Twitter: It's Not You; It's Me...

So, I’ll admit, it took me a long time to warm up to Twitter. At first I thought it to be overwhelmingly – well, overwhelming. I mean, who could possibly keep up with all of the information being purged? I had enough difficulty maintaining a Facebook status. As with anything however, time sort’s things through and after implementing about 12 Twitter monitoring tools and nailing down who it was that I really wanted to follow, what I really wanted to say and learn, I’ve gotten comfortable there.

Until lately. Well, I take that back, I still like it there but recently I feel as if I am in a cyber relationship with a myriad amount of folks I’ve never even laid eyes on and my every move is in measure with something resembling speed dating. I’ve got 1 minute and 1 Tweet to prove my worth. Eeek, what if I’m having a bad hair day and not at my wittiest? My numbers climb, then they drop and vice versa. Was it me? Did I make a bad first impression? Do I have bad breath? Was I just being used for a number and when I didn’t immediately reciprocate affection I got dropped? I mean hey, I’m not that kinda girl. Maybe it takes me a little time to get to know you.

And then comes Qwitter. Yikes. If someone stops following you, then you immediately stop following him or her? When did Twitter become spiteful? Are you following people because they interest you or because of numbers alone? And truly, you might not be interested in my random thoughts about social media marketing, what I had for breakfast or my favorite music of the week but I still might really be interested in what you have to say. Do I have to stop following you because you stopped following me?

Sometimes, you meet people, and you think you have something in common and in time, you realize that you don’t. That’s ok. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just who we are. Can’t we still be friends? You might follow me but I’m just not interested in antique cars or optical physics so I don’t return the follow. Isn’t that my right? It doesn’t mean that I still don’t think you’re fabulous. It just means that our Twitter relationship will never go to the next level because we don’t have much to talk about - so, I’m bowing out gracefully before anyone gets hurt.

I’m not here for numbers, I’m here to learn, laugh, educate and hopefully connect with some folks that have common interests. It’s ok if your not my type – or I yours. I think? I wouldn’t want anyone to follow me if they aren’t interested in social media, food or music – because what I have to say would most likely bore them – and I don’t want to be the lame girl at the party.

My thought is that people might be taking this game of Tweeting a bit too seriously. Personally, if you have 3 followers or 30,000 that won’t make a difference to me. I like you for you and I’ll follow you because something you’ve said has sparked my interest. If I stop following you, it’s nothing personal; maybe we’ve just drifted apart. It’s not you; it’s me. No hard feelings ok?

Can social media keep you young?

I was driving to work the other day listening to an interview with an author discussing our obsession with 'staying young' - this is primarily an issue with women as we contemplate ways to somehow maintain a lineless face exhibiting no history of our stories - as if this gives us character or beauty? However that's a completely different blog so back to the topic at hand (as I lovingly apply anti-aging serum).

So, this whole fountain of youth discussion got me thinking about ways to 'stay youthful' and obviously, social media came to mind. I truly believe that social media is a tool to 'keep us young'. It's by no means a fountain of youth but in many ways, it does in fact keep the mind and the spirit 'youthful'.

Look at the content that we as a collective group share across all boundaries regardless of age, title, status etc. - Often times the content might just be silly, mocking politics, the state of the world, or it can be pertinent to the world of social media marketing that I exist in. Regardless - we are sharing - the conversation never stops. It keeps my mind tuned and active on a constant basis. That has to beneficial? How many people, friends, relatives and colleagues do you know that now participate in communities, blogs, have a Facebook page, etc.? Most I presume. I even saw my mother had created a Facebook page the other day (she'll be 60 on Friday)! Social media engages people and although many of us use it at a vehicle for education, many utilize it for fun as well.

Point being - social media is bridging a gap between generations and cultures. It allows for the older to connect with the younger - stay in tune and 'hip' to what's current and it allows for the younger to learn from those who have broader experiences to share. There's a flow as opposed to a barrier.

Each time my 'Twitterrific' pops up and I see an interesting post or note, I read. My mind is constantly being stimulated. The best trick to keep the mind and body young is to remain active - and so in that regard I'm doing my best to stay fit - wouldn't the assumption be for anyone utilizing social media on a regular basis that you would reap the benefits as well? So perhaps on some level, social media is one of the answers to the long sought after fountain of youth? Drink from the cup - (even though it often times might over flow-eth), and you just might be around a bit longer...

Now, if I could just figure out a way to burn some significant calories and get my heart rate up while blogging, Twittering, Facebooking and the like....hmmmmm