Anyone anywhere

“Francis,” a middle-aged business person tells me with all seriousness flashed on his face said, “I am so proud to tell you that up to now I still do not have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or all those digital things that the young people are obsessed with. All of my children have it but I told them I will never have it.”

I smiled at him and understand where he is coming from but I was so tempted to say, “Sir, there is color and sound now in the movies in case you haven’t heard about it. What century do you belong?”

Social media will not go away. People have been prophesying the death and the demise of Facebook saying that something newer will take over its place and yet the reverse is happening. Even senior people are getting into it and the surprise here is that they are actually enjoying it and using it even more.

Our friends from Facebook Philippines say that: More than 49 million people use Facebook every month, this represents 91 percent of Internet users in the Philippines and more than 27 million or 55 percent of monthly active people return to Facebook every day. Do you know that Filipinos spend an average of almost 3.1 hours every day on mobile and I bet you they are into social media all the time.

Now what causes the effectiveness of social media? It would be good to understand this in a deeper level.

Every text, every post, from the limited 140 character tweets to the most visited social networks and from the humblest most inspiring websites to the angriest blogs, the truth is that everyone today is in the business of self-promotion.

People, organizations and businesses are now using social media as platforms for communications in a wired world presenting themselves, defending themselves, selling themselves, explaining themselves, attacking others, insinuating things or sharing their experiences and moments in a scale never before as much as what is happening today in the course of human history.

The thing is this. Social media affords anyone in the world to communicate with anyone, anywhere, instantly and cheaply. And the message gets multiplied within seconds as one person reaches out to an audience of his friends of followers reaching out to their audiences and individually to their audiences and the loop seems endless.

The famed author and philosopher Os Guinness says: “The age of Internet has not only created the age of the self and the age of the selfie. Every person who posts, blogs or tweets is an apologist.” And I would add that everyone and anyone who has a smartphone, tablet or a laptop that is connected to his or her WiFi or has a data plan is now a de-facto publisher, writer, commentator, film producer or even a broadcaster and they can air their views, opinions and even their angst to anyone anywhere.

I remember posting a simple line that elicited 27,000 likes within a few hours with many positive comments concurring with me while a huge amount of negative comments disagreed and threw down nasty cusses and curses on me.

I posted this simple line: “Don’t be envious of others when you look at their Facebook pages. They always post the best things there. Facebook is a billboard not a diary. People do not really tell their real situation. So just be real even if others are not.”

There were those who accused me of being judgmental and others totally agree with my view and the loop seemed endless until it died down the next day. This is how powerful social media today is.

My Facebook like page has breached half a million followers today. I have promoted my seminars there, endorsed products I used, featured a cheesecake in one of the popular upscale restaurants that got 3,800 likes and according to my friends, this featured product was sold out the next day.

I have had invitations for me to do training sent through FB private messages and I have had the privilege of counseling troubled young minds, met some of them in person and this is why social media today is a tool for me to reach out to many and share ideas.

Descartes says: “I think therefore I am.” Today, people probably have embraced the philosophy “I post therefore I am…” In itself this digital platform is morally neutral. Meaning it can be used for good and it can be used for evil.

Many business organizations that do not understand this still prohibit their people from using social media while many clients of mine have used this to create their own internal FB pages as a platform for communications and idea generation.

The platform in itself is not to be judged for it is a tool. The people using it are in question here whether they are using it to promote, connect, inspire and inform or they are using it to attack, offend or vent their angst and hit other people.

I post something positive everyday to equip and inspire people to live better and to work better and maybe this is one reason why the following has steadily increased.

Use it for positive endeavors. Use it honestly and use it effectively because the moment the words depart from our mouths whether in tweets, posts or blogs, they are no longer ours and we are to be accountable.

(Experience two inspiring days with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills in his widely acclaimed Level Up Leadership on July 11-12. For further inquiries contact April at +639285591798 or Success Options at 7270291 / 7275692 or register online at www.levelupleadership.ph)