Social Media doesn’t like free thought. I would go as far as to say that we hate it. To understand why, I’d like to take you on a little trip back to your local High School. How are the two related?

Well, look closely, they actually have quite a bit in common.

• They are both closely knit communities.
• They both have highly charged, highly competitive social hierarchies.
• They both rely on scarcity to function.

“Scarcity in Social Media, but everything everything is free!”

Everything but time and attention. Ask any marketer on the planet and they’ll tell you that time and attention on the web is pricey.

Right, so we have a closely knit Social system where most everyone wants to be cool (to someone) and only a few people can be because of limited attention. What does this mean for the person who is trying to maximize the number of people they reach and influence? They have to become masters at identifying and following trends.

Going back to our High School example, I am not talking about the distinction between the Varsity Football player and the Chess Club President, they are both trend followers. While one might have more social power than the other, they have both carved their niche. Neither is a “free thinker” because both have fallen into the established system they felt most comfortable with. A highly regimented system that requires that they hold a certain set of beliefs to retain membership.

It’s hard to come up with a example of a “free thinker” for just that reason, by definition, they buck stereotypes. They are that rare person you meet who you can’t quite put a finger on. They are the fringe dwellers, the iconoclasts, the trend makers. While this might be conjuring every image of every character from every movie you have ever loved, understand that these people tend to fail . . . miserably. Especially in Democracies.

Why? Social Media and systems like it rely on the will of the Mob. They are the most democratic systems that have ever existed. In order to do anything you need consensus. In order to make anything happen you need agreement. If you are with the Mob, consensus is easy to achieve (which is why Social Media, like High School breeds a lot of me-to behavior), if you are too far outside of the trends of the day, getting the support you need to do anything at all becomes nearly impossible.

I love free thinkers, iconoclasts, people who are trying to dramatically change the way people see and appreciate the world. I love the new, the different, the unique. I love the idea of the genius rising up to shake up established mores and move our society forward.

I love all of these things but I still wouldn’t bet on them against a charismatic trend follower.

(Images)

If you enjoyed that why not find a job or read our guide to working in the 21st century. You can also join our Kiva team or hire me for your project.