The obsession to be heard: Social Media—Geek paradise?
Tarzan could only pound on his chest and make his characteristic howl. But modern men (and women) in the digital age have a variety of tools at their disposal to make themselves heard. And none of them involve standing on the rooftop or swinging from a tree and screaming for attention. Yes, we have evolved. We flaunt our wit (or lack thereof) to cut through digital garbage and make an impact. Most of us are addicted to social networking sites and use them for a variety of reasons—showcasing our accomplishments, taking IQ tests that proclaim us to be on par with Einstein, ranting and occasionally posting something totally random, which means absolutely nothing to anybody but ourselves.
Does your daily routine sound like this?
• Wake up.
• Brush teeth.
• Log in.
• Check Facebook account; post status message; interact with friends from all over the globe by commenting on their pictures; click the Like button on someone’s status update; etc. etc. log out.
• Sign into twitter, which in all likelihood has been configured to update the tweet on Facebook. And post away?
• Followed by regular daily activities
If yes, then you are an addict, indeed. Maybe you think you need to go to social media rehab! Maybe, you’ve even posted THAT as your status message and got feedback from fellow addicts. No doubt, they’ve all told you it’s totally normal and that they do it, too!
Did it make you feel better? I’ll bet it did. And there lies the key to social media addiction — the need for feedback, approbation, and interaction.
Maslow’s needs hierarchy states that every human being is motivated by needs. Once the “lower order” needs are satisfied, we strive for “higher order” needs.
The needs in order of importance according to his theory:
1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
Engaging in social media would satisfy Need#3 in Maslow’s hierarchy.
Twitter and Facebook help us engage with people and interact with them. They help build bonds and make it easy for introverts who are not comfortable with face-to-face interactions to actually communicate their thoughts to an ever-growing audience. Social media is geek paradise! A wallflower in real life suddenly finds the spotlight on him/her and finds a way to enjoy this attention while still managing to remain behind a computer.I think this is what motivates people to update their status on Facebook.
I’m guilty of frequent Facebook updates. I certainly am not a geek, but I’m more comfortable with the written word than the spoken. So it works like a charm for me. Plus, my friends are scattered all over the globe and I get to know what’s happening in their lives just by logging into Facebook.
Do you update your status regularly? If yes, I would love to know what motivates you to do it. I welcome your feedback by way of comments to this post. To quote Kelsey Grammer (yes, he spells it that way, not Grammar) who plays the lead role in “Frasier” (the sitcom) — “I’m listening!”
Tarzan could only pound on his chest and make his characteristic howl. But modern men (and women) in the digital age have a variety of tools at their disposal to make themselves heard. And none of them involve standing on the rooftop or swinging from a tree and screaming for attention. Yes, we have evolved. We flaunt our wit (or lack thereof) to cut through digital garbage and make an impact. Most of us are addicted to social networking sites and use them for a variety of reasons—showcasing our accomplishments, taking IQ tests that proclaim us to be on par with Einstein, ranting and occasionally posting something totally random, which means absolutely nothing to anybody but ourselves.
Does your daily routine sound like this?
• Wake up.
• Brush teeth.
• Log in.
• Check Facebook account; post status message; interact with friends from all over the globe by commenting on their pictures; click the Like button on someone’s status update; etc. etc. log out.
• Sign into twitter, which in all likelihood has been configured to update the tweet on Facebook. And post away?
• Followed by regular daily activities
If yes, then you are an addict, indeed. Maybe you think you need to go to social media rehab! Maybe, you’ve even posted THAT as your status message and got feedback from fellow addicts. No doubt, they’ve all told you it’s totally normal and that they do it, too!
Did it make you feel better? I’ll bet it did. And there lies the key to social media addiction — the need for feedback, approbation, and interaction.
Maslow’s needs hierarchy states that every human being is motivated by needs. Once the “lower order” needs are satisfied, we strive for “higher order” needs.
The needs in order of importance according to his theory:
1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
Engaging in social media would satisfy Need#3 in Maslow’s hierarchy.
Twitter and Facebook help us engage with people and interact with them. They help build bonds and make it easy for introverts who are not comfortable with face-to-face interactions to actually communicate their thoughts to an ever-growing audience. Social media is geek paradise! A wallflower in real life suddenly finds the spotlight on him/her and finds a way to enjoy this attention while still managing to remain behind a computer.I think this is what motivates people to update their status on Facebook.
I’m guilty of frequent Facebook updates. I certainly am not a geek, but I’m more comfortable with the written word than the spoken. So it works like a charm for me. Plus, my friends are scattered all over the globe and I get to know what’s happening in their lives just by logging into Facebook.
Do you update your status regularly? If yes, I would love to know what motivates you to do it. I welcome your feedback by way of comments to this post. To quote Kelsey Grammer (yes, he spells it that way, not Grammar) who plays the lead role in “Frasier” (the sitcom) — “I’m listening!”
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