Under the Spell of InstaTweetBook

So I've finally made my rounds on the social media train. While still unsure exactly about where I'll go with my career, or life for that matter, I realized that not only has the internet become increasingly important for making connects. It is in fact necessary.  In the beginning I was always late to the game, at times cringing at the ability of facebook to promote an unwanted enhanced knowledge of my family's religious and political thoughts or for making me feel the need to spy on middle school classmates.

But in fact, I've grown to really love each of these sites for their various purposes.  Instagram, revolving around photos, is certainly still a program I use for close friends, but my Facebook, google+, blogger, and LinkedIn have grown increasingly focused on expert articles, fitness blogs, joining intellectual groups, and my favorite authors.  There's nothing better than having a PhD candidate read your term paper or seeing a personally reply from your favorite author on a comment you posted.

Thus far it seems most of this talk has been about the personal tendencies of social networking. To emphasize it's more than that, think about how lately the job market has dwindled.  One of the complaints that job seekers, including myself at times, had was that the personal interaction has been taken from the search.  "I would have gotten a call back if I had a face-to-face interview!" some cry.  However, I believe this system can also provide more opportunities in wake of the ones that were taken.  What it comes down to is not limited opportunities, b
ut a change in nature moving into a world we shouldn't be afraid of.  So update those profiles and share your projects, work, and interests.  Just don't underestimate the power of the internet to destroy, but don't undermine it's ability to create.

Just like the magic we do to build a connection with the divine, to commune with like minded people, to feel attached to the lives we live and the natural world we are in, the internet has evolved to meet some of human's most basic needs.  Social networking provides the invisible web of links trying us to people and places we would never otherwise have access to.  And just like in magic, we would do well to keep protection in mind by guarding some of our personal details, and remain always vigilant about what our intent truly is and even take care to note what the intent of others who see our information may be. To know, to dare, to will, to be silent.  These are the rules we are taught for using the power we have, in whatever form that power may come.