Editor's Column
Sucked into the Facebook Vortex
by Kit Brown-Hoekstra
I created a Facebook profile awhile ago so I could keep up with my nieces, nephews, and stepkids, but I didn't really have time to do much with it. I've been very passive about connecting with others on it, as well, though I've been amazed at how many people from my past have looked me up.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to get serious about cleaning out my Facebook inbox and adding information. It's been fun to catch up with old friends and see what they are doing these days, but it is very easy to slide down the rabbit hole and get lost in the random connections.
Because I'm in the midst of a big information architecture/CMS implementation, I've got a bit of information overload as it is. (One of the reasons I haven't joined Twitter yet.)
On the one hand, social media help you get and stay connected, but on the other hand, it's easy to forget that you can and should turn it off once in awhile so that you can recharge. Use social media like the tool it is--for social and business networking, marketing, and entertainment, but don't let it rule your real life, which is out here smelling flowers, physically being with family and friends, and experiencing life as a participant rather than a voyeur.