The Hidden Influence of Social Networks

Nicholas Christakis presentation on The Hidden Influence of Social Networks caused me to think differently about the influence of social networks on real life relationships.  Certainly, the video presentation by Nicholas Christakis makes some stark claims about social networks and their influence but, however stark, these claims do have some basis.

Nicholas Christakis begins his presentation by talking about the widower effect.  At this point in the presentation, I questioned ‘What is the widower effect and what does the widower effect have to do with social media?  How are the two connected?’  Nicholas explains that the widower effect occurs when a husband or wife becomes broken hearted and even dies shortly after the passing of a spouse.  He quickly goes on to point out however that the widower effect is not restricted to spouses and that it can actually occur in a mother-daughter relationship or other relationship where people are connected to each by some bond.  In fact, Nicholas says that he received a call one day from a husband who became sick after his wife became depressed as a result of her mother’s illness.  This says Nicholas illustrates the fact that we are social beings who are connected and in fact interconnected.  It is this connectedness or interconnectedness that makes us ‘feel’ for others.  Hence, the husband felt sick not so much because of his mother-in-law’s illness but rather because of his wife’s depression.

After viewing this presentation, I realize that how we behave on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Facebook in particular, really is a reflection of how we behave in real life.  Some of us are quick to introduce our real life friends as well as our Facebook friends to each other, while other persons would prefer not to do this.  The presenter used a few visuals to illustrate this connection between people to show how they relate to each other on social media.  There was one particular visual with yellow dots and we saw how one person could have individual friends who are also friends of each other while another individual could have friends but these friends are not each other’s friends.  The same applies in real life.

Nicholas Christakis’ video presentation comes on the heels our reading for this week in which we were introduced to CarePages, “a specialized sort of blogging system designed especially for patients.” (Li and Bernoff, 2008, pg 155)  CarePages is an online system which helped patients at the hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), stay connected with their friends and family and family and friends were also able to post their best wishes for loved while they were hospitalized.  This says the groundswell “can make a huge emotional difference for patients.”  (Li and Bernoff, 2008, pg 155) One patient was even quoted as saying “We wouldn’t have made it without the CarePage.” (Li and Bernoff, 2008, pg 155)  This is a perfect illustration of how social media influences behavior.  It is also indicative of the fact that it is that innate human need to feel connected which drives social media.

I would like to think that the views and opinions expressed in this presentation are those of Mr. Nicholas Christakis and while some will share Mr. Christakis’ point of view there are others who feel differently.   I had a conversation with a colleague just a few days ago and she thinks that social media has actually subtracted from our social interaction.  She explained saying that when a friend celebrates a birthday, we no longer pick up the phone and call or visit with the friend, rather, we send a text, instant message (IM), blackberry message (BBM) or hail-up on Facebook.  She sees social as that element of human interaction which involves a physical contact or at the least audio contact where people either see or hear each other.  It goes without saying that she is not a fan of social media.

That said, I think that social media has become a very important and integral part of our lives, personally and professionally.  Social media is playing an even greater role in how we do business and how we market our business.  The Internet and social media have made the world a global village and have changed the way we communicate with each other.  I believe that as humans, we are innately social beings who like to and who need to feel connected.  Before social media, we were able to experience that connection to the people around us, those in close proximity.  Now, with social media, we do not have to be close to someone to be connected with them.   However, my personal thoughts are that social media although useful, should never replace the human contact and connection that we share.  Where possible, I still think that we should reach out physically to people because nothing can take the place of the human touch.

Bronte

Reference

Li, C. and Bernoff, J. (2008) Groundswell. Harvard Business Press, Boston Massachusetts

http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_the_hidden_influence_of_social_networks.html

 

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