Weekend Musings: Connecting to Impress - and Inspire!

Every article written about social media somehow finds a new talking point. Sometimes, it’s an insight that escaped the rest, and other times, it’s a brand new feature for the world to explore. The more articles I read, the more I realize how little I know social media. Yet here I am writing this blog, tweeting about my travels, giving out opinions – dedicating a significant amount of time to social media day in and day out.

This is because even though social media has exploded massively – both in terms of platforms and features – at its crux, it still is a medium to connect. I use it to connect with my industry, learn about the new developments across the globe, and understand different perspectives and opinions. And honestly, it would be very difficult to do it if it were not for social media. Social media today isn’t an option; it’s a necessity to stay updated with this constantly changing world. So if it such an integral part of our lives, why just look on and not add value to it?

I read an article lately that talked about how many people are indulging in social good just to post about it on social media. Although there is nothing wrong with impressing people with such posts, I prefer a different perspective. While there are people who post to impress, there is also no dearth of those who post to inspire. This is how I believe we can add value to social media: use it as a medium to inspire and not just impress.

If I do something I am proud of or come across something that inspires me, I will post or share it online because I know it has the potential to inspire many people into action. And if an online post actually helps someone do what he/she always wanted to, social media has served its purpose. I try my best to share such inspiration, be it through the words of Panasonic Corporation founder Mr. Konosuke Matsushita or even a current development – like ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2.

Just imagine the good we would do to our real world by inspiring each other in the virtual world. It’s possible – campaigns like #IceBucketChallenge started online but the awareness they created and mass support they received actually changed the world for the better. And there is a lot of scope for further improvement. All we need to do is connect and inspire each other.

Social media is a great medium to connect. And learning from each other to grow is a great reason to connect. So why not use social media to grow? Why not take inspiration from all the leaders online and inspire others as well? Making the world a better place has never been easier now that we have social media and what better day to start with it than today? World Social Media Day! Let’s start adding inspiration as well to our social media feed today onwards.