You might be wondering what this post is all about. Well, you may or may not have noticed, but I’ve been pretty quiet on social media lately. This year has been crazy. Earlier in the year, I saw a few folks I follow decide to take a break from social and left for months. I understood at the time how one could be burned out and need to step away.

To better understand what I’m about to say, you probably need some context/background. I fully understand that how I utilize social media is not the way that others do. How ever you choose to engage in social media, is exactly that, your choice. For me, I engage in social media for specific reasons. I.e. I engage on Twitter for the technology that I have invested my career in (i.e Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Lync, OCS, etc.). I use Instagram to inspire me to take better photographs and followed only other photographers. On Facebook, I use it to look for car parts (one of my hobbies) or get info around other specific hobbist groups (i.e. family camping/dirt biking). I didn’t/don’t use social media to engage others in conversations of any deep substance.

At the end of October, I found myself just burned out on the conversations that were happening on my social feeds. Right before the election, I decided I needed to just turn it off. I haven’t visted Facebook in November. I have only responded to a few Tweets where I was mentioned. I still look at Instagram but only once or twice a day for a quick mental break by looking at cool photos.

The thing that I’ve learned in this is this: I was spending way too much time on Twitter. I am also loads happier and more focused.

Does this mean I’m giving it up forever? No. I’ll be back, but it will be on my terms. Perfect example, I will still use Twitter to promote this blog.

I actually noticed where things like Facebook are useful (exmaple: I wanted to get info on a dirt biking area to take one of my kids and I can’t get that from other websites as well as I could from the family dirt bike group). I will probably stop reading my Twitter feed daily. That said, it is where I found lots of great pieces of info on Microsoft Teams and other technologies. I will probably have to start muting people that I follow who spend their time talking on topics other than what I want to learn about (remember, it’s their choice how they choose to engage, it’s my choice on whether I want to listen).

So, what this all means is that if you want to get ahold of me via social, you will probably need to specifically mention me or DM me. I’m happy to engage in deeper conversations, but will always prefer those to be in a much more personal manner (i.e. in person, on video, etc.). I once heard a pastor say “It’s really hard to hate someone up close.” It’s true and so I will push towards getting close to people and truly understanding and hearing their story so that I can know them.

Final thought, social media in and of itself is not evil. It’s not good either. It’s just a tool. We have to choose how we want to use the tool. The tool has the ability to do good or to do harm. Choose wisely.