Social Media: It's All About How You Use It

 

Image Courtesy of transplanted mountaineer

President Obama recently spoke to the graduating class at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. He attempted to give some sound advice on navigating the Interwebs and the dangers of distraction. Oddly, it feels more like Pres. Obama gave a serious diss to the social media/technology world:


"...you're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter. And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it's putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy." (via HuffingtonPost) 


Hmmm...very interesting, Mr. President. 

He certainly makes a good point about the abundance of information on the web and its "truthiness." (Thanks President Bush). However, I expect more constructive advice from someone like Pres. Obama.


I thought that Pres. Obama would be the last man to say that social media technology becomes a "distraction...rather than a tool of empowerment." What? If I'm not mistaken, millions of 18-25 year olds used the Web to help campaign for Obama. Through Twitter, Facebook, and even Obama's own well designed website, millions of young people used social media as a "tool of empowerment." Pres. Obama's online campaign was run like a well-oiled social media marketing firm. These comments about "iPods and iPads" are coming from a man who threw a temper tantrum because he didn't want to give up his Blackberry. Remember? I wonder how many empowered moments he has while playing Bubble Breaker.


Pres. Obama's comments are justified but careless.  Social media can be empowering, educational and life-changing. It's all in how you use it. Of course if you sit, drooling in front of your lap top clicking through Bree Nicole's 1,808 Facebook pictures, you are doing yourself a disservice. Of course if you spend $500 on an iPad and spend 95% of your time playing race car games, you are wasting your time (and money).


Pres. Obama's comments would have been more meaningful if he reminded the class of 2010 that our new technologies can be used as "tools of empowerment" if we so choose. The marketplace of ideas is a living, breathing market that is bustling online. Sure, there's a ton of crap. For example this website, www.pavementtickets.com  But, it is not impossible to find facts, valid arguments, and trustworthy sources. For example, the New York Times. It is all a matter of having some savvy. Think about what you are reading. Think about what you are posting. Dissect it. Discuss it. Challenge it. It is not that difficult people.