July 19th, 2009
The psychology of social media: Can a visible brand ruin your life?
I read a lot about social media. Partly because I am interested, partly because I have to in order to write this blog. In all of my reading, there is one implied thought I run across more than others: “Social media is powerful.” It gives any average person who has access to the Internet and a bit of ingenuity the opportunity to create a more vivid, accessible “personal brand” and, if done right, that person can spend 15 minutes in the Internet spotlight. But at what cost?
We’ve all read the stories about people stupidly posting Facebook status messages about ditching work, only to have their bosses read it. We’ve also heard the stories about the guy who gets caught cheating because he was sloppy with his social networking. I’m not talking about those costs - that kind of human error deserves grief.
I’m talking about the side effects of creating a successful personal brand and, even if you make all of the apparent right decisions along the way, how it can create upheaval in both professional and private lives. The savvy engineer who creates a presence for himself via a blog or social network, only to make his boss feel threatened and then hamper his internal visibility. Or the rock star entrepreneur who feels she can’t get a moment to herself without the world watching, including her boyfriend.
“In business settings, the impact-for better or worse-of social media activities on relationships will be determined by a company’s culture,” said Dr. Pamela Rutledge of the Media Psychology Research Center. “In personal relationships, social media will expose insecurity and a lack of transparency (aka honesty). Social media amplifies information and behaviors. If we value authenticity, this is a good thing… The good news is that social media exposes inauthenticity and selfishness very quickly, so it’s easier to see them.”
Jennifer Leggio, aka "Mediaphyter," writes about the "social business" side of social media - including enterprise, security and reputation issues. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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