“Getting” Social Media

You know, there are some days when I really feel like I “get” social media, like that time I embedded a video in my blog post. That was majorly groovy. Of course it took forever and I felt like I had to learn an entirely new language to do it, but I got it done, and I’m going to do it again at some point. But, on the other hand, there are some times when I just don’t feel like I’ll ever get some forms of social media.

The Twitter Story:

I just don’t think I will ever get the art of tweeting, and I honestly feel dumb that I’m so lost in that arena, but at least I admit it. What is with the hashtags? I thought those things were number signs, but they do so much more now. And the @sign too. Then there are people who follow my feed, and I’m expected to follow them back, some unspoken rule, I have concluded. But I never know what to say to my followers. You see, I’m pretty wordy, and blogs are just up my alley because I can write as much as I want, but tweeting with such a word limit is not the easiest thing for me. And there will be weeks on end without me checking my feed or giving my followers a bone to chew. And for that I’m sorry, but I just don’t get it.

The LinkedIn Connection:

I guess I can get this LinkedIn thing because it is constructive, in my opinion. There aren’t the weird symbols, things “trending,” or the insane need to have people read and agree with my opinions. It’s more laid back, yet it gets the job done (pun intended). I get LinkedIn.

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook:

Now, if there is any social media that I really get, no problems whatsoever, it is Facebook. There is that immediacy of getting people responding to whatever nonsense I have to say, of the give and take conversation, and the app is really simple to use from my phone. I can see videos, read friends’ walls, and respond only to those things that interest me. I “like” it. And, I will admit it, it makes me feel popular that I have so many “friends.”

I tried Spotify, because I love music, but I haven’t been able to get into it. And Google+, what is even up with that? For about two seconds I was on match.com, but that was in the beginning of the category, and everything was pretty lame back then with every piece of whatever was considered social media.

I think the best form of social media, for me, is blogging, the act of writing and reading blogs. It is the most authentic way to present myself to the masses. It doesn’t force me to squeeze what I have to say into a little space, and it shares my blog posts with everyone who follows me on Twitter, and with all of my friends on Facebook.

Oh. And I “get” it.

Sam