Friday, my very first piece of global snark will debut on one of the biggest niche websites in America. Which one, you ask?
Tune in Friday.
Today, I want to hear from you.
How satisfied are you with your social media experiences?
Do you feel more/less connected than two years ago?
How often do you get together with friends who occupy the same geography?
These questions relate to Friday’s story, but I’d love to read your thoughts today.
And before you read Friday’s piece, I’m issuing a disclaimer:
I did not write Friday’s story with anyone in mind.
I did not pen it to be hateful,
to embarrass anyone,
to be passive aggressive
or to make anyone I know feel
anger/remorse/horror/rebuke.
In fact, I hope a few people will
relate and maybe find it funny.
I’ll come back to this post Friday and provide a link to the piece with instructions for sharing. I’ll also pound out a quick Friday post with the same information.
52 Comments
Can’t wait! I am sure you planned that just for my birthday on Friday.
BTW, where is that picture of the columns from? Very cool looking.
The timing was determined by the outlet. Maybe THEY knew it was your birthday.
Windsor Ruins, near the Natchez Trace and Natchez, MS. It’s usually the iconic Mississippi picture.
Oh, and by the way, I met you through social media. You are one of my best all time social media experiences. So yes, very happy. 🙂
I’ve met so many great people through SM.
Andra,
Another fact I didn’t know about you!
Some might say TMI but sharing is caring!
Does my previous answer count as snark?
Ha, Robert. SM is actually a big ole hint.
To the questions:
How satisfied are you with your social media experiences? I’m totally engaged everyday and enjoy it. I can’t say there had been a profound change in life or book sales, but I enjoy the outlet between novels.
Do you feel more/less connected than two years ago? Definitely more.
How often do you get together with friends who occupy the same geography? I am answering by defining friends as those on social media- Never
Interesting answers, John. Thanks for sharing them. For many people in my life, social media is the only way to be connected at all. You’re one of those people.
Thank you. You are as well and I feel richer for the connection.
Without social media I would not have you as a friend, I would not (probably) have found your books, I would not have connected to other authors. It has expanded my knowledge in so many ways. I can honestly say you have changed me for the better, or I should say I want to be better so I try. I do get frustrated when my favorites do not pop up on my feed (because I’m lazy), and it does kind of freak me out that when I’ve looked at something (in case I want to buy it), it pops up in my feed all the time. I love social media – it has broadened my horizons, it’s taught me a lot. The down side? I don’t have one yet. Oh, wait, there was the time that I complained about Mike’s nephew (I didn’t say it was a nephew, nor did I give out any names) killing a beautiful rubber boa up at the cabin, one of the hateful sisters who trolls my facebook page copied it and gave it to the mother of the offending adult/child/nephew, and a war ensued…yes, it’s supposedly ongoing but I don’t pay much attention to it. Only one of his family members is my friend – so, has it ruined a relationship? Not so much as we weren’t friends anyway…wow – this is a long one. Anyway, all in all, I love social media!
I’m glad I’m asking these questions today and didn’t ask them two weeks ago. Ha. Because I never would’ve submitted my piece to the site that’s running. Too late now. Ha again.
Social media has given me some amazing people. You’re one of those people I consider a dear friend, even though we’ve never met in person. I do wonder sometimes if social media doesn’t make me ignore the people right in front of me or keep me from engaging directly with people I can actually see in real life.
My main challenge with social media is the fact that I use different outlets for different purposes, and donning different masks. I wouldn’t imagine sharing personal news on LinkedIn, for instance. There was a time I wouldn’t have even considered friending someone on Facebook who I hadn’t met (and built a friendship with) in real life. Blogging relationships have caused me to be less rigid on that one, but even today I’m reconsidering some Facebook friends who use their blogging persona as their Facebook persona – meaning, I’m sharing my ‘real life’ self on FB, but they are still only revealing their blogging self. I think it’s an unbalanced situation – and as a result ended up de-friending a few bloggers. Why do I feel guilty about that? Why do I feel such hesitation to de-friend others who fit that category? Sorry, rambling.
Even with Twitter I had to break out two separate accounts – one that I know is tied to my professional persona – where I can’t be dropping F-bombs and ranting about pop culture without an impact on my professional relationships – and one tied to the blog where I can be as crass and don’t-give-a-shit as I feel like.
It’s exhausting, frankly. 🙂
Yes! I get it!! I try to be me everywhere, but if I am ever forced to look for employment, nobody will hire me after checking me out online. It is exhausting to maintain different outlets and to recall what I’ve posted where. You shouldn’t feel guilty for unfriending anyone. It happens to me pretty often, and I figure they weren’t my people and even more, not my friends.
I am so intrigued and so need a laugh! Can’t wait to read it, Andra. xoxo
I hope people laugh. I think most will throw things at me.
Hmm. Social media. I enjoy it often, but can’t say I think about it much. Because of that, I often feel like I’m having to catch up with stuff that’s going on. It is a good way to stay in touch with virtual friendships, old high school friends, and to get a sense of what people are thinking about. I get frustrated, sometimes, with the superficiality of it all. For creative people, it’s a tool as well as a social environment. All in all, I’d say it’s an interest toy, but I don’t think my life would change very much if it were to vanish this afternoon.
I wish I still saw it as fun. It used to be fun.
First, I didn’t read all the comments that came before because I now try to limit my time on SM (interesting coincidence these letters have with another practice by some people, eh?) so apologies if it’s just another repeat of what others have said.
1. I hate FB. HATE IT. I now hide there under an assumed name so I can be friends with real friends (who understand and forgive my assumed identity) that I try to see in person at least once a year, if not more. I have 32 friends. I’m super proud of that fact. FB and WP are the only SM places I visit.
2. Do I feel more or less connectedto what than I did 2 years ago? – I feel more connected to real live people than I did 2 years ago when I spent too much time on-line. Which is not to say that there aren’t friendships on-line, on the whole the one’s on-line aren’t as “full” as those in person – for me. We’re all different and come at this with different needs/expectations.
3. I try to get together with real friends once a month. I’m good with that. I like a quiet life and don’t feel the need to be out galavanting with all and sundry just cuz. I prefer hearth and home.
Eagerly awaiting the snark. I’m sure it will make me cringe AND laugh.
I have a love/hate thing with FB. I like how it keeps me connected to people I almost never see. I don’t like how many people I could see are happy to see me through Facebook. Or it seems that way. I’m sure that has everything to do with me.
Snark away, Andra! I met you as a sister blogger! Your humor and wit are a source of joy. As far as social media, I’m afraid I use it as a procrastination tool…easy to do compared to writing my novel:)
It’s a big procrastination tool for me, too. You’re not alone.
I have enjoyed reading people’s blogs and comments on FaceBook as well and have met two lovely women in person through blogging, but I have some close friends who do not use the media and we visit, have dinner together, attend plays together, go to church together, etc. in our daily lives. We’re an over 60 age group, so perhaps that is why it is more comfortable for us to see one another in person, knowing that our time here on this planet is limited.
Time on the planet is limited, regardless of age. I’d like to spend more time in the company of people. Ha. Maybe I need to move to the west coast. 🙂
You’ll find tons of people to talk to here, especially at the beach!
I find it a bit frustrating, time-wise, with Fb trying to horn in on my WP favourite. Also, I give far more emphasis to interaction than I do to promotion of my fiction – which gives good fun but doesn’t advance my cause any!
Interaction and promotion go hand-in-hand. I feel like I’m riding a hamster wheel to infinity. 🙂
Well, duh, I just answered your questions on Facebook while thinking I was posting here. Duh. I need some chocolate.
Everybody needs chocolate.
Hey sweet lady! You know I’m the weirdo that never joined Facebook, but I must confess that on rare occasion I look at my husbands account. We are from the same home town and share a lot of friends that he is friends with on FB. It’s way too addicting for me. I wasted an entire evening stalking some of their photos. I love Instagram and keep it a little more private. It’s evolved for me in that I follow a lot of local interests that share their calendars which I in turn plan dates with friends. Such as 4th Friday’s at the local Co-op this Friday with such and such playing outside from 5-8. $5.00 for a beer tasting…
I feel more connected in that a lot of the fear I had with social media has gone and I’ve allowed myself to engage more with online friends. You were my first. 🙂 Blogging has been the best for me.
I try to get together with friends at least once a week. I love hosting potlucks with a theme. Tonight I’m delivering dinner after work to a friend that is recovering from hip surgery. I’m stopping by three different homes prior to gather more yummies to take. In other words, I get to see 4 of my close friends tonight, if only briefly. I plan on pouring a large glass of wine for myself after the drop off at my sister’s house. 🙂
It does seem like people use social media to find ways to get together in real life. We used to do that in Charleston a ton, but either I’m not invited these days, or people no longer do it. I guess I could try to start it again, but the last time I tried to have a social media driven get together, nobody really rsvp’d and few people came. I suspect this is all about me and not about anyone else. I wish I lived closer to you, because I’d be at your potlucks all the time. 🙂
And I would text you a direct invite every time.
I am mostly very satisfied with my social media experiences, Andra. I’ve made friends with a good many folks with common interests and some not-so-common but interesting and that I hope find me interesting as well. My blog has been a growing experience for me with blogging friends in nearby ‘burbs, across the big pond and even down under – and, I’ve come to meet you in person, spend time with you, and enjoy another friendship. 🙂 All good things, and more.
More connected, probably because of FB. Hearing from friends I haven’t seen in 40+ years and reconnecting with family. Yep. All good.
I’m pretty social and do get together with friends pretty often – like today, in the North Shore, touring an estate, eating a great lunch, and talking, talking, talking. 🙂
I loved meeting you and Tom. You were so kind to let me stay in the B&B. 🙂
I am quite connected on Facebook – Twitter still eludes me although I go in spurts and try. But as connected as I am, I am quite annoyed by the type of posts from many of my friends – I have to stay away from politics and having real opinions about lots of things because of my job. My friends, however, seem to post nothing but political snark and evil thoughts. But they are still my friends (although if they voiced those same opinions to me face to face, I would let them have it). I am probably a bit less connected now than I was a year ago – mostly time constraints. As far as seeing friends face to face, I am quite engaged – I get together with friends (different ones) on a weekly or sometimes daily basis. My job keeps me pretty public though so I am always out and about and engaging with people, even those I connect with online. Plus my best friend is someone I met through blogging long before we actually met face to face. Distance keeps us from seeing each other much, but we are definitely engaged.
I think Facebook can have so many negatives. People post opinions I never wanted to know they had. I’m sure I post things people never wanted to see. I’m really dreading the upcoming political season. The plug-in I used last time to block political commentary was acquired and no longer works, so I don’t know what I’ll do to filter my newsfeed of not just the spewing opinions but the ads. They will be everywhere. Sigh.
And we have months and months and months of it. It’s already started too
How satisfied are you with your social media experiences? It seems to be a mixed bag of emotions. I struggle with how much time I spend online. I support technology during the day and play on technology when I am at home or not really busy at work. I sometime think that as a society that we have relegated ourselves to communicating via sound bytes only. As if sound bytes are enough. Too many issues that face us today cannot be fully engaged through sound bytes. Sometimes I feel as if SM is just so much small talk. Sometimes people say things when sitting behind a keyboard that they would never tell you to your face. Now I am rambling I suppose.
Do you feel more/less connected than two years ago? I am finding myself trying to pull away from SM more just to retrieve peace of mind and some mental sanity. It is just too much information at times. A flood of input from all angles. I hope that makes some sort of sense.
How often do you get together with friends who occupy the same geography? Certainly not enough. I would prefer a quiet evening by the water with my favorite drink and one or two friends that I could talk to face to face and share thoughts and feelings. Hugs are great in person too. Well, unless you are like my friend Michael Carnell. He hates hugs….. Many moons ago when we had the LC blogger meet ups Michael and others encouraged me to come out in person to the meet ups and meet folks like you Andra. I am so thankful that I did and that we are friends.
Sounds like you’re sort of where I am at the moment, James. You’re right that we never do meet-ups anymore. I miss those. I used to throw meet-up parties, but it became so hard to plan them, because people these days don’t want to tell anyone whether they’re coming. Or they think not responding means no. Or they think they’ll make a game-time decision if they’re up for it the day of. All that stuff DROVE ME INSANE. So we stopped having anything here.
I am sorry to hear that Andra and I understand.
Now I’m definitely charged up to see what you’ll be sharing Friday! Very intriguing! And to answer your question about social media, I have a real love-hate relationship. Like so many have said, it’s through social media that I’ve now made some wonderful friends. I never would have met you, and I consider you someone who has really added joy to my life. There are other long-distance friends who make me smile and feel happier just because they are there! How I would miss that if I pulled the plug. And yet the time that goes into staying connected through SM is definitely something I think about. I thin i’m more connected than I was two years ago, but I struggle with it more now. And I have neglected my geographically close friends. I had one tonight texting me about when were we getting together and I had to do a tap dance…I’ve been telling her “soon” for a month! I definitely feel awkward realizing I spend more time with friends on-line than face to face. I should have just answered your questions with two words: “It’s complicated!” 🙂 See you Friday. ox
For people like you, social media is key for me, Debra. I wouldn’t see you otherwise, because you live on the opposite coast. I love social media for those relationships, where I can keep track of far-flung people I care about and make new connections.
I can’t stand it for my day-to-day relationships. Everyone these days uses social media as a catch-all for personal connection, eyeballs and human contact. It doesn’t replace human contact for me. I don’t know what to do about friends I used to see regularly who are now AWOL in my life but waving on social media all the time. Maybe they don’t want to see me. Maybe life’s busy. Or more likely, they don’t think about any of these things. Ha.
I know exactly what you’re saying. I’ve stopped responding to messages about new babies, weddings, or other major life events if that’s the way I learn about them. If someone doesn’t take the time to tell me more personally, I’m not going to let them know I even see it. I think I probably sound like a 12 year old. LOL! . I also send birthday cards in the mail. 🙂 If I only remember a birthday because I am reminded by FB, I think that’s meaningless. I think we’re on the same page!
I’ll be traveling Friday and hopefully unplugged for most of the day enjoying a train ride and long weekend away with Ryan but will make sure to find, read and share your post, Andra. For question #1 I’m happiest when my social media time is kept to moderate levels. If I spend just enough time to catch up with old and new friends then move on to daily life I feel great. If I’m simply skimming post after post of recycled memes or no-truth-allowed-politics then I need to step away for a sanity break.
I actually feel more connected than I did 2 years ago but that is partially because I’ve found some friends from college I’ve wanted to keep in touch with and it’s the only way to connect with my new group of co-workers since we all live and work in different states.
I wish I had more chances to get together with friends right here in the same geographic region but that’s really not social media’s fault it’s more a product of our work/life schedules and the delicate balance of taking care of our kids, ourselves, our marriages and our aging parents… On a more positive note I’ve met some wonderful people through SM and meeting you and MTM in person was a high point!
To sum up my approach – a little goes a long way, avoid politics and religion when you can’t see each other’s eyes and always try to meet in person when time and schedules allow. 🙂
Where are you and Ryan going? I hope you’ll share lots of pictures.
We’re going to visit my sister outside of Portland and if everything works we have some great hikes planned at the coast and up on Mt Hood. Look for plenty of pictures, soon. 🙂
I’m pro-snark when someone with smarts, like you, has something to say. Pity that we don’t live closer to each other, because I could happily spend hours with you snarking. Looking forward to Friday and reading what you have to say.
Gosh, and I’m afraid I’ll be hiding under the bed all day tomorrow!!
How satisfied are you with your social media experiences? I’m satisfied though I often avoid some outlets.
Do you feel more/less connected than two years ago? In some ways I feel less connected, though I hear from people through social media. We used to call each other more. Now I hear about the deaths of parents through social media. Such a cold way to relate horrible news.
How often do you get together with friends who occupy the same geography? More often than with people I only hear from through social media.
#3: HAHAHAHAHAHA. I wish I could see you more.
Ditto! 🙂
alright, I know I’m late to the party but I always like to help if I can and since you hit me up:
-How satisfied are you with your social media experiences?
As you know these days I rarely use social media. Been years since FB and anything else I just use in passing many times when a mention sends an email my way and I go pay attention to it for a moment.
-Do you feel more/less connected than two years ago?
Since it has been longer than that since dropping off I’ll just answer for pre-drop off versus post-drop off. I am considerably less connected than I used to be but by choice. Too much noise.
-How often do you get together with friends who occupy the same geography?
Almost never, but that is how I’ve always been, even pre-social media. I’m a somewhat entertaining introvert hermit who, due to finding human behavior intriguing at times, interacts with people occasionally. 🙂
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