Recently I was reading an "old fashioned" publication, one my 5-year-old daughter checked out of the library. In it was the word "socialite." She asked me what it meant. I did my best to explain it to her in words she could understand. After I tucked her in I began thinking about what the term really means. I headed, of course, straight to my laptop and found that Wikipedia defines it as such:
"A socialite is a person who is known to be a part of fashionable society because of his or her regular participation in social activities and fondness for spending a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained. Some socialites may choose to use their social skills and connections to promote and raise funds for various charitable or philanthropic activities. Socialites are usually in possession of considerable wealth, inherited or self-made, that can sustain their steady attendance at social functions."
Sounds to me like those of us involved in the social media movement, may just fit that bill. Part of a fashionable society...check; although this is more than a passing fancy. Spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained...check; I'm certainly entertained by some of the blogs I read and I'm spending more and more time (hopefully) entertaining others with my posts. Uses connections to promote and raise funds for worthy causes...check; I'm sure you, too, can think of issues you brought to the attention of your network. In possession of considerable wealth, ...check; each of us possesses a treasure trove of knowledge and experience that we freely and readily share with others on this, and many other blogs.
So from now on, I think I'm going to include that term in my profile. If nothing else, it will be a conversation starter.