Keeping the Balance
As I close out this first week of my summer graduate class on Web 2.0-Based Learning and Performance at Florida State University, I am widening the scope of my social media involvement.
After creating a blog, and writing (3) posts (this is the third), setting up Twitter and Pinterest accounts, researching other media tools, and then checking my own Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels/people I follow, I am getting a real sense for the need to balance.
On page 15 of "Networked: The New Social Operating System" by Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman, they note that not only can networked individuals use multiple social media tools to interact and communicate to the world, but they can also "fashion their own identities depending on their passions, beliefs, lifestyles, professional associations, work interests, hobbies" and more. We can shift between different media tools for different interests that we want to explore at different times with different people. I'm already feeling the need for a project planner!
A recent article on "Using Social Media Wisely" had several tips that can help in balancing use of Web 2.0 tools, that include be careful what we post, avoid ideology, and be cautious when posting images. Being more thoughtful and discerning about your posts may reduce your quantity, but improve the quality.
Another article spoke about turning off notifications, and setting some general time limits for our social media engagement. During this pandemic, it is important to focus on our family's needs in front of us now, and making time for either our work, online college classes, or helping with our children's classes.
Lastly, because of the quarantine and current hesitancy to visit family or friends in their homes, as well as the reluctance or inability to fly, consider using your phone to FaceTime a loved one. Show them your new project, let the kids do a performance, or just walk around the back yard and show close-ups of your tomato blooms! The bottom line is they want to hear your voice and see your face. Courtesy of Web 2.0, it's almost the next best thing to being there...for now.
I was also thinking the same thing about balancing during the first week. As I usually lurk on social media, I felt awkward about creating something here and there and keep checking if anyone commented on them. I also feel the need to establish my own way to explore the large amount of information coming at me. Thank you for sharing those articles! As I'm living apart from my family (13 hours time gap), we set a time to FaceTime every week. :)
ReplyDeleteSoD, thanks for your comment. As I learned more about the "Generation C" from readings this week, I think we each will gravitate toward tools that resonate with us, and find, as you said, your "own way to explore" the content available. Great news about your FaceTime schedule with your family!
DeleteI am going to share that article on using social media wisely with my family, who are fairly new to using social media and find themselves using it more now with the pandemic. I completely agree with you that we all need to find some balance right now, and I feel that is even more difficult now that I am managing even more social media profiles for class. Instead of getting up in the morning and having my coffee while I play on social media, it has turned in to an experience logging in and out of various profiles and checking here and there for comments and keeping up appearances so to speak. It can be incredibly overwhelming, but as you said- turning off notifications is the most important step. When we first transitioned to teaching high school online my students would text and email me at midnight! It wasn't until I was complaining to a friend- and that friend simply stated, well why don't you just turn off the notifications or put on "do not disturb" during certain hours?- that I realized that is an option to keep my work life and home life more balanced during this time. Such a simple suggestion, but truly life changing and sanity saving. My family also lives far away and we set a family Zoom for every Friday evening at 5. We have a nice family dinner virtually and check in to make sure we are all surviving, the best we can.
ReplyDeleteJFoxx, thanks for your reply! Sounds like you are getting a handle on balancing social media in your life. That is so cool you have a virtual family dinner every Friday at 5pm! Way to go in getting family priorities in focus while balancing social media needs.
DeleteI think this is very timely, as I also struggle with balance. I am new to social media, so for me, it is a full-time job learning the tools, how to best leverage them, and how to manage my time using them. I crochet, A LOT, and I was using that to balance school and home life. Depending on how far I got on the project that week dictated how well I balanced everything. With learning all the social media and Web 2.0 tools, I have not crocheted in almost 2-weeks and my family can tell my balance is all out of whack :) Your article helped provide some insight on how to manage all the incoming media, and your tips on how to make it fun (show off a project) is helping me to start to put back the balance and start crocheting!
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