Deleting Social Networking??

Actually, you know what I don't understand more... the need to "do" social networking on your phone. The check-ins, updates, posts all done from a mobile device baffle me.

In the last few months, I have witness people EVERYWHERE (even a public restroom) on their phone, COMPLETELY missing the people, nature, action right around them. Makes me really sad that so many members of society have become so attached that they are actually detached.

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Have you seen the Toyota Venza commercial?

"What? That's not a real puppy. That's too small to be a real puppy."

Pretty much sums it up. Google it - hilarious commercial. I couldn't have picked a better actress for that part.

I deleted my facebook account awhile ago, for many reasons. Haven't looked back.

I maintain my mamapedia addiction.

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I have a severe mamapedia addiction. Is there a mamapedia anonymous??

I do not have facebook.
I used to be a part of a couple Navy Mom sights when my son was in boot camp and just after. It helped tremendously knowing I wasn't the only mom out there crying for two weeks. I have some very good friends whom I have never met from these sights. We now keep in contact via email and snail mail. I haven't been on Navy Parents since 2008. I do not miss it.

I replaced it with Mamasource and have been here ever since. THere are many times I think I need to just log out, but I keep coming back. Like right now. I could be doing so much more.

I use the computer for mamapedia and during the school year the kids do a lot of their work on here. I homeschool.
Right now I am also looking up lace curtains and indigenous bugs to VA.

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What a great post you have here, Mama! I finally "caved" and went onto FB because I knew it was the only way to keep up with my many friends around the world, whom I met while living overseas. It has been great, but I really only remark about things my friends say, and don't post much on my wall. I do put pics on FB because I really like having them accessible to family and friends without having to "figure out" how to email them to people! (I'm not very computer savvy!) I don't play any games on the computer at all.

I do see a lot of these ladies on Mamapedia as friends of mine, the regulars who have similar points of view (not the SAME, but similar) and I enjoy reading their answers and chatting with them. Not the same as real friends, I understand, but cyberfriends.

I also feel very strongly that helping young mamas is a GOOD thing, and sometimes stepping between them and mean posters or posters with nasty agendas who like to bully all those around them. Sometimes standing between them gets me zinged, like yesterday when my post to Pamela about her being far too worried about how other women choose to birth their babies was removed. Mamasupport wrote me this morning that my response was "indeed removed in error", especially considering that it was one of the kindest ones in telling Pamela to think about herself instead of everyone else who really doesn't want an all natural home birth. (Pamela didn't report my post, by the way - Momof3girls, the one who PM's me awful stuff, did.)

So, the bottom line is that I try to make the most of my "computing", as you put it, go to a good cause. And right now that is mostly Mamapedia, giving almost 52 years of experience and insight a voice to people who need it. And if I make some friends along the way, that's excellent. And to the women who are nasty, I would say they have sad or angry lives, and that is why they are here on this or other sites, not because they actually want to help.

Happy Monday to you too!
D.

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I have a FB account but I use it only to lurk.
My page is as blank as blank can be.
If I communicate with anyone, I use email or private messaging.
I like to keep my private life private and my work's HR is all over Facebook and all other kinds of social networking sites.
I don't trust the privacy settings and in many cases just joining a group is enough to get you into trouble.
People have been fired or turned down jobs based on the Facebook content and many MANY teens have to have their data scrubbed (deleted) in order to become employable.
My income and career are too important to put at risk over nonsense.

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Everything in moderation!

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Like anything else that is bad for you - why not try using it in moderation.

I like to check out FB a few times a day, then I like this or that and might comment on how cute a friend's kid is. But as for status updates, I rarely do it unless I am doing something super fun or cool (i.e. on my way to go Zip Lining for the first time - so scared).

I do think FB is awesome to keep in touch with people that you would normally not be in touch with (old college friends, old work friends whom I worked with in a bar, etc.) and display photos of kids, etc.

I think Mamapedia is different - is a message board and is really helpful to so many people! I don't consider this social media.

:)

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Like anything else, we should probably moderate it.

Much of my time spent here is used to procrastinate, for example this is much more fun than getting a board from Home Depot, which is what I need to do as soon as I get up, so here I sit.

Sometimes I think if I would be brilliant if I listened to TED talks in the amount of time I spend online, and I probably could have written that novel by now.

Probably we just need to set a reasonable amount of time for these things - I'm thinking 1/2 hour, and stick to it.

On that note, I'm off to buy that board.

Scarlett - I lOVE that commercial! It's so funny! And true. As soon as I buy the board, I'm getting my mountain bike out.

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I think it is difficult for every generation to completely embrace the FOLLOWING generation's means of communication.

But, kids like mine (18, 17, 14) will be RUNNING THE WORLD soon via electronics, sigh.

I've hesitantly embraced social networking primarily because I have three teenagers and I want to KNOW them. If I hadn't been unwillingly FORCED into an open mind, I'd likely think the whole thing is completely stupid and the whole world's gone crazy.

But fact is, I LIKE FB, I look at it everyday. I communicate with people, cousins, friends, immediate family, when I would otherwise be pretty much reclusive. So I LIKE the low commitment kind of keeping track of people it offers. I HATE talking on the phone. I don't have a smartphone, just use the cell for texting, no internet (though my KIDS have iphones).

I think people who get in trouble with electronic relationships, would get in trouble with face to face relationships as well.

I guess I mean, the vehicles we use to communicate have changed, but the WAY we all choose to use those vehicles will never change.

(BTW, it's T. N. on FB, I love my mamapedia FB friends!)

:)

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I have never had a FB or my space account or anything like that. Its just not for me......
This site is about as 'far' as i go w/ the social networking ;-)

I say dont give it up entirely!

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I go back and forth between either keeping or deleting my facebook account. I think I read that same article which said something like, "In 20 years, are you going to wish you spent more time on facebook or actually with your friends?" As a SAHM, I always get asked by mom's I meet if I have a facebook account, it seems that is the most popular way of communicating or setting up play dates. It's mainly for this reason that I have kept it. I mainly only send personal messages on it because I don't like my plans for the week just out there for anyone to see.

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I spend a lot of time on FB too. I enjoy playing Farm Town and Millionaire City. I don't spend hours and hours per day doing it though. I plant my crops for what I need to make items and plan on being on about those times that day. I usually am open each day for about 20 minutes in the morning reading just status updates to see what everyone is doing. I get back on in the evenings and check for "work at my facilities" posts and then status updates. I might spend another hour just doing that, maybe throwing in a game in Gardens of Time. I enjoy playing the games but it's not my life. It's my escape so I can have some time away from home mentally. In the evenings the kids are in bed and hubby has logged off too.

Today I have a sick one that I have been worried out of my mine about. I posted a question about her symptoms yesterday. She is so sick. They may have to put her in the hospital to drain a pus abscess in her tonsil/throat area. She is not getting better but worse as time goes on. I have had so much support from people that are friends of friends that I will most likely never meet. I have people praying for my grand daughter all over the world, England, Australia, and lots of different states.

I think that if you spend less than an hour a day on the computer for amusement purposes, like FB, email, other games, etc...it should be time you allow yourself to enjoy. You don't always have to be up working or doing something that is for someone else.

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I'm only on here and FB. I like fb because I feel its an easy way to stay in touch. I have family, friends, people from high school, clients, networking contacts, etc. I like to see peoples comments and pics. I don't play any of the games at all. My kids are still too young to be on there but I know they will be someday and I plan on being their friend too so I can keep an eye on them! So I won't give it up. Good luck!

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I started off on the FB wagon pretty much at it's inception (back in 2004) when it was only for college and university student/staff/faculty networking.
It's been interesting to watch it's growth over time, and esp how people use it. After this many years with an account, I must say I am starting to get a little bored with FB- other than the occasional layout change, nothing really new ever happens with the site itself. Although I must say I have gotten some excellent referrals on everything from doctor's to electricians from my network of friends. Someone even help me identify a tree in my front yard that I didn't recognize. It's great to have a network when you need them!
Now, I'll be interested to see if Google+ gets off the ground...

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