Social networking
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.
Social networking has long been part of civilization's landscape.
While it's taken various forms in recent times, we've all navigated to restaurants or other retail establishments where we've become familiar patrons, recognized and acknowledged by name as we walk in the door.
Humans, by nature, are social beings, hard wired for such connections, regardless of generational context.
Consider an American icon of this deeply-rooted characteristic in the long running TV series, "Cheers" (1982-1993). As the story line unfolds, Sam (Ted Danson) is purveyor and bartender of Cheers, a neighborhood bar in Boston. He is professionally and romantically entangled with his waitress, Diane (Shelley Long) to the chagrin of his other staff, Woody and Carla, and regular patrons, Cliff and Norm.
The script features a regular chorus whereby Norm enters hailing those in the bar, and, in turn, the entire bar chants, "Hi Norm."
We might learn much about social networking from this unassuming sitcom and its simple lesson: With the right game plan, anyone can be the cool guy whom everyone knows and wants to connect.
As the show's theme song affirms, "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name." For today's Gen Y demographic,
