We’re all newbies at something. Trey Pennington
Sid Philips, the bad boy in Pixar’s original Toy Story, used his size, age and power to mangle dolls, cars and other toys to suit his twisted imagination. Eventually the toys, lead by Woody, summon the courage to confront Sid. As Sid holds Woody firmly in his hand, Woody says, “I’m talking to you, Sid Philips! We don’t like being blown up, Sid. Or smashed, or torn apart.” The other toys gather around Sid for the climactic lines: Woody, “From now on, you must take good care of your toys, because if you don’t, we’ll find out, Sid! We toys can see EVERYTHING!”
The ultimate instruction to Sid fits well for social media enthusiasts moving into a new year with our new toys (on social media, that is): “So play nice!”
2009 saw the explosion of social media use. It also saw the explosion of social media ABuse, too. From politicians practicing the high-art of self-aggrandizement while completely ignoring their constituents, (well, famous actors did that, too, but we expect that from them, right?), to newly self-minted social media experts and gurus chiding others for not using social media “right,” chastisement was in abundant supply.
Yep, I was in the fray, too. Watching politicians, especially elected ones, promote themselves to the abject exclusion of the people they represent made (still makes) me angry. From my personal perspective, their absence on social media would be far more welcome than their abuse of it.
Even so, if social media is anything, it is a platform for individual self-discovery. By necessity, we’re all in different stages of that discovery. Our individual adventures are just that: individual. Seems like adopting the attitude of “charity” would provide the best foundation for getting the most out of our social media adventures in 2010.
We’re all newbies at something. Woody’s advice to Sid clangs in my ears: “So play nice!”
