Deleting Social Networking??

Have you seen the Toyota Venza commercial?

"What? That's not a real puppy. That's too small to be a real puppy."

Pretty much sums it up. Google it - hilarious commercial. I couldn't have picked a better actress for that part.

I deleted my facebook account awhile ago, for many reasons. Haven't looked back.

I maintain my mamapedia addiction.

Actually, you know what I don't understand more... the need to "do" social networking on your phone. The check-ins, updates, posts all done from a mobile device baffle me.

In the last few months, I have witness people EVERYWHERE (even a public restroom) on their phone, COMPLETELY missing the people, nature, action right around them. Makes me really sad that so many members of society have become so attached that they are actually detached.

I have a severe mamapedia addiction. Is there a mamapedia anonymous??

I do not have facebook.
I used to be a part of a couple Navy Mom sights when my son was in boot camp and just after. It helped tremendously knowing I wasn't the only mom out there crying for two weeks. I have some very good friends whom I have never met from these sights. We now keep in contact via email and snail mail. I haven't been on Navy Parents since 2008. I do not miss it.

I replaced it with Mamasource and have been here ever since. THere are many times I think I need to just log out, but I keep coming back. Like right now. I could be doing so much more.

I use the computer for mamapedia and during the school year the kids do a lot of their work on here. I homeschool.
Right now I am also looking up lace curtains and indigenous bugs to VA.

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I have a FB account but I use it only to lurk.
My page is as blank as blank can be.
If I communicate with anyone, I use email or private messaging.
I like to keep my private life private and my work's HR is all over Facebook and all other kinds of social networking sites.
I don't trust the privacy settings and in many cases just joining a group is enough to get you into trouble.
People have been fired or turned down jobs based on the Facebook content and many MANY teens have to have their data scrubbed (deleted) in order to become employable.
My income and career are too important to put at risk over nonsense.

Everything in moderation!

Like anything else that is bad for you - why not try using it in moderation.

I like to check out FB a few times a day, then I like this or that and might comment on how cute a friend's kid is. But as for status updates, I rarely do it unless I am doing something super fun or cool (i.e. on my way to go Zip Lining for the first time - so scared).

I do think FB is awesome to keep in touch with people that you would normally not be in touch with (old college friends, old work friends whom I worked with in a bar, etc.) and display photos of kids, etc.

I think Mamapedia is different - is a message board and is really helpful to so many people! I don't consider this social media.

:)

I have never had a FB or my space account or anything like that. Its just not for me......
This site is about as 'far' as i go w/ the social networking ;-)

I say dont give it up entirely!

Like anything else, we should probably moderate it.

Much of my time spent here is used to procrastinate, for example this is much more fun than getting a board from Home Depot, which is what I need to do as soon as I get up, so here I sit.

Sometimes I think if I would be brilliant if I listened to TED talks in the amount of time I spend online, and I probably could have written that novel by now.

Probably we just need to set a reasonable amount of time for these things - I'm thinking 1/2 hour, and stick to it.

On that note, I'm off to buy that board.

Scarlett - I lOVE that commercial! It's so funny! And true. As soon as I buy the board, I'm getting my mountain bike out.

I think it is difficult for every generation to completely embrace the FOLLOWING generation's means of communication.

But, kids like mine (18, 17, 14) will be RUNNING THE WORLD soon via electronics, sigh.

I've hesitantly embraced social networking primarily because I have three teenagers and I want to KNOW them. If I hadn't been unwillingly FORCED into an open mind, I'd likely think the whole thing is completely stupid and the whole world's gone crazy.

But fact is, I LIKE FB, I look at it everyday. I communicate with people, cousins, friends, immediate family, when I would otherwise be pretty much reclusive. So I LIKE the low commitment kind of keeping track of people it offers. I HATE talking on the phone. I don't have a smartphone, just use the cell for texting, no internet (though my KIDS have iphones).

I think people who get in trouble with electronic relationships, would get in trouble with face to face relationships as well.

I guess I mean, the vehicles we use to communicate have changed, but the WAY we all choose to use those vehicles will never change.

(BTW, it's Theresa N. on FB, I love my mamapedia FB friends!)

:)

I go back and forth between either keeping or deleting my facebook account. I think I read that same article which said something like, "In 20 years, are you going to wish you spent more time on facebook or actually with your friends?" As a SAHM, I always get asked by mom's I meet if I have a facebook account, it seems that is the most popular way of communicating or setting up play dates. It's mainly for this reason that I have kept it. I mainly only send personal messages on it because I don't like my plans for the week just out there for anyone to see.

I'm only on here and FB. I like fb because I feel its an easy way to stay in touch. I have family, friends, people from high school, clients, networking contacts, etc. I like to see peoples comments and pics. I don't play any of the games at all. My kids are still too young to be on there but I know they will be someday and I plan on being their friend too so I can keep an eye on them! So I won't give it up. Good luck!

I spend a lot of time on FB too. I enjoy playing Farm Town and Millionaire City. I don't spend hours and hours per day doing it though. I plant my crops for what I need to make items and plan on being on about those times that day. I usually am open each day for about 20 minutes in the morning reading just status updates to see what everyone is doing. I get back on in the evenings and check for "work at my facilities" posts and then status updates. I might spend another hour just doing that, maybe throwing in a game in Gardens of Time. I enjoy playing the games but it's not my life. It's my escape so I can have some time away from home mentally. In the evenings the kids are in bed and hubby has logged off too.

Today I have a sick one that I have been worried out of my mine about. I posted a question about her symptoms yesterday. She is so sick. They may have to put her in the hospital to drain a pus abscess in her tonsil/throat area. She is not getting better but worse as time goes on. I have had so much support from people that are friends of friends that I will most likely never meet. I have people praying for my grand daughter all over the world, England, Australia, and lots of different states.

I think that if you spend less than an hour a day on the computer for amusement purposes, like FB, email, other games, etc...it should be time you allow yourself to enjoy. You don't always have to be up working or doing something that is for someone else.

I started off on the FB wagon pretty much at it's inception (back in 2004) when it was only for college and university student/staff/faculty networking.
It's been interesting to watch it's growth over time, and esp how people use it. After this many years with an account, I must say I am starting to get a little bored with FB- other than the occasional layout change, nothing really new ever happens with the site itself. Although I must say I have gotten some excellent referrals on everything from doctor's to electricians from my network of friends. Someone even help me identify a tree in my front yard that I didn't recognize. It's great to have a network when you need them!
Now, I'll be interested to see if Google+ gets off the ground...

I deleted my FB account a couple months back and it WAS hard. I had so many reasons to delete it- like the article said, so many empty friendships and thinking that just 'liking' a status is okay communication. So many arguments! (political of course) and some arguments on just how one lives their life. For a forum comprised of ONLY friends and family, I felt it was far too negative and didn't need it in my life. Friends of friends would comment on things and it was always just awful. I feel much more productive since deleting my account. I got a Dropbox account instead for sharing photos with actual close friends and family. And we keep in much better communication. Regular phone calls and emails. I had a goal to write as many friends and family as possible an actual letter with some actual photographs included. It's fun to get mail. And it's fun to read a letter from a friend. My partner and I moved across country from all our friends and family just a few months before we found out we were pregnant. So meeting new friends is extremely hard (especially for me because I work from home and rarely get to leave the house other than for a walk) our neighborhood is not very walkable as far as going to a coffee shop or the grocery store or library. But it's worth it to not have a FB account anymore I think. I didn't want my son to see me get so fiery and angry all the time or upset over no good reason, and we have spent so much more quality time together since, and I have no idea how I had so much extra time now that I look back.