My Adventures in Social Media

Every summer since I was eleven, I have worked on a different project or task.  I’ve learned new things (ranging from how to yodel to the names of every U.S. Senator to how to stand on your toes like Kate Winslet did in Titanic), and as a rule, I’ve maintained the ability to do all of them (except the toes thing, as that is not going to happen unless I weigh what I did when I was seventeen or I develop superpowers).  This summer, the project wasn’t quite as specific, but it was still a great deal of fun, and through a pair of articles that will be published here this week, I’ll be chronicling what I learned.

I am not what you would consider a technological person, and this goes doubly for new technology.  This has less to do with my age and more to do with my personality (part of me has always been Clint Eastwood, yelling at children to get off of my lawn, which was once adorable and will eventually make me a stereotype).  This summer, as a way to embrace technology and learn a little bit more about myself and the world around me, I decided to venture further into Social Media.

To start off my little adventure, I had to google and learn about social media.  I know this, again, makes me sound like an old man (which might be true at this point), but it’s never really been my jam, so I googled popular social media sites and decided that I would join Twitter (I was kind of already on Twitter, but I had rarely used it), Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat, Vine, Instagram, and LinkedIn (I’ll include a link to a couple of these below).

As I was born in the mid 1980’s, I of course already had a Facebook, and aside from a brief flirtation with MySpace (I still feel like I’m being stalked somehow through that site, and I love that all of the artists I have on it are now judges on The Voice-seriously, I think it was Shakira, Christina, Adam Levine, and Usher on my wall when I logged in this past summer as a joke).  So for the article, I’m going to write what I liked and didn’t like about each of these (I’m aware two-thirds of you likely already use these sites and don’t really need a review, but this is my blog, and I promise we’ll get back to the Oscars and politics soon enough).

Twitter

What I Like: I honestly was completely against Twitter initially.  I thought it was stupid.  It was Facebook without the pictures, email, and chat options.  However, as Twitter has graduated from updates about when you're going to the bathroom to becoming a news and opinion site, I have to admit I’m fully addicted.  If done right, it's like someone has created a news site that is entirely geared toward me-I get the benefits of Ezra Klein posting the latest news from Washington, updates about the Royal Family from Clarence House, Nathan Adrian’s latest swimming victories (and ensuing Speedo photos), Oscar quips from Nick Davis, and quick thought bubbles from everyone from Chris Kluwe to Lena Dunham.  Additionally, if I’m curious about, say, the rumored Democratic candidate from West Virginia or the latest Amanda Bynes scandal, Twitter reacts far, far more quickly than even Google News or CNN.  I don’t always tweet (I’m more of a follower than a Tweeter), but I love having the option to get a little bit more political or outlandish on Twitter than I can on Facebook, where my coworkers and family members may not approve of me going into a full-throttle cheer for Wendy Davis.

What I Don’t Like: It’s super hard to find the friends I do want to follow and to follow me (P.S., if I know you in real life and you’re reading this blog because I sent you the link, this means you, so text me your Twitter handle).  Otherwise, nothing is wrong with it-Twitter is exactly what you make it, and you can make it an invaluable tool for your daily info needs and for your specific hobbies.

Has It Replaced Facebook for Me: In the sense of status updates, yes.  I’ll still post on Facebook, but my more interesting posts are admittedly coming on Twitter, where I get more adventurous and controversial.  Plus, there’s less of a worry about finding out your ex just became a partner in their law firm (at least for me) on Twitter, so that’s always a plus.

Pinterest

What I Like: This was the site I was most apprehensive about joining, because I didn’t quite get it either (even more than Twitter), but I have warmed to it quite willingly.  I have a particularly good memory, and already have a bucket list and add films or books right away to my wish lists or Netflix queue when I hear about them, so I wasn't sure what to do with Pinterest.  I am not a great decorator, and I have cookbooks coming out of my eyes, and I go clothes shopping as often as we get a new president, so I'm not really the perfect audience for the app.

But what I have found that I like about it is that you can collect ideas for when a major life event comes and you’re suddenly scrambling for all of the good ideas you’ve had for years.  This can mean a wedding (I totally understand now why people have wedding boards even when they’re not engaged…even though I used to mock this concept and quite frankly keep my wedding board private, as the likelihood of me using it is comparable to me getting into Gryffindor House), a new house, holiday dinners-those things that you want to be special, but you are so overwhelmed when they are coming up that you always forget a great idea you had.  It helps that Pinterest links up to your Facebook, so that I can follow people that I’m friends with whose style and taste I’ve always admired.  It also helps when those friends are particularly active on the app, as I am at a loss for what to search for in regard to great ideas.

What I Don’t Like: I feel like the cooking page just sort of fills up with fattening, ridiculously appetizing good ideas that never actually make it off of my iPhone (again-real life friends, we should do a Pinterest potluck at some point-awesome suggestion, per John).  Also, for some reason men haven’t taken to this App in the same way that women do, and so I don’t get as many good clothing options on my Pinterest.  And the celebrity quotient isn't nearly as high as I’d like it to be (Pippa Middleton, Kate Winslet, Darren Criss, and Cate Blanchett, please join).

Has It Replaced Facebook for Me: No-Facebook doesn’t really have anything like this, and so it doesn't replace Facebook.

Tumblr

What I Like: First, here is the link to my Tumblr (I’ll include a permanent link in the sidebar for people to enjoy if they so choose).  Tumblr is a great idea in concept, but because I have a regular blog and I’m a written word sort of guy, it doesn’t have the same cache as the rest of these do.  I do love the fact that it allows you to post photos without much thought-even with the blog and especially with Facebook, I feel like no one wants to see me post a funny photo of Jack Harries or January Jones, but on Tumblr, there’s definitely a forum for that.

What I Don’t Like: My technological abilities get limited when it comes to Tumblr-I know how to Instagram onto my Tumblr, but I haven’t figured out how to use my Tumblr properly yet, I will admit.  Please post in the comments what you use yours for, or what you like about mine so that I can continue, as I love the concept.

Has It Replaced Facebook for Me: It will.  I frequently put lists of my favorite actors or movies in photo albums on Facebook, but Tumblr seems a better forum for this, as Facebook is more about pictures of your wedding or baby, and less about Chord Overstreet’s bangs.

Instagram

What I Like: EVERYTHING!  The artist in me, who doesn’t really like taking photographs of myself (I have no selfies on my Instagram, or at the very least only 1-2), enjoys being able to edit, parse through, and present my photos of Central Park or the lakes near my apartment.  It’s fun to follow other people, as well, as these photos are less a generic collection of sixty photos you took randomly at a party, and more the 1-2 photos that really captured the mood of the party.  No one needs to see a photo of the backs of six people’s heads, which show up with stunning regularity on Facebook.

What I Don’t Like: I haven’t quite warmed to Instagram video-it requires a lot of space on your phone, and since I’m updating my phone soon, I don’t really have a lot of room for videos, even though the filters seem pretty cool.

Has It Replaced Facebook For Me: Most definitely-I posted my birthday album on Facebook this summer, but those were the only pictures I put on that didn’t go on my Instagram as well.  Otherwise, all of my photos are Instagrammed instead.

Vine

What I Like: Vine is fun.  Instagram Video may eventually replace Vine, but oddly it doesn’t seem quite like Vine has disappeared yet.  I particularly love Maisie Williams hilarious Vine videos, which are daily and probably the funniest thing on the web (whether or not you’re a Game of Thrones fan).  The six second maximum also means that you aren’t seeing a shaky clip of a concert for very long until you get someone hopping in the air as if they are flying.

What I Don’t Like: I never have great ideas for my own Vines (I should work on that) and either I’m following the wrong people or I need to follow more, as there are not enough posts.  Also, I wish that I could check it on my computer.
Has It Replaced Facebook For Me: No.  Again, I never really posted a lot of videos to Facebook, so that is an additional aspect of social media for me.

Snapchat

What I Like: Snapchat I’ve warmed to as I’ve realized how silly and throwaway it’s supposed to be.  Once I figured out that the pictures weren’t going to last much longer than ten seconds (and I got a healthy number of friends that followed me), I got into it, using the caption button far more than the drawing button to convey a “TGIF” or “should I get my haircut” photo.  The quick and often one-sided aspect of each snap makes it less pressure than texting or Facebooking.

What I Don’t Like: I need all of my friends to join, and I need to have better control of my index finger for drawing.

Has It Replaced Facebook For Me: Texting replaced writing on someone’s Facebook for me eons ago, so this is really taking a punch at my texting rather than anything else.

LinkedIn

What I Like: Umm, it has a really pretty app format.

What I Don’t Like: Everything?  I know it’s unfair to match this up with the fun of Pinterest or even Facebook, but it is a popular social media, and the way you request friends, the constant barrage of emails you receive from the app-it is not nearly as interesting as any of the other sites.  I’m clearly missing something here, considering how many people are on it.  Please share what you like about LinkedIn in the comments, and I’ll give it another shot.

Has It Replaced Facebook for Me: No-it’s the only app that I deleted from my phone.

Overall, I feel less and less linked to Facebook (which has almost become a very fancy email for me), and am a much happier social media user.  There’s still a few more that I might try-Pheed, Kik, and FourSquare, perhaps-but I wanted to get your thoughts.  What are your favorite things about all of the different social media apps?  Which ones should I be giving a shot?  And, almost a decade after it first found its way on the scene,  what does Facebook mean for you?