My social media history has been like this: I had an account on orkut in school/college days but was not very active. Did not feel like using it. I used to chat a bit on gtalk and other messengers like msn, yahoo, etc. I used to mail a lot but thats not very social is it?
Because lot of current friends talked and were doing activities there I started actively using facebook, whatsapp, linkedin, etc. But lately I am becoming inactive and becoming more interested into other things which are personal.
Let me try to analyse : Why do we want to be on Social Media?
Publicity among friends. Ability & the need to show off I think is one big reason people share their pictures, personal stuff, etc. That is why we want only good stuff to come up. And which is what I don't like about these networks. Someone said “Facebook friends dont show their face when its needed”. Strangely it's true in my case. (Its not all bad & although people do help out occasionally, its still not a strong enough reason to be active on the platform waste precious minutes). And why should I broadcast my life events to people who I don't know that well. I believe our lives are very dynamic and we (atleast me) have dynamic relations with other people. There are degrees to relationships, layers if you will and they can't be equal to each other. They all go deeper or shallower depending on relationship. And that is why a public display on social media is something I find awkward, if not offensive. You see, if people want to know about my important life events they would know. Others who don't have interest in my life should not know. If they also know then that is when it gets intrusive.
There is a silver lining which is also very true, which is that given macro-economic factors of modern world there is lot less time to connect with friends OR far friends, apart from digital mediums. That is when social media comes handy. Looking from this lens it seems it is absolutely a necessity BUT only when you “need” it.
In general, what I do like though is a cup of coffee together, casually sitting on a table & face to face talking. That genuineness & warmth no platform can replace.
People spam: Meaning there is this inherent nature which we cant seem to control, to brag/ show off. For this it is a perfect medium as you can spam 100s of your unknown friends with irrelevant stuff hoping they would be interested in your otherwise melancholic life.
I have faced instances where people come up to me and say hey I know you did this last week, how was it? And I am like: Do I know you enough to discuss the matter. Wasn't that supposed to be for close friends. Then I end up feeling like wasting time when I explain that fb post I wrote last week and people getting interested into it, may be sadistic (voyeuristic, peeping) pleasure for them but for no avail to me atleast.
What I have also done is because something I did which I consider as show off material, like a photo or place I visited, I feel like sharing it just to make few people look at it and be jealous. Gather fan following. I did it kind of kick. That nobody else I know could do as of now. Showing how superior I have become. And after a certain point it became too repetitive even for me. Did not feel natural & real. As they say it is virtual.
I mean if I did something good I should not ruin it by broadcasting it, taking applauses from people who I don't know. A half-hearted (hoping against hope) attempt to make myself comfortable and enjoy the sitting years to come. Its a drawback. Instead push your limits.
When I am a marketer I think of social media in this way : It is awesome. Because it is cost effective. Infact I got the highest CTRs on facebook.
Let me conclude by saying that I think I will use social media, I will, But I don't see to be able to make myself active.
