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A piece of advice for anyone wanting to participate in the social media world. Although it may be tempting to make friends with everyone in the scene, resist, and get out into the world, not just the industry, and talk to people in complimentary and completely different fields.
I know from experience that the social media scene will fall into distinct echo chambers, no matter what happens, and then what happens is we all talk to each other, about the same things. Agreeing, disagreeing, repeating, saying the same thing but using different words. It becomes one big circle of noise.
The only way to break out of this, that I’ve personally seen, is to engage in other friendships, hang out with different groups of people, go to unrelated conferences and make sure that when you do show up to an event, that you make an impact with people you see there. Do your absolute best to diversify your world, your events, your experience, and ensure that everything you do, everywhere you go, you bring value to the conversation.
This happens everywhere, and frankly, in every industry. And the inevitable begins to happen – the comparisons to high school begin, and the next thing you know, people are badmouthing each other, having public fights and creating unnecessary drama where none needs to be. It becomes, in the immortal words of a good friend, “all kinds of f’d up.”
Pick your events to attend that occur in the social media world. Here in Vancouver, there are a million and one events, all with, more or less the same people. Judge the events you want to attend not by who will be there – that’s generally a given, and you’ll run into that person another time, guaranteed. Judge them by who is speaking, what the topic is and when and where it will take place. If you’ve got to go far out of your way for an event that is only mildly interesting, your heart won’t be in it and you won’t want to be there.
I was told this weekend that a friend in the scene respected me because I exist outside of the Vancouver Echo Chamber (ok, the phrase he used was a little more graphic than that, but this is a family friendly website for the most part), and the reason I manage to do so is because I’m careful about where I go, when I go and what I do. I show up for certain events, skip others and make sure that I’ve got other things going on outside of the standard social media circle.
Just like in a marriage, you’ve got to have outside interests to have other things to talk about and make things interesting, in an industry like social media, you’ve got to do the same. Otherwise, you’re just talking to yourself, over and over again.
[image source: sxc.hu]
This is very cool, I’ve never heard the term echo chamber before. I’m going to repeat it to every social media person I meet ;)
But seriously, you’re right about mixing in other circles. It helps bring weight to the very things you are participating in, what’s conversation if it’s not a mutual knowledge share?
I was going to wait to comment until tomorrow, when my post linking to your post came out (tomorrow), but seeing as both Meg and Buzz have already commented, I might as well jump in.
There are, as you know, some good elements to our Vancouver social media crowd. Some bad elements as well. I take the good with the bad. I agree with Meg that in Vancouver we have more drama per square foot than in other places. We are also more geographically concentrated.
One time, not too long ago, Meg gave me a great piece of advice on Facebook “… eschew drama”. I’m trying my hardest to do exactly that.
The insights I gained from your post was “pick and choose events” and “make sure to have your priorities right”, and “create meaningful, real friendships”.
For all those insights, and many other things that we share, thank you.
I think you’re right Colleen, there’s always the danger of sitting in front of your computer and not actually going out and talking to people in real life. I find Vancouver online and off a welcoming community and fortunately have friends who don’t even bank online to remind me that people can actually carry on their lives off the Web. :)
Amen.
One can only read the same tweet about the same event with the same hashtag so many times before it becomes very very very tired.
Unfollow local, refollow international is a great way to freshen up your perspective and quiet the ringing echo in your feeds.
Knowing the characters from probably four of the “scenes” and the kinds of conversations and subjects come up, and how well everyone gets along (outwardly and in reality), I’d say my future home of Boston wins for least drama, most diversity, and most inclusive community. I loved hanging with Bostonites — everyone is so excited to meet everyone.
San Francisco actually would come second, because people approach the subject from so many different directions, and it’s HUGE — and people mostly get along, too. Some drama, but it mostly ends up with people learning more and generating some great discussions.
New York has some crazy background tensions, but fantastic opportunities, and one of the best job/job recommendation networks out there. My New York connections are amazing.
Vancouver? Yeah. More drama and angst per square inch. Every time I think of dipping my toe in, I watch the complaining and sarcasm and complaints of bullying and angst come up on Twitter and Facebook and EEEK. No thank you. Life is too short.
Regardless of what you want to learn or what you want to do, my advice is to a) be kind b) don’t talk shit about other people c) keep your ears open, and d) keep karma in mind.
But those are my rules for everywhere.