The human tribe is connecting online – the basic chemistry of Social Media
With hundreds of billions of dollars changing hands based on popularity of websites, it is time to take the science of social media marketing, and it’s game changing effects on society, business, lifestyle, culture, economics, and the human race in general seriously! Make no mistake: this is violently disruptive technology, and it is changing everything: but some things never change, and they are still underneath it all:
- Humans are tribal – we are connected to, and dependent on each other: a solitary human is sad.
- We thrive on, covet, desire and need the attention, feedback, affection, and encouragement of each other.
In times past, these things came from the family, the neighborhood, the church, the schools..
However, changes in technology, travel, communications, and government in recent years have merged us into one big ‘mash-up’ society – diverse to the limits of all of our open mindedness, challenging to the most progressive among us to even keep up with it all!
These are actually the very same trends that drive the explosive growth of social media:
- This mobile, ‘mash-up’ society no longer works and lives where they were born, creating a lack of connection and continuity
- Families are now mash-ups; creating a void where a loving consistent family of peers once provided stability and support and affinity and love
- People are isolated, less connected by way of geography, creed, religion, location – more diversified in the global discussion
These gaps, naturally, are being filled by some of the very same technology that helped them to evolve; the global discussion, global clearing house, global tribe, if you will – is online now:
- The missing family connection, dinner table discussion, family picture night is on Facebook.com.
- The B2B networking breakfast is at linkedin.com.
- The global clearing house for all the information in the world (IE the library) is Google
Some remain the same, some things change: but the motivation, and our basic nature remains:
- We need and thrive on; live for the approval, attention, love, and recognition of each other.
- We live for that recognition, that interaction with our own kind.
- We have our own individual identities which we are constantly discovering and remodeling – this requires feedback.
- We crave affinity with like-minded humans – like groups and ‘circles’ – so that we can explore the above.
Think about it: all society, all progress, everything that makes us ‘human’, has to do with a sense of purpose for something, or someone larger than ones’ self. It is what separates us from the animals, and from nature itself: that free will, and that ever-insatiable need for each other, and for change, and for growth, and for recognition. It is also what drives a social media community, and the Internet itself.
>>>more from the guide here>>>
So that’s the case? Quite a relvaetoin that is.
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