Today’s post might be a little off topic, but it was inspired by sports, primarily the social media reaction to the poor Alabama kicker that missed those field goals.  Social media is both a blessing and a curse.  I use it a lot with my business and I think generally it has created a very positive social environment online.

There are times though where you just scratch your head.  Here are some comments I’ve received on a couple Youtube videos I created.  The first two I got from a video I made critiquing Cam Newton’s running form at the combine.  The third comment was from a mock interview I had with Terrelle Pryor (I used video from a press conference he had with his agent).  The language here isn’t great so I tried to bleep it out.

  • “Dude shut up and just play the video we don’t want to see some white Guy talking.”
  • “Shut the f#$% up. I don’t see your a$$ in the NFL.”
  • “I want to insult your family for wasting my time, but I’m trying to be nicer. So I’ll only call you a colossal #*$. Thank you.”

I eventually decided to make the Pryor video private so no one else has seen it.  I’m not even that popular or that big of a deal and that is some of the fun stuff I’ve received.  That Alabama kicker got stuff a whole lot worse which I think is ridiculous.

Do you honestly think YOU actually feel worse than that kicker did for missing those field goals?

The new technology is great.  I have helped people with training programs all over the world.  From England to the Middle East to India and even in Australia.  You can have instant conversations and assist these people accomplish their fitness goals or sporting achievements and never ever meet them in person.

That is also what is bad about this new technology.

No one knows how to interact with people anymore.

I’ll admit, I do enjoy the ease of texting and sending emails.  But, I am also the face of a business and sometimes I, or my company, tick people off.  We don’t try to do it and I’ve learned we can’t please everyone, but as soon as I feel that a conversation is going to a certain point I will cease all forms of written communication and insist on talking on person.  Phone at the very least.

I don’t want any misunderstandings of what I’m saying or what that person is saying and I feel a lot can be lost in written translation.  Yes it may be a little bit uncomfortable and awkward, but it is necessary to resolve issues.

Nowadays verbal communication is getting eliminated.  People can hide behind the anonymity of a computer or a cell phone.  Heck, people are breaking up via texts.  People are getting fired via texts.  What’s next a judge on the golf course sending in a text, “Your glty, Im giving u 15 – life LOL. :)”

I think fans and athletes (celebrities for that matter) go crazy with this social media and it gives people a lot of liquid courage (if you don’t know what that is, you will as you get older).  99% of the stuff that was tweeted to that Alabama kicker would not have been said if that person was standing right in front of him by himself.

Those comments that were said to me.  If the person saying them was standing right in front of me, what is the chance they would have the guts to say it to my face.  I’m a pretty intimidating dude to some people (or so I’ve been told).  You better have some big cojones to say that to my face.

Most of the time I love this medium.  I recently had a topic about not letting boys play tackle football until high school age and got some comments to that post.  Most of them disagreed with me, but it was in a very respectful manner.  We could have a healthy online debate if we so chose.  None of them called me names.   None said I was an idiot or worse.

OSU just lost the Big Ten championship and I haven’t checked the social media to see what people were saying.  I’m not saying you can’t vent, but some of it is way over the top and you wish something could be done about it.  Yet I don’t see it ending anytime soon, just getting worse.

I guess you just have to develop really thick skin.  I guess you wish some people would remember that the 140 character tweet you are sending is going to affect the emotions of a living breathing human being.  Would love to hear your response in the comment box below.  Or maybe I wasn’t clear on something, feel free to ask me a question.