human beings (most younger Millennials and all Gen Zers) who don't remember life before social media. For good or bad, social media is part of their everyday lives. If you're a Gen Xer and parent or grandparent, asking anyone under the age of 30 to give it up is like asking our generation to put down the Aqua Net or stop wearing MC Hammer pants. Wasn't gonna happen. You can't touch this.

Professionally, I've used social media successfully to reach audiences. And to be fair, social media started as an incredible way to reach further, faster, cheaper and more currently than traditional media. Plus, we had the chance to receive feedback and discussion. For the first time ever, the average person wasn't just reading or watching the news. They were engaged in the news.

But go to a military installation Facebook page today. The comments by service members and military families are disgusting. Go to a company twitter page. The comments from consumers are disgusting. Go to a notable figure's (or practically anyone's) instagram page. The comments are disgusting.

But there's one platform I genuinely believe is different and changing the dynamic of how professionals communicate. More on that in a moment.

I haven't given up yet. Social media still has the potential to be a force for good.

David Katz, a student of mine (and friend) participating in the Digital Networking Professional Program's Certified Digital Networking - Professional (CDN-P) course inspired this article.

In a discussion about the power of networking and how following the program's tenets led to almost immediate business opportunities for him, he called LinkedIn the anti-Facebook or maybe it was the reverse-Facebook.

Whatever the amazing term, his position was, on other platforms people go out of their way to tear each other down. On LinkedIn, people go out of their way to build each other up.

As soon as David used the CDN-P course instruction to Build a Digital Network and Engage with Content, he experienced complete strangers extending a hand for no other reason than to support him. Heck, he was offered a job opportunity almost immediately.

Listen, I don't know where social media is going but I do know there's no stopping it. I constantly straddle the road between the information super highway and a dirt road. But I'm hopeful LinkedIn and future sites similar to it remind us weary social media users what the technology can be when used to the benefit of our fellow man.

Ultimately change begins with "me."

Yes I'm a corporate communicator who dislikes social media. I mean there are days I detest it. My love for it stopped at about... Myspace. But LinkedIn is giving me reason to love social media again. Now where's my playlist? Someone find Tom.

If you'd like to learn more about taking the Certified Digital Networking - Professional course, visit the Digital Networking Professional Program website or the DNPP LinkedIn page.

Jose is the founder of Velazquez Media Consulting (VMC), a Certified Digital Networking - Coach and contributor to various publications. Follow him on Linked by clicking here.