Losers, are we?

Over lunch, a friend and I were discussing the politics of social networking. It is a very adept player who succeeds and gets to the top, much like in corporate. You gotta be smart, you gotta know the latest and what keeps you afloat and well… you need the drive to get there.

“I am a loser then,” says my friend, a longstanding bystander in all antics social. Bystanding occurred partly, because it never occurred to him that this particular activity needed active lobbying and an understanding of the dynamics of the ebbs and flows of being on the guest lists of those who matter. So once you have missed the step on that particular carousel, you become a bystander, and the pleasure is all yours as you watch the antics of others. Except in some way, mused the friend, I feel I am losing out on something, can’t put a finger on what.

Once upon a time, all you did was make friends with the people who you liked; or with whom you shared a common interest of some kind; or your life overlapped with in some way(colleagues, neighbours, fitness partners, etc.) You then kind of drifted into circles of socialising with all these different planets, and really, it was no big deal. Until the arrival of the social networker.

From nowhere: This person was there somewhere in the periphery anonymous. One fine day, he wakes up, decides that he needs to be queen bee and throws the party of the month. Viola! Everyone knows him and he’s on everyone’s guest list.

Climber: This particular one begins at the bottom of the ladder and uses all sorts of contingencies and opportunities to work his way to the top.

Vine: Plays second fiddle to every queen bee and thus, is just there, everywhere.

The networker: Knows everyone, actively cultivates everyone including page 3 journos.

While all of the above enjoy pretty permanent status in the social whirl, the one below is usually touch and go.

The sensation: Hops into the limelight through something shocking, scandalous or by merely being in the middle or a controversy. Whether this one has a long shelf life depends on how smart he/she is. Mostly sinks faster than you can say ‘Titanic’.