Does Constant Chatter Distract Us from What Really Matters?

Posted: September 29th

Tags: chris brogan, new media atlanta, retech south, social media

As I walked into the auditorium for the New Media Atlanta Conference, hosted by REtechSouth , I was struck by the fact that virtually all of the attendees were armed with their laptops, and I immediately regretted not bringing mine.

It has been a while since I attended a technology event, and maybe this practice is the norm. Given that it was a conference on social media, it is not surprising that attendees were tweeting, blogging and sharing their impressions in real-time. People were also taking pictures of slides (so much easier than transposing them!), video taping presentations, and – yes – simply typing their notes.

When Chris Brogan , co-author of Trust Agents and president of New Marketing Labs, took to the stage, my admiration for these multi-taskers took a turn. It seems Chris is a fan of letting discussions on BackNoise.com (a site that allows people to hold conversations on the fly) run live on the screen during his presentations. An excellent presenter, he is un-phased – even amused – by the conversations taking place on screen behind him, taking his own advice and listening to the feedback social media provides. Occasionally, he even paused to address some of the comments or ask, “How am I doing?”

Two things struck me about the constant commentary. First, I was surprised by the tone and language in some of the posts. While most about the actual presentation were quite positive, many comments were seemingly unrelated and unnecessarily rude. Given recent discussions on civility (or the lack thereof) in America, I will avoid a lengthy discourse on the topic, but I had to wonder what these people sought to accomplish beyond eliciting shock.

Secondly, I questioned if they were really hearing all of the great insights Chris was sharing. So focused on their attempts at a witty post and so engaged in the “conversation” going on online, were they missing what they came for?

No matter how much we engage in new media, no matter how skilled we get at multi-tasking, there are times when it pays to slow down and simply listen. Constant chatter in any form can distract us from focusing on what matters.

Posted By: Robin LaSure

Jana Coleman

Thank you for reminding us that mono-tasking and just listening are still acceptable.

Phil Edwards

Thanks for the great report on the conference. You are so right, sometimes the “noise” distracts from the real message and listening is often an unpracticed skill. Real time “Instant messaging style” technology that can be viewed publically can be a two edged sword and seems to give folks a sense of freedom to sometimes be especially disrespectful. There are times when things just need to be left unsaid or in this case unposted. Look forward to hearing more about what the speakers view of what’s on the horizon for social media, especially as it relates to using for business.

Rebecca Levinson

Hi Robin,

At blogworld last year I brought my laptop with me, but I also brought an old fashioned legal pad and pen. It was these archaic items I used to take notes and when I returned home I can tell you that I remembered most of what I had learned without having to return to what I had written. It is the way I learn and most people learn more when they write than when they type.

As far as the environment in the sessions, it seemed in some cases that the participants who were running the multi media were a bit distracted. I wonder if they were able to walk away with as much information as my fellow old fashioned note takers.

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