It all goes hand in hand with that "void" i have fallen in to. If anyone had told me back then that Facebook was a trap, i'd never have believed them. But to me, it's a life stealing, mindless trap.
I have wanted to finish this piece for how long now? With my FB activity & email cleaning, regular web surfing & searching for what i am interested in, i have no time left to do what i enjoy with my PC. I have made the descision to dwindle down my friend list, unhook myself from the public side of Google+, & delete all subscriptions i am not interested in from my email.
With my friend list, i have people on there who i don't even know! My notifications & news feed are filled with postings from people i neithern want to hear from or am interested in. Those i want on my friend list are the people i know, my friends & family members who live far away. That's it. I want to read what they are up to & see their photos & comment on their posts. The rest? I really don't care who is having a coffee or on their way to work or going to bed.
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My sister posted her thots along this line &it got my thots flowing on the subject again. I loved what she said so much i asked if i could post it here & she said yes. It is as follows, uncut & unedited but with a few lines highlighted so i can remember to comment about them:
The Social Media Dilema! Deborah's decision to Pare Down Facebook and Why!
"Has it become a people-pleasing addiction, draining us of our creative edge? Is my Smart Phone always at the ready? Just in case someone, somewhere, posted something and I need to check? What about my Business Pages and the possible activity there? I need to be on the watch, just in case.
I don’t need to be told that technology has a power off button, but I do know the wise ones know how to use it. The interaction with Social Media can be a positive and uplifting one, yet can be incredibly negative and draining. When I click unfollow, I have a great sense of “I might miss something”.
What was life like before this? This connectedness to the wide world of comments and likes? Remember the days of phones calls and mail? Or even email? When life was happening right in front of us, in the Now. Experiences and conversations unfiltered and unedited? I’m of the age, that I was part of the birth of Social Media and Blogging, so I have the memories of what life was like before this happened.
Today we are on such a fast track and instant happenings around the neighbourhood and the world are at our fingertips. Techology can be magnificant. BUT, when does Social Media such as Facebook or G+ become a burden rather than a joy? The increase in the amount of trolls signing on to your instagram, Google+, leaving comments on your blog that are hurtful and unkind, has left me breathing in angst! The over consumption of the thoughts and shares of others, the adgendas of others. Maybe you are on my Friend list and feel that way about me and my postings, and you’d be justified.
How much of what we post is for the benefit of others? Or is it just to stroke our egos, with our selfies, our fantastic rants and other. Instantly it can be “out there” and it’s so tempting to just snap that shot, make that statement, share that neat thing, for all our “friends” to say “I Like It”. Really?
I’ve been a part of Social Media, Online Marketing and Blogging since 2008 and have immersed myself in the intricicacies of SEO, Web Content Creating, Performing 165 Words, Branding, Google Algorithisms, Keywords and more. It was my job, and it is my job, BUT I’m not sure it’s going to remain my job. Here’s why.
My web-centric world for business and pleasure has become an overwhelming task master. Is the writing on the wall for me? I’m not 100% sure, but I am reading it so I can determine if it is. I’ve recently been the target of Internet Trolling, with literaly dozens of “followers” whose only interest is to promote something less than educational in nature. My life has become too public, with my 2 YouTube Channels, 2 Blogs, 2 Business Facebook Pages, Pinterest, Guest Posts, Flickr and more.
I thought back and asked myself, how did I do this? How did I put myself out there to this extent and shouldn’t I have saw the warning signs?
The Blogosphere and Social Media over the last year has gone through a real transition, and can take it’s toll on the strongest of people. The relentless policing of my security settings, comment moderation and infiltration into my life, that a few years ago, I had no awareness of.
I’m not suggesting this is for everyone who is enjoying their blogging and social media intereactions, this is for me and I’m sharing it with you, so you may understand why I’m taking a hiatius from it. I may return, I may not.For now I’m putting some aspects of my online presence on hold, a vacation, a time-out.
It’s hard to let go! Some have quit cold turkey, some have weaned off, some have just simply unpublished for a time. The only way to discover how much life is controlled by Social Media, is to turn it off, walk away and learn about the strong pull to turn it back on again.
There seems to be a constant among those of us who are unplugging. It’s a sense of discontent with the beast that on one hand allows us to share ourselves, on the other, requiring so much from us. Pulling the pin can be a two edged sword, relief and lonliness. Will it be liberating for me? That remains to be determined.
There is an intuitive sense happening in me that I am not able to ignore.For now I will keep my personal Facebook, and lock it down as tightly as possible, and keep connected to my children and their lives along with my immediate family and closest friends. The Business Facebook Pages will go on vacation, as will the Google+ for Business. The Blogs will exist without regular updating, and the YouTube Channels will remain active.
Enjoy Life, Smile Large and Keep Your Head High,Deborah"
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All the birthdays of people i know or do not know, popping up on the side...if i miss them i feel bad i did not send greetings. I never sent greetings to half the people i truly know before the time of FB! There's this feeling that if the one who posted it thinks it's important enough to post, then i must feel the same & click Like. But what aboout the postings that are sad, heartbroken, in death or ilnness...are we still supposed to click Like? Wouldn't that mean we like that they are sad, etc? I can't bring myself to click on those ones so i'll send Hugz instead.
And where have all these very personal feelings posts come from? When did we all become so open about or personal & private innermost feelings? This goes with the 5th highlighted line. I myself never wanted my life to be so open & public. There are always things i don't want others to know or only sharing with those i trust & feel comfortable with. This brings into play fooling with your posting settings. Too much trouble & if you forget to go back & rset them then everything is private & no one at all sees your posts! A very time consuming circle.
Life before the internet/FB? It was grand! There were Sunday visits, letters arriving in the mail, telephone calls, either to check in on loved ones or a call to plan something or even just to visit via phone. People jumped in their cars & went to see friends & family, thye had actual cups of tea & coffee with them while they enjoyed their face to face visits. The best part of this old way were the actual hugs you could give & recieve. Human interaction is going by the wayside. I see it when i am out in the world as i'm sure you have also...everyone has their head down, using their mobiles, their fingers rapidly typing, smiling to themselves about what they are seeing. I've seen it so bad that a person at one table was texting to a person at another table, in the same place! Apparently they forgot the fine art of conversating face to face! If you took away a young person's mobile it would be the actual end of the world for them. I'm almost surprised they don't come out of the womb with a phone attached!
Yes, it's hard to let go, to go back to the more simple way of life in this day & age of technology always changing & getting more intrusive.
Everything seems connected to FB...all the extra sites...sign in with FB...too much of my life has been made public in the flurry of internet activity. I want it to end.
I have recently unfollowed many on my friend list & i suffered that fleeting "pang" of what i would miss...know what? i'm not missing anything! it actually frees me to chat...peruse...& comment on those who i am interested in. My next step is to just clean my FB list out to just those who are truly the ones i want to hear from & share with. I want my time on the internet to be enjoyable again & a whole lot less complicated.
until next time
follow this link for part 1
http://theseasidechair.blogspot.com/2015/01/that-big-ol-internet-void.html
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