Re: Does Social Media Produce Group Think?

The question posed in the title is a very interesting one to consider and it is one recently explored by Ron Callari. Does the fact we can ever more read other people's opinions hurt or help us? What about using social networking as a means of getting information. Is that bad?

When I first thinks about the use of social networking in a business setting I think of how useful it would have been at previous jobs. I think of how nice it would have been to have been able to just ask the cloud what they thought of a certain idea or what ideas they had to solve a certain problem. I think of how I wish I could have just asked the cloud why we did something a certain way. Mainly, I thought about all the cool things I could have done with these tool. After reading this article, it shocks me into thinking about many of the possible down sides.

First and foremost, as pointed out by the article, is social networking's ability to compound or amplify the problem of group think. Group think is when do to the dynamics of group interactions people who would usually come to completely different conclusion individually, come to the same conclusion as a group - most crippling for a business, this conclusion can be completely inadvisable. One person makes a point and in an effort to be appreciated by the group others agree and build on the same idea. Those with opposing ideas are shunned so that others with opposing ideas feel the need to keep quiet. This leads a vicious feedback loop that can lead a group all the way to bankruptcy.

To me, this means that companies aiming to employ the benefits of social networking need to also be aware of the perils of group think. These companies need to make clear a culture of independent thinking. One where dissidence is not only not frowned upon, but can encouraged. This way an opposing opinion will hopefully be heard and the group might come to a better solution. In a company with a very week culture of acceptance, social networking might not be such a hot idea, as is could have disastrous consequences. However, at a company that embraces dissidence, the perils of group think might be of little concern.