Really Social Networking – Meetups

Over three-years-ago, I discovered the real power of social networking – meetups. Social networking lets you link in with people from around the world.

That in of itself is really cool – but there’s more to life than chatting with others on a computer. To really experience life, you have to get out and live it.

That’s where meetup.com changed things up. I discovered this gem when I was searching for a local group of people to discuss one of my many hobbies. I found a discussion group on Electric Vehicles, and was hoping that we’d all get together at a local coffee shop or some other venue to discuss our passion for greening the planet through environmentally-friendly transport.

Unfortunately, we never got together for various reasons, but as I surfed meetup.com to see what other groups existed, I stumbled upon a social group for making friends in the real world.

Seemed like a great group of people, lots of activity, and they actually met up in the real world, they didn’t just talk about it. So I signed up.

Over three-years later, I’ve been to almost 60 fun events, and made some really wonderful friends. Some of whom, I actually hang out with outside of the group. I’ve been to some of these folk’s homes for parties, and had some over to my home too for parties. I’ve gone hiking with some, had drinks with some, and enjoyed some wonderful experiences with real people in the real world.

I’ve had some amazing adventures which I’d probably never have had if I weren’t with this group either. I’ve gone to restaurants I may not have known about, gone out for laser tag and snow tubing, even tried my hand at numerous trivia nights, and was taught some magic by a professional magician. All wonderful events, and amazing experiences which I’d never have had through social networking online.

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the rest are great places to share your thoughts and ideas with others. But that’s really as far as it goes on the social side. To really be “social” you need that human contact which comes from shared experiences.

 

It’s one thing to share your stories of going out for dinner, having an argument with the boss, or  having a great time at the movies. It’s quite another to share in the experiences of actually having that dinner, helping that friend who had an argument with her boss, or laughing, crying and being scared together at the movies.

Now I’ll be the first one to admit I’ve become an addict to my social networks. I post to all my social networking sites numerous times per day. I chat with people from around the world on these sites, and I even feel their smiles or sadness when they open up and share their stories.

But all of these interactions lack the sense of closeness which binds us together when we really connect with people in the real world.

If someone tells me about their terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day on a video chat – say through Skype or a Google+ Hangout, I’ll sympathize and maybe to a degree, empathize with that person.

But if someone tells me about their terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at a coffee shop, I’ll connect with that person on so many more physical, mental and psychological levels, that you just can’t achieve even with the highest resolution video chats. I can hand my friend a tissue, give them a re-assuring hug, and hold her hand – which you just can’t do on the social networks.

Technology is always improving, and I know virtual reality, and augmented reality are getting better at helping us experience real life sensations in computer generated environments.

There already is an app which simulates a hug over iPhones – it uses a special wired shirt with sensors, linked to an app, which when activated sets the sensors off, triggering the feeling of being hugged.

However, no matter how more experiential technology advances, there is nothing quite like actually being present in the moment with real people in the real world. 

That’s just part of being human.

And that’s why I highly recommend checking out meetup.com, and other similar sites which connect real people, locally, in the real world.

Not that social networking is good or bad. But social networking online shouldn’t be the only way you connect with people – because it’s not the real thing.