The theme is CONNECT.
Everyday, I'm going to write based on the prompts and share it here and on Blogher. I would love to hear any and all feedback from you
Did you know I gave up social media once?
For two whole weeks?
I gave up Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
I only checked email once a day and didn't read any blogs.
I made a couple goals during that time to connect with people more face to face- scheduling a couple coffee dates and actually talking on the phone versus texting (gasp!!)
I'll admit- it was sort of hard.
I LOVE Instagram and keeping up with my friends through pictures. I was used to getting my news from twitter and my gossip from Facebook.
I had a lot of time to spend seeing people face-to-face and talking on the phone...but I ended up not doing that much of it.
I found that social media can be a great tool to connect with people in real life...if used correctly.
Often, Twitter or Facebook or Instagram became a distraction for me when I had something to do I didn't really want to.
Like cleaning or folding laundry. Or listening on a work conference call. (Don't tell!)
I'd pick up my phone and absent-mindedly scroll through tweets, posts or pics- retweeting, replying, liking or double-tapping and next thing you know- a whole hour gone.
What the what?!?
Those two weeks off taught me a couple things about social media- 1) it is most definitely a distraction and 2) I've met more people through social media than I ever would face to face.
Social media has enabled me to meet so many people that share my interests and hobbies. Those digital meet-ups have encouraged me to take risks I otherwise never would have. I found my church through the Internet. Through my church and the Internet, I traveled 8 hours in a car with a girl I barely knew to attend a Christian women's blog conference. At that conference I was able to interact with so many women I had met online and I even traveled by plane to spend a weekend with one of them.
I love finding new friends on the Internet but I really love seeing people face to face. I feel like social media has made the whole dynamic of building and maintaining a circle of friends so much easier.
Having a party? Set up a Facebook event.
Out and about and want to let people know where you are to meet up? Check in on Foursquare, Send out a Tweet
Out of town and want to see if any of your Internet buddies want to meet? Post an Instagram and tag them.
It's interesting to me- the power of the Interwebs. The way they have given so much to so many people- friends, spouses, and even families. Strangers who would have otherwise never met can find each other half way across the world and become confidantes. People, who in a million years, would never have the opportunity to meet, find each other via a blog and become friends and end up vacationing together (This has really happened. A lot.)
It's magical.
If anything, social media encourages meet-ups.
#IRL, of course.
What about you? Do you think you spend less time face-to-face because of social media or more?
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