How has your social media life changed?
15 May 2009
I was thinking about how much my online life has developed since I started blogging 6 years ago. after running an email resource newsletter for a few years before that.
Back in late 2002 early 2003, when blogging was taking off, it was an exciting time, starting a blog, seeing visitors and comments develop, and all the great learning and connections that have happened over the years through that.
So how have things changed in the last 6 years for me:
1. Blogging: is more focused, scheduled and a key place in my online life. Whilst blogging was once central to my online life, it’s now just one tool amongst many and I suspect is that way for many people. The pressure for new content, to update and interact has been a challenge at times, until I found a flow and pattern that was workable for me.
2. Facebook/Twitter:These tools with micro/nano blogging have opened up a whole new world of interactions, for connecting with people, updates, resourcing, messaging. In some ways they seem more relational and less content driven than the blog, but at the same time they interconnect with some of the blog material and topics, and feed each other. I feel the richer for the interactions with people all over the world, and closer to home in these areas.
3. Integrated:The technology seems to be getting out of the way of itself for me, and is integrated into my life, instead of being a thing itself. Like being the first person with a mobile and making calls just for the sake of using the mobile, at some point you use a mobile within your life and don’t think about the fact that you’re using a mobile, it becomes ubiquitous.
It’s the move from a being a ‘blogger’ to some who ‘blogs’. I think we are long way from the the technology being the focus itself, but it seems to be getting there.
How this all shakes down and what it all looks like in the future I don’t know, and there is much about it that is a foolish end in itself (like most things in life), but I can’t imagine some of the best things in my life without it.
So how has your online world changed and been developing?
Tagged: Social Media
5 comments
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Comment by Paul Wilkinson
10.58 pm on 15 May 2009
Like you, over a year ago, I made the leap from mass e-mailing to blogging. I think it was the right time; I couldn’t have balanced it with everything else much earlier. Going from a local audience to a potential worldwide audience helps me to focus my words.
So I’m at step (1) and opting not to go to step (2) or (3). I’m content where I am, and I feel if something I’m thinking has any value, I’ll remember it at the end of the day when I blog.
For me, the online world has changed most in terms of my ability to try to master “search.” There is so much information available at the click of a mouse. What does the Bible say about, “Knowledge shall increase” ?? I’ve certainly found that to be true.
Comment by brett jordan
12.28 pm on 18 May 2009
i enjoy blogging, acts as a way of reflecting on things as i prepare an entry
facebook works well as my online community, seeing what my kidz are up to and uploading photos for people to look at and comment on
twitter i use mainly as a convenient way of updating the ’status’ of my blog and facebook
Comment by Daveen Wilson
2.13 pm on 18 May 2009
So far, I neither blog nor Facebook, and try to keep even emailing to a minimum. Am very wary of technology replacing human contact in my life, or of being dependent on it. We are in England at moment, but living most of the time with a poor community in Brazil keeps me from the assumption that we NEED all this stuff…or even that it is desirable.
Comment by James Prescott
12.21 am on 19 May 2009
I think the key, as you seem to point out rather well, is when you control the technology and make it part of your daily life, rather than the technology/website controlling you. My blog just started off as me writing my musings, but has now evolved into something entirely different. I don’t feel the need to blog all the time, but now take time to plan and develop ideas, and when they are ready I share them with the world.
That’s the difference for me. Though sometimes I still feel the urge to write something becuase I haven’t for a while, generally I’m in control of my blog.
I write notes on Facebook with reflections on life and God from my own experiences, which is much less planned and more reflective of my daily experience, which Facebook usually is – especially now owning and iphone!
One thing I heard Shane Hipps say once was that nowadays a good principle to have is to regularly ‘fast’ these things. That is, go a day without going online, without checking your e-mails or going on Facebook, maybe even without your moblie on, to disconnect yourself and to remember what is most important, and remember human interaction.
He said that too much internet interaction can cause the breakdown of human relationships. There was a survey of people to test for narcissism over the last 20 years and apparently people are more nacissitic now than ever before – and apparently one of the results of narcissm can be inability to commit, infidelity in relationships and increased stress/violent tendencies – none of which is a good thing.
So I think the idea of cutting yourself from the virtual world – however real it appears – and focussing on building real relationships, engaging the physical world and physical interaction with people, and time alone with God as well, is a good principle and can keep you grounded. It might be a good experiement to try this for a day, and then blog about it (and I don’t miss the irony in that statement) and share your experiences.
Certainly would be interesting. Nice blog Jase, interesting read.
Comment by fernando
9.12 am on 19 May 2009
If there is a trend for me it is being more selective. I’ve dropped forums and pulled out of most of the “social media” field (facebook, lastfm, cocomment, etc) with the exception of twitter, flickr and delicious. For me any social media that can’t be “processed to zero” is broken, in the sense that it will always divert attention and energy.
My blog has never been terribly “successful” but it has been very rewarding. Truth is I don’t think of myself as a blogger, or even someone who blogs, but as a writer. The blog is simply a form of publication.
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