Just as a warning this is a complete opinion piece. If you want facts and figures you have come to the wrong spot. You have been warned.
This is just a quick observation. Social media has created such an inflated view of self that we run the risk of actually losing who we really are. The social media industry is particularly guilty of this.
There are social media rockstars, gurus, experts, ninjas, cowboys, mavens and more and it has gotten pathetic. It’s actually embarrassing to be a part of this industry. The activity of social media for business use is important and will remain so far into the future. This obsession with self-promotion, though? It’s lame and it brings out the worst in all of us.
I am not going to point out particular people. They know who they are and you know who they are. In fact, each person’s level of tolerance of self-promotion will define who has overstepped the bounds of good taste or just plain good judgment.
When we allow the self to be the most important thing we actually run the risk of losing ourselves. When we hand over our ‘persona’ to anyone who will follow or listen we become theirs and not our own. This is a dangerous place to be.
So do I have any recommendations? Nope. That’s not my place. In fact, the only thing that I can control is how I put myself ‘out there’ and how far I am willing to go. I suspect I am close to my limit though because every time I see or hear a blatant self-promoter espouse their brand of wisdom I shut down.
That’s a shame really because I will likely miss some good information. It’s cutting through the self-importance to get the good information though that makes me realize that maybe I am not missing anything at all. After all, there is nothing new under the sun (that’s from a source that I rely which is not me thankfully) so if I miss it coming from one expert I’ll hear it elsewhere from a more palatable source.
I am staying away from the slippery slope as best as I can. Being human makes it tempting to step out on it though, I have to admit. I hope I can stay away.
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