Do you have the answer?
Adam Zand (@NoOneYouKnow) commented on a previous post I made and suggested that we co-present a panel at PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 about how SM is a lot like high school. It didn’t happen due to Adam not being able to make it down from Boston and well, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to jump into my first PodCamp with a presentation.
I’ve been revisiting that ever since, when I see all of the tweets in my Twitter stream about “Top 50 Tweeters,” “Help me get to 5,000 followers!,” or “Who’s the hottest blogger?” – junk like that. Sadly, it really does seem that social media sites are progressing into popularity contests.
Why? I thought the purpose was to create relationships and share ideas, not make it about who has the most followers, comments, linkbacks, whathaveyou. True enough, there’s some vanity involved when we check out our Twitteranks, Twitter Grades, and utilize other web sites that tell us just how we measure up against our fellow social media users. It kind of reminds me of Snow White’s wicked stepmother who consulted that magic mirror to know she was still the fairest in the land. Is that really what we need to keep ourselves going?
There are incredibly smart people out there who are utilizing social media for great things, but why are only a few people called rockstars? Why can’t we all be rockstars?
What you’re doing is just as cool as what I’m doing. We might want different outcomes, but I’d like to think we could all be on the same social level, without trying to one-up each other. I don’t think, however, we can truly be social as a whole until we get rid of the labels and all of these self-serving motives (and yes, I know we all have self-serving interests in a sense) that do little more than try to inflate online social status.
I’d like to take a line that those High School Musical kids so cheesily, yet happily sing: “We’re all in this together.”
They have a point.
Do you agree? What are your thoughts on social media and popularity?
You can also feel free to email me your thoughts and I will post them in comments under anonymous or any way you’d like.
I think that there is a segment of the blogosphere that is actively engaged in self-promotion and popularity contests. I also believe that there is a larger group of writers reaching a small niche of folks who are genuinely interested in what they have to say. I hope that the Pittsburgh Social Media crowd is not unique in what it has accomplished, but fear it might be. Looking at this group I see a loose collection of folk, widely diverse, who enjoy each other, respect each others opinions and learn from each other. Maybe its that somewhere inside we realize that we don’t need to be rockstars.
I’ve come across people like that, and I think for the most part, they’re the uninformed lot and won’t be standing here to enjoy social media and it’s benefits, because they are using short term goals to drive “success” like followers, instead of letting their content speak for itself and evolve organically.
Social media can definitely be a lot like a popularity contest. I’ve noticed it most of all via Twitter. In the end, I have to decide if it bothers me to the point where I unfollow that person or I ignore. So far I’ve been ignoring, but unfollowing will come soon. Don’t work hard to get tons of followers, work hard to provide quality content to those who follow you. Great post!
@TiffanyWinbush
oh god I cant stand the “help me get to ‘x’ number followers”. Some people treat social media like a virtual pissing contest to see who’s more popular. I guess people cant either get out of high school mentality or are making up for the failure they were at connecting back then.
so, have you added me yet? huh huh huh
Great post, Jenn.
I get so frustrated with social media sites sometimes. I hate when I have random “friend” requests (on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook) from people who don’t know me or have any interest in knowing me. They just want to add another person to their list of “friends.”
It’s all absurd to me. I don’t care how many comments I get on my blog, how many “friends” I have on facebook, how many followers on Twitter or Plurk. What matters is, like you said, the *connections*. What’s the point of having 5000 followers on Twitter? Why would you follow 10,000 people? There is *no* way to be connecting with all of them.
Quality, not quantity, should matter.
So very high school. Shouldn’t we have matured more than that by now?
Hi Jenn,
Great post and I’m still bummed that I didn’t make it down for PodCamp Pittsburgh. One of the points in the presentation (you would’ve been an awesome co-presenter!) is that we all make our own A-List of people we get value from and communicate with. The value can be friendship, job advice, shared best practices, recommended links, etc.
Sometimes the quest for numbers and recognition seems like a return to impersonal media broadcasting and business. The tools we use in social media can help us get beyond the ego and vanity and some of those bad high school memories. I value the face-to-face interaction at a PodCamp, Tweetup or Social Media Breakfast even more.
You already know I agree wholeheartedly, but I have to admit, there is less of the high school antic crap going on with Pittsburgh Social Media. There are a few people who are out to just make as many “friends” as they can, but they don’t seem to manage to get linked in with others that are local. Maybe the online culture here has matured past that already? I certainly hope so.
In the social media circles in which I travel the dichotomy seems to be those who use social media to make money and those who do not. That’s a gross generalization and the product of an admittedly small sample, but it holds true most of the time.
Tiffany is right. If you focus on content, the followers will come.
Yes, I agree. It doesn’t help that a lot of these social networking sites have marketed themselves towards a younger and younger audience. It also doesn’t help that someone out there has created some sort of incentive for having a certain number of followers or number of twits or plurks (extra emoticons, twitter grade bragging rights, etc.).
WOW.
Some great thoughts here, folks!
Let me try going down the list here. 🙂
@Scott – You’re right. When I moved here, I never thought I’d find people as interested in all of this stuff and I am so glad to have met so many awesome people. We don’t necessarily need to be rockstars. I think I took that more from the PCPGH3 name tags that stated we were rockstars. Whether you’ve been engaged with social media for five years or five minutes, we were all on the same level.
@Daryl – Good call on that. Some people feel it’s the only way to “survive” because they’re seeing people do it before they jump in. Ignorance begets ignorance. Still, I think you’re seeing more people you wouldn’t expect to do so, jumping into the wannabe A-list fray.
@Tiffany – Agree. How long can you necessarily ignore people? I find myself overlooking it, yet it’s still annoying when I see it clogging my streams/feeds. I’ve never unfollowed anyone (unless they unfollow first – we prob. didn’t interact much anyway), but I might be forced to do the same before long. Content is king, as they say. Spam is a canned meat product.
@Spoon – Yep. Part of me thinks social media is a feeding ground for those of us who weren’t “cool” in high school. I was the nice, quiet girl involved in everything, but kind of not sure where I really fit in. I don’t see the need to make up for that and I’m glad some people can look past the social strata and include everyone. That’s what I like about the whole Yinz group.
@Allison Amen, sister. It’s practically impossible to engage with everyone. Unless you’re a big company or someone like Barack Obama, why are you following that many people? Admittedly, it’s hard enough to keep up with several hundred people! I bet for most folks rolling that deep, they don’t and can’t have conversations with more than half of them. Another thing is that you have to be willing to converse. What’s the point in being friends if you don’t take a moment to respond to a question or comment? People want to connect, it’s obvious, but sadly, not all of us are on the same wavelength.
@Adam – Hey! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂 I think it would be been an interesting session and there is ALWAYS next year. That’s definitely one of the points (I think) I made in my previous post about how social media/the internet helps you find engaging folks who want to have real relationships offline. I think what you stated about making your own A-list is important (though A-list still makes me cringe). If you’re just getting started in social media, don’t just follow someone because everyone else is – find the people who personally interest you most.
@Burghbaby – And, that is why I love Yinz. (Ha!) It’s really positive to see so many people, as Scott said, from diverse backgrounds come together to not only talk about social media and Pittsburgh, but also become friends. I think some other cities have a core group of people like Pittsburgh who are doing the same, but it seems to be overshadowed by a lot of immaturity and self-promotion from others.
@Kim – It needs to be said that not everyone can make money and those who are trying to sell their product to others are kind of selling deceit. (I made money, now let me show you how – it’s so easy!). Reality dictates: it takes a special kind of person to generate revenue and it takes more work than most are willing to put in. It’s easy to sell someone your money-making method, knowing that it doesn’t mean success for the next person. It’s even easier to buy in to the sale, when you’re looking for ways to maximize your income and earn a few more dollars, especially in this economy.
@Colleen – I think some of these sites were intended for the college crowd at first, but are now drawing in a substantially older, more influential crowd with money or the desire to make it. You’re right – while trying to boost each other’s karma and stuff is fun to those of us who don’t take it seriously, there are many more who do and define themselves by the number of people in their social circles. That’s definitely where they miss the boat.
Incidentally I just got done writing a blog post on how much of Twitter and social media has become a numbers game. http://whatisnoise.com/2008/12/twitter-the-follower-game.html
Everyone loves the feeling of high numbers, but everyone really should let it grow organically and not worry too much about numbers, ratios, etc.
Worry about conversations with people, friendships, connections, and helping people out instead.
[…] I just saw a great discussion going on at https://canwetalkpr.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/why-does-social-media-sometimes-feel-like-a-popularity-c… about social media being like a popularity contest. Very similar topic. Over 10 comments […]
This is very chicken and egg-ish. Did we change the way people use social media–or did social media change people?
Social Media needs defined first, then a choice of interpretation. The medium of social media is one of freedom. No rules, regulations and most of it is free.
Where is it written that social media should be used one way and not another. There are clear uses for some “social media”, and others are so dynamic, there are no limits.
No matter how you use “it”, or what you use “it” for, “it’s” being used! Instead of spending time examining the history and present of social media lets push forward and innovate a widely accepted medium that has shown us the beauty of creativity and the agony of materialistic tech-chic demand!
Where is social media going to be used tomorrow?
@David – Agreed and you have a great post over at your blog, too! Numbers do come as you grow when more people become interested in the conversations you have with their friends. Numbers are just numbers and should never be the end sight for anyone. Quality always trumps quantity.
To me, the social networking environment is exactly like the offline world. It contains an incredible range of people with an amazing array of motives and motivations. It’s fine though, as far as I’m concerned, if some people want to collect numbers or chuck spam about – it seems counter-productive to my way of thinking but that’s the joy of freedom, isn’t it?
People can do whatever they want and the results soon let them know whether their efforts are appreciated or not. True, there can be some degree of inconvenience in dealing with people who do not share one’s points of view on any level but it’s a short-lived nuisance!
I don’t have any issues with people approaching things from whatever angle they want – that’s the great thing about the virtual world – it is an opportunity to live and let live without having to put up with what you don’t want in your own corner of it for any longer than it takes to block, unfollow or otherwise turn one’s back on someone, if all else has failed.
What a drab world it would be if everyone were the same! BTW I too have blogged recently on two aspects of Twitter: one at http://linnetwoods.spaces.live.com and the other at http://linnetwoods.blogspot.com/
I think that most of the behavior you’re seeing exists in everything everywhere. I’m not convinced social media is all that different from any other social environment except that it has metrics. These metrics probably both make us aware that people remain obsessed with popularity, and encourage the pursuit.
It’s difficult for me to image how any of these tools and personal relationships look to users who don’t enjoy the frequent opportunities to supplement them with face to face meetings, as PGH users do.
Anthony,
Good point. You do see the same offline, but it’s more easily identifiable online when you can capture everything with # of followers, linkbacks, comments, etc. I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you for bringing it up.
Do you think there are many users who aren’t truly interested in meeting and engaging with others offline? (Aside from the obvious spammers and the potential real-life loner or two).
[…] want to go faster…). And, branching off on that theme, what do you think of the “popularity contest” aspect of social media (from Jenn […]
I don’t know. I can’t understand why they aren’t interested, but there are always people who just want to talk at people. That’s harder to do in person.
I’ll say this. I know people who don’t like to comment and respond online. The only way you can hear what they have to offer is offline.
Last thought, both online and offline social tools and skills are difficult to master. They come and go with experience and mood. And for select people and generations, one consumes the other.
@Anthony – Right on all counts. Actually, I think the majority of people online are considered lurkers. They read or listen and absorb, but don’t necessarily engage. Or, when they do, it is kind of like talking at someone (as you mentioned) instead of talking with them.
I believe that Twitter is digital extention of the society. If society at large believes in numbers game (I’ve more than you etc) then that will inevitably show up in Twitter.
I believe that if you provide quality content then you are better off and will grow organically.
@JanakMehta
Woah, glad I just happened to go through my spam filter. Sorry to Mike and Linnet that I didn’t get to see each of your comments until now.
@Mike – You raise a good point with that. There is nothing static about SM, and how did we come to define what it is today? Can we truly define it as some end to a means? I mean, twelve years ago my little online newsletters could be counted as social media. No one thought of it like that then. It’s not a new occurrence, but it is ever-changing and evolving.
@Linnet – You’re right. How boring it would be if everyone was the same! I don’t have a problem with people who are looking for different things so much as I do that they make it totally about quantity over quality. It seems that too many things are ruled by numbers and at the end of the day, that’s all they remain. I just have to scratch my head at the people who say they value relationships, but have either a disproportionate ratio of following/followers or some ungodly number. It’s practically impossible to keep up with everyone!
@Janak – Indeed!