Insta-Success, Connected But Alone, Finding Your Voice
Apr 12 2012
I, and many others, still can’t fully figure out how Instagram got sold for $1 billion to facebook within 17 months of being founded. Why are some people in the right place at the right time doing the proverbial right thing to bring them that kind of lottery like winnings? It makes my head hurt trying to rationalize it all, but congratulations to them! May they use their new found wealth wisely.
A friend sent me a link to this Ted Talk called Connected, but alone? by Sherry Turkle. It’s an interesting take on the dangers of us being connected virtually but not personally. I agree with some but not all of what she says. We are a much more distracted society and what we define as being alone and lonely have changed over time. She says that people flock to social networks because deep down they feel like no one is listening and said “we expect more from technology than we do from each other and being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved.” And more profound “I share therefore I am.” And “Solitude is where you find yourself.”
Fred Wilson, A-list venture capitalist blogger, posted about Finding Your Voice and how blogging has helped him and his wife find and express their voices. Social media has helped him and others find their place in the Internet world. Arguably, there are some out there who many of us would be fine not reading or hearing about, but for many of us who struggled to express ourselves growing up, it’s a great medium to share and discover we are not alone in the way we think, feel, and process information.
Author: Aruni | Filed under: blogging, entrepreneurship, random stuff, social media, social networks | Tags: facebook, finding your voice, fred wilson, instagram, sherry turkle | 4 Comments »
There needs to be a balance between the connection with people over the internet and actual human interaction. It’s not easy but it can be done!
I too often scratch my head wondering how these startups get purchased so quickly and for so much! I think you are right though, it literally is the luck (well, hard work is involved) of the lottery!
I can completely relate to the connected but alone comment as well. Social media is great, but at the end of the day you could still be sitting in front of the tv by yourself. I try and make a point of networking with likeminded individuals at social gatherings or conferences..
The disconnect between people that you referenced often seems to stem from a lack of meaning and purpose. While social media may fill a need to connect, true community happens when people invest actual face time with each other, and we can let the pace of our lives keep us from that.
@Pam – I agree, we need a balance and it seems harder to do when many jobs require online work and friend and family are separated sometimes by thousands of miles.
@Dave – Well, let’s hope those entrepreneurs who exit quickly with a lot of money, put their new found wealth to good use. It’s important to network and watching a little TV isn’t so bad as it can give you something to talk about when you meet someone who watches the same random show that you do. 🙂
@Bob – I agree with you that social media can’t replace actual face time. It’s easy to lose our meaning and purpose in an online world. We think because we have so many online connections that we mean more than if we didn’t, but that seems to be a false sense of security. Time will tell.