Is social media about sharing or more about self-admiration?

I know it is a harsh title, but it is a reasonable question as a marketer. I am not admonishing people who use social media sites to talk about themselves, I would just like to know the answer because it does have a direct impact on how you use social media for marketing.

All the statistics say that social media sites are used, prolifically. Regardless of churn, drop out rates, number of interactions, people simply do use them. This has been translated by some companies as being a way of sharing information. Largely I suppose because there is a lot of information out there that validates this belief that social media sites are the new communities.

Not an unreasonable belief as there is also evidence to show that social media sites have worked to share.

However, what is the ultimate goal of the person who goes on a social media site? I would argue that it is simply to talk about... themselves. The functionality of the sites means that the communication is shared, that is unavoidable. But that is not the intention of the user. Or so it would seem.

I read a lot of twitter posts and largely they are self-indulgent. I put one up a while ago and quite frankly felt like an idiot. Who on earth would want to read what I had written? Who cares really? So I haven't done it again. I certainly don't need to validate myself through how many people are following me (1). Around me however, there is clearly this need to be confirmed as a great person.

Self-indulgent are those posts that are written in jibberish, clearly saying I am so important that I can write rubbish and people will still follow me.

The uselessness of those posts that simply say something akin to 'I am doing the ironing now' are unfathomable. Again, who cares?

Or there are those posts which frequently appear on Facebook such as 'So pleased things are going well now'. These posts are in another clever league altogether. As far as content goes they say nothing but they are clearly designed to instigate a question from one of the writers friends: 'why are things going well?'.

How ... well ... self-indulgent is that? It's not about sharing, you are just trying to pull people in, make yourself seem important enough to warrant all your 'friends' jumping up and down wanting to know the answer. Filling your profile with their comments, about your life.

Very self-centred. I repeat, I am not berating these people, if it makes them happy then great. I as an individual, after all, don't have to join in.

So all those companies who have started using the word 'sharing' in their messages I feel have got it wrong. They haven't understood that it isn't about sharing. Companies should understand that they need to tap in to the pure selfishness of these people. Make them feel even more important.

Indulge the individual.