Tuesday, June 25, 2013

What’s Your Social Media Personality?


First of all, a clarification… By “social media” here, I mean “Facebook.”  That’s because, as I’ve said many times, it’s the social media platform for the “Everyman and Everywoman.” With over 1.1 billion (yes, billion) users, Facebook is fairly ubiquitous.  Along with that kind of omnipresence, comes the fact that you have both the initiated and the uninitiated user making his/her her way through there, leading to a wide, but fairly predictable range of “personalities” one will see in his/her newsfeed at any given moment (certainly dependent on the choice of Facebook friends).       



To be fair, personality differences are evident on the other social media platforms as well. It’s just that they, by design, are more subtle. Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and Instagram are the platforms I’m addressing. They tend to be populated by the more erudite and sophisticated social media users who are more likely to adhere to the social “norms” on these sites. That leads to a narrower band of personality deviation as their users stay “inside the lines,” or risk being branded as plebian and unknowledgeable.  To a lot of Google + users, Facebook is the “Land of the Unwashed Masses.” To that end, because the typical “Facebooker” isn’t into the vagaries of social media propriety and boundaries, that personalities are more evident – the main reason many Google +’ers abandon Facebook altogether.    


So, without further fanfare, these are the predominant distinct personalities I’ve seen, witnessed, and engaged on Facebook (social media). This list is NOT all-inclusive. Note that I am NOT judging any of these or saying what’s good or what’s bad. They just ARE :

The Life Chronicaler – The person who tells you what they’re doing at any given time, what they didn’t or can’t do because of the weather, a backache, or because they’re tired. They will also tell everyone “goodnight” before retiring.

The Comedian – The person who’s always quick with a joke. They have a retort, a funny witticism, a funny video.

The "Hey, I'm Just Here To Keep Up with My Friends and Family" - This is the official "Facebook Fall-Back Position. After all, that IS why we're there, right? 

The Spammer – The person who makes you think their account’s been hacked because there’s always an ad for purses, athletic shoes, or some other item. Note: these are usually bots or phony accounts.


The Cam Girl – Usually from another country, they friend mostly guys and other Can Girls. They post suggestive or downright explicit pictures and try to get these men to go to their sites and “vote” for them.

The Network Marketer – They are the go-to for a particular product. Their walls are replete with pictures of them winning awards, at seminars, before-afters of people, posts telling you how you can supplement your income, and invitations to seminars and meetings.         

The Business – This is the account known as the name of the business only and interacts as if it’s a “person” with its friends. A select group of “insiders” know the true identity of the account-holder.

The Politico – This person posts incessantly about partisan politics. Need I say more?
   
The Bon Vivant – The partier… Pictures abound of the latest party or event they went to. Several posts appear on their wall of people telling them what a good t time they all had at the latest soirĂ©e.

The Traveler – From Amsterdam to Moscow… Back to NYC, then across to Honolulu. They take you with them virtually with great stories and stunning pics.


The Social Media/Business ConglomerateThey have LOTS of Facebook friends, Twitter followers, Google +, and LinkedIn connections, and are all over all the other platforms. Their posts are aimed at THE WORLD, and are of general nature, with little personal information given out.


Not many of us are exclusively one personality. We sometimes exhibit facets of other of these listed above. One does predominate, however. 

Where do you fit? Are there any others you’ve seen?
 That’s the point!

   - Tony

Friday, June 7, 2013

You Are What You Choose


Choices...  We have them, we make them, we live by them, we die by them. The right one can have as impactful a consequence as a bad one. Needless to say, the ability to make the best one at the right time can determine success or ensure failure.




Every day, as I see my two children leave for school or some other activity, my admonition to them is not the typical "be good." No... I tell them, "Make good choices." Why? Because what happens (or doesn't happen) to them around that activity is solely dependent on the consequences of the choices they make (or don't make). 



We alone have sole ownership over our choices. In an era when people are wont to not take responsibility or accountability for their actions (choices of actions, that is), it's important to get back to that very critical basic. We are a product of our choices. In any situation you ALWAYS have a choice. Think about it... The anticipated or calculated consequences of whatever choice you make certainly determine your choice. That's what decision-making is all about. That's also what separates those deemed successful from those who aren't. It also separates those who are happy from those who aren't.

That is the one common factor that can be ascribed to the happy and the successful: they realize and have control and ownership over their choices and they realize that they aren't responsible for the choices of others. Confronted by adversity or something bad? Choose your actions and behavior. Triumphant and in a state where all is going your way? Choose your behavior. The results either way then serve to define you.


One of my old Pfizer Regional Managers, Mike Kraft, told me at a time when I had to terminate a pharmaceutical representative in my District that, "whatever choices people make, you've got to understand that their intentions were good." How true is that?  It was just that, in that case, the drug rep made the wrong choice. There's we get into the art of decision-making (a future topic for discussion here, I'm sure), that is, the suitability of the choice made for the time and situation in which it was made.

The empowering thought here is that, whatever happens, whatever is done to or for you...whatever happens, you alone choose your action, reaction, response, and behavior. Whet happens subsequent to that, then, is the consequence. As the saying goes, "If it is to be, then it is up to me." Get me?

So, as you go about your day, be cognizant of all that goes on. Take note of all the various and sundry choices, implicit and obvious, that are required. Then note the results - the consequences of those choices. Take that, and take control of your life.

After all, you ARE what you choose.

That's the point!

   - Tony