Alan DraperPeople are social. They always have been. They always will be.
Today, more than ever before in the history of man, men and women are able to communicate and connect with others in ways that were totally impossible only ten years ago, thanks to human ingenuity and God’s grace. As a result, we can meet hundreds and even thousands of new people– without ever having to leave home.
And the progression is rapid, which makes you wonder where we will be in ten years from now. Will all of social media self-implode, or, will there be a whole new way of communicating other than Facebook? With friends and acquaintances all over the globe, will we want to turn off the computer or tablet to hide? Or will be all be like the Borg of Star Trek and need to be attached to the collective at all times. (Would love to hear your thoughts below!)
I’d venture to say that the human species is a lot more like the Borg than we’d like to admit. Our quest for advancement and perfection is not all that alien in fact. We assimilate knowledge like there’s a shortage of artillery, and stock it in believing that it gives an advantage over others. “Knowledge is power”, as the saying goes.
Though we differ from the Borg in that we do not operate from a hive mind, we are indeed a “collective”, a collective of social beings that leans toward those tendencies. From the first moment of life and following, we’re inextricably connected with family and dependent on others for our existence. It’s where we come from; it’s where we’re going. It’s the way we’re wired, not with cybernetic relays and neural networks, but with the psychological, sociological, physical, emotional and spiritual need to connect to others.
Thankfully, what makes us different is our ability for compassion. It’s the soul of man that gives way to what is both considered our weakness and strength, our humanity. With both, a collective mind and a human heart, we can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles and bring genesis to new solutions never thought of. And this is why social media is here to stay.
Social media networking platforms not only give us a new tool to connect with others, a tool by the way, that expands our world considerably, but also enables us to do much more than we ever could do before. Is there, then, any turning back to life before smart phones and sharing music or television with unknown others through Twitter, UStream, or video calling a group of friends on Skype or Google+?
Highly unlikely; didn’t you know? “Resistance is futile”.
References: Wikipedia
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Alan Draper.
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In fact we are a deeply social species. For survival reasons. Our freedom of choice is recent and largely illusionary. Yes, resistance is futile, because we love the collective. Some of us do make other choices… in their collective. ;-)
Well, I agree. humans are social beings. That’s why social media is here to stay. But even more likely to be huge than this. Who knows just even how far technology will bring us? Only God knows.
Thanks for your added insight, Joerka and Cathy.