Last night I felt a little crazy. Yes people, I do get a little crazy from time to time. Of course the type of things I loose my cool over might not be what the rest of you might think is acceptable.
Last night I was ready to catch up on blog comments and do some much needed research on self-publishing, when our Internet provider decided that I was not going to do any of it. Normally when I know the internet will be off, I finish things ahead of time and I guess I get my planning right. Last night, for no reason, the internet was off and I could feel my eyes twitch. But it's okay, I got a little reading done and got a few ideas for a book, so I guess it wasn't all bad.
I noticed that when I'm not connected to the internet, or have the temptation to check blogs, or other forms of social media, my concentration is better and I end up getting more things done. I know many bloggers have mentioned that social media can be addictive and a distraction, but I thought I would be immune to social media and other distractions. Well, I'm guilty of getting distracted rather easily.
These days I only check Twitter and Pinterest (which is now only for my personal use) regularly, and of course I check out what is going on in the blogging world (This is where I spend most of my time). I rarely use Facebook, Goodreads and Google+ these days. I prefer Twitter because I can just scan through my lists and know what everyone is up to, without giving up too much of my time. Also, I spend a lot of time reading and replying to emails. See, it's not that bad :)
How do you cope with social media? How much time do you spend using it?
That's why I only focus on blogging with a little Twitter. And Google+ once a day. I think the key is to not overwhelm.
ReplyDeleteSometime stepping away from the Internet is a good thing, although not when you have plans for research. (And we have some good stuff about self-publishing listed at the IWSG site.)
Thank you, Alex. I do tend to overwhelm myself sometimes. Heading over to the IWSG site now.
DeleteI spend entirely too much time on social media. Pinterest and Twitter are currently my biggest time sucks, with Blogger and Facebook close behind. Sometimes, I think about how much more work I would get done if I would only unplug from the internet every now and then. And then I go on Pinterest and search for Buffy the Vampire Slayer pins.
ReplyDeleteIf my internet was off for no reason, I would not bear it nobly.
Pinterest is the best for making my ideas come to life. Thank you for your honest comment:)
DeleteMaybe it was a blessing in disguise :) - you got some reading done and got some ideas for a book, which is awesome! I find that whenever I take a break from social media, I feel a lot better mentally. That's why I don't use Facebook anymore. I can just about cope with blogger and Twitter, but sometimes I do need to switch off from them too. I've just set up a Tumblr account but tbh, I don't know if I have the time/inclination to use it. I love social media because I can chat to awesome people (like you!) but equally, I don't think it's a good thing to be connected 24/7 - we all need our downtime :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely need my downtime. I don't really use Facebook anymore either, but I keep it just in case I might need it again someday:) Thank you for telling me about your social media habits. I appreciate the honesty.
DeleteI adore Twitter, but my account blew up before I got a handle on the whole list aspect. I prefer Facebook (mostly for my author groups on there), and blogging. Goodreads is just for me, and google is a joke.
ReplyDeleteI also think blogging is the best. Thank you for your honest opinion Crystal.
DeleteYou are lucky. I end up spending hours upon hours on social media. I hope to follow your good example. Thank you so much for commenting and your honest feedback:)
ReplyDeleteI try to stick to social media in the quiet hours of my day, but sometimes it's not that simple. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove the new look.
Thank you, Misha. The red was starting to hurt my eyes:) I check it on my quiet times too, but then I end up spending an hour on Twitter or Blogger when I was only suppose to browse:)
Deletei'm similar to you with the social status checking - try to keep it to a minimum and only visit a couple of the social sites once or twice a day. they're a nice diversion, but definitely easy to get sidetracked and waste time... disconnecting is a good thing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tara. I definitely have to learn to disconnect. I am wasting far too much time on Twitter than I should. Thank you for your advice.
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