Everyday we’re witnessing explosive growth and developments in technology that enables us to create, distribute, connect and communicate like never before. Many people enjoy relaxing in front of their computer, logged onto their favorite social media website, catching up with online friends and even family that live far away. They laugh at silly posts, read status updates, look at and post pictures/videos and play games. In itself, there is nothing wrong with online social media websites, in fact they can be a great way for some people to stay connected with friends and loved ones not close by. For that, I think social media sites are great, but I feel as if there is a point when we become too connected.
At any one moment there are millions of us texting, tweeting, sharing pictures on Instagram or updating Facebook. What that means is we have to concentrate more on the phone and the computer. And that makes us take our attention away from those around us. I’ll admit I am completely guilty of sitting in the same room as a friend while we ignore each other’s presence and check our email, facebook, instagram, and twitter. Maybe we should think about what we’re losing by using social media – the social skills that help us establish trust and understanding with our fellow human beings, and rediscovering those quality conversations.
I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now change your Facebook status to “married”
We are constantly checking our phones and tablets for the latest update on social media sites. We all seem to have heart palpitations if we misplace our iPhones for 5 minutes, and the world clearly comes to an end if we forget our phones at home for a whole day. I recently read an article called “Are You an Infomaniac,” and according to the article:
- 34% check their smartphone after sex,
- 23% go on Twitter more than 10 times a day,
- 51% check social network sites at dinner,
- 62% use their phones while shopping and
- 42% will stop a conversation if their phone beeps.
People want or need to be connected to their email and social media channels constantly. This has made me almost come to the point where I resent social media because I am guilty of just about everything on that list. But while I complain about information overload and having no time to do the quality things in life, I am at the same time adding to the volume.
I love Facebook. I adore the sarcastic comments acquaintances make on one another’s status updates. I delight in connecting with old friends, and learning about new friends. I cherish sharing pictures and having the opportunity to show them to friends and family. I get a surprising amount of local and national news from social media. Facebook connects me in meaningful and not-so-meaningful ways to the people and places I care about. Up until I started this class, I refused to get a Twitter. I personally don’t believe my life is interesting enough to update people on… unless you really want to hear how I #wenttoclass, #studiedfortheCPA, or #madechickenfordinner.
While I still feel that we spend too much time on social media sites, I have to embrace it. The world is shifting to 140 character status updates. This is why I signed up for a social media class. I am hoping to change my opinion on social media. I want to see all of the benefits it has to offer, especially for the business world. I want to better understand how to use social technologies to reduce overload and complexity instead of add to it. Social media is rapidly revolutionizing just about every aspect of business, and I want to embrace it with an open mind. So bring on the hash tags, tweets, blogs, reposts ect.
We may be able to connect with hundreds if not thousands of people we come in contact with but does all this technology and communication lines make our communications more meaningful? By the end of the semester I am hoping to believe the answer to that question is “yes” and know why.
Article: “Are you an Infomaniac?”: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4647178/Were-losing-memory-and-becoming-selfish.html
I am really loving the positivity of many of these blog posts. Like you, as much as I whine about the ridiculousness of social media, I have to be on board, and I want to learn how to use it in the most effective, efficient, and well-balanced way (whatever that means).
I have the same attitude towards social media. Although social media does connect people, it also detracts from the traditional relationships and interactions of meeting up and just talking. I also am guilty of sitting in a room with friends in silence while checking social media sites. We definitely have to embrace it because social media is not just a trend, it is the future. If we educate ourselves on social media and where it is heading, then we can use it in a more efficient manner.
Very nice thoughtful blog post. I do confess that, even for me, social media is a bittersweet relationship. I do have to be very conscious about turning off my smartphone when my kids are around, so I don’t miss the relationship with them. At the same time, my mother (who lives 1000 miles away) can have a very different relationship with her grandchildren because of social media like skype and Facebook. My goal for the class is to have us thinking deeply about the pros and cons of this use, so we can maximize the strengths and minimize the drawbacks.
Love this post. It reflects exactly how I feel, or perhaps felt, about social media. Why do people care what I’m doing? Is it worth updating my status or tweeting about it? In reality, no probably not. However, the social media world isn’t really reality. It’s a reality we have created ourselves where we can be much more deliberate about our self image, and about what we share and show. That being said, why not jump on the social media bandwagon. Literally everyone else is doing it. And, in order to be an effective user of social media, that means we have to be comfortable with sharing about yourselves. If we don’t share, we can’t expect to connect with other people. But like Paige points out in her comment, we should have a positive attitude about social media. It’s here to stay, and it is actively changing the way we live our lives. We can’t just ignore it anymore. I think there is a way to be an avid social media user and connect with millions of people we may not even know personally, but still maintain meaningful relationships and communication with the people in our day to day lives-our friends, and our family. It’s a difficult balancing act, but I believe it can be done.
As a professional, I unfortunately have come to know and appreciate the value that social media can bring to businesses big and small. As an individual, Im not a fan of social media. Before this class, the only social media I used was Facebook. I signed up for Facebook because in this age of globalization, several of my close friends are scattered all over and I wanted to see what they were up to from time to time. But there are times when I go on to Facebook ( and now Twitter) and I see the amount of time and energy people spend on it that I think to myself that the long term survival of our species could be threatened. Maybe im old fashioned, but my opinion is that if you really want to have a meaningful exchange with someone, you call them or you meet them in person; and if you cant do either of those it probably means that you are doing something more relevant for you at that time, so embrace the moment and connect with others some other time. I will continue to use social media sporadically for personal use, and i hope this class teaches us how to use social media in our jobs, but if what I want is jibber jabber, ill stick to the real thing. Great post