social media & sociometry

[Peter Howie]

I recall some ground breaking research that showed that men, following  
either heart bypass or heart transplant (not sure which) who swapped  
low fat cooking recipes (at the instigation of the hospital) had about  
double the healing and survival rate of those who didn't. So, as  
mentioned, superficial has its place. in fact superficial is somewhat  
a value judgement when it is compared to something like encounter or  
deep connecting. So yes the connections are superficial. But so are  
most connections even with loved ones most of the time. Maybe better  
to say they are more social connections. That's a bit more neutral.

On the other hand who doesn't like a wholly superficial relationship  
when someone has been through the wars and is sick and tired of long  
drawn out turgid in-depth relating and dialogue.

One response we have trialed here at our conferences is to have all  
day workshop options on the first day of the conference and a couple  
of time as the only options. This has meant that at least on the first  
day most people connected at depth with a reasonable number of folks.  
I thought ti worked well, but then again it was my idea and some  
people preferred some more "superficial" option on the first day or in  
other words to start off in the shallow end of the pool rather than  
diving into the deep end. :)

Cheers

Peter


On 18/12/2009, at 5:42 AM, Jen W wrote:

> I agree that social networking contacts can be superficial, and it's  
> possible that the illusion of having a connection may provide enough  
> false security that perhaps a person does not feel pushed to seek  
> actual contacts.
>
> It could it also be argued that even superficial contacts can  
> sustain a person who has wounds that is keeping him or her isolated.
>
> I also find that facebook can provide a spark that can be followed  
> up on in person.  For instance, I found that an acquantance had some  
> of the same taste in music.  We exchanged music recommendations and  
> ended up making CD mixes for each other and we ended up sharing our  
> interest in greater depth outside of facebook.
>
> I guess most relationships start off superficial, as there is no  
> instant intimacy of the real time.  People may or may not choose to  
> fan the flames of intimacy.  And maybe their choice to be intimate  
> or not be intimate is not entirely due to the existence of facebook.
>
>
> Jen
>
>
>
>
> From: anathga at hotmail.com
> To: adam at blatner.com; list at grouptalkweb.org
> Subject: RE: social media & sociometry
> Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:54:58 +0000
>
>
>
>  how true...yet there is something as an oveload of superficial  
> contacts,leaving one weary  and in want of time to cultivate the  
> kind of relationships that need time and energy investment to give  
> us back the same.
>
> From: ablatner at verizon.net
> To: list at grouptalkweb.org
> Subject: social media & sociometry
> Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:38:54 -0600
>
> Dear All, Speaking of our dialogue about facebook  and other social  
> media, I've heard that institutions are using these to connect with  
> younger people. They have found that fewer and fewer of them are  
> using email. In fact, I understand that there are even some colleges  
> that no longer giving their undergrads email accounts but are  
> communicating with them through social networking sites!  It relates  
> to the nature of sociometric connections, the types, etc. Social  
> media indeed introduces a type of "reach out and touch someone" in  
> ways that are different. I'm not interested in making a value  
> judgment of better or worse, only different, and for me I find it  
> interesting to contemplate and identify the role components of such  
> relationships.
>
> Indeed, what would Moreno make of our listserve, as an international  
> network, and of the quality of the relationships thereby  
> constructed?    As imperfect as this may be compared to a full face- 
> to-face encounter, it's better than nothing (i.e. relative  
> alienation, lack of networking). And even at conferences, the  
> schedule is often tight enough and the settings diffuse enough with  
> conflicting agendas that true encounter often doesn't happen, even  
> though people meet superficially face-to-face. There isn't enough  
> sustained time for warming up, much less the degree of time it takes  
> to work out misleading impressions, misunderstandings, etc.
>
> Warmly, Adam Blatner
>
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Peter Howie B.Sc, TEP
Managing Director
The Moreno Collegium for Human Centred Learning, Research and  
Development
0411 873 851
www.morenocollegium.com.au




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