People watching and the social networking phenomenon...

I have to admit that I'm a "people watcher." You know... one of those people who sit at a cafe sipping coffee and pretending to talk with my wife while in reality I'm busy watching the lives of others in action right before me. People are interesting and I am always trying to guess who these people are and think up stories about their lives. Of course I could be completely wrong about my fabricated story line... but it's fun to try to guess.

It's this people watching element within me that pulls me toward keeping an eye on social trends. Social trends are sort of like people watching, only on a broader scale. Recent social trends are marked by the growing phenomenon of social networking. The Facebook and Twitter phenomenon on the Internet has erupted like a volcano, with clones that connect the universe even more specifically, such as the new LinkedIn network.

While I'm a semi-retired person (mostly retired) who is no longer out there vying for jobs, I enjoy watching how it's changed for those currently seeking jobs. If you're a people watcher like me and enjoy keeping pace with these social trends, read this piece in the August 25th NY Times (HERE) about the new wave of searching for a job via social networking. It's all changed from the days of merely sending in a paper copy of your resume... and more changes are yet to come.

How have you been impacted by social networking? It would be interesting to learn just how this revolution has impacted all of us. Besides, us people watchers want to know.