So often the argument I hear from anti-social media types is that it makes us worse at being social in the real world. Hell, my girlfriend has moaned at me a number of times when I wanna tweet a pic of the cool time we are having together — “why can’t you just enjoy the moment rather than spend all your time broadcasting it?”. And I guess she’s right (no I am not just saying that because she will read this … er, maybe).

Well OK, she’s PARTLY right. You see social media is so easy that it can take over your real life if you let it — however it can also feed your real-life interactions too and broaden the scope of who you interact with. Through social media you will meet people you wouldn’t normally and can share ideas and info that, again, you would never have had access to.

But how does it make us MORE social I hear you cry?

Well more and more often “virtual relationships” are now being converted into real-world interactions, most commonly called “meets” or “camps”. I think it’s in our natural makeup as humans to want to see people face to face (well, some people). TwestivalSF is one such example of this — where people pay good money to go to an organised event and meet fellow Twits/Twats/Twots who they know virtually.

Then of course there’s internet dating. According to Nielsen Online, dating site Plenty Of Fish had a unique UK audience ranking of 543 000 in October. That’s a lot of people looking for love virtually. According to the site, over 18 000 000 dates will take place worldwide between its members, and their chief executive and founder, Markus Frind, says that 100 000 of those people will actually get married. I find it hard to believe that that is not an inflated figure to drive usage, however, it definitely gives some indication of how the virtual world is affecting the real one.

As I see it, the virtual world and social media are merely new tools to get to grips with other humans. They are neither good nor bad but can be useful in making your real-world life more … well social.

Follow my idle rantings at http://twitter.com/@bigbrownbear

Author

  • Stu Stobbs is Creative Partner at Studio4332. He started copywriting in advertising in the 90s after a failed drag-queen career. He is co-founder of Studio4332, a new age communications agency that changes consumer behaviour through any medium necessary. He has won and judged numerous local and international awards but thinks they are a load of money-making, ego-inflating kak - and so keeps entering them. Has an honours degree in dramatic art, loves riding his bike, patting his dogs and cooking with his supermodel girlfriend - not necessarily in that order. follow him on twitter @Bigbrownbear www.studio4332.com

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Stuart Stobbs

Stu Stobbs is Creative Partner at Studio4332. He started copywriting in advertising in the 90s after a failed drag-queen career. He is co-founder of Studio4332, a new age communications agency that...

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