“We’re Friends on Facebook”

The internet eliminates time and space restrictions a la Marshall McLuhan’s assertion that “the medium is the message.” That is, the nature of the internet - the medium/technology itself - is to connect people in real time from any wired place in the world. It therefore changes the actual pace of people’s everyday lives while expanding their sense of place across/within digital communities.

Since beginning my internship at Undercurrent, I’ve become more and more involved in the digital world of social media (exhibit A: this blog). Working on developing my own “personal brand” has been exciting - I mean, it’s great putting my own personality and thoughts online everyday for my various digital networks to see (and hopefully respond to). Throughout my recent dive into the waters of TwitterStumbleUponDiggYouTubeVimeoBlogsBlogsBlogsRSSFlickrTechnoratiCompeteGoogle, I’ve been trying to flesh out my own thoughts on the impact of social media. Most of what I’ve read emphasizes its immediacy, its connectedness, its community - well, it emphasizes the fact that social media is digital, and not face-to-face, communication.

But how exactly do social media relationships translate into face-to-face interactions? Chris Brogan suggested that people’s web presences and profiles be incorporated into real-world meetings, so as to make conversation and networking easier. Like Brogan, I don’t think the digital social world and real social world should be considered mutually exclusive. But when it comes to my own internet Friends/Followers/Diggers/Subscribers/etc., would they actually want to meet me in “real life?”

I believe interacting with people across both the digital and real worlds can result in various relationship dynamics - more in-depth, more awkward, somewhat complicated, quite up-to-date, and so on - depending on the amount of face-to-face interaction you’ve had, before or after you “friended” each other. Based on my own experiences, here’s a list of what it’s like to “take your relationship to the next level” (whether from digital–>reality or reality–>digital).

Facebook

“Hey, we’re friends on Facebook.” I heard someone use this line to introduce herself to a stranger at Gallatin Orientation a couple weeks ago. At that moment, freshman year came back to haunt me. Your Facebook friends aren’t always your friends in real life. And when you are eager enough to friend people you don’t know before actually meeting them, it sets up a wonderfully awkward situation for when you meet face-to-face for the first time. Now I only Facebook friend people I know, i.e. reality–>digital relationships, please.

Twitter

Twitter followers who may/may not know each other + setting up in-person gatherings = Tweet-ups. Pretty cool if you’re the kind of person who’s up for it. I haven’t tried it out yet.

Myspace

Maybe it’s because Myspace is “so two years ago” and reminds me of my early awkward teenage years, but a lot of my Myspace friends were strangers whom I’d never think to actually meet in person. After all the media attention and my personal experience with inappropriate messages from strangers, I pretty much associate the network with potential stalkers and creepers. Then again, some people find their significant others via Myspace, so who knows?

YouTube

When I watch people on YouTube videos, I don’t expect to meet them in real life, ever. Considering all their popularity online, I do wonder what LisaNova and HappySlip would be like in person.

I’m sure I’ve left some loose ends in my thought process. Help me out with your ideas?

Update: I just saw this BBC article on Digg questioning if social networking sites pose a “mental risk” to teenagers born in the 90s.