Social Interaction Still Matters

OMG, I have been on vacation! My cell phone was down because of a lost charge! My Facebook has so many notifications, so much activity and I have tons of emails. I flipped to Twitter and the activity there is unreal. How am I going to catch up and which one should I tackle first? Hell, I will never have time to unpack or pick up the mail!  I need to go back on vacation on that cruise ship to get away from social media!!!! Help me, I am drowning on land! 


Emails coming in reminding you of birthdays for people you knew ten years ago. Then you struggle trying to remember who they are realizing why bother?  If you sent them a note,

they probably don’t remember you either and your wish doesn’t mean anything anyways!

Direct messages on Facebook and Twitter come from  total strangers of the opposite sex saying Hello. What the heck is that supposed to mean?  Let’s start a conversation from someone who is probably pretending to be a person behind a profile picture. Oh, are you so desperate for friends you will reach out to anyone and everyone.  If so, go stand in the middle of the street in NYC! That is probably safer.

Tweets that ask you to follow me and I will follow you. Why?  If you are saying anything of substance, I already would be! Now that you are saying that, you are showing the world you have nothing worthwhile to say except you are desperate for people to hear you say anything, even something as stupid as listen to what I say even when I am saying nothing of value!

What is the deal with Facebook forwards that say stuff like forward this to 20 people to bring good luck? Hell, you want to send me good luck, give me a lotto ticket! I have a much better chance of getting some good luck that way then you sending me twinkling stars or a picture of a doting angel and then harassing 20 friends with a chain message. Actually that is a sure fire way to piss off 19 friends!

Let’s forget talking live and communicate everything on texts on our phone. Then let’s hope the inflection of what we are trying to say comes across even though half or more of what we communicate comes across in our tone and it is completely lost in the written word. Nobody writes in text like a literary author so gone are the ‘missing you horribly’ or ‘sincerely hope you are having a great day’. Texts are written like computer programmers:  How RU?  Feel OK?  Nice talking 2U (insert 😃 face) Body language doesn’t show but it is substituted by one of the fifty emoji’s.🙏🌈⭐🚩🎸  End of conversation. Wow, that was rewarding, NOT

What is with the incredible long streams among many members on Facebook Group Direct Messaging that you have to run up and back down to figure out who the hell said what? Half the time I am responding to my own damn words!  Wow, does that look foolish but the stream gets so confusing. One time a close friend said, hey, I am starting a new group. It was the same group! She just said, unbelievable to me, I can’t follow this anymore or I will need to go into counseling. It is like hearing white noise to follow the stream any longer!

How many selfies can some folks take? Isn’t it easier to just look in a mirror? They are in your home, there is a rear view mirror in your car and carry one in your purse if you can’t stop staring at yourself. I don’t need to keep seeing you in my social media stream. I have news for you, day to day, you don’t change! You aren’t a baby that is going thru massive changes day to day in the development process. You don’t get bigger except perhaps in the waist line and if you keep posting them, perhaps in the head as in ego.  If you do get bigger in the waistline, or perhaps in the butt, do you really want the rest of us to see it?

Oh and selfies count as your feet. Please, post the pictures of the beach!  And men tell me, as far as your thongs (flip flops) if you are going to post those, post a real thong, They are a whole lot more exciting than your bare feet. Women, it is a misnomer that most men have a foot fetish! You may care about how your feet look  but nobody cares to look at your feet on social media posts. Let us feel like we are watching the Travel Channel and living vicariously through you, and that doesn’t happen by looking at your toes.

What is with all the unwanted emails coming in my inboxes these days?!  You unsubscribe from one site and in its place 5 others suddenly appear within days in the same category. Your name is being sold constantly on mailing lists and you have virtually no control over it. And the emails never make it to your SPAM folder anymore. If you are new to social media, you think you are the hottest commodity in social media overnight!

Be wary of filling out any questionnaire for politicians, even your favorite one! The minute you do, you become the top request for donations for that candidate and every email they send out on any and all policy issues they stand for! Heck, even if you post something negative on a politician’s site, which I have on several, I am now getting their emails even after unsubscribing. For some reason, they think, enough messages, they can change my mind. I may pay them to stop!

Balance out your posts. I love looking at a timeline on anyone’s page where I learn about the person and see inspirational posts. Why do some folks do nothing but posts links. I am not going to constantly read links. If I wanted to read the news constantly or other articles, I would go to google, or news site pages. Twitter is notorious for this. Someone’s page will be nothing but posted link, after link, after link. In the bio someone will say they are an expert. An expert at what, posting links to other experts in the field they say they are a Master at?  Yeah right.

I do believe in social media and I think it serves an invaluable service. The drawbacks are numerous and in many ways it has added a new dimension of stress to our lives. It has also eliminated needed dialogue to interpersonal relationships. That missing element is hurting families and friendships, no doubt about it. Be the change, as families lose that connect, children will suffer. Be sure you aren’t part of the problem but part of the solution. Remember use hashtag #SocialInteractionStillMatters!

Guest Commentary: Adel de Meyer: Social Media Personal Attacks - Is this Productive?

Adel de Meyer

I came to know Adel de Meyer through social media over a year ago via Twitter.  To say I was immediately impressed is an understatement. She has an enigmatic persona that comes across quite rapidly. My background, dual major in Psychology and Communications, and then moving into a career in sales, marketing and social media, Adel’s natural ability was obvious to me!

As our relationship grew, I began to learn about her background. You can read in depth about Adel on her website. My purpose is simply to give you a short platform to preface her comments below. She recently wrote a brief commentary that is much needed in these days of self-branding and promoting good-will to each other and positive messaging. No matter how we deliver our message, there are always those that will misconstrue it. Perception is many folks reality; however, objectivity is needed also to truly understand messaging.  I believe Adel has mastered the art of understanding both her clients and her audience quite well in conveying both, who they are and what they have to say.  Likewise, when it comes to herself, she also is awesome at projecting both. 

Adel now calls Brisbane, Australia home, having been born in South Africa.

Her short title, believe it or not, is: Social Media Marketing Specialist, Speaker and Trainer and Hootsuite Solution Partner, but so much more! A beautiful blonde with a vibrant spirit who challenges all of us to dig deep, tap into our passion, bring it forth and make our mark!

So for the woman born on Christmas day, in her own words,

changes are called for: 

Making a few changes - Starting the new year off fresh - I am who I am - I look the way I look - I talk the way I talk - Those who don't like me for who and what I am won't be missed. Those that are negative and always judge others or me, gossip and are nasty will be removed from my profiles - Nothing personal, I just don't need your negative energy dragging me down.

I like to take selfies, I like silly jokes, I have a weird sense of humor and yes sorry that I have long blonde hair and full lips and you might not -

I'm not going to go through my life feeling guilty or hating myself because it might offend someone else that doesn't have it or can't make a beautiful photo. You might have other features or abilities that I don't have and would love to. I have many other things that I hate about myself, like my bad skin and being overweight o and my big nose but I don't go around putting girls that look much better and prettier than me down and get jealous if they post a sexy selfie - I say Good for You Girl, Rock it!

   

Today I want to say, stop judging and being nasty to others - you never know how they might feel about themselves or their lives. Let others express themselves anyway they please, and if you don't like their silly selfies or jokes or breakfast photos - you know what hide or remove them and move on. You really gain nothing by putting others down - Words cut deeper than knives. A knife can be pulled out, words are embedded into our souls!!!

Too many people are 'Keyboard Warriors' behind this powerful tool called 'Social Media'

I did request her permission to share these comments as I think it is something we should all contemplate before judging.  Here are a few additional remarks she made to those in her inner circle that responded to her post:

There are some that are pretty, some that are clever, some that are rich and some that have it all. Everyone should just allow everyone their little piece of sunshine in this world and stop being jealous. Yes, jealousy in moderation is a good thing but keep it to yourself. Don't go and put others down or always spit out your comments online and criticize everything others do. 

I wish for many things that others have that I see online but I don't go and gossip or put up status updates 'talking indirectly' to those and say how terrible their photos,selfies,tweets,lives or families are. 

Social media can sometimes be a nasty dirty place.  I've seen it more and more this year.

I find it fascinating this is written by someone so young, so gorgeous and yet so insightful and not in a context of a defensive posture. This is also a well-versed woman with a background in modeling, PR, media spotlight, and knowledge about the use of social media and its positive and negative impacts. 

Her words should and do have impact.  Many look and come to her for advice and guidance, personally and professionally, which is why I felt this blog was important to post.  I am proud of her as a woman, friend and proven professional.

Please take the time to review and share her comments.  When you buy a product, you buy it based on many factors. Selfies reflect more than just a look, just like a cover of a book, it is a cover, a reflection but not the entire piece of work.

You can reach Adel at:

Adeldemeyer.com

Twitter: @adeldmeyer

Instagram: @adeldemeyer

Facebook: www.facebook.com/adeldmeyer