So I’m taking this blog in a different direction. I’m writing a book (seriously, it’s on Wattpad – go check it out) and I’m trying to blog more. Wanting an excuse to blog more, but not knowing what to blog about, the universe dumped a 30 Day Writing Challenge in my lap on Facebook. So here goes. . .
Day 1: Five problems with social media.
Seriously? I have no problems with social media other than I’m addicted. Well, let’s see what I can come up with.
- Spoilers.
I hadn’t watched Game of Thrones or read the books yet, and I already knew about SPOILER, SPOILER, the time everybody at the SPOILER got SPOILERed, and how the last book ended. ARGH. - There’s too many of them to keep track of now.
I tried Vine and loved it. I tried Snapchat and hated it. I tried Instagram and . . . well, I haven’t decided yet. I’m a Facebook girl. I try to Tweet, but I’m too long-winded. Oh, and I love Pinterest. It’s all time-consuming, and hard to juggle all of them. - It’s addicting.
I have an addictive personality. I use it to do things like collect 300+ Care Bears (I wish I was joking), incorporate the number three into everything I do, and have ear worms that follow me for days. I’m currently addicted to vanilla root beer. And Facebook. I may or may not have been Facebooking while I’m typing this. Don’t judge. - It can lead to misunderstandings.
We read printed messages with the overtone of our own emotions. We also bring to every interaction the background of our experiences and knowledge. So while one person will read, “OMG something ridiculous happened today!” and think, “Huh. My friend must’ve had something fantastic happen to them,” another person might think, “OH NO! Something awful happened to my friend!!” Imagine this a thousandfold and this is how crankiness and general debauchery occurs and gets out of hand very quickly. - It’s an undue cause of worry.
I googled “Problems With Social Media” and got 765,000,000 results. Everyone wants to weigh in about the dangers of social media, and the problems of social media, and how it’s taking away from real life interactions and identity theft and catfishing and scams and people dying taking selfies and . . . geeeeeeeeez, people. Lighten up. Did people get pissed off that the telephone would reduce face-to-face interactions? Did people get upset that the car would reduce interactions on public transportation and sidewalks? Most likely someone did. But the truth is, times change. People change. Technology changes. And it doesn’t mean we have to change our goals on self-care, respecting others, setting boundaries, and maintaining standards of good quality conversation, enlightening dialogue, and basic information transmission. All it means is that there are new and different ways to do those things – and those ways are evolving. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just something we have to adjust to. Communication is communication – no matter what the format.
I personally love social media. I love communicating, I love expressing myself, and I love writing. These three things go hand in hand with social media. And that’s what I use it for, despite the negative stuff I mentioned above.
Hoooray! First day down. See ya at Day Two.
Marti Kole 