Friday, September 3, 2010

SOCIAL MEDIA 101

My husband barely knows what Facebook is. Most of my friends think that only the birds tweet. I feel that it is my obligation to educate those people who are ignorant about social media. Yes, social media is what is going to take over what is left of the “old world.” Social media is going to wipe out the few remaining newspapers, the book publishing industry, and thus libraries, bookstores, and probably person to person interaction. Since, according to experts, this is going to happen very soon, it is essential to know what social media is.

Everybody has heard of Facebook. Invented by a Harvard kid to make “hooking up” easier, Facebook quickly outstripped “My Space” and all other interactive sites. I think people even run their businesses on it. It has allowed millions of people worldwide to locate their high school boyfriends/girlfriends only to discover that they are now old and boring. It also allows many of us with eventless lives to post pictures of our children to share with others.

Twitter is much better than Facebook. Twitter is like the old “instant messaging” that our kids all did instead of their homework. Twitter is just much more encompassing. After just a few weeks on Twitter, one can talk in real time with people from Ireland, Africa, Ecuador, and Hackensack. Twitter messages are very efficient, allowing a person only 140 characters to get a message across. Thus it is very fast. One’s Twitter friends are called “tweeps.” A “tweet” is a twitter message. A “twit” is apparently anybody who isn’t on Twitter.

There are many other social media outlets such as “Discus,” “LinkedIn,” “StumbleUpon,” and “Digg,” just to name a few others. They must not be any good, because I am not on any of them. I have found over three thousand soul mates on Twitter, and therefore spend huge amounts of time sharing things with these dear friends, such as what I had for dinner, why I hate white kitchen floors, and how frustrating it is to be married to an accordion player.

I began my stints on Facebook and Twitter as a writer looking for an audience. I remain on both sites as a writer, yes, but also as a person who craves constant input from hundreds of people I will most likely never set eyes upon. I feel that these folks are my real friends. This is a bit absurd, since I know only small bytes of information about any of them. But it is comforting to be able to “shout out” to these hordes of people and get immediate conversation! Apparently, there is a little bit of loneliness in all of us that Facebook and Twitter seem to fill very nicely.

There are dire prognostications and bestselling books being published (probably mostly on Kindles) that we are headed for a time when each of us will remain isolated in our own little cell, interacting with others only on our keyboards. Yes, this sounds a bit dire, I must admit. HOWEVER, there is a sunny side to all of this, in my view. To me, interacting with people in Africa, while I wear pajamas and scratch myself, is perfect! Really, who doesn’t want to pontificate on the state of healthcare, Hurricane Earl, or string theory while belching? It is the best scenario for those of us with unsightly skin conditions, unbearable shyness, or bowed legs. Believe me when I tell you that I have friends out there of all colors, all religions, all ages, and even a few assorted tweeting dogs and cats. The Twitterworld is a wonderful place. Facebook isn’t bad, either. Social Media may replace books, and face to face conversations, but I seriously doubt it.

What Social Media IS doing is letting old ladies like me become popular again. People all over the world care about 140 characters worth of what I am thinking. All of my friends from grade school appreciate my input!

21 comments:

  1. Ha! Oh, indeed, good lady. The twitterverse is a wonderful thing. Especially since, as I'm having my morning coffee, someone in Melbourne is rubbing my nose in the fact that they're already having their evening glass(es) of wine. *sigh*

    It's like we geeks can be the popular kids for once. ;)

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  2. The wonderful thing about Twitter is that while one does speak to people around the world, there may be opportunities to meet in real life. For example, I am going to London soon and plan to meet up with someone I talk to on Twitter who lives there.

    And someone is coming to DC in the spring, and I plan to meet him, too.

    I'm wearing a bathrobe right now, and having coffee. But I combed my hair.

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  3. I still haven't caught on to the twitter thing, but all these distant "friendships" take so much time! I barely have time to stalk my grown children on facebook. How can I fit twittering into my busy schedule?
    And by the way--As a kindle owner and my facebook and twitter friend, you should consider downloading my novel, Entangled http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21539
    No pressure:)

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  4. My God, Barbara, I had no idea! Consider it downloaded! And Simon, I am right now blowing my nose..molly

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  5. :) I love the Twitter. And because you are on it, I like it that much better.

    And you're right, Stumbleupon & Digg make NO sense to me.

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  6. I avoided Twitter for a full year--thinking my screen life would spin out of control.

    I found it a much more efficient way to keep up blog friendships.

    Which is -ahem- why my blog reading is in the toilet. So to speak.

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  7. You have made me laugh out loud. Yes, on Twitter.
    That counts for something, doesn't it? #humortherapy

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  8. This is so true. I'm a loner by nature, but I love the people I've met on Twitter. They are my friends more than any I've had in "real" life. Perhaps because they don't know enough about me to be judgemental.

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  9. Ok, ok already, when are you coming to my house for dinner! :)

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  10. I am available for dinner most nights! Thank you all for the comments. molly

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  11. I haven't talked to a real human in months, but I don't care because I've got my Twitter friends and my Facebook friends. Yes, there are things I might like to talk about, but I put them on my blog.

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  12. I can't remember if it was in 1984 or in Farenheit 451 where people began to buy masks so that they could talk to each other via video and still look good...I shouldn't have read those books so close in proximity because they've kind of blended together in my head. But that's what I've been thinking about as I've delved into my Social Media experience.

    At first, I spoke to people without a picture of myself and without my real name. Now I have both. With Skype and other similar technologies, we can talk to each other almost as if we are in person, but we won't be able to do so without combing our hair and getting dressed (unless it's family, I suppose). Who will sell the Skype Masks that will let us remain in our PJs yet still talk to people? I'm keeping my eyes open :)

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  13. Ha ha, you aren't old so knock it off. And I don't call my Twitter friends "tweeps." I call them twerps, goons & stalkers. A few friends are starting a movement to get either t-shirts or buttons made that say "I"m one of Alexandra's twerps...."
    I get dressed to type. Makes me feel like I've accomplished something. Then I promptly get distracted and burn whatever I'm baking.

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  14. Great post, and absolutely spot on.
    I totally disagree that social media will totally wipe out tranditional media. i will always love reading newspapers in coffee shops. Adore receiving letters (once a year), and positively scowl at people that send me e-cards rather than the real thing. BUT, i do think that it can be a little obsessional and take up too much of the day. Right, i'm just off to twitter to check out how popular i am since i checked 24 seconds ago.

    M2M

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  15. Really, the comments are often funnier than the post...molly

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  16. Yeah, I agree that social media will replace (is replacing) a lot (but not all) of the old media. It will never replace real life, though. Just like with TV, there will always be some of us who tend to over-use, but even I get up and go DO thing in the 3-dimensional world sometimes.

    If I ever have to be visible via anything other than a photo, chosen by me, to use social media, though, I am SO outta here.

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  17. Don't say that Molly. I know that you are right but it scares me to think that social media will replace the old world.

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  18. Social media allows us to reconnect and build human networks. It's a great tool set for building new relationships and strengthening old ones.

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  19. This is a great post, I'm glad I found your page :) I am apparently still a "twit" since I haven't found the urge to "tweet"

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  20. Thank you all for reading my "tongue in cheek" treatise. Chris, thanks for your good humor--I know you are a REAL social media guru! Ken, thanks for the visit as well! molly

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  21. I remember as a kid thinking ahead to the future of communication. We always pictured a telephone (yes, still tethered to the wall) with a mini t.v. screen in it, in which you would be able to see the person to whom you were speaking. And look at where we are now! Technology is amazing! ~ Tanja/NXT Media

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