Joan has a Twitter account but hasn't uploaded her photo. Al has a Facebook account but never posts anything to it. Juan once opened a LinkedIN account but can't remember the login password.
And so it goes... into the social media abyss, fragments of accounts, intentions and plans to be "more engaged" online.
The question is "why"? Why do so many people feel pressured to open accounts on Pinterest, Facebook and Google Plus and then never actually use them to their potential? Why do most of us have so many logins that we can't remember all of them?
It could be because we feel some sort of invisible pressure to be online all of the time, or at least more often than not. Or, it might be due to ...
Curiosity...
Pressure from friends...
Genuine interest...
The cool thing to do...
Each person has a different reason for going online and doing what they do. As I thought about this post, I had to step back and really ask myself why I use what I do regarding social media. Here's what I came up with:
- Pinterest: for collecting quotes and tips for men's clothing.
- Twitter: for getting the word out when I post to the blog and engaging with others.
- Facebook: for keeping up with friends.
- Google Plus: for tech articles and posting Android smartphone themes.
- LinkedIN: for establishing a presence in a more professional way.
How about you? Have you taken the time to do a simple inventory of your social media use?
The key takeaway is this: use social media how you want and don't let someone else pressure you into something if there isn't the "space" to do it in your life. There are only so many hours in the day so using them intentionally is vital.
It's time that we stop feeling guilty for not posting every detail of every day on our Facebook timelines. It's ok to maintain privacy. It's normal to share quality time with your family or friends and not be updating your Twitter feed at the same time.
Life has enough pressures of its own. No need to let social media add more pressure to your plate.
*photo courtesy of fdp