I don’t get out often. But when the opportunity presents itself, I value direct social interaction with the group I’m with. Recently, I visited my son in Chicago. We got together in a hip hotel lobby bar near the University of Chicago to catch up and enjoy one another’s company before dinner.
As I scanned the crowd in the bar, I expected everyone to be similarly engaged. But probably half the patrons were engaging virtually on mobile phones, rather than actually with the people they were standing or sitting near.
This struck me as curious. And was a reminder of how powerful the allure of online platforms can be.
In an effort to better understand the power of the online platform by learning more about the people who’ve been successful in creating compelling content, I’m planning to read Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.
Author Taylor Lorenz is a Washington Post reporter, prior New York Times reporter, and social media editor, who’s viewed as an authority on internet culture.
I’m always reticent to recommend something I haven’t yet delved into myself. But the subject matter is timely from a personal perspective, and this book will be released during the first week of October.
If you decide to dive in, please let us know what you think.
-RK