Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting up with professional friends for a fun night out. Despite the frigid temperatures, I was actually looking forward to bundling up and heading North for the occasion. These are people that I’ve worked long hours with, learned so much from and are just plain fun to be around. Plus, it’s always a wonderful networking opportunity for future endeavors when you hang out with well-connected people.
You don’t need to convince me of the benefits of social media, both personal and professional. I preach them every day. But some people mistake ‘getting social’ on social media for real life socializing, which it’s not. We all need interaction with other human beings (some more than others), and there’s something about face-to-face communication that just can’t be duplicated in other communication channels.
You may also like: Enough with the Email… Pick up the Phone!
To illustrate my point, you may have come across this popular acronym during your social travels: IRL. It stands for In Real Life, as in “I finally met Lars Ulrich IRL at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yesterday. What a cool dude!”
So here’s my point: at some point, stop getting social online and actually meet up with some people IRL. You’ll be glad you did.
Your Turn
Agree or disagree?
Is your social calendar conducted entirely online?
When’s the last time you met someone ‘in real life?’
Where’s your favorite hangout (and I don’t mean Google+)?
Living large IRL,
Jaime
Let’s connect on social media (and IRL)…
clearly conveyed communications 
“Simply the best” is how I would describe Jaime Shine!
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It was great to see you, Randy! Best of luck in your new endeavor. I know you’ll be awesome. You are simply one of the coolest people I know. Thanks for stopping by the blog! I welcome your comments at any time. 🙂
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Hello Jaime, I love this post! I’d never ever heard the acrnoym “IRL,” but I have been known to use “In Real Life.” I never used social medai (except email) until I retired and starting blogging (April, 2013). Now I quite like Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr. That said, I totally agree … IRL is quite my favorite!
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Thanks for reading, Carol! I always appreciate your thoughtful comments. Social media is fantastic. You just have to remember to unplug once in awhile. 🙂
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Jamie, was that at a Regional show?
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Go Roger, thanks for stopping by? Are you referring to the picture of Dana & I? If so, it was taken at a tweet-up at the Expo a few years ago. If you’re referring to something else, let me know.
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Completely agree. There is nothing that can replace a handshake, a lunch, a drink, or a conversation while being able to talk to someone face to face.
It also can also be very interesting to meet someone that you know via social media in person. People can be a LOT different in person than what they are online. It’s really quite interesting.
I love your posts. Thoughtful, short, to the point, and leave you thinking! Thanks
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Thanks for the comment, Rich! There is so much in face-to-face communication that’s lost online. I hear you about meeting people in person vs. online. It can be interesting! Thanks for the kind words. Come back again! 🙂
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