How to Engage on Line or Off? It’S a Shared Experience
It’s becoming the most prevalent and puzzling question ever that tries our minds, sends failure messages to our brains and keeps us awake at night!
Does anyone have the magic answer? Not really…
There are so many barriers that interfere with good intentions.
We all know the pressures we face daily,
There are several types of engagement including -
“I will love you forever from this day forward.”
But, we know the divorce rate in 2025 is 39 to 42% for first marriages,
with ‘gray divorces’ on the increase. Second marriages are at risk with an estimated 60% likely to divorce- a form of lack of engagement.
Engagement, is defined as “ a two-way process of actively involving people to build a connection and foster a relationship.”
Engagement requires communication and seeking feedback, creating interaction, and encouraging participation, with the goal of building loyalty and shared understanding.
Is that not what the basis of what marriage is supposed to be?
2) Engagement is also defined as a previous invitation that has been extended followed by showing up at a fixed time. (Calendar photo).
If you have a business meeting or a social event at a predetermined time, and you don’t show up, and at minimum send an apology, you are not engaged, not committed to building the relationship!
3) Engagement on line is “the interaction between an entity (like a business or brand) and its audience through digital channels such as social media, email, and apps- including views, likes, comments, shares, clicks, and more meaningful contributions like joining discussions or creating user-generated content.”
Why Don’t We Engage?
I’ve heard all of the reasons and excuses for not engaging.
I too, am guilty of some of these-
‘Too busy, Having your own priorities, limited attention span, lack of interest, insecurity about how best to engage that is ‘appropriate’ for the masses, fear of rejection etc.
However,, I am beginning to think that there are only three ways the masses are willing to pay attention and engage with each other.
In this fast paced world of “catch as catch can,”
Shared Experience - i.e. A familiar experience (good or bad) that most everyone can relate to. There’s nothing more impactful than realizing there are many others ‘in the same boat.”
It somehow makes the journey more palatable. People pay attention and are more likely to engage with a shared experience.
Video - A classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of The Year “ Staples Back-ToSchool Commercial” (1996). Who can’t relate or recall going through this experience as parents or kids? Ha! Ha!
2) Laughter- It’s the best medicine for anything bothering you, to lighten the mood and establish a commonality. We are so stressed. We need to look for daily opportunities to laugh. The masses pay attention to situations that are ‘naturally funny.” When we laugh, we are engaging in amost entertaining manner! ’
(A compilation of reactions to an unlikely situation with typing!) By the way, the new Taylor Swift video has caused a resurgence of typing the old fashioned way- something like this -LOL! (1963)
3) Heart touching - It creates own emotional connection . There is something that is familiar and reminiscent about it- “He Loves Me’ McDonald’s Commercial (2014)
Conclusion -
So, what have you learned? Did you participate in my experiment and engage? Granted, these videos were very brief, about widely different topics. But, if they held your interest due to shared experience, laughter or a heart touching experience, you are capable of engaging more! It is our job as writers,/creators to do our jobs on our side of the equation. You too, need to engage personally and resist a wholly digital existence in favor of real emotion! It’s too easy to let the digital world overtake our lives!
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Thanks,
Donna