Serious about making an impact? Power down your smartphone and get to work

“Most social media is best described as a collection of somewhat trivial entertainment services that are currently having a good run. These networks are fun, but you’re deluding yourself if you think that messages, posts and likes are a productive use of your time.”

This is an excerpt from an article written by Cal Newport.

A computer scientist, author and a blogger, Newport wrote an article in the NY Times. In it he talks about how addictive social media can be; and how it interferes with our civic life.

He concludes the article with,
“If you’re serious about making an impact in the world, power down your smartphone,
close your browser tabs, roll up your sleeves and get to work.“
(Forgot to mention: Newport is also a millennial. What is this world coming to : )

Another Times contributor, Andrew Sullivan, paints a much darker picture.
The title of his piece says it all,
“I used to be a human.”

The irony of it
What I find interesting is that Newport’s article was brought to my attention by one of my LinkedIn connections.
The irony doesn’t escape me: an article about the bad effects of social media is shared on the very medium it vilifies.

Is it really as bad as  Sullivan and Newport want us to believe?
No doubt. When done in excess, of course it’s bad.
(What isn’t?!)

It’s all about balance
When used moderately, far from being a villain, social media is great for networking.
It’s also good for keeping in touch with family and friends.
(Yes, Messieurs Sullivan and Newport, I have to concede: watching cute birds, puppies, and kittens it’s addictive : )
It’s all about balance.

Mariana Fieraru

Mariana Fieraru, an Eastern European transplant, fell in love with her new home shortly after landing in New York. She "discovered" pizza! Years later she still loves pizza. And so do her two feathered-kids, Sunny and Flipper

Mariana worked on both, the east and the west coast.
Big or small, each project she worked on helped define the importance of gaining and sustaining a competitive edge in an increasingly complex business environment.

Business know-how, love of teaching and writing – all combined in 2006 to form OBI.
Its mission: to make learning fun! And easy.

Through its training, consulting, and publications OBI builds bridges of knowledge to take you from where you are to
where you want to go. Using a mix of serious, informal, analytical, and optimistic approach, OBI truly makes learning fun.

Learn More