Speaking as a classic introvert (who had a touch of agoraphobia back in high school) I am a poster child for the type of person who thrives in social media. It’s not that I don’t like people, it’s that I don’t like to meet them in person in a large group. I want to meet people before I meet them.
In the world of social media, you grow your own communities with other people based upon ideas and interests. On Twitter and on Google+, I can find people who talk about the stuff I want to talk about and join right in! Taking these conversations deeper with things like Google Hangouts and phone calls takes the bond to the next step.
Now, unlike Sheldon, I do love to meet up with my social media friends offline. Please notice that I say offline not “IRL”. Social media is real life, it’s just digital. I try to meet people from the digital world as often as possible and knowing these folks already means these meetings are met with anticipation … And hugs.
I noticed something interesting last week in the regular Friday #cmgrhangout. The point of that hour was to get to know the people in the community better. One of the members of the On Air round table mentioned he was an introvert and suddenly the chat blew up with people saying the same.
So I’m wondering, is being an introvert a character requirement for success in working in social media, or is it only a coincidence?
What say you?
Leonard: We need to widen our circle. Sheldon: I have a very wide circle. I have 212 friends on MySpace. Leonard: Yes, and you’ve never met one of them. Sheldon: That’s the beauty of it.