St. Louis Dispatch reporter Tim Barker just read my mind. In his most recent article, he questions when social networking site membership becomes too much. Each site has its benefits, surely. But how much time do we spend on them? A British research group found workers were wasting upwards to 30 minutes a day on cyber-networking.
According to a 2008 survey by Chicago-based consulting firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 23% of companies have started to block social networking sites so employees remain focused on the job. A reported 32.7% claimed these sites present a drain on worker productivity. Only a handful of respondents asked "What's MySpace?"
Oh dear.
Unlike many of my clients and friends, I love networking. Everybody has a story, and I love to
learn new things. People are the best way to experience a new side of life. Connecting with others makes you feel larger than yourself. You become a part of a collective. It gives you a feeling of singular purpose.
Having read Tim's article, sparked by Eve Tahmincioglu at MSNBC, I decided to take inventory of my own participation in so-called social networking sites. Snickering evilly at how much other people waste time mouse-clicking perfect strangers into friends, I was appalled by the actual number of memberships I have.
Unbelievable. I mean do I really spend that much time tracking down old college friends, schoolmates and potential research sources? Have I fallen into the trap Challenger and Co. so soberly portray as the Ultimate Time-Wasters of the Century?
Nah, I assured myself. But in case you're looking for a new friend, I've included my direct link on each of the above. Come on, try it! It'll only take a minute...
