Opinion Leaders and how they influence

Hello class and welcome to my second blog posting for my COM 6610 Leadership and Media Strategies class. Last week I discussed the diffusion of innovations and how us in the Asset-Light Generation (I say us because I am also a part of this generation) are stateless and have everything available for use on every device in every location. Everyone in class or not in this class are welcome to check out all of my blog postings at this link http://newmediaisontherise.blogspot.com/

What is an Opinion Leader?

This week we are talking about opinion leaders and how social media has made it easier than every to be an opinion leader. That leads to my subtitle, what is an opinion leader?

 An opinion leader is defined as an influential memeber or members of a community, group, or society to whom other turn for advice, opinions, and views. In relating to diffusion of innovators they would be considered early adopters that pass on information about new products to the late adopters or laggards. In our readings this week one article that I found interesting was about Starbucks and how they turned the company around after falling on hard times in 2008. They used social media (Facebook, Twitter, and their own website) to ask customers what they liked, didn't like, what needed to change, and it was a platform for customers to vent their frustrations. It worked because the company was able to get back to profitability by listening to their customers and in the process becoming a major opinion leader. They also were able to use social media to stop rumors or anything that could hurt the company if left out in the wild so to speak.

Lights, Camera, Inspire Action

We had several readings this week, but also a couple of videos from the TED website. I found both to be very insightful but one in particular is the one from Simon Sinek.

Simon Sinek is an author who is best known for popularizing the concept of "the golden circle" and to "start with why". Simon Sinek is a great example of an inspirational and opinion leader. In the video, he talks about how great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the Wright bros. were able to persuade into believing in their innovative ideas. The reason I say lights, camera, inspire action is because opinion leaders can be very powerful. I believe they have a responsibility to put out the right message and not sway people to believing their views just for the sake of having followers on your side.

Negative effects of Social Media

Now as good as social media has been for everyone and how it connects people all over the world there are negative effects of social media. Say an opinion leader says something thinking that they are off camera, or no longer miked and someone in the audience happens to be recording on a smartphone. That recording can go viral in an instant and severely damage that leaders reputation. His or her PR team would have to work overtime to defuse the situation but it may already be too late. Sites like TMZ, Twitter, etc. get the video and within 10 minutes its all over the internet. There is another effect though. This relates to the other video from TED that was apart of our readings this week.

Sherry Turkle, who is the Aby Rockefeller Mauze professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, proclaimed that as connected as our lives have become, we are very much alone. Kids today aren't learning necessary social skills needed to succeed in life. They all would rather text, tweet, or post to Facebook. In a room full of teenage kids today, its guaranteed that they will all have their faces in their smartphones. I myself didn't even need or want a cell phone when I was in high school, ( this was 1998-2002) feel naked today if I leave my phone at home or if my phone dies and I can't check my Facebook page. Social media gives you a false sense of connection. You go on Facebook and sends hundreds of people friend requests and spend all your time trying to create relationships with people you don't know, the relationships that mean the most become weakened because of the lack of attention.
Decreased productivity at work has also been shown because of distractions of social media. There has been technology put in place to try to block social media sites but that does nothing for cell phone with 4G LTE internet access.
Probably the most important negative effect of social media is you privacy. Once you post to the internet, it is there forever. You being drunk at a party posted on Facebook may be funny when you are in college, potential employers may spot that same photo when you are trying to apply for a job and may decide not to hire you because of it. I know when I first started my Facebook account back in 2006 I cared little about privacy settings or anything like that. Things have definitely changed since then and not only am I careful about what I post, only my friends that I know well will actually see what I post.

Closing

You know this weeks readings really resonated with me. Simon Sinek and Sherry Turkle both made really good points. Sherry Turkle says that technology has disconnected us. She used the example of her daughter texting her to say good luck you're gonna kill it. Sherry felt like that text was the equivalent of getting a hug which is to be expected in today's technology driven world. Simon Sinek made a great point about people not necessarily following leaders for the sake of following them but believing in what they believe and thus supporting the cause. I hope that you all have enjoyed my blog this week and stay tuned for next week for the next posting.