Are you burning out on social media?

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Permalink Reply by Ken Christie on October 1, 2009 at 10:51pm

I have taken the position since the introduction of social media that all media is, in fact, social, in that it is intended to establish or strengthen relationships between one group and another, or individuals with groups, or individuals with each other. Thus, the question is not so much one of being overwhelmed by social media, but media overload in general, and technology enabled burnout for some, perhaps. We all rely so heavily on tools to help us communicate more quickly, but it is certainly questionable at times whether we are doing it better. E-mail, blogs, Twitter, facebook, most of it - we can say many things to many people quickly, but how many are listening? Is your worth really measured by how many Twitter followers you have? Depends on who you are, I guess. Is there a limit to how many friends you should have on facebook, or connections on LinkedIn, or even member connections on Smaller Indiana, before one is considered to be spending too much time socializing and not enough time actually accomplishing something? I am not condemning social media - far from it. The question of balance is extremely inportant, however, or at least it should be. If investing time in social media is a high priority and garners great satisfaction, you probably do not burn out. However, if it is not really a priority and is more of a burden one feels they have to do, then my advice is to get a life, one more outside virtual worlds and with real human interaction, in person. Cheers -

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Permalink Reply by Brett J, on October 1, 2009 at 11:14pm

If it wasn't for social media I would have nothing to do at work. So Im not burned out its a part of me. But I'm always looking for something new on them to keep me engaged.

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Permalink Reply by Jeb Banner on October 1, 2009 at 11:45pm

I think it's more of an adjustment than a burn out. There is the initial rush into the water then eventually people get back to whatever they were doing before and incorporate this new thing into their previous rhythm. I maintain that it's all about meaningful conversations. Once people stop having them they move on. A healthy social media site has to maintain that balance between critical mass and an unruly crowd. The noisy crowd destroys meaningful conversations. I think this site does a good job of walking that line.

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Permalink Reply by Betty Malone on October 2, 2009 at 8:22am

Absolutely agree, the conversation is the thing. It must be meaningful or helpful or I'm simply confused and feel abused by my wasting of time on too much triviality.

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Permalink Reply by Mark A. Anderson on October 1, 2009 at 11:48pm

Not necessarily burning out, but definitely wrestling with how best to evolve and compartmentalize more effectively. So many tools, so little time.

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Permalink Reply by Carl Dombek on October 2, 2009 at 7:36am

Social media can be a huge time-draw. And while we need to stay on top of/understand it, my observation is that much of what's being discussed is truly social as opposed to business-related, even on business-focused sites like LinkedIn. So the value per unit of time spent, if you're looking at return on investment, is still fairly small.

To proffer a partial quote from Ashton Kutcher (of all the world's great thinkers), "I believe (social media) is a stage for humanity and connection, not the triumph of technology."

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Permalink Reply by Betty Malone on October 2, 2009 at 7:56am

Great question! And one I asked myself yesterday as I set up a Ning page for a play production I'm directing with a group of area teenagers, checked and updated my Facebook Status, uploaded a blog post on my Word Press blog, twittered a few updates on articles just written and received on ongoing stream of updates from "Friends" on all those sites!

Is it true burnout or just a bit much. I see the usefulness. I've actually made work connections, and even connected with two new friends who have become face to face friends through my "social networking" sites. I appreciate the pluses, but is the payoff worth all the time we invest in it, though? For me, I think the answer lies in moderation and certainly in not becoming a power player or super star! :)

I will continue to use it, when I find time, and when it seems useful. I have no desire to be a numbers ratings star. In fact, I haven't the foggiest idea of how many Facebook, WordPress or Twitter followers or fans I have and no desire to rush off and see. People follow and I check them out to see if I want to do the same. Sometimes I do, sometimes I say nope.

I also like the idea of more local social networking like this Indiana forum. That makes more sense for my work and my life.

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Permalink Reply by Tiffany Hatfield on October 2, 2009 at 8:00am

I haven't burned out, but, like others have said before, it's a great way to keep connected, and there is a place and time for being on it. I think the burnout comes from trying to have some actual depth of relationship via social media. It's a great way to stay caught up with family, friends and colleagues, but it's the face-to-face that provides the depth. Or maybe even a phone call to really talk things out, whether it's negotiating a contract or catching up on a major issue in a friend's life. As humans, we are hard-wired (pardon the pun) to be connected on a personal level, so the "wireless" connection is useful but temporary.

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Permalink Reply by Nwokedi C. Idika on October 2, 2009 at 8:24am

I do think I'm burned out by the term "social media." It's used so much that I'm not sure it really means anything...

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Permalink Reply by Nicki Laycoax on October 2, 2009 at 1:48pm

Agreed. Can we give it a new name?

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Permalink Reply by Noah Coffey on October 5, 2009 at 9:58pm

Whatever new name someone comes up with will get tired, too. It's like a really great song that gets played too much on the radio. It's not the song's fault, but you tire of it anyway. :)

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Permalink Reply by Johnnie Firari on October 2, 2009 at 8:59am

Passion - Passion - Passion
I spend a fair amount of time in the life of "Social Media" from participating, connecting and researching. I love it, only because I participate in conversation, connect with those and research on things I am truly passionate about. I could never do it as a work assignment and be happy. I would be burnt out! Have fun with it and find your balance....

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