Welcome back to 20 Days of Chill. Today's prompt is
Social Media
It's been a little more than a decade, and already we can't imagine life without social media.
At least some of us. I am amazed that other people are totally unfazed by it. In fact the people I socialize most in real life are not on social media.
My husband was on Facebook for what feels live five minutes, and boom, people from his high school and old jobs wanted to touch base. He immediately deleted the app, irritated. "I didn't like these people back then, I sure as heck don't want to share my life with them now."
I am the other way around. I am a networker, I like my people, I want to connect.
Yes, I wouldn't add that boy who bullied me in elementary school (but if he's careless enough not to use his privacy settings, I can't help myself to at least find out what he's been up to these days. He likes to mountain bike and scuba dive.)
A word about online friends vs real life friends, and those who become both over time:
I so appreciate the convenience of scrolling through my feed and taking part in people's lives, to see their kids, their pets, their dinners and their Christmas trees.
Agreed, I would not call these people on the phone and ask about their day. And I sure would not tell them about mine. I don't like to talk about myself. So what ever you get to read about me here, consider yourself lucky.
Over time you connect over a movie you both like, you share memes of a president you don't like, you wish them well when they are sick, and you encourage them on an upcoming exam or job interview. You celebrate, you vent, you laugh, you cry.
And it's so easy, because they are just there. You don't have to make an appointment, you don't have to find a babysitter, you don't have to dress up, you don't have to drive anywhere. They are just there. And if they're not for a while, you drop them a note on the Messenger.
I live in Switzerland. A lot of my online friends are bloggers in North America or Australia. Just these days I reconnect with a mom to three boys in Alaska who has the best seasonal job. She writes Santa letters!
Some of them are a bit older than me, retired even.
We're barely awake at the same time, and if we are, it's because of my insomnia, and we may not have a lot in common when it comes to our daily lives.
These facts and because we have never met in person don't make them less of a wonderful friend, though.
And once in a blue moon you even manage to make it happen!
I used to play Hatchlings (basically a year round Easter egg hunt) with Agnes from the Netherlands. One summer her family spent a few days in the French part of Switzerland, and she was nice enough to stop for brunch near where I live. We had a great time. Two minutes into our coffee, she texted her husband "you may leave now, she's legit."
What was this all about?
Turns out, her family was waiting in the parking lot in case I was not who am I but an ugly old man looking for an adventure! Good thinking, you can't be too careful, right?
One stop of our 2018 fall road trip was Philadelphia, where I finally met my long time online best friend and soul sister Beth! We had lunch and coffee at the King of Prussia Mall. Such an epic moment!
Yes, people post a lot of garbage on social media, they fight, they spread rumors and hate, but hey, you may always scroll past or delete them!
Oh, and yes, social media can totally be a bad, bad time thief, so you've got to be careful not to get sucked in too much.
So I say use the benefits, ignore the hassle.
If you're not already following me on the following platforms why don't you head over and check them out:
Let's connect! FB and IG are my favorite. Facebook for the convenient handling, and Instagram for its editing features. I added Snapchat, so my son can send me memes and other fun stuff, but otherwise I don't use it, and I also have an inactive Twitter account, but I can't find any fun in Twitter.
What is your take on social media platforms, and which one is your favorite?
Let me know in the comments below. Hope you come back for 12 more days of chill! In the meantime why don't you visit my fellow bloggers' posts over here.
Thursday, January 2: A new decade
Friday, January 3: Beautiful places
Monday, January 6: Is that chicken?
Tuesday, January 7: Show me the way
Wednesday, January 8: Naps
Thursday, January 9: Snow
Friday, January 10: Fri-Yay
Monday, January 13: Social Media
Tuesday, January 14: Cheddar
Wednesday, January 15: Dream on
Thursday, January 16: Popcorn
Friday, January 17: Snapshot
Monday, January 20: Last meal
Tuesday, January 21: Battle of the phones
Wednesday, January 22: Sign it in ink
Thursday, January 23: Spam
Friday, January 24: May I take your order?
Monday, January 27: A cocktail, if you will
Tuesday, January 28: Bring me to you
Wednesday, January 29: Oh, thank goodness!
love your photo with Beth :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like your in-person meetings went well! Agnes was smart to take precautions. One never knows if an online personality is real or not. Had two bad experiences, there, where people completely misrepresented themselves. Both con artists! One even faked her own death from cancer, to solicit donations to a favourite "charity" (meaning herself).
ReplyDeleteYour take on social media is spot-on, and it is hard not to get sucked into the vortex. My husband has no use for Facebook either (or anything computer-related, for that matter), but I made him a profile page anyway, just for fun. ☺ I never use our real last name online, so getting bothered by people from our past is not an issue. Works like a charm!
Instagram and Facebook are my main two as well, but I'm active on Twitter because it's an excellent blog-promotion tool. That's all I use it for and I'm even auto-sharing your posts there, via dlvr.it. Check it out! @DebbieDoglady. Pinterest gets a lot of action, but I don't fully understand it. Anyway, we are connected on all the platforms you mentioned.
I love social media, when it's not about politics or religion. I have my beliefs and keep them to myself. I don't care to argue or be persuaded to change. I do love connecting with others and have met some of my very best friends through social media. AND yes, met in person. If you're ever in GA, USA look me up!
ReplyDeleteDawn aka Spatulas On Parade
Social media is quite the animal. My instagram and Twitter are each open pretty much for whoever to follow (until I think it's a bad thing) and my Facebook is highly protected. With that, I don't really add people I haven't met outside the computer, and I *usually* won't add people with whom I work. It's not that there's anything bad on there -- there isn't -- but Facebook is more family and close friends. I also don't put a lot of stuff there.
ReplyDeleteAnd smart move meeting people in a public space as well. I'm still leery at times with this, though I've met a few people.