Tuesday, August 16, 2022

LOOKING TO THE BRIGHT SIDE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Or

TRYING TO

 

It’s easy to note the negatives of this thing we group under “Social Media,” (SM for short 😈) because it’s plain to see: take-downs, foul language aimed at strangers from others who can hide under made-up identities, and so much more.

 

I decided to articulate here how my reluctance and negative impressions turned into positive aspects for the sites I have some presence on. I came to the Internet with trepidation, being told it was necessary if I considered approaching publishing professionals. That was some years ago. I stayed and even thrived on a couple of the SS.

So I am articulating my personal journey from trembling to sunbathing for the ones I have experienced. I know all SS harvest my data; they’re welcome to it for the service they provide. I am aware at all times that nothing on SS is truly private no matter how many “privacy protections” they claim.

This is my own journey in SM-land. It’s different for each person.

In the order of (my) preference:

 

PERSONAL WEBSITE: The very thought of it hurt my insides, and then I got used to it the way one gets used to a nose ring or a wristwatch. They become a part of self that is barely felt. Today I kind of like it, because I control what’s on it. It’s the virtual calling card of the 19th century and the business card of the 20th century. In the 21st century we deal with this and occasionally fiddle with the aesthetic to make ourselves feel better about it.

BLOGGER: Came to it with a heavy heart feeling that 1. It’s a burden to have to write posts regularly; 2. Who cares what I think; and 3. My publisher’s urging made it something I had to try. Turns out I like the discipline of posting and I like having a place to publish thoughts, mostly about publishing. Hey, if you’re reading this--we’re both here. My blogger is not for selling; it’s a small hangout that I actually wound up liking.

 

FACEBOOK: I joined because DD was on it and parenting advice said parents should know what their kids are up to. That part turned out to be moot, because kids are not sharing what they don’t want grownups to see and they have left this SS when parents joined. But it is the place to find long-lost friends and acquaintances, find fantastic groups of interest, and Messenger is a marvel for free chats both video and text with no upfront charge. It is where I have more “friends” (i.e., Facebook friends) and more virtual socializing than any other.

 

TWITTER: It feels like walking into a party where everyone knows everyone and you’re ignored, because they are the cool crowd. After so many years of nominal participation, it still feels like that. But I’m beginning to not dislike it when an occasional link is illuminating or an image elicits a faint smile. There’s hope.

 

INSTAGRAM: I set it up as a way to albumize photos of a beloved cat who upped and disappeared one day. I haven’t changed it since. It’s a story of one lost cat. When I’m ready to let go and make other uses, I will. Not quite there yet.

 

Then there’s Tumblr (I follow about five blogs on it now and then) and LinkedIn (on it, but no idea why) and jacketflap (Who remembers why I ever set that one?) and TikTok (where young’uns hang out, but oldies like me don’t).

 

And before this one posts, there will be many (MANY) more.

 

All useful, but proceed with awareness. It’s part of the world we inhabit.


7 comments:

Evelyn said...

I've never been great at it, but since the pandemic I've gotten even worse. I dabble on Facebook, keep up my website, and help moderate the Blueboard, but that' about it.

Mirka Breen said...

The BB is where we met, Ev. So, I'm grateful you are active on it <3

Sherry Ellis said...

Is JacketFlap still going? I haven't been on it for years. But I did meet a lot of authors on it and met the illustrator for my book, Ten Zany Birds there.

I'm on social media to have an online presence. It's supposed to help with marketing. I think it does. I'm sure I've sold more books than I would have without it.

Vijaya said...

Mirka, your journey is similar to mine except you've tried and stuck with more platforms. Bravo! I started my website upon the advice of two wise editors and dipped my toe into blogging because I couldn't keep all the good news coming out of my critique group to myself. I even tried FB. That said, I like the Blueboard and blogging best. I've let go of everything else.

MirkaK said...

I've stuck only to my website and blog and had no trepidations initiating either one. I once tried Facebook for a specific topic and was so inundated, I asked a friend who works for Adobe to get me the hell off of it. Yes, I know social media is the thing to do, but I've decided it's not where I want to put my time. But I'm glad it works for you.

Lorraine said...

As long as there's cats, I'm there. lol

Barbara Etlin said...

I've made a lot of long-standing friends on social media, especially Live Journal (which we all left but some of us managed to stay in touch anyway), the Blue Board, Blogger, and Twitter. I use Twitter to connect with potential readers who may or may not be writers but are parents, teachers, or people who appreciate humour and poetry.