Social Media Top 5: I Am Smart and Handsome and My Cat is Adorable

• Well, It’s official- Social Media is For Narcissists. That’s according to a study called The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement produced by San Diego State University and Youth Pulse. As far as I can tell, the study is some sort of knock on Genreation Y being self-centered. What about Generation X? I was so  self-centered as a youth that I wanted my own label: I was too cool for “X.” Then again, I thought Generation Y was too cool for social networking sites. Maybe that’s just in the UK, in which case I sense a new Mod revival in which virtual beach riots will supplant conventional social networks.

• What else have we got? Ah, yes;  social media is an “egosystem” that is not about adding value. It is what you make of it, my friends. I’m coming to a point, but let me finish with a few more links.

• David Meerman Scott is more aligned with my way of thinking; people come to your blog (or Twitter or Facebook or, or, or…) to find out about YOU. Make sure your “about” page is loaded with good info. Yes, it’s about YOU. Even when it’s not. Hmm, I should probably check my about page.

• Mitch Joel asks, in a post called “You Self-Serving Pig,” “How do people build and develop their personal brands, if all we really want is content that is valuable to us and not self-promotional in any way, shape or form?”

Because, that’s not necessarily what we want. Mitch, I want to read about you because I want to learn from what you know.

• In my last link, Christopher Penn says “It’s not about you, but what you do.” To me, that’s still part of you. Chris illustrates his point by using Batman as an example– which actually illustrates my point.

The successful bloggers, influences, or, well, people, do provide value, and think of their readers/audience/friend. But the value they add is in writing about what they know best- themselves, or some part of themselves.

David Meerman Scott is an excellent self-promoter– in fact, that is quite often his topic, and he is among the first people I look to for such knowledge.

Mitch Joel is a brand in demand (and I don’t care if you hate the term “personal brand”). It’s his experience and his passing on that knowledge that makes him valuable.

Chris Penn dresses his extremely useful posts in the language of his life- and that includes comic books, World of Warcraft, and martial arts. He draws lessons from his own interests that we can all learn from.

Me? I can’t write about anything without my own viewpoint. Me, me, me! but that’s what i have to offer. Displaying a little ego (a little folks, it’s like Tabasco sauce you know) is necessary to share things you know. I don’t know a ton, but I want to start conversations, ask questions and share experiences. I can only do that from my own point of reference.

Please people, don’t stop writing about YOU. It’s what YOU know best. If you’re being obnoxious, we will avoid YOU. But I want to know what YOU know, and your blog (or what-have-you) does teach me. Keep it up, you narcissistic egomaniac pigs, you.