Silence and Voice

Last night I attended my first meeting of the Social Media Club New York. There were some general social media discussions (such as an interesting preview of Vent Box) and then some really interesting talk about the use of social media with political campaigns. I was generally quiet throughout the meeting, with the exception of asking a question about what happened with Howard Dean's campaign that supposedly had a lot of support among young bloggers. I was interested in gauging the audience and learning from so many people who were steeped in social media, and as I am identifying more and more as a researcher, I find the more I listen the more I am able to learn (though I know learning does not automatically or magically happen this way, either!).

Sanford Dickert was interesting, as was Noel Hidalgo, Joshua Levy, and as always Howard Greenstein. Thanks to Michael Meyers for getting a (somewhat thinner) picture of me during the evening. 

I am somewhat new to thinking formally about social media, and this was my first exposure. I find that I need more time to process new information and concepts, so after tossing these issues around for a few hours, there are three thoughts that have occurred to me from last night that I want to raise:

1. Why do people believe social media will play any role in the 2008 campaigns?
• Granted, the politicians may create blogs or wikis or the like, but I believe they really want money and votes and are not likely to attend to issues that will not garner these two. If anything, I think they will use social media if it will help them achieve this duel objective. From a voter's perspective (me), I do not expect anything else from them, and thus do not think social media will play much of a role in the campaigns -- especially in the manner as encouraging democracy and voice. Why would they want my input if it does not generate revenue or affect positive voter turnout? 
2. Now what?
• There was a lot of passion and energy in the room last night, so I want to ask what is next? How can this energy be translated into the betterment of society by actively involving and engaging one another in a flatter, more democratic society (of which I am an advocate)? I think that is exactly the goal of Social Media Club, and that is one of the reasons I joined as a Co-Founder.
3. Whose voice is heard?
• I really enjoyed the discussion last night, and while the participants were a very polite and bright crowd that I hope to meet again and get to know, and while they were mixed in ages, it was a predominately homogeneous crowd. With the diversity and population in New York City, I found this surprising. Granted, I do not know anything about the average demographics of those actively involved in social media, but this surprised me nonetheless. Many of the participants seemed passionate about engaging and involving people in the democratic process, and for this I am energized. Nonetheless, whose voice is heard regarding social media is partly determined by those who are involved in it, so I am wondering where everybody else is and how to reach these populations. 

I am looking forward to our next meeting, and am wondering how I can get more involved and contribute to this work from my background and experiences in education, research, and practice.