An Introvert and Social Media

I am an introvert!  Yes, I’m shy, but just being shy doesn’t define introversion.  I like conversations about ideas, but am maladroit when it comes to small talk and can be awkward in groups.  Going to parties or social events can zap my energy, and I will need time alone after such an event to “recharge.”  “The only thing a true introvert dislikes more than talking about himself is repeating himself.” (Rauch 2003)  (Sidenote: This fact alone makes interview loops a living hell for me.)  Being an introvert is not commonly understood even though Carl Jung (founder of Analytical psychology) first popularized the terms introversion and extroversion in the 1920’s.  Living in an extroverted world can be a challenge for an introvert.  This is where social media came into play for me.  I thought using social media tools, such as, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. would allow me to engage in interactions that I normally don’t partake due to feeling uncomfortable in the particular setting.  However, it’s been an interesting experience because I find the same apprehensions that I’ve experienced in face-to-face social settings rearing their heads in the social media world for me.  I get nervous about posting my thoughts, I analyze each and every tweet or post, I read into what this might mean or that might mean, I hesitate to @reply someone fearing being misunderstood.  Many times I delete the post/tweet altogether.  After a few weeks of feeling and acting this way in regards to interacting via social media tools I realized these were the same feelings I have when I interact in a social setting in person.  And the deletion of posts, well that could be the same thing as deciding not to attend an event at the last minute which I’ve done many times due to anxiousness or lack of social energy.  This all got me thinking about how different people, more specifically, different personalities use social media.

There have been studies that analyze social behaviors based on levels of participation of social media, such as, Forrester’s Social Technographics report.  There have been blog posts attempting to define Twitter personalities.  And I can find where I fit in both.  But what about taking existing personality types that have been defined and mapping them to how people use social media?  For instance, how would each of the 16 psychological types of the Myers-Briggs personality test use social media?  Would they interact with people using social media tools the same as interacting with people in person?  My initial reaction is yes based on my experience, but that’s only one person.  However, the internet has given us the ability to be anyone we want to be, even anonymous.  So this throws in a variable.  If an introvert has to be herself on the internet, will she behave the same virtually as she does physically?  If the introvert is given the ability to be anonymous will she more extroverted?

It’s a fascinating space to explore.  If this data was available, would companies begin marketing products to different personality types instead of just demographics?  With online ads this could be a possibility.

References: Rauch, Jonathan. March 2003. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200303/rauch