Is Social Media Officially Weird?

I was going to start off by using the word dead instead of weird but dead is so final.

Weird is a classier choice.

I have two social medial accounts. Twitter and Facebook. I also have three types of social media friends: The social butterfly, the reserved and the somewhere in between.

Most of them have multiple social media accounts as well and depending on the personality it’s easy to spot those who take it for what it is and those who go a tad too far.

Whatever the case I think we can all agree when you place a bunch of people in the same room sometimes things can get a little weird. If you don’t believe me try coming over to my house during the holidays.

 

Two Different Worlds

I have two Facebook accounts. One is my author page and the other is just plain old me. It’s as if I’m living in two worlds.

In my author page I make sure I’m involved with fellow writers. We’re all on the same page. Everybody creates and nothing needs explaining. It’s a lot like it is here. We all know the writing world and nothing needs explaining.

On my other pages it’s a free for all and that’s where things get interesting.

In the past year I have found myself posting less and less on that page. Let’s just say things can get a tad heated. Most of the topics center around politics, sports or climate change.

In today’s world pick your poison. All of them can be deadly.

My personal favorite was a heated exchange between a dog lover and a cat lover. I’m pretty sure it ended in a draw but I’m sure they’ll give you a different opinion if you ask.

Please don’t ask.

 

All talk and no listen

Aside from the cat and dog exchanges I’ve noticed something else: Conversations…or should I say lack thereof.

Throughout the week I scan my twitter feed looking for posts with only a handful of replies. I do my best to generate a conversation. In some cases a conversation develops but most of the time it fizzles.

So I asked myself – What’s going on?

Is Facebook and twitter becoming a statement platform instead of a social one? The more I’m around it the more I’m afraid it is.

 

Blogging is the new Twitter/Facebook

For my take, blogging appears to be the new social media. Through the posts I create and the comments you give conversations are born. In most cases they expand through e-mails, private messages, texts and so on.

In the blog posts I create, along with the blogs I visit, I rarely see arguments. It’s a consistent positive, supported environment no matter what the topic is. On some occasions there’s a disagreement or two but it’s nothing heated. It’s simply a different way of thinking where both sides understand and respect.

 

Unfortunately We Need You

For those of us building a platform, social media is a powerful tool. It can make or break us. The platform takes time and patience but most of all it requires a plan.

Like it or not, we need it.

It also takes one more thing: Weeding out the weird in order to find the good.

So what do you think? Am I wrong? Did I just write the most ridiculous post you ever read or is there an ounce of truth to it?

Have we turned the corner on social media? Has it become a place for statements instead of a conversation?

Are all of us standing tall on our soap boxes attempting to out scream our neighbor with no interest in listening to the person next to us?

I am cautious when it comes to opinion, especially when I’m not sure of the answer. Which makes me wonder:

Did I jump the gun on this or do I have a point? Has blogging replaced twitter and Facebook as the new social media or am I completely off my rocker?

 

I’ll let you decide on that one.

 

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