John Lawlor

This interesting and very cleverly done video had had over 70,000 views since being posted in the past few days on YouTube. It is also generating the usual mix of light and heat in the accompanying comments.

Whatever one’s personal views about Social Media, I think it would be foolish to ignore the reality and the potential (for good and bad) of these new means of communication. In both my work and personal lives, the use of many types of Social Media has become a daily reality and, in some cases, a virtual necessity. I share the privacy concerns of many people and also share their aprehension that these media could be used for ill-intentioned purposes. But these concerns – particularly about badly intentioned uses – could apply to any technology. Should that stop us from using them? I suggest not.

The arguments in the YouTube comments about some inaccuracies in the video are, in my view, irrelevant. Although most of the content has been published in different formats before (see, for example, the excellent slideshare presentation by Hareesh Tibrewal of Social Wavelength that covers much of the same material), what is important is that the video sends a very powerful message that Social Media are increasingly important phenomena in our work and personal lives.

On 20th May next, I am giving a talk to CIOs in Dublin (see Upcoming Events on the top right) on how Trinity College is implementing and using a variety of Social Media tools for teaching, collaboration, sharing, promoting the College, etc. Why not come along if you are in Dublin? Further details are available from Cio Connect. I’d love to see you there.

What are your views on the use of Social Media? Are you an enthusiastic adopter or a sceptic? Can you see only good, only bad, or a mix of benefits and drawbacks? If you have experience of using Social Media in a personal or work context, why not share your thoughts here by leaving a comment?

If you liked this post, you might also like:

Gary Hamel’s Interesting Take on Social Media in Organisations

Social Networking – Irish Above Average

Social Media: Creating Collaborative Conversations

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