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I recently attended Spirit & Place Festival's Public Conversation. (If you've never been, I encourage you to check it out.) This year's topic was "Inspiring Places" and the speakers included former Indianapolis mayor, Bill Hudnut, and current Braddock, Pennsylvania mayor, John Fetterman. The two men are about as opposite as they come, but each have made remarkable impacts in their communities.
Most of the conversation centered on what inspired them as it related to their community involvement. They spoke about challenges in their careers, differences in their communities, and opportunities that come from being inspired. Throughout the event, the two men were mainly on opposite ends of the spectrum. Then came the topic of technology and online communities. This is where the two agreed. Both thought face-to-face meetings were the best way to build relationships and neither thought too highly of social media.
To give you a little background, our firm has worked with Spirit & Place all year. We introduced and implemented various social media tools as part of the outreach to the community. We pushed our client to allow Twitter users into the Public Conversation, something that was first met with opposition (It was viewed as a rude interjection.).
As I was tweeting away in the balcony, sharing quotes and tidbits of information from the event, Fetterman said something that brought my thumbs to a standstill. "Twitter has contributed to the narcissism of society." What??? His words took me down like Tonya took Nancy Kerrigan. How dare he, after all of the work we had put into bringing Twitter to the festival! How could he say such a thing, and how could the audience respond with applause?
As I was shaking my head in disbelief, I looked down the row at my fellow Tweeters hoping to get some support that this was not true. But, as I looked at them, I couldn't help but think he was onto something. A flood of previous Twitter conversations entered my mind that supported his statement. At least for me, I knew he was somewhat accurate.
I'll admit that I'm naturally a bit narcissistic. I had parents that taught me I could do anything and become anyone I wanted. While I'm grateful to them for that style of upbringing, those around me may think my ego is the size of Canada. (Which is simply not true.) Maybe Ontario? (sarcasm) But, it's certainly not the size of the entire country. =)
When I think about some of the people I follow on Twitter and hear some of the stories about Twitter fiascoes from those I know in real-life, I definitely agree that the social society in which we live has become slightly "me-centered." It is easy to think everyone is waiting breathlessly for our next tweet. But, what do we do to keep the our egos in check? The solution has yet to be seen. What do you think?
Trevor,
just like you, I was very puzzled reading what Fetterman said about Twitter users. If anything, I thought Twitter makes you less narcissistic when each time you post something, you share your information with OTHERS.
Social media is about engagement, speaking AND listening. I completely support Scott’s idea that online networks are examples of free-market economies.
Probably the best reality check to keep you from getting carried away with importance of your own ideas would be to start a twitter account without contacting anyone you know. This way you actually have to work on your tweets and keep your desired audience in mind to get their attention.
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I was there, and I was unimpressed by the mayors and the moderator. Blogged about it here on November 15: http://sssemester.blogspot.com/
As for Mayor Fetterman’s statement about Facebook and Twitter, I disagree wholeheartedly that Twitter has contributed to our collective narcissism. I think those of us who were narcissistic before we started using Twitter use Twitter in a narcissistic manner. Those of us who weren’t, don’t. Twitter is simply another arena to showcase whether we are narcissistic and to what degree.
But what Mayor Fetterman and the supportive audience failed, I think, to understand is that online networks such as Twitter are excellent examples of free-market economies of thought: if I think you’re too narcissistic (or too boring or too goofy or too liberal or too conservative or too vegan or too carnivorous), all I need to do is unfollow and/or block you. (Note: Trevor, I do not think you’re too narcissistic, and I do follow you on Twitter!)
The Public Conversation audience’s response of disproportionately raucous applause was, in my opinion, an unfortunate (for Spirit & Place) indicator of the Festival’s demographic. My quick estimate of the audience put the average age around 55. The older audience pretty stereotypically rejected technology and instead embraced the “face-to-face is better than online” claim of the mayors (as though one must choose one or the other).
I specifically thought it was rude of both the presenters and the audience to so blatantly disrespect Twitter users when the Festival’s executive director specifically pointed out a “Twitter section” for the event.
If I were the Festival organizers/partners, I’d specifically seek out ways to build on the social media groundwork that you at TrendyMinds put in place this year and really focus on that as a growing edge for the 2010 series, which I think is to focus on Hunger and Food Security. For example, Scott Henderson’s (http://rallythecause.com) experience with the Pledge to End Hunger is a great illustration of a Hoosier harnessing the power of social media to make a huge impact in line with the Festival’s goals. And the Indiana Humanities Council is doing small things to embrace social media, as well. I think they are on deck as a primary partner for next year; maybe there are opportunities there?
I hope y’all get hired again next year to advance this important (and growing more important each day) component of what our “public conversations” are.