Written by Karen D. Swim

Has social media created a culture drunk with power? We pluck our members from relative obscurity and elevate them to the ranks of celebrities. As quickly as we create them we can destroy them with the click of a mouse. Our blogs are a platform, irritate, or anger us and our mighty keyboard will take you down and invite our community to scourge you in the streets.

Some would say that social media is the great equalizer allowing small companies to compete with big box brands and giving on the street reporters the same right of access as Joe or Jane Journalist. We scoff at the dividing lines that once separated Madison Avenue from Everyman for there is a new order and we are burning the symbols of tradition at the stake.

Yet, at what price is this equality? Can the masses handle the power?

We accuse the old guard of being entrenched in outdated ways. However, lately I am beginning to see the battle from another perspective. The old guard suffered the hard knocks and had to play by the rules Journalists could not go on air and call someone an idiot on the strength of personal experience or opinion. Facts had to support suppositions before they could be voiced. Citizen journalists are not beholden to an editor, network, or legal department. There is an up and downside to this disparity.

We live in an age where we can print, photograph, video, record and publish in mere minutes. We have the freedom to exchange ideas and resources across the globe. Yet freedom is never free of consequence. Freedoms are traded, exchanged, and often won at the expense of something lost. Every country has an ugly chapter in their history that demonstrates the dangers of extending freedom to some and not all.

We can use our freedom  to trash a brand until it buckles from the weight of the scorned and acquiesces to our will. We can freely question the decisions of those among our ranks and ignite a debate that would have wearied Patton.

And why not? Nothing enhances visibility and drives traffic like a good old fashioned cat fight. Yet, what about the casualties we don’t see? What about the brands that fear our rules of engagement? What about the individuals that are splattered with the blood of our words as they sit on the sidelines? Are we creating unnecessary barriers between “us” the sage early adopters and “them?” Are we trampling upon the freedoms of the uninitiated to explore our streets of gold unhindered?

Freedom is beautiful but more so when exercised with responsibility. We have the freedom to talk during a movie but to do so detracts from the freedom of fellow movie goers. The opportunity to actively participate in the shaping of culture is heady stuff indeed.  As we exercise that power let us also exercise caution. Let us not commit the sins of generations past but truly forge a new order that embraces and includes not isolates. Let this be the order that does not engage in a gluttonous feast of power as we taunt those without a seat at the table.

In this new day let us air our differences with respect or not at all. Let us exercise the freedom not to engage in battle, especially at the expense of another. Let humanity be our guiding force and our hearts the beacon that guides our choices.  In this season of joy and celebration, perhaps the best gift we can offer is kindness and respect.

Do you have any ideas on how we can improve the way we interact using social media? Are there changes you’d like to see? Please feel free to add your own thoughts on this or any subject in the comments. Your participation is warmly welcomed.