Image by gniliep via Flickr Written by Karen D. Swim
Happy Friday! I hope this has been a good week for everyone. I hit the pause button yesterday and enjoyed hanging out in the “real world.” It was nice to take a break on a day I would normally be working. The brief break validated two things: 1) I have spent far too much time of late on the computer and 2) people out there (you know in the rest of our world without an avatar) could care less about the issues that seem so important online!
My first clue came when I had an urge to tweet my activities. Admittedly these could have been by best tweets yet because real life has great material! However, I was surrounded by real people and in a daring move… I talked to them! No 140 character limit or need to @, dm or add a smiley. Now don’t get me wrong I am normally chatty and strike up conversations wherever I go, but this was Thursday in the middle of a work day.
I mentioned Twitter and Facebook a few times during the day and um no one cared. Seriously. There was no talk of analytics, trends, fail whales or LinkedIn’s new group policy. Because, apparently a large part of the real world just doesn’t care.
There is however, common ground. We all care about the things that matter – life (yea, suprisingly we are all pretty darn happy to wake up each day), health, family, career, balance, etc. Essentially many of the things that we tweet, kwip and plurk are the same things discussed in the neighborhood barber shop or the corner store. So, why I wondered are we often so polarized?
Those of us who are involved in social media and online work tend to forget that we still represent only a small percentage of the population. Many more people see online as primarily email. Our online experts are often unknown outside of cyberspace. Yet those that have made a name in the real world are known by all.
So, what did I learn? I learned to not take this all so seriously. I can stress about stats, polls and SEO or I can put it in perspective and simply enjoy the journey. I also learned that well, I need to get out more! I need more days where there is no purpose other than to just hang and let life happen.
Now, it’s your turn. How do you manage your online time? Have you ever felt the need to dial it down? Do your real world peeps share your online interests? Talk to me, because I’m back and I am interested! 😉
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Hi Trisha! LOL! Yes, they are out there, next time I’ll bring photo evidence! LOL! It does feel weird at first doesn’t it, like you’re missing out on something? We all could use the break from it on occasion, I think it’s healthy!
There are people without an avatar? Where is this so-called “real world” you speak of? 😉
Last weekend – I didn’t have my computer on at all on Saturday! It felt weird.
Trishas last blog post..One World, One Dream
@ Kyle, Twitter does tend to draw blank stares. My old colleagues (many Corporate Sales and Marketing) are only just now starting to sign up on LI and Plaxo. I recently worked with my old company and was shocked at how slow the wheels of change turn in a Fortune 100 company. It was clear that another advantage of social media is real time access to innovations and information. By the time things hit the “real world,” many of us have been there, done that and are on to the next thing.
Oh my gosh, I was so busy in the real world, I forgot to come back to my own blog! Sheesh, please forgive me for the tardy response. I was actually locked out of my blog for most of Saturday too….
@Brad, step away from the computer man, now! 🙂 I happen to know that you also spent many hours this weekend in front of that screen. Get some fresh air and polish up your ahem dancing. 🙂
@Jean, your approach sounds extremely balanced and one we can all use! You have adopted the social media technologies that fit you but stay connected. Thanks for sharing that great advice!
@Roland, I think it is very healthy to have a diversified social network. However, I also am committed to introducing “the real world” to social media. There are so many valuable benefits for business and personal, and technology is becoming an even greater dividing force along economic lines at least here in the US.
@Laurel, what a great perspective Laurel and congrats on tackling the online world! Life is all about balance. I still am a firm believer in the value of social media but like anything realize the need to strike a balance and occasionally stepping away to maintain a fresh perspective.
@Evelyn, you always have such a great perspective and upbeat attitude. We love that about you. 😉 If I forget to just hang, feel free to tap me on the shoulder. Thanks Evelyn. 🙂
@Kyle, very wise point. Also there’s presence versus engagement.
Roland: There is a big difference between Collaboration on Social Media and a presence on Social Media.
Facebook: Presence
FriendFeed: Collaboration
Kyle Lacys last blog post..2 Important Things to Remember When Blogging
Thanks for the link Karen. 🙂
When it comes to Social Media there is one name that gets the most “huh” faces: Twitter.
In my circle of business networking LinkedIN and Plaxo are centered around a lot of the conversations because of the application it has in our daily lives.
Application is an important thing to remember. People will not use something unless they see the MERIT and the return.
ROI is extremely important.
It’s tempting to just stay home and be on the internet the whole day. However, I’ve learned that it is important to take a break on a regular basis. Real life gives us a chance to be grounded, stay connected with friends outside the virtual world, as well as provide us with ideas for web content. Hence, I love it when you said “I need more days where there is no purpose other than to just hang and let life happen”!
Evelyn Lims last blog post..Guest Post: 7 Tips On How To Handle Rejection In Life
Just a few months ago, I did not even know what social media meant. Take all of the jargon including the word blog and in my mind it was all versions of My Space. You know, the things the kids are all into now.
But, I wanted to build an interactive website to go with a new venture. Wow! What a difference a month can make. One night my husband was lurking over my shoulder. I asked him what he was doing. He said that he was looking for the cord to unplug me so we could go to bed.
Now I have specific time limits allotted for the computer. It is so very easy to be drawn into the online world. Too Easy. And hours quickly flow by feeling like minutes.
Laurel Plums last blog post..Begin A Replenish Journal and A New Adventure
I can proudly state that noone in my vicinity has ever heard of Twitter or Plurk, and the majority don’t write blogs, don’t even read them.
They don’t really use feeds either.
Ah, yes, and I work in IT. There you go with the “everyone’s on the Social Media” battle cry 🙂
Karen,
I had met a lot of people outside the online world this week. Twitter was something none of them had heard of (I had to describe it in very simple words), and blogging was something they heard of, but considered a quite exotic thing. That experience fully supports what you said. Those people I met (mostly women) are not living in some far-off ivory towers. One of them is a teacher, two others are educationalists who use the internet for communicating a lot, but have never blogged nor tweeted and are still alive and kicking…
Ulla Hennigs last blog post..Seagulls fighting
Well. I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t get to have real world (RW) conversations about the Internet. I just can’t get enough online time though. Here I am doing the client work, blogging, catching up on my feeds, commenting. No time to tweet! No time to go exploring and find new sites! No time to give my blog the maintenance that it desperately needs. Ack!
Melissa Donovans last blog post..Slam Poetry’s Wonder Woman
Oh I hear you! Loud and clear. All the crazy online shit just makes me want to have a cigarette!
I totally agree. You have to take it all with a grain of salt. You can get too wrapped up in it and spend far too much time online.
I turn off everything when I’m working on the computer so I won’t get tempted to start perusing.
We went to a nice party last night and talked to non virtual people. It’s nice seeing people’s faces and hearing laughter. And eating…well you can’t get that from your computer!
Have a good weekend Karen. E
Ellen Wilsons last blog post..The Forward Momentum of Bloggery (continued)
I don’t use Facebook, etc. I have two blogs and write one post a week on each of them. That gives me plenty of time to play with ideas and integrate my blogging with the rest of my life. I don’t worry about SEO, etc.
Why do I write? To experience The Joy of Being a Blockhead, the impulse to share. I’m interested in stimulating conversations, so I spend as much time commenting on other people’s posts as I do writing my own. Thanks for asking!
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monks last blog post..My Brain Is My Favorite Toy
Whoa, Karen. I’ve sitting in front of my computer since 5:30am, 9.5 hours. Your statements hit me like a slap in the face. The computer can really creep up on you, can’t it? Most of my friends and family think Twitter is a cartoon bird or something you find in a stereo speaker. We do have to break out of our little world once in a while! Kudos to you for doing it, gasp, during the week! 🙂
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Timing Is Everything for Your Blogging Style