Every blog I post, every tweet I post, every status update I put on Facebook comes from me and in the most genuine way. What you see here and there is what you get. My life, my opinions, my crazy stuff all comes from my heart and head. Now I don’t reveal everything because everyone has the right and privilege of some privacy. Connecting with like-minded people is a great thing and can make this social thing even more fun. I encourage genuine dialogue and genuine posts because it tells the story about unique people who are trying to figure out this crazy world we live in. My friends lets strive to be the genuine articles.
Tag Archives: social
The More, The Merrier
When someone likes your posts and follows your blog it’s a great feeling. However, I am not all about getting as many followers as possible here at The Tony Burgess Blog. Quality is as important as quantity in my mind. A fellow blogger just mentioned she reached the 1000 follower mark and I am thinking do I want to do the same here. On Tumblr I had well over 1000 followers but it became difficult to manage that many. WordPress might be a different animal though.
Currently I am around 850 so I am not far off. Making connections and friendships in blogging is what I am most interested in doing, but can you do that with 1000 people. My brother-in-law has near 5000 friends on Facebook which I think is the cap on personal accounts but he is a person who naturally makes connections in his line of work. I guess time will tell if I reach that 1000 follower milestone. Perhaps I just should think that the more the merrier is a good thing. Hopefully it means people like you, or something like that.
Rambling About Being Social
Humans for the most part are social creatures. Perpetual isolation goes against our nature. Granted some people like to be alone but even then the need for interaction is good for them. We cannot think of ourselves as an island out there in a vast ocean. Every human being is connected in one way or another through something. No matter who you are there are times when you need a warm embrace that reminds you that you are indeed special. We all need that company that helps us get through life when tough times come. People are informed by the conversations they have with others who share their experiences. Learning from others is important to help us not make the same mistakes they have made. Everyone needs somebody, somebody to hold. Being social is being very human indeed.
A Social Ramble
I find that WordPress, Twitter and sometimes Tumblr are better places to be than Facebook. I don’t know what it is but I think Facebook can bring someone down. Sure there are tons of pet videos but that can’t be the only thing keeping someone there. Blogging seems to be a more open social environment for better discussion. I would so love to log out of Facebook but it keeps people coming back because of the connections you have there. Not everyone blogs so that is a problem. Maybe I just need to logout of Facebook for awhile. I would much rather blog, Tweet and Instagram anyway.
Social Toxic
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.
Two Things
I think there are two things I would say to a fellow blogger at any level.
1. Keep on blogging…if you stop you might not start back again. Fake it until you make it when necessary. But chill out if you need to.
2. Be the star of your own blog. Your blog is about the world from your point of view. Let that show to the world.
Friends be the blogger you can be even when life is tough.
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