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The next time you’re in a real-life group setting, beware.  Look around.  Be suspicious.  If you look closely enough, you may find something that you least suspected: many of the group’s active participants may be using this thing that some call “the Internet.”

Crazy, crazy, crazy, you tell me.

In fact, I hear this a lot.  Many that I interact with have an inherent skepticism that online people are, in fact, real life people.

But this isn’t true – at least, not according to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.  Their new study, entitled “The Social Side of the Internet,” cites research that Internet users are “more active participants in their [real life] groups than other adults.”

Here’s what they found:

• 69% of Internet users have attended meetings or events for groups that they are active in, as compared to 54% of non-Internet users.
• 64% of Internet users have volunteered their time to a group that they are active in, as compared to 47% of non-Internet users.
• 60% of Internet users have contributed money to a group they are active in, as compared to 50% of non-Internet users.
• 34% of Internet users have taken a leadership role in a group they are active in, as compared to 19% of non-Internet users.

Holy moly, we’ve let them out. Someone has let the Internet people out of their basements, and they are invading our real-life groups.  We must put a stop to this.

But seriously, the truth is that “online people” have always been a part of real-life groups.  They just also happen to use that Internet machine.  Countless studies have shown that people that use the Internet are opinion leaders.

I like to tell a story of when this notion first clicked for me.  Back in college, I was on the web and came across a potential presidential candidate that you may have heard of: Howard Dean.  His candidacy resonated with me, and after a short period of time I attended my first Howard Dean Meetup.  When I got there, I found that there were many people like me.  They read about his campaign online, and were motivated to show up – in-person – to see if we could get this candidate elected to office.  In the end, many of us became a “real life” group in the process.

With that, I would suggest an important point: activating people online doesn’t mean that as a “New Media Guy,” I’m merely looking for people to be active in just the online realm.  Rather, activism – especially in the 2010’s – needs to be both online and offline.  In fact, I don’t see them as independent of each other.

Pew’s research brings up some very important points that hopefully break some stereotypes ingrained in many people.  Internet users are not lazy.  They show up in person, volunteer their time, and take leadership roles.  In fact, dare I suggest, Internet people may just happen to be the types of “offline” activists that many organizations covet.

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Here’s an issue that’s been near to my heart for a while. My bachelor’s degree is in psychology, and I strongly considered becoming a psychologist as late as my senior year of college. In grad school, I worked on a short-form documentary about milblogging – military blogging – and one of the main goals was to explore why it was a growing phenomenon. One of the reasons we uncovered was that blogging is a catharsis, and due to the high prevalence of post-traumatic syndrome in veterans, journal-writing is a self-therapy employed by many.

If you’d like, you can watch the documentary here.

According to multiple sources, the Pentagon has reached a decision not to award the Purple Heart to active-duty members or veterans of our military who suffer with PTSD.

Their rationale?

“The Purple Heart recognizes those individuals wounded to a degree that requires treatment by a medical officer, in action with the enemy or as the result of enemy action where the intended effect of a specific enemy action is to kill or injure the service member.”

“(PTSD) is not a wound intentionally caused by the enemy from an outside force or agent, but is a secondary effect caused by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event.”

“Based on the definition of a wound, ‘an injury to any part of the body from an outside force or agent,’ other Purple Heart award criteria, and 76 years of precedent, the Purple Heart has been limited to award for physical wounds, not psychological wounds.”

“Current medical knowledge and technologies do not establish PTSD as objectively and routinely as would be required for this award at this time.”

I would, of course, dispute all of these findings.

In traditional warfare, the goal of the enemy was, indeed, to “kill or injure the service member.” But tactical warfare has expanded to include psychological warfare. If our enemies are classified as “terrorists,” what is their goal? Of course – it’s to increase “terror.” That’s the primary goal, not a “secondary effect.” On the complete, polar opposite side of the spectrum, what was the goal of our “Shock and Awe” operation in Iraq? The name itself is explanatory. The goal in any modern military offensive is to strike at a psychological level first and foremost.

We also need to expand our definition of what a “wound” is. There’s not much of a debate in the medical community: the psychological is also physical. In PTSD, neural pathways are indeed rewired. Thoughts of those suffering from the disorder are processed in a different manner. There’s a physical change in levels of neurotransmitters. Ask anyone with PTSD if they have wounds. They’ll tell you that their wounds are far, far worse than any physical one. Physical wounds can ultimately be repaired (for the most part), but many with PTSD live and suffer with their wounds for the rest of their lives.

I’d also dispute the notion that there is no objective way to establish a presence of PTSD in a human being. The DSM-IV, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual,” had extremely objective and rigorous criteria that must be evaluated to diagnose the prevalence of PTSD. It’s quite systematic. Take a look at the criteria yourself.

Ultimately, we should look at was the original goal that was intended with the Purple Heart. My belief is that it was designed to honor courage, recognize strength through adversity, and identify those who have overcome unimaginable struggles. Is that not what military heroes who battle PTSD should be appreciated for?

One thing that I should add: although I’m disappointed by the decision, I do, however, strongly respect Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ exploration of the subject. It turns out that the notion of awarding Purple Hearts to those who suffer from PTSD was suggested as a question during a briefing back in May. That suggestion prompted this panel to explore the option. Ultimately, it was a suggestion that was taken seriously, and I commend Secretary Gates for his sincere effort in evaluating its merit.

What’s your take on this? In your view, does PTSD constitute a “wound” worthy of the Purple Heart?

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Happy 2009! We’re all back at work after enjoying some (but not enough) time off. My time helped me to reflect on this last year and draw some conclusions.

Among them, I found five lessons that I learned over the course of 2008. I thought I’d share them with everyone:

Lesson #1: You don’t have to be the best.
What a lesson. No, you don’t have to be “the best.” Simply put, nobody is “the best.” Not only is it an impossible thing to attain (it’s 100% subjective, I’d say), but trying to achieve that will just drive you crazy in the end.

You just have to be yourself and believe in yourself. Strive to be “better.” Plus, it’s lonely at the top, and who really wants to be lonely? Not you.

Lesson #2: You’re not responsible for saving the world.
“Changing the world” and “making a difference” is a nice motive, but you don’t have to put the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s a noble idea, but it’s too idealistic and unfair to do that to yourself.

You’re not responsible for the fate of the universe, nor could you ever control it. Instead, try to make change in good, small ways, or as best as you can. Leave the rest to Barack Obama (ha), and don’t let it consume you or worry about it all too much.

Lesson #3: What you need and what you want are very different things.
What you need vs. what you want – it’s a classic battle, and confusing to figure out which is which. Sometimes, you think you need something, but it turns out that that’s driven by just “want” or “ego” (see lesson #1). It can deceive and tempt you, especially when it’s in reach, and it can create a big mess. Recognize which is which, and you won’t make those mistakes.

Lesson #4: Plans are good, but don’t hold yourself hostage to them.
A wise man, John Lennon (ever hear of him?) once said, “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” He, unfortunately, didn’t get to see old age, so I hold those words especially valuable.

Don’t let your plan cause you to miss out on life’s plan for you. Have guidelines, and don’t get dismayed if things don’t happen exactly as you want them to, or as you envisioned them to go. Not everything is in your control. Things happen, they’re part of life, and you learn a lot from them. Don’t view those situations as “setbacks,” but as “normal course” that everyone experiences. Above all, believe in yourself and know that everything will unfold as is should.

Lesson #5: Despite the Worst Situations, You’re Hard to Break.
In 2008, I’ve learned that despite the worst (or what I perceive as “the worst”), I can get through anything – any bad news, any situation – and it only makes me stronger and more knowledgeable about myself. My close friends know that 2008 has brought me more than a few surprises – some good, some bad, and everything in-between – many about myself, some about things family members were going through, and so on.

Over the course of these events, I’ve learned what to fear and what not to fear, and how things should and shouldn’t consume my mind, my soul and my spirit. But most importantly, my experiences in 2008 have taught me about my resilience and my strength through adversity. If I ever have any doubts, knowing this fact and believing in this fact will help pull me through any situation handed to me by this crazy thing called “life.”

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