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Can you keep up?

by tdhurst · 9 comments

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.

The internet allows us to do this. We are more connected, better informed and more apt to try new things. We are smarter, more adaptable and equipped to deal with nearly anything.

Problem is, not all of us are that way. The elderly, the illiterate, the disabled, the ignorant and the incapable can’t keep up with the world as it changes. Eric Montini of the AZRepublic even wrote a story about it.

It would be nice if everyone could get on the same page, but we are not and never will be. We can’t cater to those that can’t possibly keep up, nor should we explicitly leave them behind, but we shouldn’t slow down.

Not all of us live in cocoons. Many of us use Twitter, email, RSS readers and everything available to us to have BETTER conversations. I talked to an AZ gubernatorial candidate tonight. That would have never been possible before Twitter.

Look around you. How many more people do you know through social media? Do you think we’re becoming more disconnected?

Tagged as: don't slow down, new ideas, social media means social

  • http://wesleytech.com/ WesleyTech.com

    We are definitely more connected now. The whole “non-personal” argument about social media is all BS from people that don’t understand it or don’t know how to use the tools available to them.

  • http://wesleytech.com WesleyTech.com

    We are definitely more connected now. The whole “non-personal” argument about social media is all BS from people that don’t understand it or don’t know how to use the tools available to them.

  • http://www.jacksmithtoday.com/ Jack Smith

    The people you can meet and the connections you can make now are amazing. There was a networking topic this morning about “What living person would you like to spend 15 minutes talking with.” Just about everyone put their answer in the context that they would ‘like to’ talk to that person rather than thinking about how they can make it happen.

    I started my answer off with I am going to spend 15 minutes talking with….. because with technology and the connections you can make today, you can find a way to talk to just about anyone!

    Abe Froman OUT

  • http://www.jacksmithtoday.com Jack Smith

    The people you can meet and the connections you can make now are amazing. There was a networking topic this morning about “What living person would you like to spend 15 minutes talking with.” Just about everyone put their answer in the context that they would ‘like to’ talk to that person rather than thinking about how they can make it happen.

    I started my answer off with I am going to spend 15 minutes talking with….. because with technology and the connections you can make today, you can find a way to talk to just about anyone!

    Abe Froman OUT

  • http://hirechelsea.com/blog Chelsea Winkel

    While we become more connected to information through technology, we become less connected to people and our environment around us. The problem with information is that there is just too much of it. It consumes more and more of our attention everyday. We spend all of our attention processing this new information, leaving little left over to give to anyone or anything else. Is this wealth of information making us selfish? Is it making us blind to physical world around us? If the lady next to you needs your help, will you hear her if she’s not tweating it?

    I just saw an ad campaign by the ad council that said, “Take the time to be a dad today”. Are we at a point in our society where we have to be told to do this? When does that cross over into our behavior patterns as a species? Does it?

    Technology and social media allow us to make more connections locally and globally. We can share our ideas in real time and listen to others without ever shaking their hand. I don’t know about you, but I can tell more about a person in the first 5 minutes of meeting of them than I can tell from following they’re tweats for 6 months.

    Everything in moderation.

    Like Tyler said, don’t forget to look around once in a while, you could miss it.

    The most important people are closer than you think.

  • http://hirechelsea.com/blog Chelsea Winkel

    While we become more connected to information through technology, we become less connected to people and our environment around us. The problem with information is that there is just too much of it. It consumes more and more of our attention everyday. We spend all of our attention processing this new information, leaving little left over to give to anyone or anything else. Is this wealth of information making us selfish? Is it making us blind to physical world around us? If the lady next to you needs your help, will you hear her if she’s not tweating it?

    I just saw an ad campaign by the ad council that said, “Take the time to be a dad today”. Are we at a point in our society where we have to be told to do this? When does that cross over into our behavior patterns as a species? Does it?

    Technology and social media allow us to make more connections locally and globally. We can share our ideas in real time and listen to others without ever shaking their hand. I don’t know about you, but I can tell more about a person in the first 5 minutes of meeting of them than I can tell from following they’re tweats for 6 months.

    Everything in moderation.

    Like Tyler said, don’t forget to look around once in a while, you could miss it.

    The most important people are closer than you think.

  • Pingback: Problem Solved » wealth of information = poverty of attention

  • http://www.idoitdigital.com/ Clintus

    Great post! Totally agree with here man and I fight this battle with most my IRL friends everyday. The gap between us and them continues to get wider. Thankfully I believe our side is gaining in numbers more quickly.

  • http://www.idoitdigital.com Clintus

    Great post! Totally agree with here man and I fight this battle with most my IRL friends everyday. The gap between us and them continues to get wider. Thankfully I believe our side is gaining in numbers more quickly.

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