One of the co-founders of Facebook admitted what we all suspected: the program was designed to be addictive.
Sean Parker said Facebook was made to “exploit a vulnerability in human psychology”. Seeing likes on your post gives you a little emotional boost. So, you keep going back to see more likes and comments.
It’s understandable and although I’m as susceptible to it as anyone else, it’s also a little sad! I can barely remember what my life was like before I spent so much of it online. If I have to use social media for my job anyway, I may as well give it my best shot. So many people claim to be experts on social media but it comes down to authenticity. For me, that’s a little bit of everything layered with self-deprecation and (attempts at) humour. You also need to be consistent and present. And I don’t get why people are so stingy about retweeting or sharing. Give somebody a little social media love once in a while. It feels good!
I have several favourites I follow. There’s Ricky Gervais, unless you’re touchy about the atheism/faith debate. He’s so funny and his responses to critics are biting and hilarious. Seth Abramson. Erin Davis turned me onto his smart, insightful tweets about the news. Follow Erin Davis too! She’s the wittiest woman I know. And if you stay out of social media altogether, you also have my respect. It’s a choice, after all, and it’s not the necessity for everybody that its developers would have you believe.
I rarely if ever retweet or share and I even block retweets and would love to block shares since it’s hard enough to try and view the information I want to see without having to navigate others information.
That’s the point of it, though, Allan. To be social and to share!
Well thank you for the endorsement, Ms Lisa Brandt! I am honoured to be in such august company (and here it is December). Seriously, thank you. People who think Twitter is just Kardashians or Trump are missing out on chances to get their news delivered to them in a succinct and direct way. I love it. It’s also a pain (aren’t they all?) but I’ve been so grateful for the many media in which I can keep in touch with listeners from back ‘ome. Thanks again! E.