The Perks of Being Socially Awkward & Its Benefits for Social Business

Hear ye, hear ye to the Net Generation!

This is the Age of Networked Intelligence.
Get those Twitter decks fired up, square those fours, Pinterest your new interests, and I promise that your Lean Cuisine will look a lot more appetizing after you Instagram it.

Get wired people, it’s called a revolution.

Wait, did I miss something? Last time I checked I wasn’t living under a rock.
Yeah, this is a bit awkward.
Or is it just… ME?

If you have ever felt like this before, you are in the right little corner of the vast universe called the Internet. Regardless of your fitness and age, it is simply impossible to keep pace with the virtual rat race. Fundamental changes are altering the old structures around the clock, as new innovations and ideas are being shared and implemented within our society.  Yet, Don Tapscott, a leading voice and authority in social business and media, said that “A revolution doesn’t happen in society when you adopt new tools, a revolution in society happens when you adopt new behaviors.”

As the first “Net Generation” who has grown up within this digital age, the behavior of being socially apt has now become an expectation. Yet, I cannot help but feel as if I am more socially awkward than I am suave. Let’s be honest, how many times have you used the classic “smile and nod” when your professors or colleagues are talking about tweet this and tweet that? (I can’t answer because my professor may definitely read this.)

Due to the internet, the world has become not only a bigger place, as certain boundaries are being broken and more connections are being made while communication is becoming more transparent, the world is also becoming smaller. So, where do the socially awkward fit in?

What does it mean to be socially awkward?

Urban Dictionary defines a socially awkward person as “an individual excessively afraid of social interaction due to some form of peer rejection or personal choice.” (Granted that it may not be the best source for a definition, but the other option was a website called “Depression Introspection,” so take your pick.)

Yet, the idea that social awkwardness is derived from fear is true, and usually the root of most fears is from ignorance or simply not being in the know, and the best thing about fear is that one can always learn to overcome it. However, I would like to propose a proposition that socially awkward people are not afraid, but may just be misunderstood. Social business has been growing and continues to evolve in ways that social business professionals and rookies, like you and I, can only imagine. However, social business needs all the diverse voices and quirks to revolutionize not only with shared knowledge and new tools, but to ultimately transform our behaviors through the way we communicate as human beings.





What are these benefits?

THE PERKS OF BEING THE ROOKIE

1. It’s a part of our DNA.

You may have your own version of the bat cave that you may like to run off to if you get too jaded from the social world and the Internet. However, it is inevitable that we live in a connected world. If you are still working out the quirks with social media, it may be comforting to know that you have always been exposed to it.

Benefit: To navigate social business and the web, a business requires active employees who understand and interact or react to the online community. Growing up during the digital age has allowed us to already possess fundamental knowledge about social tools and essentially how to communicate to the audience and its needs, as we are the audience.

2. “Wonderful things happen when your brain is empty.” – Maira Kalman

The rookie has the advantage of being an empty slate, allowing for more creativity and opportunity.  Persian philosopher Avicenna describes the "human intellect at birth is rather like a tabula rasa, a pure potentiality that is actualized through education and comes to know."

Benefit: If genius is the offspring of the in-between, then the socially awkward are major game changers, as they are able to get into the in-between of social business and react or introduce new behaviors or a new perspective.

3. Socially awkward people are normally the ones to start an awkward silence and to end one.

Whenever you talk or use a channel of communication, there is always the PAUSE. This pause is not only necessary as it allows our minds to process and synthesize information in time, but creates a space of openness mentally and socially.

Benefit: The thought that a socially awkward person is the one to introduce an awkward silence, but also to end it reinforces their strengths as contributors to transform social business. Not only are we asking thought provocative or necessary questions about the business, but reciprocating to start a conversation about their observations.

4. Follow the leader.  

Social business and the age of networked intelligence provide a new type of freedom to the individual, as social tools and shared knowledge are available for anyone willing to get in on the action. Just like learning any new material, finding a mentor or following a leader can prove to be very beneficial.

Benefit: Both parties are mutually benefitted, as more information is shared and communication is transparent. Troubleshooting and learning is a two way street and more dialogue about social media is created.

5. Finding your voice.

 You have the chance to find and develop your personal voice. You are able to follow your passion and cultivate your interests with others who desire the same... all from your living room couch.

 My wishes for this blog is to discover and share my voice and provide some unique insights about social business and media. Hope this helped you either understand the perks of being socially awkward or at the very least be entertained by my musings. 

Welcome to the revolution. 

Best wishes!

Ujin

Sources:

http://www.shapingyouth.org/grown-up-digital-don-tapscott’s-latest-on-‘generation-net’/

http://blog.semzen.net/blog/bid/194031/Why-Social-Media-Networking-Needs-Young-Minds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOiyD26cJ2A&feature=related