One of the most amazing phenomenons in the history of human connectivity is happening right before our eyes. Check this out. Did you realize that it took radio 38 years to reach 50 million people? It took TV only 13 years to reach that number. For the Internet it was only 4. It took Facebook just two years to reach 50 million people!
While technology is making global connectivity easier, it seems to be making interpersonal connectivity harder, partly because so many people are consumed by what’s on their screens. Youth leadership guru, Tim Elmore, calls this generation of teens “Screenagers”, because their appetite and acquisition of information, communication, and entertainment is driven by their affinity for screens, i.e. cell phones, computers, TV, video games.
This “screenager” mentality is not just limited to teens. Why does it seem like millions of adults are more willing to have virtual online relationships - often with complete strangers - versus spending quality time building legitimate relationships with people they should be close to?
The more I delve into social networking technology, namely Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the more I realize that people often substitute virtual interactions for real relationships. It’s very interesting that social networks use the term “friend” to describe connections, but the depth of most online relationships is questionable in relation to what friendship really means.
While these tools are great for sharing information with friends and family, reconnecting with former associates, and connecting with new people, along with many other personal and business uses, they should not be used as a replacement for building genuine, authentic relationships with key individuals.
Key relationships are critical to your long-term success. Relationships that I consider to be “key” include: spouse, parents, siblings, close friends, business partners and associates. No matter how great and user friendly technology is, no combination of hardware, software, and screens can replace these significant face-to-face relationships.
The reality is that the greatest achievements you will have in life will be determined by your ability to effectively manage key relationships. Likewise, the most difficult problems you will have in life will be greatly influenced by your inability to manage certain key relationships.
Developing strong relationships requires taking emotional risks and letting people into my space, not just MySpace. You will never be able to experience the depth of joy of a flourishing relationship if you never take an emotional risk of engaging with someone who could potentially cause you deep pain. If you’re unwilling to take relational risks, you are short-circuiting your long-term potential.
I encourage you to assess your current “key” relationships. Are you doing all you can to cause these relationships to flourish or are you spending inordinate amounts of time online? Are you investing adequate time to ensure relational success or are you trading off that time for the pursuit of virtual “friendships”?
Where you focus your time is where you will get results. Make sure you’re investing in real-ationships, not just virtual ones.
Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.
Are you dreaming B.I.G. in 3D yet? www.DreamBIGin3D.com
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