Clam Chowdaa! For Everyone!

So, I'm back. After a wonderful summer trip to Europe, and getting started at ASU's Cronkite School, and even though I am busier now than ever before, I am back to provide my insight to issues that stick in my craw!

Today I'm talking about modern social media and what that has become for people. As part of my requirements in the journalism program, I have to set up Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. While this isn't too big a deal, the process of following, liking, connecting, etc. has left me with little time to even connect with my family. But this isn't about me. This is about the larger issues surrounding the social media revolution.

Have you ever watched a group of teen girls and their pack mentality? Recently I watched as a group of ASU students were preparing to board the Metro train that goes between ASU main campus and the downtown Cronkite school. There was a Metro officer checking to see if those boarding had purchased passes for that train. ASU offers a discounted pass for all public transit, (I have one, they're great,) but they require that you authorize your pass for each trip. It is as simple as swiping your card at the reader. Because there are no gates on and off the train, it is possible to board without authorizing your card. Now, these girls all had the transit pass. But the group hadn't authorized this trip, so the transit officer directed them to the reader kiosk. The pull of the pack was so great that individual girls were unwilling to step over to scan their passes, thus making the transit officer check and re-check their passes, until it was clear that no-one was boarding without an active pass.

This little event demonstrated the power of pack behavior, and while it is mostly benign, it has now gone global. Entire social media conglomerates are defenseless to the power of this behavior. Fortunes have risen and fallen at the behest of powerful personalities within this framework. Since those personalities are few and far between, the majority of social media users are followers. Now, I'm not claiming to be a leader, nor that I am presenting surprising information, but the connection between this mentality and the world networks of social media has created what I call the "Clam Chowdaa" mentality.

Way back in the early 90's, Rob Morrow hosted Saturday Night Live and acted in a skit about the need to be current. In the skit, while the others had fast and witty repartee, Rob's character was continuously late in response and thus unable to impress the girl. He had a way out however, as there was a time machine in the men's room, (right next to the condom machine.) Returning to the conversation that took place moments before he was able to actively contribute, and thus impress the girl. The running joke in that skit was how new englanders say clam chowder, ( Clam Chowdaa!)

How does this relate to social media?

The rise of the internet social networks has created vast amounts of people unable to keep up with all of the witty repartee, and thus constantly plugged-in to their network waiting for the opportunity to impress with their patter. This nation of waiters constantly strive to be the leader. But all they attain, usually, is perpetual following.

Where were you when you found out about Beyonce's bump?

Combined with a willingness to sacrifice real conversation with these perceived important relationships,(FaceBook Friends,) this generation waits and comments and places import on something that is not real. In doing so, and with the ease of creating these social networks, vast "friendships" are nothing more than superficial relationships that only serve to demean real people.

Where do I stand?

Since I started my new job at O'Connor's Pub, I have gained several FaceBook Friends. I hope, of course, that they will develop beyond insipid conversations and sharing of Farmville supplies. Meanwhile, I will do my best to resist this mentality, but I understand just how cool it would be to slip in a "Clam Chowdaa!" at just the right moment.

Where's my time machine?