social media

Elizabeth Taylor was known to many as a legendary actress, fashion icon and champion for AIDS research. Throughout her life the public remained enamored with her celebrity status through such award-winning roles as Cleopatra and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, while off-screen she made headlines with her tumultuous personal life, which included eight marriages and a myriad of health issues. Her death yesterday was a stark reminder to us all that life is precious no matter who you are or what accolades you have won.

Taking some time to search what people were saying about Taylor online was eye opening to say the least… by that afternoon, there were literally thousands of Tweets, blog posts and Facebook messages online about her life and the phrase “RIP Elizabeth Taylor” was already a trending topic on Twitter.

Does this seem odd to anyone else?

Is social media the “new” way we as a society will choose to share our losses and mourn those who we care about? People from all walks of life were tweeting yesterday regardless of whether or not they were a fellow celebrity who knew Taylor, or an individual who simply knew of her.

Not surprisingly, fans of Taylor who posted yesterday are not alone in their choice of expression—we’ve seen a similar outcry when other celebrities or notable figures have passed and it is now becoming more commonplace. Michael Jackson’s death was one such memorable flashpoint and arguably the first major “social media death” where tributes, videos and stories about him were shared online for days literally dominating the online conversation. I would guess that many of us have even seen some in our own social networks using social media platforms to share their grief over the loss of a loved one or to pay homage to them.

Just a Generational Thing?

This growing trend is a relatively new one, but looks increasingly like it is here to stay. Is this very public expression of mourning simply a natural extension of how younger people—who live their daily lives in a similarly open and transparent way through social media—now choose to experience and personalize their own grief? Or does this trend cross generational boundaries? 

Among celebrities at least, many of all ages shared special messages on Twitter, for example:

• Alyssa Milano: Rest in peace, Elizabeth Taylor. You are a prism & will live on through all the good you did while you were with us.

• Larry King: Elizabeth Taylor was a great friend, a great star and one gutsy woman. She was so special. You won’t see the likes of her again…

• Mariah Carey: R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor an incomparable legend who will live forever.

• Magic Johnson: Elizabeth, thank you for all your help in the battle for HIV and AIDS. You will be missed by the world.

• Steve Martin: I met Elizabeth Taylor several times. She was witty and self-deprecating, which I found surprising and delightful. She loved to laugh.

"Use With Care"

Taylor herself had her own thoughts on social media that were fortuitous to say the least. With her passing, I learned that Taylor maintained her own Twitter account—@DameElizabeth and in a recent interview with Kim Kardashian for Harper’s Bazaar noted: “I like the connection with fans and people who have been supportive of me. And I love the idea of real feedback and a two-way street, which is very, very modern. But sometimes I think we know too much about our idols and that spoils the dream. So, like all things, it is to be used with care!”

With more than 300,000 followers, I should have known that this 79 year old Hollywood legend would have found this tool to be a useful way to connect with others. A quick scan of her 131 tweets shows a mix of personal messages, inspirational words to friends and promotional messages for the causes she cared about the most.

What do you think? Are forums like Twitter and Facebook the appropriate places to share message such as the ones we’re discussing? Does it matter what generation you are part of when it comes to using social media in such a way? Do “milestone” issues such as the loss of a legendary celebrity transcend more traditional applications of social media?

Since 2010 and the winter gift-giving holidays are both over, it's time to start thinking about the new year and a fresh list of resolutions. As I began thinking about what my list could be for 2011, I thought of some social media resolutions I and others could make for the new year. Whether you're a social media super user or a newbie, there's always something we can do better to contribute to our online community or get more out of our time online. Here are a few social media resolutions I've thought of - adopt a few or add your own.

1. Listen to other people.

Whenever someone wants to suggest that social media makes people more narcissistic, all they have to do is cite the stat that half of Twitter users never read anything anyone else has to say. If this is you, not only does this make you sound like a self-centered jerk, you're also missing out on the best part of social media. I can't imagine the value of Twitter if not to engage with and learn from others.

2. Don't talk about yourself so much.

Personal stories, especially when used to demonstrate a larger truth or when told in humility, can be great ways to share your thoughts. But, as Geoff Livingston discovered, people don't always like reading about you as much as you like writing about it. He took on an experiment in December where he resolved not to use the words me, myself or I for one month in an effort to refocus his blog, and he found that traffic doubled during that time.

3. If you can't say something nice...well, you know the rest.

I'm all for lively discussion and debate via social media. Many of the best blog posts are those that become forums in which people can hash out issues and hopefully move toward a consensus. In a time in which media outlets are so segmented that you can read your daily paper, listen to your preferred radio station and tune in to your favorite news programs without ever hearing an opinion you disagree with, social media can provide a much needed platform for public discourse. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to hide behind the anonymity of a computer and post things that are snarky and hateful. If we all resolved to refrain from posting things we wouldn't say to someone's face, that might go a long way.

4. Try something new on for size.

There are so many new platforms, there's always something new to try. Never tried Gowalla, Google Reader, Causes, Sparked or one of many other tools? Spend a little time trying one out and see what you're missing.

5. Think before you post.

Transparency is great, but every now and then, we take a ride on the oversharing train. As we've seen through a few painful rounds of Facebook privacy outrage, deleting what we have posted online is not always as easy as it should be. So think about what you say, upload and tag, and check your privacy settings so you know who has access to your information online.

6. Don't be the strong, silent type.

Instead of just reading, get involved in the conversation by leaving a comment on a blog post, responding to a tweet or making a recommendation on foursquare. You have valuable things to contribute, so don't be shy about joining in the discussion.

7. Use it for good.

Maybe you spend a lot of time online - you have more Facebook friends than you realized you had in real life and hoards of Twitter followers. There's nothing wrong with using social media to catch up with old friends and make new contacts, but this year, you can also try using your online networks for good. Ask your friends to give to a birthday cause or simply share an issue or organization you care about with your friends and followers.

8. Pass it on.

Have a parent, coworker or friend who is still behind the times? Take a few minutes to show them how to get started and share some of the tips you've learned along the way.

The holidays are in the air again - but they're also online. From Yeshiva University's the Maccabeat and their viral YouTube sensation, Candlelight - which has nearly 2.5 million hits - to the holiday favorite "Elf Yourself," getting into the holiday spirit at your laptop, on your iPad or on your phone has never been easier. And with social media, the smart, fun and charitable ways to enjoy the season are getting better every year.

These are some of our favorite ways to do the holidays like a social citizen:

1. Cash in when you check in.

Retailers are going way beyond Sunday circulars and email ads. This holiday season stores are using geolocation platforms to reward customers and perhaps attract a younger, more techie clientele. Radio Shack has created a Holiday Hero badge on Foursquare, which allows users to earn a 20% discount by unlocking the badge through the end of the year. On Facebook, Sears has adapted a Groupon model and is posting daily deals on its Facebook page, which will go live once it receives enough likes (but you have to like Sears first to see the deals). Other stores like American Eagle and Zales give foursquare users a discount just for checking in.

2. Give a gift that gives back.

Holiday gifts that delight the people on your list but also benefit a cause have been around for a few years, but the variety, quality and convenience of gifts that give back is greater than ever before. Philosophy bath products have a "shop for a cause" line this season, which includes varieties like "shower for a cure" which benefits the Women's Cancer Research Fund and "sweet to the core" which benefits educational programming on PBS. Or give the gift of fashionable rain gear with Kenneth Cole's Electric Rain Boot, which benefits The Awareness Fund and supports HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. For more ideas, check out lists from Change.org, Philanthropy 411, Forbes and Daily Candy.

3. Download a helpful holiday app.

My Jewish friends were able to light the menorah no matter where they were with the iMenorah (or any one of about 50 Hanukkah-themed available apps). Bargain shoppers can also use apps like Shop Savvy to compare prices without all the legwork, and MobiQpons gives you access to local coupons on your phone, which you can search and show to your cashier when you're ready to check out.   The new app Shopkick allows shoppers to earn points which are redeemable for merchandise by checking in at stores, walking around and scanning item barcodes. The holidays have never been so convenient.

4. Go on a holiday social media scavenger hunt.

With their Gifts on the Go, Gowalla is giving away a number of prizes every day through Christmas to users who check in at secret locations - the more you check in, the greater your odds of winning a gift. Their adorable advent calendar lets you peak at the gifts coming down the pipe, but December 25 is still a big secret! As a closet baker and holiday treat aficionado, I can't resist listing a holiday promotion by New York cupcakery Baked by Melissa. The mini-cupcake shop has hidden 31 gift certificates throughout New York City and is posting clues on their facebook page every day to help fans hunt down the golden tickets. They're also encouraging winners to post photos and videos of their delicious discoveries.

5. Shop at the (online) angel tree.

Over the last 40 years, many families, offices and groups of friends have participated in the tradition of shopping for kids from the angel tree, but for many, the tradition may have fallen off as they have gotten busy and done more of their shopping on the web. Last year, the Salvation Army and JCPenney teamed up to offer this holiday tradition online, so you can still give back without fighting the mall traffic - but hurry the deadline is December 10!

6. Simply give up the gifts.

With many nonprofits still struggling to through tighter economic times, the holiday giving tradition makes a big difference for these organizations and the causes and people they serve. Social media standout charity:water is encouraging people to give up the gifts we don't really need and ask people to contribute to drinking water instead. Whether you're passionate about clean water or something else, consider trading your gifts under the tree for support of your cause.

7. Give a little and get a little.

Gap's Want campaign presents a win-win for social media users who want to shop and do good at the same time. Their videos feature celebrities like model Lauren Bush and actor Ryan Kwanten dressed in Gap favorites and talking about giving in the holiday season. For each "like" their videos receives on Facebook, they'll donate $1 to nonprofits like Women for Women and the FEED Foundation. When you "like" their campaign, you also receive a code phrase that will get you 30% off one item.

How else are you doing the holidays like a social citizen?

It’s the last thing I check before I go to sleep and the first thing I look at before I’m even out of bed—my email. A mere “beep” from my phone signaling a text message or a new meeting request from work sends me running to it. Wait, it gets worse… if I accidentally leave home without my smartphone I must admit that I feel anxious and out of sorts. Please don’t tell anyone, but I think I have a problem. I think I am addicted to connectivity.

All joking aside, the world is truly a different place when compared with life just five, or even 10, years ago, and that change is in large part due to technology. While our lives have improved in many ways because of these advances, they do not come without a price.

How will our technology-infused culture impact the younger generation that is in many ways defined by technology?

Born Digital

Most Americans have a love affair with their tech devices, and according to a New York Times/CBS News Poll most would say that those devices have made their “lives better and their jobs easier.” Yet, amidst the glow around how technology has made our lives better—mine included—I often forget that there is a generation that did not transition into this era. For “Digital Natives,” or those who were “Born Digital,” there simply is no other way. This creates many new challenges for this unique generation that we have yet to tackle as a society.

Balancing Act

As the first generation of digital natives comes of age, we are beginning to see an interesting pattern emerge among youth—an increasing number of developmental issues that is often overlooked—including: a decline in the ability to multitask; lower reading levels; and a growing inability to focus for an extended period of time. In essence, the younger generation is experiencing what appears to be an inability to balance their online lives with that of their real world lives. Educators, scientists and parents alike are questioning whether or not the digital culture in which this generation was raised is in part to blame.

Children and young adults are not the only ones feeling an impact. In one extreme case Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania tuned out all social media on campus for a week. School Provost Eric Darr noted that “the buzz around the ban has started a much-needed conversation about effective use of social media and how to balance online life with the world offline.”

Where's the Problem?

Several factors that may be contributing to this imbalance include:

• Information Overload:  As the video above suggests, we take in much more information today than ever before. It can be at times overwhelming event for a generation that was raised to produce and consume online information.

Earlier this year, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a study and concluded that:

“The amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, especially among minority youth… Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of seven hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7.5 hours."

The findings are significant because younger people, as well as adults, are particularly affected by consumption of multimedia and exposure to technological devices with “almost 30 percent of those under 45 said the use of these devices made it harder to focus, while less than 10 percent of older users agreed.”

• Multitasking to Nowhere: The younger generation is expected to multitask to an extreme degree. Jumping from Facebook to YouTube to text messages on their cell phones—which some might call a distraction and others a lifeline—all while trying to complete more traditional reading assignments, homework and school work. 

A recent series in the New York Times looked at how technology is impacting the lives of students, and in particular, those still in developmental stages. One piece by Matt Richtel notes that:

“Students have always faced distractions and time-wasters. But computers and cell phones, and the constant stream of stimuli they offer, pose a profound new challenge to focusing and learning… Researchers say the lure of these technologies, while it affects adults too, is particularly powerful for young people. The risk, they say, is that developing brains can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks—and less able to sustain attention.”

Rewiring the Next Generation

So what does this all mean?  It's mostly speculation and hypotheses after all... what are the longer term consequences? Some scientists believe that focusing on several things at the same time ultimately changes how we think and behave perhaps to our detriment.

“While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress… scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers.”

Referencing the Kaiser Family Foundation study once more, the researchers did not go so far as to create a cause and effect relationship between media use and grades, however they did note differences between heavy and light media users when it came to grades. 

“About half (47%) of heavy media users say they usually get fair or poor grades (mostly Cs or lower), compared to about a quarter (23%) of light users. These differences may or may not be influenced by their media use patterns. (Heavy users are the 21% of young people who consume more than 16 hours of media a day, and light users are the 17% of young people who consume less than three hours of media a day.)”

Is this issue a real concern that needs attention?

We’ve only scratched the surface, but I think it’s safe to say that as with anything if you abuse it—even something as ambiguous as technology—it can cause harm. While it’s too early to draw any conclusions about the impact of technology use on the younger generation, we are beginning to see some residual effects that I venture to say are a bit alarming.

What do you think?

Are we making a big deal out of nothing... every generation has had its challenges and unique environmental factors, so why should digital natives be treated any differently? Should parents limit use of devices? Is a ban, even if it’s only temporary like the one implemented by some academic institutions, the right answer? 

These days thanks to technology and social media, we can support a variety of philanthropic organizations and causes in a number of meaningful ways. The increasing popularity and integration of online mobilization allows us the luxury of participating in everything and anything with just one push of a computer button or by downloading the latest cause app to our smart phones. In retrospect, civic engagement has never been so easy—or so overwhelming—especially for Millennials.

From the younger generation’s perspective, things are looking a little bleak out in the world—you’ve got the Gulf oil spill, recession, melting glaciers, student loan debts, threats of terrorism and of course Lindsay Lohan’s latest court appearance to worry about. While these issues are by no means exclusive to any one generation, they are defining and life altering for those in the Millennial group. The predicament for today’s civic minded youth is not what to join, protest, support, vote for or donate to, but rather how to navigate all of these options and be socially engaged with the cause du jour.

What’s a Millennial to do?

Enter Splashlife—a new online membership network designed to empower Millennials and help them improve their lives and the lives of others. The free online platform hosts a number of tools, resources and peer-to-peer content on everything from restoring one’s financial health to tips for breaking into the media business. Members are encouraged to share information and to take action, whether it is in the form of creating a video promoting social good or registering to vote. Interaction and engagement are rewarded with “Splash points” that members can redeem for exclusive benefits, deals and discounts.

I know what you’re thinking, the last thing we need is another online network that you log onto once and never use again. As one who is bombarded on a daily basis with invitations to join new online sites and mailing lists, I felt the same way. That is, until I heard the creator of Splashlife, Melissa Helmbrecht speak at the National Conference on Citizenship’s (NCoC) Civic Innovators Forum. I signed up for Splashlife the very next day.

The platform just recently launched and already it’s causing ripples of its own among the younger generation. As Melissa explains it, “We are counting on the Rising Generation to solve our most serious social and economic challenges. [And] for the first time in human history, it is actually possible for millions of young people to unite and collaborate through the power of social networking and social media. It is time to harness this power to make a measurable difference. We are at the very early stages of building something that can provide support to millions of young Americans. Those who join us early will help shape it. It is an exciting moment to be a part of it.”

Melissa herself is another integral part of Splashlife and a reflection of the opportunities and challenges that face the Millennial generation. She is a social entrepreneur in her own right, having founded a youth-focused nonprofit called Champions of Hope Inc. as well as United Day of Service in partnership with Youth Service America. Looking at this person standing so self-assured at the podium, I would never have guessed that medical debt would have at one time forced her to have to beg for money outside a metro station—just so she could travel to a service conference at which she was speaking.

For Melissa, this day was transformative and led to the development of Splashlife. She knows from personal experience that there are, “millions of young people who are struggling today [who] also have the power to achieve their dreams and make a difference in the world around them. But they need help. They can't do it alone.” She offers others this piece of advice, “get skills, meet people, make a difference.”

Melissa’s words are echoed in Splashlife’s mantra, “Be More,” “Do More” and “Score More.” Splashlife speaks to the holistic and individualized experience that members of this generation seek. This movement towards incentivizing service acts and creating online calls-to-action to both cultivate and sustain engagement is not new, but it is gaining traction in the nonprofit sector. I believe Splashlife is a sign of things to come in terms of successful Millennial engagement. See what others are saying about Splashlife on Twitter and Facebook.

How about you... Do you think this new network can deliver in terms of motivating and empowering the younger generation? Does the platform and system of incentives inspire you to take action?  I guess the only question left is—are you going to join?

Far beyond the original "What are you doing?" prompt, individuals are using Twitter to share and find breaking news before it's available from sources like CNN, the New York Times, or the local news. From the riots around the Iran election to the Hudson River crash, Twitter has become a go-to source in breaking stories around the world. Sometimes, as with the Haiti earthquake, victims and witnesses use social media to find help. And in reporting situations like the Iran election protests, which were inaccessible to traditional news media, Twitter was not just the fastest source of information for people in and outside Iran, it was the only source. Most recently, Twitter was the leading source of information when a gunman took hostages in the Discovery building in Silver Spring, Maryland. Before information became available anywhere else, people began tweeting updates and photos from inside the building and neighboring offices.

As the use of Twitter has become more widespread (now with more than 100 million users), so has our trust in the information coming from the site. Even mainstream news outlets now routinely pull information from Twitter, sometimes without fully checking facts and sources - a point that both sports reporter Mike Wise and political columnist Chris Cilliza have made in the last few weeks (albeit in different ways). The citizen journalism enabled by Twitter is undoubtedly popular because access to information has never been faster. It provides nearly instantaneous updates, and when we're holding our breath through crisis situations, our chief priority is quick access to information.

But some of the drawbacks of this instant and easily spread information leaves some wondering whether this is a good thing. Besides the time it takes to mobilize a news crew, traditional reports are typically delayed because of fact checking. Having reputations built on delivering not only fast, but accurate news, they are expected to make certain their information is correct. The expectations of the average person with a smartphone in the midst of an emergency are understandably not so high. In the case of the Discovery attack, one witness took a Twitpic of a man with a gun and identified him as the suspect. With more than 100 retweets, the photo spread like wildfire, but it later became clear that the man was actually a member of the police force dressed in plain clothes. But as many regretful Twitter users know, once you push "tweet" it's not always possible to pull that information back.

In addition to the spread of misinformation, this Twitter journalism has the potential to make a situation like the one at Discovery worse. If information about a SWAT team movement or delicate hostage negotiation is available - or even suggested - on the web, it's possible that suspects could gain access to that information as well and use it to their advantage. Such information might also cause panic, which could lead some to put themselves in harm's way before authorities can conduct an evacuation or a rescue operation. This trend in Twitter reporting creates a clash between a tightly-held right to know and share information that is becoming more and more a part of our culture and the need for accountability in sharing accurate and responsible information. And with the nature of Twitter, there may not be any way to expect or enforce standards for credible information the way we do with professional news media. Social media is certainly changing the way we find information by enabling millions of citizen reporters, but is that always a good thing?

Are the potential risks of spreading Twitter information about crisis situations worth the access to the information? Do you want the quickest access to information even if some of the details turn out to be inaccurate?

It's no secret that Millennials enjoy participating in the creation of programs, fundraisers, campaigns and products and want the opportunity to personalize their experience whenever possible. Innovations made possible by emerging technology have fueled the demand for creative ways to get involved - we're designing our own shoes, water bottles and advocacy campaigns, rather than waiting for an institution to tell us what our options for participation are. Empowering Millennials to support a cause or product their way has been a proven way to engage our generation, and nonprofits and businesses alike continue to experiment with new ways to give us individual options. Here are just a few of the most recent examples:

"Make It Your Own" Burgers
This week marks the grand opening of 4food, a fast food restaurant that says "meals are necessarily social events," and means it. Customers can order online, on an iPad in the restaurant, and will soon be able to do so via their mobile phones. The menu board changes based on what's most popular at the time and what ingredients are most available at that location. But 4food is not just a tech-savvy restaurant with a social media presence. Not only do they have community groups, a blog and active profiles on Facebook, Twitter and foursquare, 4food encourages and enables its burger-loving customers to become salesmen as well.

You can create your own burger, name it, and it will be saved in the system for future visits. Not only is that convenient for people who are likely to forget which of the dozens of tasty combinations they had last time, but it also gives them the opportunity to market their personalized sandwiches to their friends. Each time someone orders the creation by name, you earn a royalty of 25 cents, which is credited to your online account.

"Make It Your Own" Music
Watching music videos might be so early 90s, but music video director Chris Milk, along with the folks at Google and the band Arcade Fire, are trying to make it interesting again with music that takes you home again. No really, it takes you to your home. The new video for "We Used to Wait," from the band's new album allows individuals to personalize the video by entering their address. Google satellite images take you on a jog through your neighborhood and to your house and even let you send a note to your childhood self. It's the perfect thing to indulge a homesick student...and to introduce them to both Google Chrome and Arcade Fire's new album.

"Make It Your Own" Fundraising
Endorse for a Cause, which launched last week, is an example of one socially conscious application of our love for personalization. While there have been many experiments around giving back at the cash register, whether it's online or offline, In addition to similar donate-while-you-shop models, Endorse for a Cause takes these experiments a step further by tapping individuals to market items for stores like Target and Starbucks and rewarding them by kicking money from affiliate fees to their cause when a friend purchases the product. For now, there are a limited number of nonprofits that can receive funds from Endorse for a Cause, but the individual-friendly platform allows users to nominate additional nonprofits for participation.

If someone is too shy to ask their social media friends for money directly, they can play the slacktivist card and post something already popular like a Starbucks card or a pair of Old Navy espadrilles to their Facebook and Twitter profiles through Endorse for a Cause. Hopefully their friends will be tempted to click through, buy the product and thereby earn a donation for their cause. While some might criticize this concept as another enabling platform that leads people to satisfy their desire (or duty) to help out by clicking a few buttons, which excuses them from doing things that are actually helpful to their cause - or doing as much as they might have if this platform didn't exist.

At the end of the day, success for burger joints, bands, fundraising tools and other products will be based on their quality - not just their inclusion of user-generated and user-personalized content. But these innovative ways to involve individuals in the creation and marketing of products can draw in new users and loyal supporters for products and organizations with staying power.

If you're reading this blog, you're probably drinking the social media kool-aid. You recognize the value of social media not only from a personal perspective but as a critical tool for your organization to reach new audiences, communicate more seamlessly with its constituents, raise money, and market products or services.  You may have spent months growing comfortable with the tools, building your online presence and that of your organization. You've explained what 2.0 means to the organization's leadership. You've helped move them to it...and then past it. You're one of the primary social networkers on the staff. It's great for your organization. It's great for your career. There's only one problem. A recent study showed that the average 26-year-old has changed jobs seven times in the last eight years. Especially if you're a Millennial, odds are that you're eyeing a jump to a different job, issue area or sector, or you will be soon. Have you thought about how you will approach the challenge of transitioning your social media identities?

I was recently chatting with a friend - let's call her Sarah - who had no idea what to do with her Twitter account. As a communications professional at a nonprofit organization fighting human trafficking, she's spent more than a year connecting with hundreds of people who also work on human trafficking. She's used social media to build the brand of her organization, foster discussion and distribute resources. Now she's transitioning to a new job that explores another of her interests - cooking. While she still cares about human trafficking, she won't have the time and energy to immerse herself in reading, writing and, yes, tweeting about the issue. Instead she will probably want to leverage her social media skills, and her account, for her new job.

But this could be a significant loss for her organization, which, at least in part, helped her to build her presence online. After all, they paid for the hours she invested in social media as a part of their overall strategy, and the organization's brand recognition offline probably lent her immediate credibility with new contacts online. On the other hand, without Sarah's initiative, skills and personality, her social media accounts, and those of the organization, might never have gotten off the ground. Now that their donors and partners are accustomed to engaging not only with the organization's official Twitter stream, but also Sarah's individual account, it might be difficult to transfer that relationship and interest to a new staff member.

This also creates a personal and relational dilemma for Sarah. She wouldn't go on attending human trafficking conferences or accepting speaking engagements on human trafficking issues, but her Twitter feed isn't so simple. Should she unfollow most of her human trafficking friends to make room for her new cooking friends? Should she start an entirely new account focusing on her new endeavor and build from scratch? Or should she make some Twitter announcements about her plans to switch to a new primary topic and let the chips fall where they may? Should the human trafficking organization have any say in how she talks about their break up?

With people of all generations increasingly and necessarily blending their personal and professional lives on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, we may be faced with many more tricky questions about how to move on. Have you made a major transition with your social media account? How can we make it smoother for ourselves, our followers and our organizations?

One of the most common pieces of advice given to young people is "get a mentor," but for some that's easier said than done. There are a few people in my life that I would consider mentors, and almost all of them have been people I just kind of lucked into relationships with but whose input and support has been invaluable. Keenly aware that I'm not an expert on the subject, I chatted with nonprofit management consultant Adin Miller, who showed his passion for the importance of mentoring when I was compiling tips for young change-makers and idealists. This post is a summary of our conclusions.


Shop for a mentor

Mentor relationships can help us supplement some of the life experiences or knowledge that we lack. So when trying to recognize a mentor in your life, it can be helpful to ask yourself what experiences are you missing or what experiences can someone else help guide you through. When you're new in the working world, there are times when that seems like the answer is "everything," but if you think about it, your most pressing work challenges will probably come to you. Having a good mentoring relationship is not like having a magic eight ball or as Adin put it "they aren't answer givers." Instead good mentors should help you frame an issue, look at your options and then step back and let you make the decision.



Some of the most natural mentors can be people you work with because they understand your sector and your organization and probably have some sense of your goals, strengths and weaknesses already. Since this has the potential of creating a little awkwardness, Adin suggests that seeking out someone you no longer work for or people within your organization that you don't report to directly can give you the best of both worlds. People that you connect with over shared interests online can develop into valuable mentors as well. For example, I've never met Adin in person, but he's already taught me a lot about mentoring through our conversation about this post, which started when he replied to my tweet asking for advice for young idealists. Especially among the nonprofit social media community, I've found people are shockingly willing to engage in discussion, debate and, well, mentoring, with people they have only met online.



The surprise mentor

Sometimes mentors come from unexpected relationships. Because so many mentors develop organically, it's worth your while to make an effort to get to know the people in your professional network. As you get to know them, you might be surprised by the life experiences they've had that are applicable to your life. Even if you weren't looking for a mentor's advice in a particular situation, you could find advice you didn't know you needed from people you interact with every week. 


Recognize the moment

Since many successful mentoring relationships emerge organically from existing professional and personal relationships - whether they be in the office, online or from a distance - you have to be ready to see and latch onto would-be mentors when they present themselves. By the same turn, when you see that a colleague or acquaintance has questions on a subject that's familiar to you, encourage them to consider you a mentor on the subject, come back to you with more questions or have coffee just to discuss their interest in it.



It goes both ways

As many things as Boomers and Gen Xers have to share with younger members of the workforce, Millennials have something to give in return. And no, I'm not just talking about being good with Facebook and Twitter. Especially with all of the interest in our generation lately, we can be of value in helping other generations understand how to engage our peers. We can offer unique perspectives on contemporary communication - not just the technical "how to’s" but the thinking behind it. We may have the best grasp on the privacy controversy, or understand what it means to be a student today, and we've seen what works and what doesn't work with our peers. 



Think about the skills and experiences each of us has with a certain sport, hobby, culture, or language --ones that are completely independent of our generation, but that nonetheless might be helpful to someone older and more experienced but who lacks those specific experiences. Allison Jones and Allison Fine have both written blog posts recently that discuss reverse mentoring and what is necessary to move it beyond a cute idea to a strategy that works for organizations.



Keep your mentor relationship from dying

We're all busy. And it seems that we are just going to keep getting busier, so mentoring can easily fall apart if we don't actively encourage it along. Whether you're a mentor or a mentee, the answer is simple. Follow up, follow up, follow up. Thank you notes are nice, but substantive follow up is better. If your last meeting focused on a dilemma or a decision you had to make, make sure you let your mentor know what the outcome was. If you have additional questions after the meeting, reach back out with those. Schedule another chat in advance, just to check in. 



Adin stressed that exchanges with mentors should not feel purely transactional. You aren't just getting information from them and moving on. It's a relationship, and even if the person is a professional connection, you should form an emotional bond. And he added, in the absence of follow up, it will make it difficult for your mentor to know how to respond when you want to talk through your next challenge with them because they've been out of the loop for a while.



What do you think makes a good mentor relationship? Have you found any mentors through social media?

A study released earlier this summer out of the University of Michigan, shows college students today have 40 percent less empathy compared to college students 20 to 30 years ago. Here we go again – broad assertions that Generation Y or the Millennials are less empathetic and more self centered than generations before us.  According to Sara Konrath, one of the study’s researchers, “Many people see the current group of college students—as one of the most self-centered, narcissistic, competitive, confident, and individualistic in recent history.” We could sit and challenge some of these stark generalizations – let’s face it, 20-30 years ago it was the 1980’s – not exactly the most altruistic decade, but I digress.

Today’s Millennials are volunteering at rates higher than generations before them.  They are joining together on land and online to raise money and awareness for causes they care about – from the earthquake in Haiti or the floods in Nashville to name a few recent examples.  They are at the forefront of developing new innovations that are solving some of our worlds toughest social problems, like the fellows I recently came across through the Unreasonable Institute. And, let’s not forget, some of the defining events of our young lives that have forever changed who we are (and I’d argue made us more empathetic) – Columbine, Oklahoma City, September 11, and Hurricane Katrina amongst others.  But rather than look at these life changing events that brought us closer together as a country and as a generation – the study suggests several factors that are behind the apparent reduction in empathy – in particular, increased exposure to violent media content, and of course, the overall use of social media.

Blaming social media somehow presumes that online relationships don’t require empathy, patience, or deep connectedness – and while it may be easier to have so-called ‘friends’ online, including those whom you never met or rarely talk to in real life, this presupposes that online relationships don’t take care and feeding. “The ease of having ‘friends’ online might make people more likely to just tune out when they don’t feel like responding to others’ problems, a behavior that could carry over offline,” Science Daily quoted U-M graduate student Edward O’Brien, who along with U-M researcher Sara Konrath and undergraduate student Courtney Hsing conducted the analysis, combining the results of 72 studies of American college students conducted between 1979 and 2009.  In my world, much of which is lived online – ‘virtual’ friends certainly don’t replace the need for real tried and true friendships.

If you want to truly establish a connection with another person, empathy is essential.  I guess the question for researchers (and for us) is, are we able to move beyond showing our compassion to others through the click of a button? On the one hand, there is something convenient about clicking a button that brings us into contact with a person (and this is certainly not limited to Gen Y). But on the other hand, perhaps the ease and convenience has disconnected us from the process of relationship making. Has all of this technology actually disconnected us from the process of getting to know one another, sharing life’s little secrets, and replaced it with measuring number of followers or retweets?

We should constantly be refining our skills to ensure our ability to remain empathetic – and I would love to find ways that social media can actually help enhance this. Are there new processes via technology whereby empathy can actually be developed or enhanced? Is this really just a “problem with kids today” or is this lack of empathy something that older generations -- especially those who live and work in the new social media culture are likely to be experiencing as well. Sometimes we are so caught up in blaming the kids and their technology, that we fail to notice the larger societal trends.

What do you think, is empathy on the decline – and is social media to blame?