Our Social Media Experiment in Ottawa.

Yesterday two of Videotelephony’s employees decided to take the world by storm.

And by storm we mean going out and talking to people. This was not a client based or related activity. But was another type of socialization. While trying to up our social media presence, Twittering and Facebooking we wondered where the balance had gone. As video and webcasting company we even have a lens to protect ourselves from the true experience. After reading this article in the Globe and Mail we were inspired.

This article left us with the twitter (pardon the pun) of inspiration. So we decided that on the 38 degree day as we were walking outside on our lunch we could say hello to people.

There is a balance to being social and the article mentioned that sometimes you can spend SO much time online which is easier than being face to face with someone. NO option to just not answer in a chat, no option to say “you really have to go” when all you really want to do is take nap, or no option to NOT be yourself.

We think the balance of social and social media is seeing people in person and continuing that presence online. Since you can’t be with all your buddies, or networks all at the same time, you can go online find out what they’re doing through their social media.

But, lest we forget the value of smiles, waves and nods of acknowledgement that register so much more of feeling, personally, when you receive them.

So Ana and I decided that we would go out and face the world, with waves and smiles keeping the article in mind, we thought about how for SO long we had been taught NOT to talk to strangers.  Man offering you candy from a van? Stay away!

This is what happened.

First person we saw was a man in a van. We waved he waved back! Success! Or maybe that was dangerous…?

Some people were looking at us strangely.

Some people waved with the “Do I know you?” look.

A couple scowls, and even a “HI?”

Most people seemed frightened and I am certain some thought we were seriously suffering from some friendly disease that they thought was going to infect them.

There was even a fellow who was definitely talking to himself even though Ana insisted he was saying hi. I thought not.

Results

So Ana and I reflected on our results.

Okay sure. We’ve become a little frightened of friendly folk. We are more attached to being friendly on a computer. But the face to face smiles have a charm and warmth I know I’ll never let go of. Ana and I are going to continue to smile and wave, even if people think that we’re unbalanced. It’s fine.

We are Facebooking and Twittering but we can’t forget our past, the original form of social connection, the smile. Contact us anytime for smile or a wave!

  Social Media 

Original Social