You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day.

I'm your host, Elise Hugh. If you're like me, you've probably gotten dozens of requests to connect on one platform or another and maybe have ignored them because, well,

we're living in an age where all the ways we can connect online can feel pretty overwhelming.

And it's easy to leave those requests on the back burner.

There's no etiquette class for texting.

In her 2024 talk, community organizer Margo Miller gives us a few pointers to make and keep more meaningful connections online.

Enjoy.

I want to see a show of hands.

How many of you have ever deleted an email or a social media request because it was

written like pure spam? Yeah, or maybe you deleted it because they got your name wrong? Or they used

an awful cliche like we share mutual interests, but never took the time to tell you what those were.

Yeah, I remember a long time ago I sent an

email to a business acquaintance of mine. I was hoping to draw them into my network and maybe get

some feedback. And so I work hard on it and I send it off. And to my surprise, instead of emailing

me back, they sent me a text message. Awesome. It worked. Turns out it was not so awesome. The text message was to ask me why I sent

them a mass message instead of a personal one. Needless to say, I was embarrassed, but at least I got

that second chance via text message. Things have evolved a lot since then, and I'll start by telling

you this. Today's version of networking has changed.

We once had classes on etiquette. And then my parents' generation, and probably many of you,

got literal instructions on how to shake hands and make eye contact. And then the internet

blew up, and now there is no instruction at all.

The skills that once served us well in conference rooms and at networking events are no longer enough.

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