I joined Facebook 11 years ago today (July 13, 2008).
I have connected to people I would never have been able to create any kind of relationship with otherwise. I have reconnected to the people I missed. I have discovered the true colors of others.
I have gotten distracted by political arguments, memes of the day, those dang Goalcast videos that are like inspircrack (inspiration + crack), and stalking the pages of people I haven’t seen in the newsfeed in a while. Like every picture in your albums. Sigh.
I have learned so, so much. I have connected to people who have taught me more about marketing than any college education ever could have. I have learned more about nutrition and even helped a few people ditch some bad habits because of what I shared (THIS is one of my favorite things about social media).
I’m reading a book about morning routines, and this guy devotes almost an entire chapter to the dangers (to your success and society in general) of digital distraction. I could not agree more.
While I have seen social media make small business owners millionaires, literally hundreds of thousands of businesses and families supported via the audience they were able to reach on the platforms, I have seen the damage it has done as well (as we all have).
I post when I feel like I have something meaningful to say. Maybe something that I hope will make you laugh (most likely because it made me laugh), will inspire you or will cause you to think. I run my business pages the same way, and I run client pages this way as well.
Here’s what I’ve discovered is the key to “healthy” social media:
I put a time limit on it and try to remain very strict about it. That’s why if you comment, I may not respond for 24 hours, but I am always grateful to read what you have to say. Even if you are disagreeing with me. 😜👌🏼
I very carefully curate my feed. I unfollow a LOT of people. I search out people who are positive and inspirational. I never follow news channels. Ever.
I make it a point to look at my “most recent” feed to see new things and curate my feed more.
I actively take note of when I’m reaching for the phone out of boredom or because I want the distraction from work that just got hard… 😬
In the end, I still can’t help but wonder how many total hours of my life so far I’ve “wasted” on social media. The time that truly had no point other than scrolling. The times I got caught up in trying to make points with people who just can’t see past their own immediate life vision. The ones who don’t understand that we are all connected.
With all the media uproar of late around the social platforms and breaking them up (I am still undecided on my stance on this one), I still say it’s been a good thing. What’s been not so good is the way bad people have used social media to their own benefit and to manipulate the masses.
BTW – manipulation is not possible where education is in place. In other words, the more people are educated (not by the news) on any given topic, the less they will be manipulated around the opinions of others on that topic.
My suggestion: limit your time and commit to the limit. It’s still a great way to connect, create helpful communities (I’m in private groups for marketing that are literally BEYOND helpful. Help I could never even pay for and from thousands of people who want to help), and grow a business.
In other words, use it for good. Which I see most of you do. 😘👏🏼