If the mobile in our hands is taking up more of our time and attention than other activities such as reading, sports, conversing with friends and family or even sleep, it is perhaps in no small measure driven by social media. I personally have observed myself as having become a headline consuming machine. I recently forced myself to take stock of the pace at which I am reading books, and have instituted some routine and discipline into that activity (this month I am tackling the first of Jan Morrison's trilogy, Pax Brittanica).
The map below is meant to illustrate the various social media that we are engaged in. The size of the circle being a notional representation of its membership / use from my perspective.
The picture is also meant to be a sort of a venn diagram of overlapping circles. For example there are people I interact with on both LinkedIn and Facebook. (thus those circles intersect). And there are many I interact with whose email address I don't possess. And so on.
I also made a cheeky attempt to put down a rebel / yogi category, since there is increasing concern about the effect of all of this social media interaction on psychological and physical well being. And there is a fair bit of emotion expressed about being unplugged. To be clear rebel / yogi is not a social media platform (that I know of!), but just a way of stating that there might be a group of people who want nothing to do with any of this, but are perhaps reluctant users of email at best.
I asked myself whether I personally use all of the above and in what frequency. Also if that interaction is with a broad swath of people I know or 'follow'. I then assigned a low / medium / high rating for each media vehicle for both number of people I reach and frequency of use.
My usage, I estimate is (reach, usage):
Email: High, High
Blog: High, High
LinkedIn: High, Low
FaceBook: Medium, Medium
WhatsApp: Medium, Medium
Discussion Board: Medium, High
Twitter: Low, High
Instagram: Low, Low
Rebel / Yogi (not an app that I know of!): Low, None
Previously I have shared notes on topics such as privacy, cyber security and also leaving an online trail. There are concerns for sure, about where all this online interaction is taking us. And what it even means for our sense of self.
My overall sense is that it is good to ask how to approach each of these communication tools. Which audience does it reach, what does one communicate with that audience, in what manner and in what frequency?
I imagine, that if we are thoughtful about our stances to those questions, these can be valuable ways of being in touch rather than being mired. I personally enjoy and embrace them and although I am striving to, don't quite know if I have struck a good balance.
I do know that I need to up my reading and also find the yogi in me!
The map below is meant to illustrate the various social media that we are engaged in. The size of the circle being a notional representation of its membership / use from my perspective.
The picture is also meant to be a sort of a venn diagram of overlapping circles. For example there are people I interact with on both LinkedIn and Facebook. (thus those circles intersect). And there are many I interact with whose email address I don't possess. And so on.
I also made a cheeky attempt to put down a rebel / yogi category, since there is increasing concern about the effect of all of this social media interaction on psychological and physical well being. And there is a fair bit of emotion expressed about being unplugged. To be clear rebel / yogi is not a social media platform (that I know of!), but just a way of stating that there might be a group of people who want nothing to do with any of this, but are perhaps reluctant users of email at best.
I asked myself whether I personally use all of the above and in what frequency. Also if that interaction is with a broad swath of people I know or 'follow'. I then assigned a low / medium / high rating for each media vehicle for both number of people I reach and frequency of use.
My usage, I estimate is (reach, usage):
Email: High, High
Blog: High, High
LinkedIn: High, Low
FaceBook: Medium, Medium
WhatsApp: Medium, Medium
Discussion Board: Medium, High
Twitter: Low, High
Instagram: Low, Low
Rebel / Yogi (not an app that I know of!): Low, None
Previously I have shared notes on topics such as privacy, cyber security and also leaving an online trail. There are concerns for sure, about where all this online interaction is taking us. And what it even means for our sense of self.
My overall sense is that it is good to ask how to approach each of these communication tools. Which audience does it reach, what does one communicate with that audience, in what manner and in what frequency?
I imagine, that if we are thoughtful about our stances to those questions, these can be valuable ways of being in touch rather than being mired. I personally enjoy and embrace them and although I am striving to, don't quite know if I have struck a good balance.
I do know that I need to up my reading and also find the yogi in me!
13 comments:
To save my self from this social networking I removed FB app from my mobile and I am saving lots of time... once in a day I see FB on my PC.. because all the messages are like postmortem reports.... you post 20 LIKEs and post few comments on already OLD UPLOADS 😊😊
Your central point is well taken.
Though I don’t do all those social platforms – mostly email (as you know and dread) with some Facebook lurking. But even these take me away from serious longform reading, especially in the form of books, which I constantly tell myself I must address.
And then the cold sweats start and I run to my ‘works’ (aka, computer).
Indeed! We are all learning to manage this!
Very good one
Thanks for sharing
I'm able to completely relate to it. The ways in which social media has pervaded into our daily lives, we need to consciously deploy some mechanism for its governance.
Very nice thoughts. Like you covering the yogi view as well. Until the Facebook came user groups dominated the scene and I think they still are useful with less side effects
Fantastic and incredibly thoughtful! Thank you so very much for sharing. You consistently cause me to look at things much more thoughtfully. Very much appreciated!
My research -Only Email!
This is a very important map. We should all do one to make certain the right ones stay large and the wrong ones stay small. My largest circle by far is Audible though it only connects me physically with others.
Very interesting. I find that since the beginning of the year my social media preferences and habits have changed dramatically. I spend much more time on Twitter - reading and retweeting but not still many original tweets from me. As you know I can be long winded so original tweets are a challenge. I am addicted to Humans of New York and Vice News videos - incredible insights into the human condition. I spend a lot less time with LinkedIn. It feels like Corp cons. Teams have taken it over and especially next to HONY and Vice it just doesn't seem authentic. Maybe you have more original contacts
Audible, YouTube & podcasts can be content rich as well ...
Concise mapping. I have managed to limit my communication to just Emails and WhatsApp only.
You are right, we need to take stock of social media regularly and not let it become an addiction.
Very beautifully written. A venn diagram for the modern age.
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