facebook | The Tony Burgess Blog

What do you think about the overall climate on social media these days? It seems with the subjects of the day where there is a lot of controversy about some hot button issues the atmosphere seems toxic. Here on WordPress.com and even on Tumblr there seems to be a more open minded environment at least by the people who I follow and who follow me. Facebook seems to be a minefield where controversy is just a click away. Living in the south the issues of the confederate flag and gay/lesbian marriage have made it a sad place to be at times. People are here seem to be less charged by emotion and more through thought, reflection and sensitivity to others.

Our personal blogs are a place for us to share how we feel, within reason. We do have to pick our battles and sometimes those battles are worth fighting. Social media I think is something that should be recreational and fun but I know people who live on and through Facebook so they can be heard when in other parts of life they feel silent.

So is social a toxic thing, I don’t think it has to be. You are in control of your social life.

I have come to the realization that I follow a lot of people on various platforms of social media and blogging. When visiting those sites, I ask myself where do I know them from…Tumblr, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Those situations remind me I can’t keep up with everyone. Maybe its the extrovert in me wanting to make as many contacts as possible, that is what makes me good at my job.

My brother-in-law has thousands of contacts on Facebook alone, he knows a lot of people having worked as a educator for a long time. Some people are just more social than others. Every person you meet online is a person, more than just a profile.

For me its contacts I have made through blogging networks and being a part of groups of various sorts. Someone has probably developed an app to help keep your contacts organized and to tell you where you know them from. As in anything in life you will develop a core group of people who will be interested in having a meaningful friendship with you, people who will like what you post and be concerned about you in general. Having a online life can be challenging, but its important for real world interactions with folks from your online life. Putting flesh to those who you know digitally is important.

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