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Here is me attempting to oppose the motion that ‘our adoption and elevation of social media and digital technologies is undermining human skills and values’ at the ICG debate evening. Having just cringed my way through the video – nothing came out the way I planned it to – I think it must have been the John Griffith’s fluent articulacy that swung the ICG members in our favour.

I’ve listed the arguments I marshalled below but our opponents Sheila Keegan and Roy Langmaid made great points about how digital technologies are distancing us from people. As researchers, how can we get deep into people’s heads unless we spend time with them? We deal with clients by email so how well do we understand them? And of course, with the always-on stream of pithy insights, how do we find time to reflect? Yesterday, I came across a great argument against facebook that made many of these points and more.

Anyway, here is my top 10 areas where social media and digital technologies are building human skills and values:

KNOWLEDGE

1. We’re learning about new things, the researcher’s very raison d’etre

My Twitter feed is an excellent news service. Snippets may lack depth but we’re learning how to make sense of the crowd-sourced mosaic of opinion. First person shooters may be mostly about killing but gamers are often learning from the contexts, for example historical time periods or strategies. And it’s easy to learn things – who hasn’t used a discussion forums to find out how to do something?

2. Information literacy

When there is a deluge of information, people need to discriminate. They are learning to look at the source and understand how to manage it.

3. Morality

I sometimes wonder about this when I see how anonymity enables so much virtriol in online conversation (just check out the comments on pretty much any youtube video) but there is the opportunity to learn about and engage with scenarios that help with our personal relationships and society.

HEALTH

4. Dealing with depression and stress relief

There are some question marks over this (our narcissistic tendency to present only the positive side of ourselves can make the rest of us feel inadequate) but there is evidence to say that online connections with others can improve our mental health. As for stress relief, try killing some zombies.

5. Fitness

It’s a skill and it isn’t sitting in front of a computer that is making us obese – it’s eating. With Wii Fit and the huge growth in personal health management apps, some of us can get fitter.

6. Having fun

We need to lighten up, there is a lot of fun to be had with social media and digital technologies.

SOCIAL SKILLS

7. Co-operation and connection

Whether it is getting together to create the world’s greatest encyclopedia or teaming up to defeat some clan on World of Warcraft we are learning to do some amazing things with each other. And whether you are into knitting, ultra marathon, or bringing up children there are people like you out there you can talk to and learn from.

8. Creativity

I never cease to be amazed at the feats of creativity that people are sharing for free. Pinterest is the one of the latest in a long line of tools that are giving us the opportunity to express ourselves differently.

9. Inspiration

People’s stories of personal battles with cancer, building great organizations or travelling the world cannot fail to make us reflect on our lives and how we might do things differently.

10. Democracy

The big one. Much discussed as a key factor in the Arab Spring uprisings, the world is undoubtedly a flatter one. More and more of us have a voice to give an opinion or hold corporates to account. People have more control and as researchers we need to accept them as collaborators and not subjects. Digital technologies allow us and our clients to get closer to people by introducing greater equality.

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