Social Media Obesity

#1 Thing You Need to Learn from this Post:
Social media can only offer synthetic approximations of the emotionally rich cocktail of real-life interactions, leaving you to fill your hunger pains with the emotional equivalent of Cheez-Its.

A More Detailed Exploration:
Meaningful relationships take time and effort to cultivate. You can’t manufacture them at large scales like some industrial factory by just pushing buttons while staring at a screen. You need to get your sleeves rolled up and hands dirty to forge the emotionally rewarding personal interactions Homo Sapiens need to thrive.

An allure of social media is that it will make it easier for us to stay connected with a wider circle of people. In our quest to build our follower count, “friends”, LinkedIn connections, and page views, we have artificially increased our Dunbar numbers. Our wider reach has come at a cost that can be seen in the decreased depths of our relationships. While rich in reach, we are deficient in depth.

This is the equivalent of choosing between a plate of artisanal cheese and a case of Cheez-Its.

While a piece of aged cheddar costs more per ounce, it has a better nutritional impact and will offer an amazing multi-sensory experience.  On the other hand, you can munch on those Cheez-Its wherever you go and trick your body by filling it with empty calories.

For the past two years, I have delved into the issue of hunger in America thru my work on pledgetoendhunger.com and WeCanEndThis.com. It’s been an eye-opening experience on many levels, but perhaps the most profound understanding I have gained is that hunger in America is tied to the same root cause as obesity: nutritional deficiency.  Calories are plentiful now – what’s not plentiful is the availability of nutritionally balanced food.

When it comes to survival, calories are crucial.  Unlike the vast majority of our history, we live in a time where food is plentiful. Even 100 years ago, our ancestors were burning 70-80% of their calories in their quest to eat.  Now, we can dial a few digits and food gets delivered to us.  The only calories burned are walking to the front door.  By choosing Cheez-Its, juicy drinks, and fast food over seasonal, locally sourced balanced meals, obesity becomes a much more likely outcome.

Before anyone comes to the wrong conclusion, let me explain the title of this post. “Social Media Obesity” is a metaphor that speaks to the rising use of social media to replace real life interaction.  We cannot allow ourselves to continue down this path.  Rather, we need social media to complement and enhance our daily interactions with those around us.  It’s your challenge to figure out new, innovative ways to build and cultivate meaningful relationships that provide what we need for this new age.

It’s time to put down the Cheez-Its, gather around the artisanal cheese, and feed our souls with the nourishment they need.

What is your organization doing to promote more rich, meaningful interactions?  Or are you getting a case of the social media munchies?