Social Networking Fatigue

I don't know about you, but I'm tired.  Social media networking is interesting, exhilarating, and lately - exhausting.  Just when I think I'm caught up, I find out there are 5 more "sparkly and shiny" new places where I should put up my profile.  I'm finding I need a profile of my profiles!

YIKES!!!

What's really scary is when you go to a new site (or so you thought) and discover that you've already been there and set up a profile - heck, you've even got friend requests from people you've never heard of! 

I found an interesting article on this very topic today by Caroline McCarthy at CNet News: Escape From Social Network Frenzy?  What a relief to read her article in which she shares the feeling of overwhelm from all the information overload that is befalling her from the oh-so-many social networks she is involved in. 

Relief because I was beginning to feel like a major Social Networking WIMP: wiped out from trying to keep up with it all, weirded out by some of the information that people share (over-share), and perplexed by people who want to be friends ... when they don't even know me.

I understand that this is the new playground and there are many great connections to be made.  I'm still trying to sort through it all to figure out which ones deserve my time and attention and which ones need to remain on the shelf.

McCarthy talks about the need for lifestyle aggregators and I couldn't agree more.  Or maybe what we need is a way to slow this all down just a little bit and try to make sense of what it all means.  Are we like small children in a candy store?  Do we want more than our senses can handle?  Does it make sense to spend hours and hours online trying to connect with people that we don't know in places we may never go and neglect the people who are right here in our own backyards?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for expanding our personal networks in strategic ways ... I'm just feeling like I've got a shotgun and I'm aiming into the ocean in the hope of catching a few fish. 

I am still sorting this out.  For me, I'm thinking that I need to pick a manageable # of social media sites to focus on and when I get really good with those, then add a couple more.

I'm going to put on my special magic glasses that block out "the next sparkly thing" so I don't get distracted.  As my dad used to say when I was a child, "see you in the funny pages!"

Comments

[Betsy Talbot]

Zita, if you can duplicate those glasses you will make millions!

I've been experiencing a sense of overwhelm on social media myself. I liken it to being invited to several parties on New Year's Eve. You can rush to all of them, staying only a few minutes and connecting a little bit with a lot of people, or you can go to one or two and really relax and have a good time with a smaller number. I'm not sure which way is best, but what is best for me is to limit the number of sites where I'm active, though I have a profile at many sites. This keeps me sane and helps me make a bigger impact in a specific area. I serve a pretty specific market, so this works best for me.

It seems like you have a book in there somewhere that lots of people would read.

[Zita Gustin]

I agree, Betsy, with the idea that we need to focus in where we can really make an impact with people through building relationships. The Social Media Frenzy has us all running around buzz kissing the air. For me, I want to slow down and spend time getting to know people - just like in the real world of face to face networking.

When I get a pair of those glasses, I'll see if we can get Michele Bayle Zeman at Wink Eyewear to make you a duplicate set!