I have mixed feelings about social media. More and more, it seems like an incredible time suck, filled with never-ending streams of inane cat videos and unasked for political opinions. Still, I'm as susceptible as anyone and often find myself mindlessly staring and swiping, liking and commenting, until I have a sudden moment of realization, drop my phone and slowly back away.
Every time I do make a conscious decision to unplug, whether for an hour or an entire weekend, it makes me wonder why I don't make it a permanent thing. A little break from hateful commenters and catastrophic news and suddenly, the world doesn't seem like such a terrible place. Then, inevitably, a work email comes through, I pick up my phone and sink back in.
But for all the negatives, there are still plenty of benefits. Through social media, I've stayed in touch with old friends, met wonderful people around the world who I would have otherwise never known, and been introduced to books and films that have had a profound effect on me.
The same dichotomy exists within our own industry. As Kevin Trokey has pointed out in his last few columns (see page 40), there are plenty of benefits professionals using social media to pedal snake oil and silver bullets. But recently, I experienced another firsthand reminder of the positive role that social media can play.
After writing last month about charitable actions taken by carriers and other health care companies in the wake of recent natural disasters, I was curious to hear what our readers had been doing to help out. I posted a message on LinkedIn asking for stories from brokers and other benefits professionals and… let's just say the response has been overwhelming. The post has received nearly 10,000 views and I've heard dozens of wonderful stories in the past week. To read some of them yourself, turn to page 36. Unfortunately, we didn't have room for everyone, despite adding an extra page to our Action Reaction column, but we'll post more online in the coming weeks.
It's easy to become cynical and discouraged these days, but I dare you to read those pages and not feel a little better about the world. Yes, social media and online comment sections are often a cesspool, but take heart. It turns out there's still a lot of good out there, too.
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Paul Wilson
Paul Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BenefitsPRO Magazine and BenefitsPRO.com. He has covered the insurance industry for more than a decade, including stints at Retirement Advisor Magazine and ProducersWeb.
