Monday 12 November 2012

Social Media Phobia


Ok, I am going to be very honest with you. Social media confuses me. A lot.

I like to think I am a pretty clever gal, but this whole www thing causes me stress. Maybe its one of the reasons why my girls have zero technology relating to online interaction.  I am a control freak (shocker I know) and I fear that if they had Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest that I am simply not smart enough to monitor them or keep up.

There I said it. When the small people in my house read this I am for sure going to have to do the “I was wrong, you were right” dance and get out my jazz hands.

When I started this blog I sat at my computer and actually typed into Google “How do I start a blog?” I was directed to Wordpress and yup...after an hour of confusion I restarted with this Blogspot…it was way easier. For my readers who use Wordpress…please don’t laugh at me. Ok, you can a little bit. I was so proud of myself I decided to have a glass of wine that night to celebrate my online victory. Any excuse will do clearly. I am in the process of turning this blog into a website. Oh Lord help us all.

Another tidbit; it took me a week to realize that people could email me through the blog and I had no idea what the little button was on the top right hand corner indicating a number. I still have no clue what Google circles are, but I sure as hell will add you if you request it. I’m just not sure what it all does. Do me a favour will you? If you can explain any of this for me…message me. I know how the messagy thingy works now! Yeah me.

By far Twitter leaves me the most dumbfounded. I started a Twitter account when Quinn was 6. It was the cool thing to do. And I am super cool. I had like 5 people following me. Woot woot!! When I realized I really had nothing of interest to say in 140 characters or less (I am way to long winded for that) I decided I would dedicate the account to things my 6 year old says. I called it ‘Thoughts From a 6 year Old Brain’. You know like ‘Shit my Dad Say’s’….but more PG rated.  Don’t mock, it was a moment of pure genius to me.

I have been forced (not like gun to my head forced) but ‘strongly encouraged’ through this strike to master the Twitter thing. For the love of Pete, I noticed a person @ing me just today from like 4 weeks ago. Then there is the Twitter guilt I have. I see mentions/interaction/follows and I feel the need to thank them, mention back, re-tweet or follow. I yearn to be a good, polite Twitterer, I really do. I just can’t make any promises I can’t fulfill; it’s not in my nature.

I digress. As I was acquiring all this new found Twitter knowledge, I went back and re-read some of the stuff Quinn had said that I had tweeted just 4 short years ago. Where has the time gone that turned this quirky 6 year old into such a competent, caring, well rounded young lady? Pretty funny stuff still flies out of her mouth on a regular basis that allows me to spy on how her brain works, but as I re-read her words I had a really good laugh and wanted to share with youJ

Imagine her dimples as you read…they are super duper cute.

Thoughts from a 6 Year Old Brain
·      Dad, you need to do something about your hairy armpits! You could make a cat out of all that hair.
·      Dad, you could be a model…except you are not in shape and you are bald.
·      I’m gonna be a doctor when I grow up…or a shark trainer in the circus.
·      There’s this guy in my class. He’s a boy. He can burp his whole ABC’s…it’s cool.
·      Mom, your breath smells like farts.
·      Olivia, the goblin of death popped your balloon. It wasn’t me.
·      Dad, you nose looks like a bat cave, or your ears. Yup both.
·      Mom, I’ve been growing my feet lately, can you tell?
·      Mom, the growing fairy came last night. I am now an inch taller. Don’t worry, only my legs grew. Weird if my nose grew an inch eh?
·      (I found a note in her agenda thanking me for offering to make cookies for the class that morning) Quinn, did you sign me up to make cookies? Perhaps I did mommy, perhaps I did.
·      (After falling off her chair)Don’t worry mom. I’m ok, my bum broke my fall and it already has a crack in it.
·      Mom, that lady has the biggest boobers EVER. They are all hangy down. She needs a better bra I think.
·      Nana, do you know when you sorta die? Can I have your dog?
·      Mommy I saw Ukraines at the bird sanctuary today, and a nest of Magpipes.
·      Mom, these circles and bumps (cowlicks) in my hair are ruining my life!

The idea didn’t last very long and although I had/still have no idea what I am doing with most social media, I am very thankful that her words are frozen in Twitter cyberspace. I wish I could remember every little moment of each of their lives. There are times I wish I could freeze them in real time and not be so rushed…to simply enjoy the moment.

Feel free to add me on twitter @JAStilwell. I’m not very exciting, but I am trying and I will follow you back…if I can figure it out. I am proud to say that I have and understand Instagram. Don’t get to worked up, it’s just pictures of my dog.

But for now my phone just told me that Twitter has a notification for me.
I’m panicking.

xoxo
Miss Quinn...age 6


16 comments:

  1. How cute was Miss Quinn? You do good work, Jessica! Nice walk down your virtual memory lane.

    As for social media, I've had a blog for two years and I'm STILL dumbfounded by it. I activated a Twitter account to establish another channel for my posts and I really haven't used it much until recently.

    It's proven to be a great resource for locating agents, television producers and celebrities - who now have another way of ignoring me.

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    1. I can't even keep up with comments/emails from the blog:) It really could be a full time job let alone adding in Twitter, Facebook etc. But I am now on a mission to obtain a social media super hero cape..but hell, I'm not even sure i am using the @ properly??
      Maybe they are not ignoring you but are just as confused by it all just like me?
      Keep at it:)
      J

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  2. I am definately no computer expert and was very pleased with myself when I managed to start my blog. I keep learning wee things along the way too.
    Twitter I don't understand and google plus not sure either. Maybe one day I will :)
    By the way I saw you on our Scottish news a few weeks ago and I have to say I was so impressed with your mommy strike. :))
    I am now a follower :)

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    1. Thank you for following:) I wish you could hear my Scottish accent in my head right now!
      I think I have the blog thing down, but yes we have to keep learning along the way.
      J

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  3. I'm now following you on Twitter. Think of Twitter as a tool. A great way to advertise that you have a new port up on the Blog. I started blogging in 2006. I was very active but have slacked off since starting the Dane Yard on FB. If you have any questions just PM me.

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  4. I totally have Twitter/Facebook guilt. I'm bright . . . I think, but I don't get it. It is like all the cool kids are talking and can't be bothered to teach me their secret language.

    When you sorta die, can I have your dog?

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    1. Total secret language from the kids at the cool table in the cafeteria. Whatever, I'm gonna eavesdrop and learn it anyway.
      You made me snort about the die/dog comment. I snort a lot, but thanks for the giggle nonetheless. Thor (the dog) is pretty awesome, but you may want to think twice if you have any landscaping you enjoy!
      J

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  5. Don't sweat the social media stuff. A lot of people (PR people mostly) are going to push you to broaden your platform by being active on EVERYTHING, and really, that's kind of a crock. I'd recommend focusing and getting comfortable with one thing at a time - like your blog and website. Then dabble and see which of the SMs out there are the best fit for you but don't let anyone push into anything because the thing with SM is if you don't enjoy doing it then it just becomes another ball of stress to hang around your neck and no one needs that.

    I recently had a "social media colonic" - I terminated my Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Wordpress accounts. I wasn't using them and they were cluttering up my email. It didn't revolutionize my life or anything, but it's just less clutter which is very nice.

    Good luck!

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    1. Good advice!! Although I am strangely becoming addicted to twitter. Great...just one more addiction:)
      J

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  6. I was excited to start my Twitter account but found withing a week that I was an utter bore. I decided to put my weight in each day so that I could keep track. A week later I realized all 3 of my followers could see how much I weighed. Spent a freakish 5 minutes trying to fix my settings so that no one on this planet could read my Tweets.

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    1. This made me laugh A LOT!!! Sounds like something I would do...and I can imagine your panic when you realized you were twittering your weight to the world.
      J

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  7. I've been a computer programmer for 30 years and Wordpress confuses me too.

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  8. I use blogger, and I am known at work as 'Hey, J.R. has a blog, let her do the writing material'

    I work in an office. Nurse staffing to be exact. We are branching out into another division of sorts, with a website. Hey, let's have a blog for the website. In comes....."Hey, J.R. can do it. She writes a blog" I secretly feel like the office super hero/smarty pants/cool blogger girl.
    When our I.T. guy tells me that he has set up an account, password and link to our site with our own blog, I am excited, and thrilled. I finally get to intertwine my love of blogging in my personal life with my not so love of working in an office.
    Want to know the next words in his email?
    "The blog will be blah,blah,blahbetty blah,WORDPRESS.COM"
    I faked it like I knew Wordpress. Couldn't be that hard right?
    Well I agree with you. I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIGURE OUT WORDPRESS!!! It feels so good to get that off of my shoulders. I'm faking it till I make it with our I.T.guy, But I may not be foolin anybody here soon.
    Glad to know I am not the only one. :)
    New follower here. Have been sitting on my laptop, a glass of wine, and marathon reading your posts. Love all of them! Just decided to comment on this one, as I had that "OH MY GOD, ME TOO!" moment with your Wordpress confusion. Not that your Mom on Strike wasn't a whopper of a "ME TOO" moment ;) Can't wait to keep reading.

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    1. Ummm, wow, once that came up on the screen I realized how flipping long of a comment I left. Uhhh...... You can call me J.R. the long commenter.

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    2. Best long comment ever.
      You can call me J.S loves L.R the long commenter.
      J

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