Isn't it Ironic? Condemning Social Media through Social Media.

This is not a shout-out to Alanis Morrissette or her 1995 hit “Ironic”. 

Nothing in that song is ironic.

It’s an ironic endeavor to condemn social media's time-consuming nature by engaging in the act of discussing these perils on online platforms themselves. At the heart of this irony lies a deeper conversation about the complexities of modern communication and the nuanced ways in which we interact with technology.  This is also a nod to entrepreneurs who may feel the need to over share and over engage with social media to the point of distraction and self-sabotage.

To begin, it's worth acknowledging the inherent contradiction in warning others about the dangers of social media—from the loss of productivity to the potential for fostering feelings of inadequacy (see: Imposter Syndrome) — while utilizing these platforms as vehicles for our message. This duality underscores a fundamental challenge: reaching and impacting an audience on the very terrain that one critiques. The very act of posting about the negative impacts of social media on social media can seem self-defeating, as if one is contributing to the noise and distraction they advise against.

However, this contradiction might also reveal a nuanced understanding of social media's omnipresence in our lives. It recognizes that, despite its flaws, social media remains a powerful tool for communication, capable of reaching wide audiences and sparking meaningful conversations. The decision to use social media as a platform for critique, then, can be seen as a strategic choice to engage people where they are, to use the master's tools to dismantle the master's house, as it were.

Moreover, the act of writing about social media's perils and sharing this on social platforms serves as a live demonstration of the issue at hand. It exemplifies how entrenched social media has become in our daily routines and in our modes of communication, to the point where opposing viewpoints are compelled to coexist within the same digital spaces they question.

This is not to say that the endeavor is futile or without merit. On the contrary, engaging with the paradoxes of critiquing social media on social media invites a deeper engagement with the subject. It challenges both the writer and the reader to contemplate the ways in which we can mindfully navigate the digital landscape, to recognize its pitfalls while leveraging its potential for positive impact.

Perhaps, then, the ultimate irony is not in the act of posting critiques of social media on social media, but in the possibility that these reflections might catalyze a more conscious and deliberate approach to our digital lives. By confronting the contradictions head-on, we open the door to more nuanced discussions about our relationship with technology, encouraging a more mindful, informed, and balanced engagement with the social media platforms that have become an inextricable part of our modern existence.

For the entrepreneurs and educators reading this blog, consider how you spend your time.  Is your social media engagement ‘time well spent’ or ‘time well wasted’? Do you think about the opportunity cost for the time spent with social media?  Do you think about this while posting?  Isn’t it ironic?

#startup #entrepreneur #socialmedia #irony #ventureplanning #entrepreneurship

#innovation

Raphael Shuchat

Founder, Startup Advisor

Ventureplanning.ca