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Why I Hate Social Media! And You Probably Do Too But Won't Admit it! (A REVISIT)

By
Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty of California, Inc. CA DRE #01490977

I wrote this about 9 months ago, and Bob Stewart thought it deserved another visit. I like sharing my opinions so I can't say I disagree.

I reread it, and I don't see that my thinking has changed.

I enjoyed writing this - the reality as well as the sarcasm - and hope you find it worthy of a read, whether you agree or not. After all, we're both entitled to our opinions. I would be curious about what YOU think.

I really do see the value of social media, otherwise I wouldn't be there in spades. But there is some stuff that, quite frankly, just irks me, so I tend to ignore or avoid it.

Or poke fun at it when I can. Enjoy. Or not.

******************************

Why I Hate Social Media! And You Probably Do Too But Won't Admit it!

Like so many I've joined all the popular social media sites, and some not so popular ones.

I've spent countless hours adding profiles, uploading photos, adding videos, and sharing personal information and I've had it. I hear there's a point to all this, but quite honestly, I have grown to hate social media. 

Here's why: 

What if I don't WANT to follow you?!!THERE ARE TOO MANY SOCIAL MEDIA SITES - every time I think I am on all the right ones, another one makes an appearance, and I feel obligated to join. My spreadsheet for tracking sites, log ins, and passwords is totally beyond control and impossible to maintain. And worse, I often get invited to join a new site by someone I don't even know. I have created more avatars and screen names and passwords than anyone in their right mind ought to be doing. I'm just not inventive and it takes too much blasted time.

AM I A TWIT, a twitterer, tweeple or a tweeter? Am I tweeting or twittering? There are more darn applications and things you can do that start with Tweet or Tw. And the number of new words in our lingo as a result of one bloomin' site is enough to make an English professor commit harakiri. And who is this Mr. Tweet character? Is he a real person? And then there's Twellow, and Twellowhood, Tweetdeck and Twirl, and on and on and on. Enough of the T word. The S word comes to mind. Not the one you're thinking.

THE GUILT around not having enough followers, friends, connections or links is enough to keep me in church 7 days a week. Confession isn't even part of my religion and I feel compelled to confess my inadequacies as a participant in the social media world. Just when I think I am making headway some idiot with 1,315,719 followers wants to follow me. Now that's a blow to the ego. Perhaps I should follow all the get-a-million-followers-per-day techniques that I see out there. Then Adam and I could be on the same playing field. I couldn't keep up with it all but so what. Isn't it all about the numbers?

Social media in action

I FEEL ASHAMED I don't feel like sharing intimate details of my bodily functions, discussing what I am eating and where and how I feel about it, or passing along personal reflections on how wonderful life is because of the great attitude I woke up with that morning after only 2 hours of sleep even though the dog died, my kid is a druggie, and my client is suing me for a million bucks which I don't have because my mortgage is in default but that's OK because I'm working on a loan mod with BOA. I still feel great, though, because I know telling you that will inspire you to become the best you can before the end of the day. You can watch my vid about it...trust me. It'll work. DM me if you need help.

Social media is driving me nutsTHERE ARE MORE FRIGGIN' QUOTES out there from famous people than you can possibly keep track of, or even begin to ponder and hope they will make your measly life better, which of course they won't. And if I hear one more quick way to make a million dollars using Twitter in 1 hour I'm going to barf. No doubt I needed to share that and someone will have a video I can watch that will help me cure the nausea, which of course I will then have to retweet ad nauseum so others can DM me to congratulate my new-found success, and then I can write an e-book and become famous overnight and gain billions of followers. And start my own special fan club on Facebook.

I DO NOT GET THE FRIEND THING. Why is it so many people want to be my friend? I don't want to be your friend, I don't like your avatar (I think that's what they call those ugly pictures on people's profiles), and your mindless blathering doesn't interest me one iota. But I know if I don't let you follow me or I block you I will feel extreme guilt and need to spend more time in church, which I don't have time for. And you will probably keep pinging me to follow you, or join your mindless fan club, or attend some stupid event for an idiotic cause I have never heard of and that I could care less about, which of course means I am not engaging with others on-line as I should and therefore will probably get blacklisted or have my account deleted.

I HAVE LOST MORE SLEEP than I ever imagined I could survive without.It was bad enough when I started blogging several years ago but keeping up with all the updates, tweets, RTs, DMs, link and follow requests means I have to get by on even less sleep than I did pulling all-nighters and partying in college. I thought I was beyond that. I'm sorry but I DON'T feel social at 2 in the morning when I have to get up at 6, but I seem to have no option. There's that guilt thing, again, about social media. There must be a Cure That Guilt video out there somewhere.

PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES ME AS PARANOID as...well, you know. I know I am going to say something that will offend someone and get sued. Or my identity will get stolen because of all the personal stuff they ask me to share in order to set up my profile that everyone in the world can see. I know someone already is stalking me...I think...or maybe I am just paranoid. But they keeping DM'img me on my phone.

Perhaps you've realized by now this is all in fun...well, mostly. Maybe you just don't get it. I guess I wouldn't be doing what I do if this all really irked me.

Or maybe it does and I just can't admit it out of guilt. Who knows?!

Posted by

Jeff Dowler, CRS
Certified Residential Specialist / Realtor®


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Comments(188)

Kathy Clulow
Uxbridge, ON
Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Jeff - TIC or not it is the truth .....  life was much simpler before social media ..... I Knew Who I Was, Where I Was Going and Where I'd Been .....

Now the trick is to Remember Where You Are

and that everything you post is out there forever

May 28, 2010 08:44 AM
Ron Harris
Spearhead Realty - Oklahoma City, OK
Renascent Entrepreneur

In an Andy Rooney Tone:

I think Social Networking was really designed for the teenagers. Remember when we were teenagers and how we just wanted to Socialize, even if we were anti-social we still had our little groups. As teenagers, we would embrace anything that made it easier to talk about nothing and appear cool. Back then it was phone 3way and conferencing. In my day it was BBS's (modem days). Remember Prodigy?

So, today, it is the Internet with websites dedicated to social networking. As adults, we are trying to find ways to use it productivly with our business and end up getting swamped with the sheer size of trying to keep up with everyone, everhthing, and things we don't even know we are supposed to pay attention to. Geeze, this reminds me when email exploded. Jokes and chain mails became a huge time waster.

Sadly, I could care less that what someone ate last night (unless they got food poising and had the funny story to go with it). I don't care that a Realtor had another showing today and ate at Panara (unless, of course, the store was robed and they got a free lunch). I don't care that someone just got a new black cow for their farm (unless the really got a REAL black cow, and only if it pooped a lot in their back yard, ate their flowers, stepped on the cat, and broke the fence). Pattern here? IT HAS TO BE FUNNY and SIGNIFICANT. 

There are some useful benefits of Social Networking and that is, of course, with your REAL friends and family. We just get caught up with wanting to be friends with everyone so we don't miss out. And NO - that extremely attractive woman from Russia, with the scantly clad photo, who wants to talk to you, really isn't going to be a good friend (except to your your wallet).

So, I GIVE UP on social media. It's over rated. It's a waste of time. It isn't that fun. And because I don't give social media that much importance, I'm going to OUTSOURCE my responses and maintenance to a virtual assistant. I really don't care what they say for me (has to be legal of course) because it probably won't matter to anyone else. I'll let the VA have all the fun! And who knows, my ghost writer VA may actually say something profound and important that people will take notice in little ol' me! Just leave my wallet out of the picture...unless that Russian bombshell really comes to visit me in Oklahoma!

May 28, 2010 01:06 PM
Christine Viernes
Coldwell Banker Bain - Kirkland - Duvall, WA

Too funny (and true!).  I too enjoy some of the sites (especially FB)  but it is a "time suck" as someone else said. I'm not as consistent as I should be either. I don't feel bad about it not being a priority - life it too short, it takes time away from what is most important (my family for one).  There are other efforts which are effective for getting business (how about the old fashioned concept of picking up the phone?) where one doesn't feel like they are going in so many different directions (FOCUS is key!).  Then to see the list that Dave Halpern posted, good grief!

May 29, 2010 05:01 AM
Nathan Tutas
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Davenport, FL
Your Central Florida Real Estate Expert
Very funny. You're right though. I had about 20 friends on my facebook before getting into real estate. Now I'm not even sure how many I have. I had to turn off my SMS notification because my phone was dying in 3 hours every day. Well said!
May 29, 2010 06:01 AM
Noreen and Wayne
Better Homes & Gardens Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY

Hi Everyone - I might as well jump in being the new kid on the block and not good at Blogging! So, all these SM site are a bit overwhelming! I am just doing Facebook.  We paid a good deal to an SEO company that did not produce leads so if nothing else, we can get our Fan/Business page up and runnng and post video blogs on that and have some listings - I understand that will push us up in the searches better than SEO!!! 

May 29, 2010 08:04 AM
Anonymous
Michael Johnson

Hi Jeff , Stop felling guilty or obligated, I think by Law if you were born in the 50`s or earlier your not required to blog on more than 2 sites, you don`t have to tweet - twit or what ever it is and you can`t expect people of our generation to remember more than 2 or 3 log-in names and pass words, I just tell people when they ask why I can`t remember all of this stuff that, my memory is full and until I delete some things nothing else is coming in. If you were born after 1960 , well Good Luck keeping Up.

May 30, 2010 05:12 AM
#174
Tatyana Sturm
Exit Realty DTC - Aurora, CO
Denver Realtor, GRI, Denver/ Aurora CO Relocation

There is soooo many sites now.  I only use 2.  The 2 that I like and that I have got business from.  I used to twitter, but I never got any business from it. 

Jun 01, 2010 02:49 AM
Janna Scharf
Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene - Coeur d'Alene, ID
Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert

I missed this first time around, and I got a big kick out of it.  One of my big AH HAs at the first RainCamp in Seattle was the smart guys saying that really, out of the zillions of social media sites there are only three that you really need - AR, Linkedin and Facebook.  That took lots of pressure off, and I focused on those.  Now, in RainCamp Bellingham last week they focused on Twitter a lot.  I suppose I will get that one figured out too....

Jun 06, 2010 04:53 AM
Kathie Burby
Coldwell Banker Mother Lode Real Estate - Sonora, CA
REALTOR, SFR, Tuolumne County Real Estate Guide

I'm a bit late with a comment but just had to chime in - Wow! I know how you feel. The whole social media thing is a bit too much sometimes. I've been spending most of my time out in the forest hunting down the perfect mountain get away for clients and when I get back to civilization just answering the emails and phone calls I've missed takes up the rest of my waking hours. Alas, like everyone esle here I do participate, just not as much as I used to - too many other things that have to get done.

Jul 06, 2010 10:19 AM
Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

It's a vicious cycle, Jeff. You feel guilty because of not becoming everyone's friend, or having enough friends, so you spend more time in church which means you don't have that time to spend on making more friends on your social media sites. So I think you need to get over the guilt and quit going to church. 

I love it! Great post. I love the sarcasm. 

Jul 17, 2016 11:31 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

ha ha Debbie Laity 

Glad you found this after all these years!

It was fun to write, and then repost. It still rings true. Maybe I need another update with a slightly different focus

Yep, there is still some guilt, but not much. I've moved on.

Jeff

Jul 17, 2016 01:29 PM
Sybil Campbell
Fernandina Beach, FL
Referral Agent Amelia Island Florida

Hi Jeff. Social media can be over rated. I spent one night unfriending I don't know how many people off Facebook.

Aug 17, 2016 12:57 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Sybil Campbell 

Yes indeed that is true. Things have shifted some since I wrote this, but I think we have to be even more careful than ever about our involvement, and what we want to commit to doing.

Jeff

Aug 17, 2016 01:11 PM
Lisa Von Domek
Lisa Von Domek Team - Dallas, TX
....Experience Isn't Expensive.... It's Priceless!

Great post Jeff Dowler  and I have no guilt for my lack of social media time...I don't understand where people find the time.  They must have more than 24 hours in their day than I do

Aug 17, 2016 01:23 PM
Noah Seidenberg
Coldwell Banker - Evanston, IL
Chicagoland and Suburbs (800) 858-7917

You hit the nail on the head Jeff Dowler. Maybe our kids can explain why we are not "with it" on all the social medial sites.

Aug 17, 2016 02:15 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I wonder if it's some sort of guilt keeping me from deleting my LinkedIn profile (or whatever you call it). I don't want to be there anymore and I don't ever go there. 

I loved reading this and I can completely relate. I have no interest in anything other than facebook and AR.

Aug 18, 2016 01:03 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

I think we have all felt the struggle, some more than others. Great post Jeff!

Aug 19, 2016 12:41 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Lisa Von Domek  - I suppose it's all about priorities!

Ha ha Noah Seidenberg  - no doubt they could

Jeff

Aug 19, 2016 03:51 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Sharon Tara  - the landscape has changed alot since I wrote this. Things work differently now. And I think user look at these sites somewhat different.y, too

Jeff

Aug 19, 2016 03:52 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Thankw Evelyn Johnston 

While I continue to use SM sites, how I do so has changed, and some of the frustrations are still there!

Jeff

Aug 19, 2016 03:53 PM