Jennifer Ouellette is writing a blog post
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on January 5th, 2010
This is your life, in 140 characters or less! Constant status updates make sure that no one will ever have to wonder if you are having fun at that party you were invited to, or how you are feeling in the wake of your last emotional crisis.
I’ll be the first to admit I love social media and use Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Blogspot. I enjoy the freedom of sharing my thoughts and ideas, and also keeping in touch with friends and family who are “plugged in”. I even have a friend who recently admitted that they started going on Twitter just to get a hold of me to make plans (I felt fairly guilty, and cocktails were on me that week). But now the tide is turning, and social media critics are vocalizing the issues they feel are created from these online applications.
Today’s Globe and Mail features a very interesting article “Detox du jour: unplugging from Facebook” which takes a look at the reasons behind (as well as challenges to) abandoning social media sites and technology in favor of “more human interaction”. Another great article brought to my attention today (by Joseph Thornley) is the news that actor, writer and until recently, Twitter enthusiast Stephen Fry has decided to “go offline” for a brief period in order to concentrate on his writing.
Want to take things a step further? A recent related phenomenon that caught my attention was the slightly over the top “Web 2.0 Suicide Machine” which flashes slogans such as “So many people you don’t care about”, “Say good-bye with dignity” and “Feel free like a real bird again and untwitter yourself”. The website application completely and permanently deletes your social media profiles in one foul swoop. I think the term “suicide” and the USB noose on the site are a bit dramatic, but are trying to use some dark humor to show how attached people are getting to their online persona.
Personally, I don’t see myself pulling the plug anytime soon. Social media has been instrumental in allowing me to network, meet new people, keep in touch with friends and family from my hometown and overseas as well as provide me with a global learning tool from the blogs of some innovative and respected professionals. Why would I want to abandon all that?
Still, I know many people who are opting for this social strategy in hopes of freeing up their schedules and making a commitment to increasing their face time with friends. Which leaves me with this question, do you need to be unplugged to be productive and social? If the line has been truly drawn in the pro or anti-social media war, which side do you find yourself on? Personally, I’m “pro” on this issue but would love to hear what you think.
Will you be unplugging in 2010?
January 5th, 2010 » 4:34 pm
Great post Jennifer and nice zeroing in on the impact that Twitter has had on all of our lives. If you aren’t using it you’ve at least heard about it – something I dare say we couldn’t have said last year at this time.
I won’t be pulling the plug on Twitter this year or anytime soon as I get so much out of it personally and professionally…so here’s to Following more of your Tweets in 2010. Cheers,
Andy
January 6th, 2010 » 9:12 am
Thanks Andy, great point about how popular it became in such a short time. I wonder if Twitter will have real staying power, it will be interesting to watch the social media landscape change and evolve over my lifetime.
January 11th, 2010 » 3:49 pm
Hi Jennifer,
I stumbled across your blog post as a direct result of one of the media applications you are speaking about which is LinkedIn. I just added one of your colleagues as my sister suggested that LinkedIN is a great avenue to network with people and I had beter get on board! I am a very mild user of Facebook and as of yet have not entered the dark side of Twitter.
From my point of view it seems that if we are not involved in some capacity with these social media applications we are simply missing the boat. There are a lot of opportunities to connect with people from both the present and past that can be influential in our lives in a very positive way, if we don’t stay conected we will be left behind!
I see nothing wrong with any of these domains as long as they are used properly and respectfully meaning we don’t get addicted! I do see a lot of people spending way too much time surfing their Twitter, MSN or facebook in the hopes that someone they know will soon pop online to chat with when they could be doing something a lot more constructive…..hmmmm is that what I am doing here…lol.
No need for the suicide machine, get connected, stay connected but be in control!
January 11th, 2010 » 8:46 pm
Staying on top of what happens online can get overwhelming and can make for a long day if you have things that have to get done even while you’re interrupting yourself all day long.
I was thinking about this issue this weekend, and intentionally stayed offline for most of it, and in fact, occupied my mind with other things than work-related subjects, on which I spend the bulk of my online time. I actually felt guilty, even though I know that for me, personally, turning my mind off-topic for a 48-hour stretch of time is just the right amount of time to re-boot my energy and creativity.
So, to answer your question, I would never totally unplug, but I do struggle to find a balance between real life and online time that works for me.
January 12th, 2010 » 9:11 am
Hi Jamie, and glad you came to check out PR Girlz. I agree, like everything in life maybe social media is good in “moderation”. I haven’t personally experienced the side where people get “disconnected”. I use social media to stay in touch with friends and family from around the world and also meet great new people. It works for me.
But you make a very good point Andrea, I have such a long list of things to check; websites, news sources etc. that sometimes it can feel overwhelming. With access to so much news and information, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The other side of that is feeling like you are “missing out” on something…
It’s like a tightrope walk sometimes!
January 25th, 2010 » 1:50 pm
Heck no I won’t be unplugging!
Social Media IS Human Interaction. There are people who are suspicious of anything new, but the logical conclusion of that line of thinking is to get off the grid and go live in the woods.
It’s the future! It’s how the west was won!
January 25th, 2010 » 4:51 pm
Thanks Sean, you’re one of the most “plugged in” folk I know! I think that as long as you know how to use it properly and don’t use social media as a “substitute” for human contact it can be a great networking tool.