Who Knew Twitter Could Be Therapeutic?
In the past four weeks I’ve been severely struggling with a personal situation. I’ve been depressed and incredibly anxious as I felt as a child whenever there was something I wanted to express to my mother, but knew I couldn’t because of fear of getting the words slapped back in. This feeling is horrible! And although I’m usually one who speaks about the difficult subjects for the purpose of helping someone with a similar situation, I have decided to first go through the experience and the rollercoaster of emotions I have been flushing - learn the lesson this is going to teach me. It’s been by far, the most difficult time of my life and I had no idea that “tweeting” with purpose these last couple of days would be therapeutic. Not only because of what I’ve been able to share, but because of the things people share that I’ve been paying attention to and my interaction since creating my new Twitter account a few days ago. I had no idea that Twitter was meant to be interactive in all the years I had my old account for! Or maybe I just didn’t care much about it once I became involved in Instagram, especially since IG gives you the option of simultaneously sharing your posts on Twitter and Facebook (EXACTLY what I’ve been doing). I am now realizing that using my Twitter and Facebook account became irrelevant to me. Thanks to my New Media class, I’ve learned the importance of social media for writer’s, and how in reality, social media has the potential of becoming my biggest platform. In my class read, Create Your Writer Platform, Sambuchino states, “While it’s imperative that you engage in some kind of social media to build community and construct a platform, how you interact in these communities is entirely up to you” (pg. 155). This book and Social Media for Writers by Tee Morris & Pip Ballantine have been a huge eye opening resources for me! As I’ve read through these books, I have found myself having to take breaks from the literal reality slaps I’ve been receiving. In understanding I have been using Twitter inappropriately and without “purpose and intent” and simply talking, but not listening has been huge! “Twitter is a total waste of your time and anyone who follows you if you’re not following the three rules: Be useful, be personal, be interactive” (Sambuchino, pg. 157). I now hear you Sambuchino, I now hear you!