TechWag

Image via WikipediaMeaning social networks have great benefits for adults too. There are a number of reasons that I can think that the same reasons that social networks are good for adults, including grandparents and just about everyone else. Quite often, we find ourselves in situations that we really need to talk to someone about, and with a family that is spread over a huge geographic region; social networking provides support that might not otherwise be available.

From a working viewpoint, we often find ourselves working with people we would never associate with in real life. We are forced into a social community at work that provides little real benefit to the higher end of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We might get money that translates to house, food, and clothing, but for any of the higher order needs, social acceptance, or self-actualization, work is rarely the place that people become self-actualized. Work is one of those things we do, because we have to. Rarely do we work for love unless it is something that we want to do, and something that we get pleasure out of doing. Few are lucky enough to work doing what they love to do. Social networking can help reduce the stress and pressure of a truly crappy job, in a truly non-fulfilling environment, when we work with people that we would never allow into our actual lives outside of work.

From the viewpoint of having interesting ideas thrown over the wall, when we social network, we sometimes get to listen to something interesting, or interact with a group of people we would otherwise never be able to meet or interact with in real life. It is these interesting ideas that keep the conversation flowing, and the good things happening in life. We often surround ourselves with people who think like we do in real life, on line you can be a bit more daring and expose yourself to other ideas, and other people without the eventual break up becoming one of those awkward moments. When you can unfriend at the click of a button and not suffer social, political or monetary damage because of it, social networking shows its great power of bringing people together, and allowing them to drift apart.

From the viewpoint of meeting people, I know that I will most likely never meet Cory Doctorow, Robert Scoble, or Louis Gray, and if I did, I would probably just sit there and stare, making for a very uncomfortable and awkward meeting in person. However, when I ask him a question via e-mail, and he answers, and it makes a difference, I can do something interesting and get input from someone that I would otherwise botch the actual meeting. I would love to meet Robert Scoble, Louis Gray, and Cory Doctorow, but odds are highly likely that it would be awkward, where on line I can interact with them, and it will not be awkward. On line, I can be myself without those awkward shy bits that creep out every so often, and are so misunderstood in real life.

All the benefits of working out those awkward moments using social networking, seeking support for issues, concerns, or even just sharing the idea that something cool is going on is what makes social networking so helpful for people. On line, you can meet a thousand cancer survivors and get real help. In person, you might only know one or two, and they might not want to talk about it. On line, you can meet many folks that interact with people at all levels in a business hierarchy and learn, where in real life you might not ever meet your bosses boss.

With social networking, you can do a great many things that you might not have the opportunity to do in real life, interact with people you might never have met otherwise, and get help in ways that do not expose you to being fired from work because you asking questions about surviving cancer. All these from an adult perspective and if used right can be a great benefit to adults, not just children. Adults have their own form of awkward moments; you just have to make sure that you do not confuse social networking with real life situations.

Tags: social networking, adults, benefits, humor, real life, people