Does having a hammer make you a carpenter?
During a recent presentation, someone from the audience stood up and said she was going to be a “social outcast” because she has no time to use all the social media tools that are available to her. She would rather “read a book.” Somehow she got the impression that reading and social media were mutually exclusive.
It is unfortunate that some people treat social media like it is a mandate. For some of us, it’s a business. But just because it’s that way for a few, it’s not meant to be that way for everyone.
Think of it like this: You have a hammer somewhere in your house, right? Does that make you a carpenter? Why do you have it if you’re not building houses or furniture?
You have it because you might need it to hang a picture, repair something or — God forbid — defend yourself. But having a hammer doesn’t mean you must be able to toenail. Does knowing how to swing a hammer make your next project easier? Yes. Does it mean you need to make your living with that hammer? No.
Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube are the hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers in our communications toolbox. You don’t have to use them every day. But finding one that fits your hand well, and knowing how it works for you makes it easier and less intimidating to use.
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Well said Sean! I think this nicely sums up why we should be embracing social media as a new way to communicate, but not the ONLY way to communicate.
Thank you, Heather. People are hesitant to fully embrace something they don’t completely understand. But social media is not like juggling chainsaws. IJS