The Wall Street Journal uses the provocative question above as the title in a recent article by Elizabeth Bernstein. Social media have really gotten us talking about ourselves, the companies and products that we love and hate, and a variety of other “I” topics. What are the implications of this?
As Bernstein writes in the Journal: “Clearly, the Internet has given us a global audience for our bombast, and social media sites encourage it. We’re all expected to be perfect all the time. The result is more people carefully stage-managing their online image. Boasting isn’t just a problem on the Internet. In a society of unrelenting competition—where reality-show contestants duke it out for the approval of aging celebrities and pastors have publicists — is it any wonder we market ourselves relentlessly? In part, you can blame the economy. In the most competitive job market in memory, the lesson is clear: You must demonstrate—on multiple platforms — that you excel above all others.”
Click the image to see a WSJ video clip on this topic.
Image by MK Perker
