Sometimes when I think about social networking, I am reminded of the scene in Wall-E where the people of the future are so dependent on the technology of their flying chairs that they forget how to walk and become overweight. When technology fails, they fall to the ground and need to relearn how to walk. In the recent years of Facebook, eHarmony, Match (for dating), or LinkedIn (for careers), Twitter (for communication), or Youtube (for video sharing), I have become worried that people will forget “how to walk”—or, leaving my analogy, forget the importance of human contact.

I recall in the late 90s, I myself embarked down the path of online dating. I would meet a very nice man online, talk for days, weeks, months via chat and on the phone building an amazing rapport. I thought I was really “falling” for him, but upon meeting him in person, 100% of the time, in my case, he was not for me. Call it lack of chemistry or just plain social awkwardness, but it taught me a lesson back then; nothing replaces the importance of human interaction. Though I made a great friend, learned something about myself, and found value in the experience, I realized that the social networking will never be a total solution—only a tool to help start a connection to be nurtured for the long-term in person, face-to-face.   

So what is the importance of face-to-face interaction and how does social networking fit into that? Well, in my opinion, social networking is the introduction, the fostering, and the fast, convenient, time zone free, distance free method of starting and maintaining contact. Social networking is not replacing in person contact; it’s a very useful supplement. People need human interaction, an experience, and a trusted smile or handshake. A social presence will become more and more important as more people and companies learn what social networking tools exist and how to leverage them. However, you still need to hire people with a personality, have a great/competitive product, have excellent customer service, and have a physical presence in the marketplace. 

Restaurants, planes, and malls are still full of people. In my experience, consumers are predominantly using social networks to connect, plan, and decide which venue/brand/product to choose among competitors. And though billions of people use social networking, there are surely billions who don’t. Many of those billions are resisting by choice because they like interacting with people, enjoy holding an actual newspaper in their hands while sipping coffee in a café and feeding off of the energy of the people around them. I realized this population thinks that using social networks would jeopardize this fundamental principle for them. However, they simply need the WIIFM (“what’s in it for me”) of using a social network. They need to realize they can leverage social networks to get, grow, and keep more positive face-to-face interactions.

How will you use your networks to earn more face-to-face interactions?