[Nfb-editors] Reaching this generation through social networks

[Chris Kuell]

Tina,

I think using social networks is a good idea, but like others, I'm not sure 
how to do it so it will yield results. I have my own facebook page, which 
I've read and been told is essential to promote my writing, but like Bridget 
wrote, I doubt people actually read it. For instance, I posted a link to an 
article published in April, and 3 people wrote a comment. Maybe others read 
my article, but I doubt it. Personally, i  find facebook slow and tedious 
and mostly full of gossip or innane commentary, which is probably more a 
statement about me as an old curmudgeon than the medium. My kids are 
certainly on it all the time, as are most people under 40 these days, so 
perhaps your idea of reaching out to younger members is the best way to go.

I also think Mike raised a good point. It seems to me that many blind people 
are apathetic these days. The NFB has done a lot of work to make the world 
better for the blind, and they don't feel the need to do anything. In my 
state (CT) we are on the verge of loosing our state agency for the blind. 
While hundreds of people showed up for public hearings, most were parents of 
blind children or teachers of the visually impaired. There were a dozen or 
so NFBers, but not nearly the response I tried to generate. Why? The 
twenty-somethings in my chapter said they'd already received all the 
services they were going to get, they didn't feel comfortable speaking in 
public, they didn't feel like dealing with getting to and from the capital, 
and so on. Apathy.I know this has become almost a theme on this list, but 
how do we light the fire to get people interested? Maybe I'll start a rumor 
that the tea partiers want to kill SSDI...


chris