Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Emily Ma is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Emily Ma and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
Over the past week or so, I’ve been asking people to reply to me on Twitter with the reasons why they are thankful for social media. About 25 of you responded, and I think your answers are definitely representative of social media users. There’s been a lot of talk lately about personal branding, a lot of people getting fed up with certain aspects of the social media world. It was that sentiment, on top of the fact that it’s Thanksgiving week, that compelled me to ask that question and write this post.
Yes, there are some people who use social media partially or completely for their own personal gain. It’s all about them, promote, promote, promote. But, don’t let those people turn you off to social media. They are not what it’s all about, we are. I took the text of the answers people gave me and plugged them into a word cloud generator, and here’s what I got:
As you can see, the most mentioned words (after thankful social media) are words like connections, people, helped, and met. The next level includes ideas, smart, intellectual, friendships, life, world and grateful. True, this is only a sample of opinions, but it’s a pretty amazing collection. Words like profit, brand, and success are nowhere to be found.
To answer my own question, I am thankful for social media for the special community it provides, filled with smart, caring, talented people from around the world. Some of my closest friends are people I “met” online.
On this Thanksgiving, take a step back. Forget all of the bullshit and drama, remove the negative thoughts and experiences from your mind. Look around at your life, online and offline, and give thanks for all that you have.
A big thanks to everyone who replied and RTed the question that inspired this post. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
Comments
11.25.09
I love this, Sam!
What a wonderful illustration of the many many things we can be grateful for everyday (even when it's not Thanksgiving)!
11.25.09
Love the word cloud- that's powerful. Great message here because it's easy to get a bit jaded. Thanks. (would also like to know how you generate a word cloud!)
11.25.09
Thanks ladies! I'm glad you enjoyed the post! Heather, I used a website to generate the word cloud: http://www.wordle.net.
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
|
|
 |
