Thank you so much for your thoughtful response (and kind words)!

I agree with you that we’re all in this together and need to be supportive of each others’ projects. I’m also with you, operabladerunnr, and lacouvee: social media is a toolkit, which is part of larger toolkit, for achieving social change.

Having read your post and so many of the truly insightful comments, I must say I’m beginning to feel less jaded. As I begin to see social media as more of a tool – I’m beginning to think more of the change I want to see in the world (instead of thinking how to use Twitter in more whiz-bang fashion).

Just yesterday I walked into a no-kill cat shelter and saw so many cats who were looking for homes. Like, literally, stacked in so many cages. I immediately thought of ways social media might help them connect to more homes. In a blur, so much of the excitement came back.

I’m with you — Starting with “problems” and “challenges” and even envisioning “better possibilities” feels like much more of a sustainable place to start from.

I like relevance. I like action. I like doing things, not talking about them. That’s why I am speaking on an “action-oriented” agenda at Social Media Club Victoria. The objective is there, social media tools are just that, tools. They help me achieve my goal.

On the topic as a whole, I’m the opposite of jaded. It’s been a joy to me to discover how many people are engaged citizens and, in their own ways, contributing to positive change. Social media has heightened my awareness and my informed-ness exponentially. Even things as little as the facebook calendar ensures I take note of events, and remember to turn up!

nancy (aka money coach)’s last blog post..Freebie (or nearly) Wed: Free stuff to do, coast to coast

As for reciprocity – it is no different in the “social media for social change” sphere than in others. My son is an actor and makes an effort to support fellow thespians by attending their shows, promoting their events, etc. These actions are not always returned.

In any endeavour, we can choose to ally ourselves with people who are supporters and cheerleaders, rather than cynics.

Also, respectfully – do we have the right to be jaded? The communities (human and physical) where we want to effect change do not have the privilege of being “jaded” – they are in their situations every day, whether they change or not.

I think of my friends Ethel and Susanna in their townships in South Africa – they dare not become “jaded”; there are too many orphans and grandmothers counting on them for leadership.

The rules in the real world apply to social media in so far as etiquette and courtesy, but many of us forget that. Good deeds and small courtesies should be rewarded and remembered. Also, a lack of a sense of entitlement will shield us from disappointment and burnout as well.

One of the things that seems worthwhile to reiterate from other commentators is that SM is a tool, like the telegraph, telephone, and email. It is a means to an end. Just like many other technologies, its virtue of allowing simultaneous communication with multiple individuals without the requirement of physical proximity must always be balanced against the benefits of that proximity in human communication.

My personal experience is that there is an indescribable benefit to “live” communication. It is by far the deepest, richest social media, and builds the most lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

To expect the same outcome from a technology that removes that ephemeral nature of live one-on-one communication cannot but disappoint.