Ok, that title was the attention grabber (at least I can admit it, unlike Yahoo!). More specifically, are people more knowledgeable if they fit these criteria:
(1) They are in the tech community (e.g., web marketing, WordPress programmer, etc)
(2) They have far more connections/followers than the average user of a given social media platform
(3) They use social media platforms on a regular basis to gather information
(4) They interact with others in true social media style
(5) They recognize high quality content
Power & The Micro-community
Information is power and it stands to reason that the more information you have coming to you, the more knowledgeable you get. I would think that this is especially true with good filtering and a strong ability to integrate new knowledge into your existing understanding of a topic.
An individual as a hub would be the focal point in their own micro-community. For example, I’ve been on many event organizing committees and have discovered that by being in charge or someone of importance on the executive board, interesting, useful and often gossipy bits of information would flow up to the top. On that basis alone, I could learn a lot about happenings that I would otherwise have never heard about.
Now suppose this were true in the online marketing world. If you had a lot of social media connections, I would surmise that a lot of information flows your way. Probably more so than the average marketer. Does being at the top of your micro-community and being a hub of information flow make you a better source to receive and process information? Is it a chicken and egg scenario where you begin as a good information processor which leads to becoming a focal point, with a very large number of followers?
Exponential Growth
Is it restricted to individuals in the tech industry? Can we generalize this idea of connections making us “smarter” to the rest of the world? Exponential growth in your personal knowledgbase reliant on the number of social media contacts must lead to something more. In the physical world, socializing brings you more information. A loner may have limited opportunities to acquire new information but a popular student has many friends in school where they learn more about parties, and other points that make them more knowledgeable in their own respect. Do you become a magnet for information, friends, followers, and similar social capital?
The Future
If a lot of people are sending you information, how much can you retain in what period of time? This is especially true for the Internet marketing industry where the best people keep up with that they can. It will become increadingly difficult for freelancers working in a bubble to get anywhere.
On the other hand, of course it all comes down to definitions. (I went to psychology graduate school where I administered IQ tests, not to mention developed some of my own behavioural measurement tools, and can assure you that defining “smart,” “intelligence,” “knowledgeable.” and related terms is tied to intended use).
Texting is certainly a form of communication. That in particular allows us to get more information faster. Is the way we process information changing? With shorter attention spans, we may not be able to handle the process of taking a lot of information in at the same time, especially complex information needed to achieve great things.
I welcome your commentary.
Comments
For me, social media really has a tremendous impact of learning! Sometimes, this will initiate people to be creative and makes them think critically. Social media also connects everyone in the world in just a click of the mouse. In such case,doing business online is very critical. Great post!
You know, on my way to work every morning, as I listen to the radio to get ideas about what to tweet or post on FB about, I think about how much smarter I feel since I’ve started working with Social Media platforms 😉 In all seriousness, though, I’m not sure whether “smarter” would be an adequate description of how I feel about myself since having started working in the Social Media area. I do, however, feel as though I learn so much every day. I’m constantly reading interesting, informative articles and blogs, coming into contact with a lot of diverse individuals who also have a lot to share, and generally being exposed to so much more information than I ever would be were I not working in this field.
I feel that social media is the next boom in the information technology. No one can even afford to not have that technical expertise. These days maximum of the business are getting accomplished by using Social media like marketing, consultancy etc. So I think people who have already their hand on to this thing have an edge over the others.
I like social media. I learn a lot from them and to different individual. I enjoy reading their post that’s very useful and informative. It’s a different feeling that I learn a lot to social media. It sharpens and widens my intellectual being.
Maybe for some they purposely look at more news articles or entertainment pieces so they can be a part of a larger conversation on Facebook, or the like. And, I think that people do read more articles or see more blog posts as their friends are posting links that they may not have sought out. Just this morning I read a blog post about current events in the state of New York. I would not have read it if my friend would not have posted it. So, does that make me smarter or just more aware of the world around me? Or, in this case, do smarter/aware become synonyms? Either way, I feel more connected and enlightened.
Social media has this resource of wide range of informative articles and experts to learn from. It’s not that it makes me smarter rather it keeps me updated and teaches me how to be more social. Social media like FB also embodies discipline and be responsible enough to what you are posting.
I am using social media and it helped a lot to learn especially to get more readers for my blog. Making friends, but sometimes I feel that I was addicted. So I use social media less now except twitter.
Social media as with other forms of media presents information, albeit galaxies of it. Whether one becomes smarter depends on how one uses the resource.
When you start with Social media is a complete waste of time but as you get older different people decide different way to use it . Few continue to spend time and few start learning from others !!!
I think social media does not make us smart, even most of the effects of social media is not a good thing.
I feel that social media tremedous inpact of learning! Sometimes, this will initiate people to be creative and makes them think critically. Social media also connects everyone in the world in only click of the mouse. Social media also connects everyone in the world in just a click of the mouse. In such case,doing business online is very critical. Great post
Nice blog post…Social media has this resource of wide range of informative articles and experts to learn from. It’s not that it makes me smarter rather it keeps me updated and teaches me how to be more social. Social media playing a major roll to people smarter. Thanks for this blog.