Your relationship with social media

[Bullgrit]

What is your relationship with online social media? Are you all in all the time with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, discussion forums, etc.? Or are you a social media hermit? Do you love the whole concept of social media, or do you consider a scourge of civilization?

If you are all in with social media, is it personal choice or because of your profession? If you are a hermit, is it personal choice or because you just have no need?


Secondary subject:

How many online accounts (usernames w/ passwords) do you have?

Bullgrit

 

[delericho]

I have to use Twitter for my pipe band. I hate it.

I'm not on Facebook.

I do have a blog though.

 

[Morrus]

I've started cutting back on it. I have removed all social media from my mobile phone (and even buried the email app deep within folders to make it awkward to get to).

I was using it too much. A couple of weeks ago, after I removed all the social media stuff from my phone, I was in the pub and looked around. Of our group of 6, 4 were looking at their phones.

That said, it's essential for my work with EN World. I can't cut it out completely. I'm one of Google/FB/Twitter's pawns!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Put me in the hermit category. It's got its uses, and I will recommend it for certain purposes, but I'm not really interested. I don't have a past or present Twitter, Facebook, etc. account.

Hell- I barely even text message.

 

[Morrus]

The Walmartification of the internet does bother me. Giant multinationals like Google are hard to compete with by tiny businesses like those closing down all over the web. Obviously, I'm biased, being one of those tiny businesses, but it is a long-term worry.

Generally, I think the best (only) strategy is to join them, and integrate social media into small websites like this one. Of course, that annoys a lot of people, too, but I feel that in the long term it's a survival necessity. Doesn't mean I like it, but it's what it is.

 

[Dioltach]

I have a LinkedIn account for visibility as a self-employed professional. I have an account on Enworld. That's it.

I can understand the value on a basic level, as a means of an informal way of communicating and staying in touch with people, but I don't understand people who think their random thoughts, pictures of their food and likes and dislikes are interesting enough that they deserve to be shared with the whole world. My theory is that a lot of people secretly think they're one insightful tweet away from being recognised as a great wit or philosopher and achieving instant fame.

And yes, I strongly feel that they should stay off my lawn too.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I do have a Linkedin account.

As for accounts on password-protected sites, well, I have LOTS. Some are for fun, like EnWorld, Guitar Player, and Ultimate-Guitar. Some are for shopping: Amazon, Reverb, eBay, and the like. Some are professional.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

LinkedIn is it for me. My life is very full, so the time I would take at a social media site would have to come from somewhere else, and I don't see the value of social media as being higher than even the least of my current activities.

 

[Hand of Evil]

• Facebook is used to keep track of things for me, TV Shows, RPG Kickstarter news, and selected other interest. I may make a comment on something but have not posted anything for some time.
• Twitter, don't have a use for it.

 

[horacethegrey]

Only facebook, where I get most of my news on stuff that interests me and chat with friends and acquaintances when face to face is not possible.

Have never tried Twitter, and probably never will. It's too easy to sound stupid with such a limited character count. No Instagram either, since I'm not much of a voyeur to photo the s**t out of everything I see with my phone. Not a frequent poster on forums I'm a member of (including Enworld sadly).

Only use one username, which is what I use here. Have different passwords for different stuff, because of some stupid password requirements.

Simply put, I think social media is wonderful tool for communication, but you really have to be careful with what you say or do, lest you be targeted with a online hate parade.