SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL CAPITAL



In this life everything depends on social capital. It is aptly put that one’s net worth is dependent on one’s networks. Actually, happy the man and woman who builds enough networks compared to the one who develops his or her other abilities. One can have all PhDs in Rocket Science but without the necessary connection will live a miserable life and die poor. On the other hand, a class one drop out who has nurtured relationships and created networks of trust will have a full life. In Kenya, people like Njenga Karume did not come to rub shoulders with the might because of their education but because they had social capital.
What is social capital? Social capital answers the following questions:-

  • Who are my friends?
  •    If I needed help right now, whom would I reach to?
  •    If something were to happen to me right now, who would leave everything and be there for me?
  • Who thinks of me on a daily basis? 
  •  Who would go to any length to promote, safeguard, encourage and support my welfare

Social capital is not very amorphous, you can actually calculate the worthy of your social capital. Just answer the following questions and you will know the worthy of your social capital.

  • How many true friends do I have?
  • If I were to be in trouble, how much would each of my friends be willing to give to ensure I am restored
  •  How many acquaintances do I have?
  •  How is my standing with acquaintances and to what extent can they be move to stand by me?

Social media is a great avenue considering the many people we encounter and are able to relate with on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Telegram among other platforms. While social media is a great tool for building social capital, it may also give people a false sense of self and deny them true relations upon which social capital is built. The challenge with social media is that one can become very popular but fail at creating real relationships. Through social media, even those who are socially dysfunctional hide behind the virtual façade and engage people. However, their engagement is just too disjointed and spurious that they create not relationships with anyone. Actually, all they get to do is create more networks of hate, chaos, gossip and pulling others down.

Social capital is about real relationships; it is about heart to heart and mind to mind connections. Social media is great to the extent it facilitates nurturing of real offline relationships. Those who appreciate social media correctly work on transforming social media relations into healthy offline relationships. It is imperative to acknowledge that not all relationships are healthy and thus effort has to go into creating healthy relationships.

Healthy relationships are those build on trust, openness, care, understanding and appreciation of each other. Unhealthy relationships are purely selfish interest driven. In healthy relationships, people are out to enjoy each other’s company, to support each other, to complement each other and to challenge each other. In unhealthy relationships, people are out to massage each other’s ego, to encourage one another into vices, to use each other and to compete through show off engagements.

I have watched wild animals and realized that animals that have social systems are more successful and dominate their ecosystem. Hyenas in a pack will threaten lions. A pride of lions will bring down even elephants. A pack of wild dogs is a threat even to hyenas etc. This is the power of social networks and those who want success or power have to know how to create networks. It is important that all human beings seek to belong and to identify with some groups. But it is not enough to be a member of the group, all individuals in a group have the responsibility of strengthening their tie or connection between them and other members of the group.

Every network has individuals and the ties that connect the individuals. It is imperative to know all individuals in a network by name and appreciate their capabilities. What is more critical is to understand the kind of tie or connection enjoyed with each individual and know how to either strengthen it or weaken it as necessary.
Social media allows us to connect with many individuals but it is important to sit back and reflect on every individual we connect with and the ties we have with or to them. Some of the individuals were relate with can be classified as follows:-

  • Relatives
  • Classmates
  • Workmates
  • Drinking mates 
  •   Sports associates
  •   Business partner 
  •   Investment partners
  • Church or religious mates
  • Clan or tribesmen
  •  Country men
  • Ideological associates
  • Gang members 
  •   Etc

Each individual belongs to some category and it is important to appreciate that. Secondly, for all individuals it is important to evaluate the degree of strength of the tie or relationship you have with them. With some the tie is very strong and to others the tie is very weak. The dynamics of normal life apply even on social media. Some that claim to be friends are not friends because they do not have your welfare at heart. Many may only be keen to exploit you. Your popularity does not mean you are loved, actually it could just mean more people feel bad about you. So, just like in normal life we have to be discerning if we are to use social media to build our social capital.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dear African Sun

Dear African sun Dear godly son of the unseen Dear holy daughter of heavens Dear grand father of life and seas Hear me oh ancient warmth Hear me divine providence sheath Listen sustainer of all growth Understand me kiss of strength Where are you my love? How my body misses the caress of your rays How are you godly slave? How your distance slays our senses Come back African sun Draw close sweet friend, don't be gloomy I implore you African warmth, without pun Smile again and put the cold to shame
Read more

I Met a Thief

On the surreal virtual space, on social media, Under the idle, whispering thunder of updates , Before the growling, ever typing lads, I met a thief, who guessed I had An innocent heart for him to steal. He took my hand and led me under The intimate waxed words which reverberated The shiny praises in the bleeding words. He jumped and plucked the fantasy for me to share ; He sang and laughed and pressed close I gazed: his hair was like the wool of a mountain sheep, His eyes, a pair of blazing fiery balls. Heavy and stark as steel His legs, arms and neck, a hairy, pillowy chest And staircase steps- a curvy dominant six pack; His throat uttered fresh banana juice Matching his face - smooth and chiselled fine Well polished shoes and a matching belt The hound, stark reminder of Juakali endowment Twirling a magical car key, Spitting the Queen's lingua like a true sikh He communicated the confidence, just like the comfortable man I touched - but long before I even tasted My hear...
Read more

Industrialization Strategy and Trade Possibilities for Bungoma County

I was opposed to the likes of Aden being made the cabinet secretary for industrialization in Kenya. My argument was very simple; many of the so called professionals are not street smart. They are driven by pipe dreams; they think quantitatively and use models based on principles that are not informed by the reality on the ground. When appointing a leader, it is not about ‘professionalism’ i.e. one who has not engaged in politics but about leadership i.e. one who believes in the people and understands their needs. This is where we went wrong as a country; we cried for professionals (blue eyed whiter collar boys and girls) rather than leaders who had the interests of their people at heart. Martha Karua is a politician but she has the interests of the people at heart; I tend to think. This is why when she was minister of water; she instituted water reforms that revolutionalized the water sector. Charity Ngilu is a politician but she is a leader who cares about the people. When she wa...
Read more