Over the past several months, I’ve developed a truly love-hate relationship with social media. I’ve allowed it to creep into every facet of my life. Case in point, my iPhone, with its ubiquitous social apps, is the first thing I reach for upon waking and the last thing I put aside before sleep.
Social media, once such a novelty, such an amazingly direct link to anyone anywhere, has become a vice. It has become a habit, an impulse, an addiction; and for that I’ve tried to shun social networks each in their turn. But, like a true addict, I couldn’t stay away for long.
What is happening in the world, I’ve wondered to myself while slinking back to HootSuite. Where should I start first, I’ve asked while creating a new board dedicated to Christmas shopping in Pinterest. How can I make my photos look like that, I’ve envied while catching up on my Instagram feed.
Just when I think I’m out, social media pulls me back in. Or, something like that…
It’s difficult to avoid social media these days. Even someone who isn’t on a single social media network (who are you?) is indirectly exposed through social sharing toolbars, hashtags on TV screens, and the lexicon of “Facebook terminology” (think “pokes,” “likes,” and “Facebook official”).
As social media has grown in my own life from personal to professional usage, the novelty of the thing has grown thin and I’ve begun to tire of its demands- even on a personal level. This feeling of social media overload is something I struggle with almost weekly. And yet, I can’t help wondering what is happening on Twitter when I’m not there. I can’t help feeling as though I’m “missing out” on timely content or networking opportunities by neglecting LinkedIn and Facebook. Whether it’s been a week, a day, or a mere hour away; I can’t seem to help crawling back each time.
The thing is, when it comes to social media; the tree that falls in the forest when I’m not there to “hear” it does make a sound. And heaven forbid I miss a single tweet, like, share, pin, or comment about it!
Social Outlier 