Here’s my synopsis of today’s social media tools:
Pinterest: Makes me feel bad about myself. Pretty pictures of things I’ll neither have the time nor money to make a reality in my own life.
Twitter: Makes me feel bleak about humanity. Can we really forge connections of any depth when they are spat out in 140-character fragments?
Facebook: Huge time-suck. And yet, I love it. Well, parts of it. It can be a great tool for maintaining friendships with people, but hitting the “like” button when someone announces a pregnancy just isn’t really meeting an emotional need for anyone, is it?
That being said, I know lots of people LOVE some of the above social media tools and have used them to deepen personal bonds, successfully grow their blog traffic, build their business, and stay connected.
I see the value in them, but I find myself fighting the urge to feel as though I have to engage in them if I want to stay relevant. After spending too much time on Twitter, I feel like just calling up a friend I know in real life and have an actual conversation with them. It’s real life, they know me, and I like that.
Are you a social media addict, or do you think it’s dumb? Are there certain social media outlets you prefer over others?
Well, you’ve been urging me onto Facebook for years (forgetting I am stubborn as a mule), and I am going to have to look up Pinterest now…so…yeah…I’m already obsolete.
The one technology I can really get behind is Skype. It’s been a huge blessing while we are far away!
Some of this stuff is work-related, and I’m willing to spend time to work on it.
Some time ago I just decided to let things be as they are… I can jump on or off le Twitter train anytime, and I don’t feel like I have to scroll back to catch everything I’ve missed for the last two hours, or for the last two days… and I feel the same way about Facebook. I love it, but I can’t live there. Pinterest is kinda like magazines for me, but it’s a wicked-huge timesuck that needn’t get sucked into – I have enough of those already. Like kids. (Hee!)
I learned a long time ago to stay away from stuff/media/people that make me feel bad about myself (fashion magazines, for example) so good for you for recognising what needs to just be left alone.
I am not addicted but, like Racheal, it is part of my job. Sometimes I enjoy twitter and facebook. Sometimes I don’t. Recently I wrote this post: http://www.urbanmoms.ca/moms_the_word/2011/09/friends.html on whether we can actually be friends solely through social media (twitter was my main example). I worry about people thinking their relationships on twitter are the same as real life. I worry that twitter attracts the lonely and desperate and gives them a false sense of community. But I have also made some amazing friends and twitter was who introduced us. Keeping it in perspective is key.
I can’t stand Pinterest anymore, for the exact reason you stated. Facebook is the only way I keep up with my family (lame, yes, but it’s better than nothing). Twitter … I could take it or leave it. Some days I get sick of links and hash tags and I miss what it used to be – one big (public) conversation.
I’m fairly addicted. I think Rachael summed it up really well. I’ve used (and still use) twitter to connect with others going through postpartum. There are bi-weekly chats and it’s a great place to reach out and not feel so alone. I’ve also used it when I’m home alone with Will and feeling stressed. And yes, you can call people – but when it’s 11 at night and he’s sick – it’s nice to reach out and hear from someone (I still remember JenTrend doing that for me last year).
So I posted this big long response on my beloved bb and it’s gone. SO…here goes….Pinterest…I love pinterest BECAUSE it`s beautiful and inspiring. I love the Twitter BECAUSE it has allowed me to connect with people such a @AngellaD ( She rocks) @jeffpulver (amazing, inspiring) and @clippo (strong, smart and oh so so so one of those people I inspire to be) And well, facebook has lost a lot of the luster for me BUT I believe it is because on fb I am “friends” with a lot of my real life friends and (wait for it…..) I ACTUALLY INTERACT with these people almost daily. Crazy I know. So yes Amanda, I do believe in social media. 🙂
I’m required to be on social media for 90% of my contracts.
That being said, I’ve met some amazing people on Twitter, many have become firends in real life. I’ve gotten numerous job offers because people have seen my work that way, plus I’ve seen some amazing philanthropy explode because of a little twitter push. I think there’s a lot of good; unfortunately, sometimes you have to sift through the miasma…
Well my dear, I heart it all BUT I also engage in real life conversations and interactions DAILY. I love pinterest BECAUSE it is beautiful. I LOVE “the twitter” BECAUSE it has allowed me to connect with some amazing “tweeps” in 140 characters (or less) and forge some pretty cool friendships. (I otherwise would have never met people like @AngellaD ! I will admit facebook is losing its luster, but I just think its because so many of my daily interactions are either IRL or on Twitter. So to answer your question, wait what was it again? KIDDING I am an addict. And for question 2 yes, I believe some sites have a far larger impact than others.