I’m terrible at keeping balance in my life. I’ve talked about my balancing act of “All Or Nothing” It really is my underlying motto with food, exercise, television (damn you Netflix for having all of those full seasons of easily digestible television to keep me up all night) and most recently, social media.
Image: Patrick Dockens
Striving for balance between living real life and social media seems to be a struggle all around:
- A friend of mine used Facebook to say how behind she is in her social media obligations because she was relishing living her life with her family.
- A respected social media educator said at a conference recently that when she has to tell her family, “One more minute” more than once, she knows it’s time to close the computer or shut her phone off.
I happen to be a Twitter fiend and this past week we’ve all seen the power of Twitter in scooping news media with story updates and pictures. I’ll be honest, I heard about the Boston Marathon bombings because I was on Twitter and found about the 5K race I ran with my family yesterday to honor #BostonStrong because of Facebook.
Image: Aslan Media
I love social media. I’m fascinated by the fact that I can catch up with old friends on Facebook, interact with my new friends or “Tweeps” on Twitter, be drawn in by the plethora of lovely images on Pinterest, watch old music videos on YouTube and actively avoid Google + (because it scares me) the problem is going down the rabbit hole and forgetting about the actual, real world outside
Image: Brooke Novak
How do you know if your real-life/social media balance is off or if you need a social media intervention?
- When you check your email, Facebook and Twitter before you even lift your head off the pillow in the morning or the minute someone leaves you alone.
- When you instinctively put your phone upright on the table at a restaurant.
- When you interrupt your current activity to write about it on Facebook or Twitter.
- When your “Tweeps” become more important than your real friends
- When you take a picture of the event rather than participating or enjoying it.
- When you have to check “one thing” on your computer and you’re still in your pajamas and it’s time to pick your kid up from school
- When your family asks they’re boring you because you’re too busy looking at your screen(s) to look them in the eyes
I’m guilty on many of the above counts and knew it even in December. Number 11 of my 13 goals of 2013 was to institute no screen or computer time daily and I’ve failed miserably. Tomorrow, I think I’ll shut my phone and computer off after 6pm, maybe that’s a start.
Do you have a “no-screens” time? How did/do you implement your plan? I’d love to know!
I need a 12 step program ASAP!!
I totally understand. They’ll remove my phone from my cold, dead hands…
I learned to take a step back and live in the moment after many, many years of NOT doing it. We are all striving to accomplish our goals, but you can’t do it at the expense of your family.
Well said my friend. I have also been behind with my social media obligations and have been enjoying things in the real world and when I saw you post your status on Facebook, it was like you were reaching into my head and talking for me.
It’s a process and I think we all could use some restriction.
When I feel my life is really out of balance and I need external assistance, I usually use an alarm/reminders phone app to keep me in check. I designate time for certain activities and if I don’t get them done, too bad!
I participated in the media blackout in protest of CISPA, because I treat Anonymous like an unspoken, unofficial union I belong to by virtue of utilizing the internet – social media especially – and it was a bit tough to go 24 hours without it, but very rewarding. I met a big deadline before noon and got some quality kitchen time and a lot of housework done. I like taking social media vacations 😉
I definitely need an intervention but I’ve been working on it and have been a bit better but I’m definitely still tied to my phone more often than not. It’s a lot sometimes and it’s hard to find any semblance of balance.
I’m trying too but so far I haven’t been so very successful.
OMG thank you all for confirming Im not crazy or alone in this! I need to pull away and I keep going back to check, post, tweet, email, yada yada yada! I need help! I like the alarm idea. Gotta work on it.
I still need help and I wrote the post. We should start a support group. Tech Addicted Anonymous. No one would know each other’s names anyway, we’d only talk in our Twitter handles, right? Thanks for the input Laniea!