Does Social Media give us a voice…or take it away?

This is an issue I’ve been torn over for awhile. I, like many others, take full advantage of (attempting to) build a large network where we can create relationships, interactions, connections, and spread our ideas and opinions.

For the first time in human history, any member of the developed world with access to the internet can build a “following” of literally millions of people via social media. You don’t have to be a celebrity or politician to get your thoughts spread throughout the world, which is amazing. But, does it come with a down side?

Let’s face it – the majority of people who are utilizing social media websites are not doing it for business building, or even learning. Any one of us with a Facebook or Twitter account can easily see most people post funny cat photos or useless information. We have been given the most powerful self-expression system in the history of our species, and this is what we use it for? But, I digress…

What this leads to, is incessant flooding of the “market” if you will. Newsfeeds are clogged with constantly flowing nonsense, and even the good content – is overwhelming. How many “experts” or “gurus” or “ninjas” can there be on a certain subject? How many profound quotes can be littered among the landscape before they lose their novelty and impact? How many articles can be read or videos can be watched in a single day – while still living a productive life?

Think about this for a second – what if Charles Darwin or Einstein were alive today? Their ideas were revolutionary and have literally shaped the understanding of the world we live in. What if Darwin’s theory of evolution was written in a blog post like this one? What if E = MC^2 was a tweet or a Facebook status? These things probably would’ve gotten a few minutes of attention, sparked some discussion, and X’d out to be replaced with a news update about the Kardashians – never to be seen again.

Granted, prominent members of the scientific community are well recognized and the ideas which should change the world, do. But what about the 16 year old in Nebraska with 86 friends on Facebook and a genius IQ, who may never be noticed?

Are we literally drowning ourselves in information? We see so much of it during the course of the day, but that only begs the question: How much of it are we missing? 

In the lightning fast moving world of social media, how do you make sure your content gets noticed? How do you stand out in the constantly scrolling newsfeed and timelines? Leave your input below or feel free to tweet me at @JamesMSama. Would love to hear your thoughts!

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