I Think I'll Go to Boston

Monday April 29, 2013

When most people try to articulate what things are like in America, a lot of focus is put on the things that divide us within our communities.
            Are you Liberal or Conservative?
                   Are you religious? 
                        Are you Gay or Straight? 
                              Are you from the North or the South? 
The list can go on and on. Because we are all so individualistic, we spend so much time and energy focusing on how to differentiate ourselves from others whose labels don't mirror our own. 
 
I think that something we all take for granted is our inherent ability to mobilize our communities together at a moment's notice, despite all of the differences that we focus on so much. There are so many times, even in my lifetime, that I have witnessed this. 
            The first World Trade Center bombing.
                   The Centennial Olympic Park bombing.
                          Columbine.
                                 September 11, 2001.
                                         VA Tech.
                                               Hurricane Katrina.
                                                    Sandy Creek.
                                                           Hurricane Sandy.
           And now, the Patriot's Day Bombing in Boston, MA.
And those are only the ones that come to mind right off the bat. It's incredible to think that through so much, we can all look past the labels and divisions that fixate on the majority of the time.

I recently spoke with a friend who is a fellow UGA student and Boston native about how his family was doing and what the aftermath was like. His response was very profound, and resonated a lot with what we have learned about community this semester in Social Media Marketing:
              
                       "I think if something this horrific had to happen, it's a good thing that it happened on
                        Patriot's Day. Boston transitions into it's happiest state after a long, dark winter on
                        Patriot's Day because they know that the summer is coming when the city lights up.
                        Obviously, this is a tragedy, and it should never have happened in the first place, but
                        the way that Boston can support itself through community makes me think that this
                        will leave them stronger in the end."

The essence of social media is the congregation of communities within communities. I think that what we can all take away from the activity and immediate response from some many different people and channels, those who were fundraising, raising awareness, or simply sending out good thoughts and prayers, is that the communities that social media is creating matter. They are a wave of communication and support for the future, and that is why it is not simply something for entertainment or increasing ROI in business. Social is a new way of fulfilling an inherent need in all of us - the need for community and togetherness - that connects all of us in America, despite the labels that try to divide.