• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Margie ClaymanMargie Clayman

Marietta, OH

  • About Me
  • Marketing
  • Librarianship
  • Random Musings
  • Contact Me

Mind-Bending Parallels Between The Matrix and Social Media

June 13, 2012 by Margie Clayman 2 Comments

I was working on my computer the other day (big surprise) when something unbelievable happened. You’ll never guess, so I’ll just tell you.

I got a message from Neo. That’s right, that guy we thought was a fictional character played by the increasingly delicious Keanu Reeves – he’s real. Turns out the Matrix trilogy is all based on a true story. At least in so far as the world of social media is concerned.

Basically, Neo asked me to spread the following message – if you’re in the world of social media, you are being sucked in by the Matrix, and you need to break your way free. Thinking that I was of a far inferior intellect (this from a guy who says, “Woah”) he then broke this down for me and asked me to do the same for you.

You’re ignoring the real world

Neo reminded me that before he met Morpheus, he thought everything was cool. That was before he found out he was a pod person living on a destroyed planet. He said he has noticed that people who become deeply involved in the world of social media seem to have a similar problem grasping the real world versus the illusion that social media creates. For example, if you live in the world of social media, you might think that you can do nothing but drink coffee at Starbucks and still make a profit. You might think that measuring ROI is like measuring the ROI of your mother (clearly ridiculous in the context of the real world). You might think that doing nice things for other people is a great business model.

Neo says that these things are akin to him believing he was okay in his regular ho-hum life and job. But, he reiterates, he was a pod person living on a destroyed planet.

Woah.

The Agents Don’t Want You To Question Things

Neo wanted me to point out that the more he tried to break through the Matrix, the more agents came after him (he denies that seeing Hugo Weaving in person was a turn-on – my legs turn into jello just thinking about it). Anyway…

The more he questioned things, the more powerful and persistent the agents became. Neo suggests that this same dynamic exists in the world of social media. There are people who want you to believe certain things, like the idea that everything except social media “is dead.” If you argue with these folks or try to prove that they might be on the track, you are apt to be called a “hater,” a “drinker of the haterade,” or “president of the hater club” (I’ve actually never seen the latter but I feel it would be a nice twist). Sometimes, begging to differ can result in you being at the wrong end of a bloggy flash mob, all of whom are proclaiming your hater status. All of this seems to encourage people to NOT speak out against ideas that might be flawed.

Neo wanted me to say that he was giving a very knowing glance in his alternate dimension. I’m not sure what he meant by that.

The Good and the Bad in Dealing with Morpheus

Finally, Neo wanted me to point out on his behalf that there were advantages and disadvantage to his relationship with Morpheus. Morpheus is the one who helped Neo break out of the Matrix, and for that Neo remains grateful to this day. However, Morpheus also led Neo in some directions that weren’t as beneficial. Laying the whole “messiah” thing on Neo’s shoulders in rapid fashion put a lot of unwanted pressure on the poor guy (he wants you to say “aww” at this point).

Neo suggests that when you find your Morpheus in the online world, it can be easy to follow them blindly. After all, they were right about the Matrix thing so they must be right about other big things, too. However, even people with the best of intentions can lead you down a path you don’t want to travel on. Neo suggests the best way to break through the Matrix is to think for yourself and follow your own guidance.

He also suggests buying some VERY shiny black leather trench coats, but I’m not sure that is entirely necessary in this case.

Do you have any messages you’d like me to pass back on over to Neo? He said he’d be welcome to help me answer any questions or comments, although he can’t divulge too much about his dimension, and he hopes you’re okay with that. If you’re not, well, he can pretty much kick your butt, so I’d just nod and say a-okay!

I’ve written a new e-book called The ABCs of Marketing Myths. You can read about it here!

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trinity-of-one/20562069/ via Creative Commons

Filed Under: Marketing Talk

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dbvickery says

    June 18, 2012 at 2:23 pm

    This was CLASSIC, Margie. I love the Matrix Trilogy, and your message from Neo was both hilarious…and insightful. So as an extension of this analogy – do we take the blue pill, or the red pill?!?

    Reply
    • margieclayman says

      June 18, 2012 at 2:31 pm

       @dbvickery Hah 🙂 Thanks. I guess I’m sort of forcing the real world down peoples’ throats. But they don’t have to swallow, right?

      Reply

Leave a Reply to dbvickery Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Post: « I’m online therefore I am
Next Post: You can help five companies in one quick minute »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Seeing Double: African American Literature
  • Book Review: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  • Book Review: Land of Lincoln, by Andrew Ferguson
  • The portrayal of the infertile woman in entertainment
  • Chapter 3: A Weird Thing Happened Today

Recent Comments

  • Delores Baskerville on Are you locking out blog subscribers?
  • frank c tripoli on Book Review: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  • Lyv on #30Thursday number 10 (we’re in the double digits?!?)
  • Fitoru on New Recipes, 2013
  • Anna Wyatt on Help me petition to deactivate driver-side airbags for Little People

Archives

  • February 2021
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2017
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • June 2007
  • April 2007

Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Crafts and Charity
  • Gardening for Renters
  • Marketing Talk
  • Molly Maggie McGuire
  • Musings
  • PassionPlayers
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Footer

marjorie.clayman@gmail.com

   

Margie Clayman © 2021