Aug
24

Social Media Needs Backbone

Last week, I Twittered that a tar truck was idling on my street, leaking fumes into everyone’s home while the driver sat on his buddy’s stoop and chatted for at least 20 minutes.  Fellow Twitter user Ben Atlas (who’s been very anti-social media lately*) asked if it wouldn’t have been more productive for me to simply walk outside and talk to the driver, rather than Twittering about it, which would solve nothing.

In this particular case, no, because the driver was Mexican and I didn’t have time to learn Spanish.  But in general, Atlas is right.  In fact, I wonder if he (and everyone else who thumbs their nose at social media) isn’t anti-Twitter so much as anti-whining.

Instant sharing platforms like Twitter and Facebook seem to be turning us from a nation of doers into a nation of passive-aggressive whiners, whingers and complainers, not so much interesting in oversharing as we are in making sure that the world knows just how tough we have it.  For example, search Twitter for almost any brand name — especially tech-driven ones like Comcast or Verizon — and you’ll see legions of people complaining about that company’s service, products or employees.  And while commiserating with your fellow citizens who’ve been fucked over by the corporate system can momentarily soothe your jangled nerves, it’s equally true that complaining to someone other than the person or company who’s causing your distress will only be so beneficial.

In light of these hand-wringing habits, social media-based customer service methods like the Comcast Cares account on Twitter may seem less like web-savvy approaches to an age-old problem and more like a devaluation of the Twitter experience, empowering people to complain more often in the hopes that they’ll be (over)heard and rescued from their mediocre problems.  (On the upside, at least people who are new to Twitter won’t see a litany of “What I had for breakfast”-type tweets on the front page anymore; now those tidbits split time with missives about “How situation X is ruining my day.”

So, in honor of Ben Atlas’s proactive bolt of clarity, I’d like to make a suggestion: what if we all DIDN’T complain on Twitter for a week?  Think of all the things you could do with those extra twenty minutes!  (Like maybe actually solving your problem…)

* Bonus points to anyone who mentions that Ben Atlas using Twitter to complain about the existence of Twitter is meta-hypocritical.

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Posted by Justin Armchair Sociology, My Social Media POV, Twitter Subscribe to RSS feed
  • http://www.designbyblake.com Dan

    I see two things wrong with your lack of action. First you assumed the driver is Mexican not just Latino. Second you assume that just because they are of Latino decent that they don’t speak English, seems a little racist if you ask me. Now I’m not calling you a racist but you made a choice to do nothing based on your preconceived notions of a culture. Maybe you need to spend a little less time on Social Media world and a little more time in the real world.

  • http://www.justinkownacki.com Justin

    True. My cultural sensitivities need some refining. Granted, I’ve never heard this neighbor (or any of the other dozen people living in his house) speak English, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t. On the other hand, since no one in his house seems to comprehend when our trash day is or how to recycle, I’m not sure the nuances of a conversation about when his friend intends to move his idling tar truck would have been more easily navigated.

    Of course, I’ll never know because I didn’t try. But this week, if it’s out there again, I’ll see what I can do…

  • http://www.designbyblake.com Dan

    I can tell you as a fact that not comprehending trash day or how to recycle knows no cultural boundaries.

  • http://adagencyconfessional.blogspot.com M.M. McDermott

    Like the angle: Twitter as enabler for passive-aggressive pussies. I’ve certainly been guilty of it. Today.

    What annoys me more is the conversation-jacking that goes on, though. One person’s gripe with a brand suddenly gets way more bandwidth than it deserves. Like giving the drunk uncle the microphone at a wedding reception.

  • http://albamaria30.wordpress.com red pen mama

    Now I feel bad because all I have done today is bitch about Monday. which, granted, there’s little I can do to make it not be Monday, except sleeping all day, which isn’t an option in any case.

    Anyway, good point. Although maybe it plays to the social angle a little bit more. The chance that if we complain about something, we may hear a rousing chorus of “me too”. Not solving anything, but making us feel less alone.

    a mere amateur,
    rpm

  • http://www.newageleadgeneration.com Al Brocious

    Justin,
    I like this post since most tweets are about jumping on a particular bandwagon of complaining. It is not a question of what particular language they speak or where they are from it’s about effort. It is so much easier to complain and not ask them to move in your example. You really have become part of the problem at that point.

    Twitter can be used to solve problems and is an excellent search and RSS feed. Many people do use it for that not just about how to make coffee by eying it up. For example I needed a new web host tweeted about about my needs. Within 20 minutes I received 4 comments back with sites that rate hosting and what they would recommend.

    These people where part of the solution.

  • http://dawnpapuga.com Dawn

    I can certainly understand your perspective here, and I can admit that I can be as guilty of this as the next person. I see less complaining about specific brands (aside from those named above) as I do general dissatisfaction with the world/people/fact of life around folks.

    Trying to go an entire week without complaining or whining would be an interesting prospect, and I’ll take you up on that… starting…. Now.

    On a side note, I find that the complaining is only half of the problem. The other half is shameless plugging by people for products, books, websites, and their own “personal brand.” Once a person on Twitter, Facebook, or elsewhere in the SM spectrum starts to take on the “Holiday Kiosk” aura, I remove them. I get bludgeoned daily with unsolicited ads and “promotions” and in the Social Media world, I have some degree of control over what I want pandered to me and what I don’t. People need to take more advantage of the “Unfollow” or “Remove friend” options. (Facebook and Myspace being the absolute worst for this, and the most stereotypical in offenses, but that’s another discussion)

    So why aren’t we seeing the “Complainers” as we do the obnoxious marketing gurus who push through SM? Toxic people are the same the world over. Keeping them in your information circle may be fruitful 1/25 times, but are the 24 times they aren’t really worth it personally or professionally?

  • http://sorgatron.com Sorgatron

    I’ve had a similar issue. A neighbor parks in my “private” parking pad from time to time. Now, I don’t know much about city livin’ since I was a farm boy, to sum it up, so I don’t know what my rights are. So instead of being on the wrong side of starting an argument with a neighbor I have to run into every day in an uncomfortable engagement, I posted the photo and fished for my options amongst my local Twitter friends. It actually helped a great deal with dealing with the problem.

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