How Social Do You Want to Be?

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I was a reluctant Facebook adopter around 2009. A professor had our class create accounts to introduce us to this growing world of what is now called social media. My first posts probably consisted of a book I was reading or a picture of a flower, who knows. I have gone from having more than 1000 friends to less than 100 (currently). Basically, if I don't know you personally and haven't communicated with you in at least a year we are not friends. I also at some point sent out a Facebook post that read, "real friends here. If you want to stay friends with me then please respond to this post. Don't just like it, respond." My husband was unfriended for about two months before he noticed that we weren't friends anymore. I never said a word. We are caught up in a world that is training us to rely on the "likes", "retweets", and number of followers that has caused to become slaves to our devices. For my sanity, I can't comply...fully. I let my Twitter account sit for a while for the same reasons. and Instagram. I am not an engaging fan of social media. I do, but not often. So, this will be a challenge for me. I also, have issues with creating a fake account because I want people to know who they are interacting with. That's one of the problems with social media, right? You don't know who to trust. With that said, you will most likely see pictures of my dog or a quote that I snagged from Pinterest. I will comment (only in a positive capacity). I will be social, in the only way that I can. Limited.

Comments

  1. tsandaalJuly 1, 2018 at 6:19 PM

    This is a powerful post. My first thought is that I want to unfriend my wife and see how long it takes for her to find out, but I am utterly certain that she would know immediately. She has a sixth sense about this sort of thing. I have done app purges on my phone in the last year or so and have ended up justifying a return because of "necessity." Good luck in the class, and thanks for putting it out there that we may just be headed down the wrong path. Have you watched Black Mirror on Netflix, by any chance? Quite a few of their episodes (they are stand alone, sort of like a contemporary Twilight Zone) deal with social media, taken out to possible dystopian conclusions.

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    Replies
    1. Pamela Monroe July 2, 2018 at 9:20 AM

      My fear is that I will go down that long hall of being social and never come out! I have seen a few episodes of Black Mirror but not that one. Thanks for the recommendation.

      Delete
  2. VanessaJuly 2, 2018 at 9:35 AM

    There's no right or wrong way to be on social media (especially for a personal account). Many people struggle with this idea, struggle to try to fit in to a mold that they see elsewhere. Personally, I think the best way to be on social media is in a way that makes you feel fulfilled with the interaction that you have. If it isn't working, then change is necessary. Some people want a lot of connections, some want to perform their life rather publicly, and others want few connections and to restrict what they share. Neither is better.

    I understand what you mean about not creating fake accounts so people know who they are interacting with, but often people with pseudonyms are known to the others in their network. I have more than one friend who posts online under an assumed name, but everyone who matters knows who the person is in real life. However, unwanted followers won't find these folks in a search, which is a good reason to use a pseudonym.

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  3. ryantaylorJuly 3, 2018 at 9:41 PM

    Hi Pamela, I appreciate the honesty and feel your thoughts in part reflect my own. I really like to use social media as a platform to share some family photos of the kids for my relatives I don't get to see often. But outside that, I have been reluctant to dive into the social media world. I'm the type that will happily watch a nice sunset without feeling the need to take a photo and share it with others. I think a big part of this is that fear you mention of digital slavery.

    I have also gone the route of adopting a pseudonym, I don't know about you but I am finding this really difficult. Between all the platform and posting for other classes, it seems by design that it is difficult to have multiple accounts.

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    Replies
    1. Pamela Monroe July 4, 2018 at 9:52 AM

      I can only say...go to know I am not alone. Thanks for understanding.

      Delete

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