"Social media—blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other websites with regular updates—is overwhelming. Especially if you have even a touch of OCD, care about many different things, or are afraid of "missing something." What helps you manage and balance your online life?"
I just posed this question on Facebook. For anyone who misses that there, think about it and comment on this post. Either way, I'm anxious to get some feedback.
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When I was young, my mom had a hard time getting me to sleep. Even when I was tired. I'd calm down, but I'd fight off slumber for as long as I could. "You were always afraid you were going to miss something," she told me.
And that's been true through my whole life. I get slightly anxious taking a bathroom break during TV shows or movies. I want to be part of meetings and conversations from start to finish. I have trouble planning because I don't want to commit to something and then miss out on something that comes up later (admittedly, there's a lot of faults attached to that one).
It's no surprise to me that social media has my head spinning. I started tweeting and following this summer and gave it up completely after several months. There was too much to read, too many browser tabs open, too much time being spent between it and Facebook.
As a result, I've become very interested with aspects of social media—avoidance of online overload, the short (and sometimes long) lives of memes, unspoken etiquette and rules, ways organizations successfully engage with consumers, what communication looks like between individuals and if it leads to more superficial or deep connections.
We are only going to become more bombarded by information. A lot of it is good quality. And if there's one thing that people and companies are starting to learn is that they have to do it right to succeed and stand out. You can't half-ass it.
For consumers, it seems like the key is efficient filtering tools—lists, groups, software. Hopefully this becomes more integrated and quick to do. But until then, it takes thinking and time to organize your digital life.
However, it seems like a very worthy and necessary investment.
Resources:
"The Mess Manifesto" by Joel Stein, TIME Magazine
"Hamlet's Blackberry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age" by William Powers
"Alone TogetheAlone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other" by Sherry Turkle
"You Are Not a Gadget" by Jaron Lanier
UPDATE:
Thanks, Jessi, for reminding me of this:
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