Social Media Illusion

Social Media is a blessing, likewise, it is also a curse. Although I have made many friends, build a profitable personal brand and generate business leads for myself and clients, I won’t shy away from the truth – ”The Social Media Illusion”.

Many have fallen for the cheap hypes and unproven facts about life on Social Media, therefore, applying everything they see online to their lives. Only to discover that there’s a lot to making things work. Words are not enough. Likewise, social media is not all.

In fact, Social Media is just a tool for connecting with different people, growing business or building a personal brand. One of the advantages of using social media – it opens the door of opportunities. Meaning, you can be anywhere in the world and offering your services without having to leave your couch.

As much as this has brought ease in working with clients overseas, it has also brought unnecessary ego amongst users. Many had replaced the key purpose of social media – ”collaboration”, with ”competition”. Chasing millions of followers just to flaunt their ego and live the one-minute celebrity lifestyle.

The annoying part of social media is – fake titles. The ”fake it till you make it” group. Everyone is a coach, entrepreneur, expert, mentor, influencer, strategist. It makes me wonder if those titles were achieved overnight by just having a social media handle or has social media become a tertiary institution that offers such titles.

Many innocent people are falling for the social media illusion. Most especially, on LinkedIn. There’s this belief that you can be anything in life by just having a LinkedIn account.

• Where is this advice coming from?

• Who’s giving this advice?

Amanda Olowoniyi said: ”a lot of people join LinkedIn with the assurance of getting a job but soon are disillusioned.”

They go about chasing metrics (likes, comments, followers).”Having a LinkedIn account with 500,1000000 or more followers does not guarantee anyone a job.

What works for an individual with 10, 15, 20 years experience might not work for a fresh graduate. So know the ideologies that work for you.” – Amanda.

It’s easier for people to replace human effort by social media. I mean, doing everything about their professional career only online. They stay behind keyboards chasing fantasies and building castles in the air. They go about reading motivational stories and quotes but forgetting the key point in life – ”use your brain”.

Don’t be wooed by the big titles and positions. Don’t invest all your time searching for a job on social media, try other channels too. Nothing beats the human touch.

Why reduce your chances?

Knowledge and Experience is not the same. Remember that opportunities out there aren’t for you alone, you are competing with others. Go out there and meet people in person. Do the work behind the scene. All social media requires COMMONSENSE.

We are all learning; isn’t life itself a teacher?

Some content on social media are far from reality. Although, there’s a lot to learn on social media, don’t let it swallow up your life.

If you sit back consuming only the success-content on Social Media and judging your life based on them, you are living in the world of the – ”Social Media Illusion”.

For he who is tied to the living has Hope.