| There is no doubt that we are more connected | | | | Facebook users, 191 million MySpace users and |
| today than at any time in our history. It is possible | | | | more than 29 million Friendster users in the world. |
| today to be connected to hundreds and even | | | | Add to that the millions of users on LinkedIn, |
| thousands of people at a time and to constantly | | | | Plaxo, and all the other social networking sites and |
| keep everyone in our network up to date on our | | | | it seems everyone is technology crazy these |
| activities. Today's technology makes it possible to | | | | days. It is also predicted that more than half the |
| never be out of touch. Yet, it seems the more | | | | world will have a cell phone by the end of 2009. It |
| technology enabled we become the more | | | | seems that with so much connectedness going on |
| disconnected we are. | | | | it should be making our lives easier and allow for |
| Years ago if you wanted to keep in touch with | | | | great communication in our society. |
| someone you needed to make a telephone call or | | | | So why is it that there seems to be so much |
| write to them one at a time. In order to make | | | | discourse and miscommunication happening on a |
| that call you needed to be somewhere that you | | | | regular basis? Have we become a society that |
| could use a landline and if you didn't reach them, | | | | uses technology to avoid having meaningful |
| you may be able to leave a message if they | | | | discussions that allow for relationship building, |
| were fortunate enough to have an answering | | | | sharing of ideas and reasonable debate that helps |
| machine. Your other choice was to actually write | | | | solve problems instead of creating them? |
| a letter and put it in the mail. This was true | | | | Technology clearly has a place in our life these |
| whether you were contacting a family member, | | | | days and can be utilized in many ways to keep |
| friend or wanted to communicate something to | | | | people informed and up to date. Businesses can |
| someone at work. | | | | find many effective and efficient ways to use |
| Then, along came the cell phone and all the | | | | technology to keep team members, customers, |
| sudden we could now talk to anyone, anytime | | | | vendors and others up to date more timely and |
| from anywhere (except those pesky dead | | | | effectively than always making a phone call or |
| zones.) It was now possible to talk to your sales | | | | mailing a letter. The question is whether we can |
| agent while they are in the field, or reach the | | | | develop or maintain a relationship or manage |
| boss while they are out of the office to ask that | | | | conflict and crises through Tweets, Wall Posts, |
| critical question that just couldn't wait until they | | | | and texting. |
| got back to the office. We could also now stay | | | | Every day I talk to and hear from people who |
| connected to the office from our car or in the | | | | seem to use technology as a way to avoid |
| evening or weekend and while on vacation with | | | | personal contact. I know people who wait until |
| the family. All the sudden we became connected | | | | they know someone will not be home or are |
| to the office with the cell phone as our umbilical | | | | away from the office to call so they can leave a |
| cord. Now there was no need to go anywhere | | | | message and not have to talk to them. By |
| without having someone on the phone. I know | | | | making the call, they can now check off their |
| people who pull out of their driveway dialing the | | | | mental list that they have kept in touch. People |
| phone while backing out of the garage. | | | | respond to a voicemail with an email or text |
| Pretty soon, text messaging and instant | | | | message. The Tweet or Facebook Wall post |
| messaging offered the chance to say something | | | | keeps everyone up to date so the guilt of feeling |
| without actually needing to have a conversation. | | | | like they should call or visit someone and talk to |
| We could control the conversation, reach more | | | | them is removed. |
| people at a time, and say things we may not be | | | | Technology makes it easy to tell people what you |
| willing to say if we had to hear the persons voice | | | | have been up to, but don't let it replace personal |
| or actually see their face. Today, we all laugh | | | | contact to build and maintain relationships. We are |
| about our kids who text each other while they | | | | at great risk with our youth in losing the ability to |
| are in the same room. Is it really funny though? | | | | do business and create lasting relationships other |
| Suddenly making a phone call and having a | | | | than through technology. Many more problems |
| conversation with a live human being became | | | | are solved, ideas created and relationships |
| uncool and uncomfortable. | | | | strengthened through personal contact than |
| Now we can add to this our addiction to social | | | | through the cold, impersonal, mass-distributed |
| networking. Twitter is the new rage. Nobody | | | | contact of technology. |
| seems to know exactly how many Twitter users | | | | Go ahead and send that Tweet, or make your |
| there are, but estimates are there are more than | | | | Wall post or send that text message, but also |
| one million active users who Tweet more than | | | | make some time to call someone you want to |
| three million messages a day. Now you can say | | | | keep in touch with, care about or have an |
| something pithy in 140 characters or less to | | | | interest in maintaining a strong relationship with. |
| anyone who is willing to read it. It suddenly is | | | | Set up a time for a cup of coffee together or to |
| possible to tell all our 'friends' what we had for | | | | 'do lunch' or just spend five minutes letting them |
| lunch, what meeting we are heading to or how | | | | know that you care. Businesses are built on |
| we feel at the moment. No need to engage in | | | | strong relationships; if you want to differentiate |
| discussion - you can share your feeling, thoughts, | | | | yourself in today's high tech world, pick up the |
| emotions, benign activities anytime of the day or | | | | phone or hand write a personal note. Don't let |
| night and 'communicate' anything you want. | | | | your connectedness cause you to disconnect. |
| In addition to Twitter, there are over 200 million | | | | |