Let's Get Engaged: Facebook Frenemies

This is the fifth article in the social media strategies series "Let's Get Engaged"

I get a kick out of watching celebs like Naomi Campbell who know how to laugh at themselves and their meltdowns.  It is one thing to be laughing with someone the way we would be laughing with Naomi in this clip.  It´s another things to be laughing at someone the way society is laughing at Charlie Sheen and his meltdown. And it's been very interesting to watch how social media has been playing out in this whole situation.

If you haven't heard by now, after Charlie Sheen's meltdown that resulted in the cancellation of 2 and a half men, he got on twitter. One day later he has more than a million followers and has broken the guiness world book of records for the most twitter followers in the least amount of time. In addition to that, he is getting endorsement deals and has become a money making machine....all because of his meltdown.

Lots of facebook friends and lot's of twitter follows means that you are well loved....right. WRONG! And that is where we have to be careful in our interpretation of stats and numbers. WIth the spread of social media and the popularity of friending or following someone, we need to keep in mind that cyber relationships aren't even in the same ballpark as real relationships. In reality, I have no clue what all the people who friend me or follow me think of me or if I'm in the "good books" with them. Perhaps half the people following me on facebook and twitter are really spies!

The reason why I wanted to bring this up is because although Charlie Sheen set a record for twitter followers, recent polls via eonline showed that the majority of people do not see Charlie Sheen in a good light and do not think he is headed in a good direction. I am so blessed to be surrounded by great people who remind me not to get into numbers too much. It's sometimes tricky having to deal with stats while at the same time not letting them rule me.

Social media is not the same as having a good honest old-fashion face to face chat with someone. The information that you can gain about someone through body language beats anything you will get in a tweet.  Social media can bring you closer to someone, I'm not denying that. But it also gives that person the opportunity to create a controlled version of themselves to put out to the public. You see what they want you to see. It's a sense of reality but it's controlled reality....sort of like the Matrix.

I want each of you out there to have the best possible experience in whatever form of social media you partake in. As someone who is part of the media world, I am on your friend and I am on your side. This is the reason for my words. I want you all to have perspective when dealing with this medium of communication. Remember that a meltdown is only funny when you´re laughing with the person, not at them.....