Flipping the funnel

I have a theory why some people thrive more in social media than in social situations.

In a lot of face to face interactions, we are expected to generate a lot of inconsequential formalities first, and only later get to anything important. You have to be willing to spend a lot of time wading through small talk before you can drill down to something more interesting.

In social media, however, the pattern is often reversed. You discover a voice because that person says something interesting and, remarkable, or note-worthy. From there, you gradually learn about that person’s quirks, passions, and their trivia.

ne model involves cutting away at small talk; the other lets it grow organically. I’m not saying either one of these is a better way of communication; just suggesting that this difference exists, and some people might prefer, or be better at, one over the other.