On a news podcast today, a journalist referenced posts on Twitter, Threads, Truth Social and other coal media sites today while discussing a current geopolitical issue. This is commonplace. Journalists frequently rely on social media posts for stories, quotes and analysis. So do politicians, corporate leaders, celebrities, media personalities and influencers.
You know who doesn’t? Me. And, I’d suspect, hundreds of millions of other people. Those of us who aren’t in an online bubble don’t speak in 244 characters or less (Twitter), 2 minute sound bites (YouTube), 30 second video clips (TikTok) and hot takes. We interact with people face to face, by phone, at work, in school, when shopping, socializing and throughout our lives. Our interactions with others occur over minutes, hours, days, weeks and years.
Humans have evolved to communicate with people we encounter frequently, in person, and often for long periods of time.
The online world is an abnormal, constrained artifice that does not mirror reality. In this world, coarseness, snark, aggression, partisanship, vitriol and hyperbole fester.
This has created a major communications gap because the people who control and influence government, corporations, and society increasingly rely on the internet to understand and communicate with the broader public. Unfortunately, this online bubble is not representative of how real people think or act.
No wonder we feel disconnected. We’re not even talking to each other.
Throughout my tech sales and management career I learned that the most productive thing I could do was talk to people.
- I sold more when I had real conversations with prospects and customers.
- I managed better when I talked to my employees (and focused on listening).
- I learned more when I met, in person, with my mentors.
My professional career began in the 1990s and accelerated during the dotcom boom. I had a lot of fun, made decent money and was part of some outstanding teams. It was a blast. I love technology and what it has done for me and the world.
But that doesn’t make it the best tool for every situation.
If anyone was to ask for my advice, I’d defer to what several of my mentors said to me,
“Why don’t you talk to her (or him)?”
It’s simple and effective. It’s just not as easy as clicking a mouse.
