Social Media is Not the Enemy | Max Klymenko | TEDxHultLondon

Max Klymenko explores how social media is misunderstood as an enemy, urging us to embrace it rather than fear its uncertainty.

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Key Takeaways

Social media should not be feared or avoided but understood and integrated into our lives.
Eliminating uncertainty by rejecting social media can be harmful, especially for younger generations.
Social media offers significant economic and social opportunities.
The perception of social media as purely negative overlooks its potential benefits.
Career aspirations have shifted significantly towards social media and digital content creation.

What the video covers

People naturally fear change and uncertainty, which social media represents to many.
Historically, new technologies like cars and antibiotics were initially resisted but later accepted as beneficial.
Social media was initially welcomed for global connectivity but has since been criticized for issues like rigged elections and privacy invasions.
Many treat social media as an uncertainty to eliminate, often by avoiding or restricting its use, which the speaker argues is counterproductive.
Taking smartphones away from Gen Z removes their connection to many aspects of life, not just social interaction.
People use screen time limits and digital detoxes to regain control from social media algorithms, but this approach may be flawed.
The speaker shares his personal journey from law and corporate consulting to building a successful social media career with millions of followers.
Despite ongoing societal issues reflected on social media, it offers real opportunities, including a booming influencer economy.
Social media careers have become highly desirable, surpassing traditional dreams like athletes or astronauts among teens.
Social media is more accessible and achievable as a career compared to many traditional professions or rare achievements like space travel.

Chapters

Why do people fear social media according to Max Klymenko?

People fear social media because it represents uncertainty and change, which the brain registers similarly to errors, prompting a natural desire to eliminate it.

How does social media affect Generation Z differently than previous generations?

For Generation Z, social media is deeply integrated into all aspects of life, so taking away their smartphone removes not just social connectivity but access to inspiration, news, fun, and career growth.

What career opportunities does social media offer according to the speaker?

Social media offers significant economic opportunities, with the influencer economy growing rapidly and many young people aspiring to careers as video bloggers or content creators, surpassing traditional career dreams.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

[Music] People are scared of change, and there is a good reason for it. Research in neuroscience says that uncertainty and change are registered in our brain in the same way as error is. So if you think about it, the natural tendency that we have is to eliminate the error, to eliminate the uncertainty. Now, technology has always been a huge driver of change. If you think about cars, modern medicine, antibiotics, in the beginning, people weren't that keen on these changes.

Speaker A

natural tendency that we have is to eliminate the error to eliminate the uncertainty now technology has always been a huge driver of change if you think about cars modern medicine antibiotics in the beginning people weren't that keen on these changes

Speaker A

But eventually, in hindsight, I think we can all agree that they've largely been good for our society. Now, right now, as I stand here, the situation is completely different when it comes to social media, and the script was kind of flipped here. Because initially, we welcomed social media because it's this force that is connecting people around the globe. Everyone's going to be friends, everyone's going to know what we are up to. It's great, right?

Speaker A

because initially we welcome social media because it's this force that is connecting people around the globe everyone's going to be friends everyone's going to know what we are up to it's great right but not so much rigged elections

Speaker A

But not so much rigged elections, distorted beauty standards, privacy invasions, the monopolistic tendencies of big tech, ruined relationships. Social media has gone from friend to foe in a finger click. And I wasn't sent here by Facebook or TikTok to say, "Hey, social media is amazing," but I just disagree with the way that we respond to it because I think that we treat social as this uncertainty that we want to eliminate, right? Because we don't know how these algorithms work, we don't know where they come from.

Speaker A

amazing but i just disagree with the way that we respond to it because i think that we treat social as this uncertainty that we want to eliminate right because we don't know how these algorithms work we don't know where they

Speaker A

But to me, the response that we have is just to close our eyes and pretend that social media is not happening. It's just wrong, and it's going to set you back. And I have an example of how this is happening, and this comes from my family. I'm an older brother, and I have a teenage sister, right? And every time she misbehaves, like I don't know, doesn't clean her room, does badly at school, or does some teenage stuff, my mom takes away my sister's smartphone, taking away her social media.

Speaker A

this is happening and this comes from my family i'm an older brother and i have a teenage sister right and every time she misbehaves like i don't know doesn't clean her room does badly at school or does some

Speaker A

And the thing is, she takes it away with the same face that she used to make when she wouldn't let me go out with my friends back in Ukraine, where I was growing up. But even though for her it's the same action, the result is completely different because right now, if you take the phone away from a person from Generation Z, then you don't just take away their connectivity with their friends, you take away everything. Because social media has entered pretty much every sector of their lives.

Speaker A

friends back in ukraine where i was growing up but even though for her it's the same action the result is completely different because right now if you take the phone away from a person from generation zed then you don't just take away

Speaker A

Just think about it: on Pinterest is where you go to find inspiration for your homework or just for yourself. Facebook is where you go to check in with friends, right? Twitter is where you go to find out what's happening in the world. TikTok is where you go to have fun, and then something like LinkedIn is where you go to grow your network and further your career. So taking away the smartphone is taking away everything from these kids, as they'll be quick to tell you.

Speaker A

facebook is where you go to check in with friends right twitter is where you go to find out what's happening in the world tick tock is where you go to have fun and then uh something like linkedin is where you go to grow your network and

Speaker A

And I think it's not just about kids because the way we have built this relationship with social media, I don't think it works for us because people are scared of the uncertainty that it brings. This is why we have the screen time, right? This is why we take digital detoxes. This is why we're proud of being off the grid, of being offline, right? Because we're not controlled by these algorithms. That way, we regain control by eliminating this uncertainty.

Speaker A

for us because people are scared of uncertainty that it brings this is why we have the screen time right this is why we take digital detoxes this is why we're proud of being off the grid of being offline

Speaker A

But to me, this is wrong, and if you do this, then this is going to cost you. Now, I'm not going to stand here and tell you that there is money in social media. That conversation was had five years ago, right? We all know that Jeffree Star has a 14 million dollar mansion. We all know that David Dobrik has given away Teslas every day to his followers. All of that stuff, right? There is money there, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaker A

you that there is money in social media that conversation was had five years ago right we all know that jeffree star has a 14 million dollar mansion we all know that david dobrik has given away teslas every day

Speaker A

I don't want to tell you about the Demilious or the Kardashians. I can talk about myself, right? I moved from Ukraine 10 years ago, went to law school, I was working as a corporate consultant, and then suddenly I developed this interest in social media and communication. So I started a podcast that no one listened to aside from my grandma, who was just viewing it so that I feel good about my views.

Speaker A

went to law school i was working as a corporate consultant and then suddenly i have developed this interest in social media and communication so i started a podcast uh that no one listened to aside from my grandma who

Speaker A

And then I discovered this platform called TikTok, where I thought I'd be making videos about how it's good to read books. And I brought this to my teenage sister, who thought that it was a horrible idea, who thought that I was too old and too boring to be on the platform. Now, in hindsight, I guess she was wrong because right now I have 2 million followers on the platform and more than 1 billion times my videos have been viewed.

Speaker A

who thought that it was a horrible idea who thought that i was too old and too boring to be on the platform now in hindsight i guess she was wrong because right now i have 2 million followers on the platform and more than

Speaker A

And since then, a few months ago, I kind of had a realization looking at my bank account statement that I'm making three times my corporate salary through my work in social media. So then I quit my job and started an agency that helps businesses and organizations reach Gen Z. Now, I know what you're thinking: there's still a lot of racism on social media, there's still classes, there's still the pretty privilege that my grandma thinks applies to me, although not everyone agrees.

Speaker A

i quit my job and started an agency that helps businesses and organizations reach gen z now i know what you're thinking there's still a lot of racism on social media there's still classes there's still the pretty privilege that my grandma think applies to me

Speaker A

But this is the representation of our society, right? But my story of finding myself on social, finding a part of myself on social media, is actually much more common than you think, and there is real money there. There is a 15 billion valuation that the influencer economy is expected to reach by 2022. This number is increasing to 25 billion by 2025, making it one of the largest sectors in our economy in the US and in Europe.

Speaker A

15 billion valuation that influencer economy is expected to reach by 2022 this number increasing to 25 billion by 2025 making it one of the largest sectors in our economy in the us and in europe and of course there is

Speaker A

And of course, there are many professions that earn money: private equity, banking, all of that stuff. But they aren't as desired as a career in social media is. Latest research conducted in the US shows that for teens, video blogger is their dream job, and it's a similar situation here in Europe. So people, well, kids and teenagers, dream of making social media their career, and this dream has actually beaten the dream of becoming an athlete, the dream of becoming an actor or an actress, or an astronaut—the moonshot careers of the past.

Speaker A

video blogger is their dream job and it's a similar situation here in europe so people well kids and teenagers dream of making social media their career and this dream is actually beaten the dream of becoming an athlete the dream of becoming an actor or an

Speaker A

And the good news is that it's much more attainable than the other ones, right? If you think about becoming an athlete, that's years of tough, brutal training when you're a kid, and then an element of luck to get drafted. To become an astronaut, you need a certain lung capacity, so there are some kind of DNA limitations. When it comes to social media, I'm not saying that it's a walk in the park to become an influencer, and of course, you're competing with pretty much everyone, with barriers to entry being super low.

Speaker A

of luck to get drafted to become an astronaut you need a certain lung capacity so there are some kind of dna limitations right when it comes to social media i'm not saying that it's a walk in the park to become an influencer

Speaker A

But it's definitely more doable than me becoming an NBA player, right? And just to put it in perspective for you, there are 568 people who have gone to space in the history of humankind, 568. Right now, just on Instagram, there are 500,000 influencers right this minute. So this is much more doable and more desirable at the same time. Of course, some people still want to be lawyers, engineers, doctors, sometimes to please their immigrant parents, sometimes for their own kind of internal and innate drivers.

Speaker A

who have gone to space in the history of humankind 568. right now just on instagram there are 500 000 influencers right this minute so this is much more doable and more desirable at the same time of course some people still want to be

Speaker A

And my point is that even if you're going for a traditional career, you can't escape social media. And if you do, that puts you at a disadvantage because there are lawyers and doctors and engineers who are making videos on TikTok, furthering their career opportunities, building their network, increasing their media presence, and charging their clients more. Even Elon Musk, if you think about it, the richest person on the planet, is using his account on Twitter to make nation-state level plays in the market.

Speaker A

do that puts you at a disadvantage because there are lawyers and doctors and engineers who are making videos on tech talk furthering their career opportunities building their network increasing their media presence and charging their clients more even elon musk if you think about it

Speaker A

Right, so everyone from Elon Musk to grandfluencers, who are kind of grandmas and grandpas who are having fun on the internet and sustaining their living, make social media part of their life, part of their job, right? And then to me, I think that if you don't do that, you're just missing out. And the other day, I was working on helping scientists who actually have created the COVID vaccine understand TikTok and understand how to fight misinformation on this platform.

Speaker A

on the internet and sustaining their living make social media part of their life part of their job right and then to me i think that if you don't do that you're just missing out and the other day i was working on

Speaker A

helping scientists who actually have created the kobit vaccine understand tik tok and understand how to fight misinformation on this platform and when i was doing that i thought how ubiquitous social media has become and i think the pandemic has only accelerated this

Speaker A

process now we all remember the stories of the first lockdowns when the chefs whose restaurants have shut down went on instagram live streams to show people their recipes and show their work when airbnb hosts who couldn't rent out their

Speaker A

apartments had to do virtual tours of their place on instagram live on tech talk live so right now the society is moving towards this virtual commercial model right and if you think about the revolution in virtual work that was

Speaker A

supposed to be taking place for years it was achieved in just a matter of months online schooling none of this is going back okay and i think right now as far as your skill set goes it's very important to stand out

Speaker A

right in the crowd and i think that crafting a perfect dm on instagram or any other social media platform addressing the person you admire professionally is a more important skill than having a great cover letter or a polished resume

Speaker A

so i'm not saying that social media is good i'm not saying that everyone should be on it i'm just asking a question next time when you take away the smartphone of your kid or if you just open your screen time to limit

Speaker A

it further ask yourself a question why are you doing this and if you're doing this because you're scared of the uncertainty that it brings i implore you to get over that because we all need to learn to live and thrive with

Speaker A

social media and we need you there thank you

Topics:social mediachangeuncertaintyGeneration Zdigital detoxinfluencer economytechnology adoptionsocial media careersalgorithmsMax Klymenko

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