Ever wandered into a party on your own and felt very nervous about meeting a bunch of strangers?
What about going to a business seminar on your own?
You want to sound confident, interesting and perhaps even witty.
You’d love to engage in spirited banter about the merits of some brand new technology or regale people with clever insights you have about a new business that has just launched. Even better if you had your own personal review of the latest restaurant, movie or wine to discuss. Or perhaps of all these things?
You secretly covet the idea that afterwards the people you met comment on how interesting you were or how smart you sounded. ‘What a great sense of humour’ would be a bonus too.
Being ’social’ comes with a bit of pressure doesn’t it?
Well I believe that the new social media has just wound up the pressure ten fold.
With Twitter you might have 150 people ‘listening’ to your tweets. Instead of chatting to 2 or 3 people at a party you could have a circle of 35 friends on Facebook hanging off your every word. If you’re a blogger then you could have an audience of thousands!
What to say? Is my opinion worthwhile? Have I got something clever to say? Am I very funny?
I haven’t tweeted for 12 hours, my Facebook friends must be thinking I’m on holidays, I’ve dropped out of the blogosphere for nearly a week!
Oh, the pressure!
So you’re at a party and stuck with a bore. What’s your strategy? Encourage someone else to join the conversation? Excuse yourself coz nature calls, or it’s time to find another drink? Whatever, it can be awkward can’t it?
Online we simply stop following, or block the guy. One click and their offensive, or boring, or meaningless chatter is gone! If only it were that simple off line!!
My view is provided people are continuing to follow you or adding you as a friend you can assume you’re measuring up on whatever online ’social barometer’ exists. Besides let’s face it much of the competitive online social chatter aint exactly brilliant wit and repartee (Is it??- or am I missing something!)
With great opportunity comes great pressure! What if you tweet and no one responds? I feel your pressure.
My hyper-annoying sister-in-law phoned my wife recently to enquire why I hadn’t accepted the Facebook friend request she posted 3 months ago. I would have thought the answer would have been obvious. In the real world boring people usually don’t know they’re boring.
So Paul – worrying about it in the first place may actually be a sign that you are more interesting than you think. But I would say that wouldn’t I? After all I commented on your blog so I must think you’re interesting