Introduction

In the last century we have witnessed a gradual but exponential change in the media consumption habits of society. In the first world even those of lesser means possess fingertip access to the sum of public domain human knowledge and entertainment – all distilled through a twelve centimeter array of light emitting diodes. Of course resolving whether such distillation results in a net positive or detriment would be a debate both furious and never ending.

Questions

Q1 – What IS social capital?

The Webster definition of social capital reads as follows:

the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.

So then, social capital is a network. But how exactly does a network enable a society to function effectively. If individuals are only engaged in self promotion or gain, an oft cited pitfall of social media, how does society benefit? Or does the ability to directly network through Social Media offset the “me” factor enough to actually increase social capital?

Q2 – What is the key to social capital?

Theoretically if social capital is a network, then networking is the key. This is I diverge from Mr. Webster, Dr. Nah, and most of my contemporaries. I would maintain the true key to social capital is engagement. Without taking some action to affect some real change in the physical or even virtual world, all the networking in the world is of no use.