Even vintage people like me know about Social Media Well, we think we do.
Facebook allows friends and family to unite with comments, photos, and incidental happenings such as “I had Orange Marmalade on my toast this morning at breakfast, instead of jam.” Then 20 people will reply with comments as to the benefits of a citrus topping over a fruit one, the preference for savory toppings, and the horrors of Vegemite. Scintillating reading for those with the time to enjoy such a repartee. And of course, we then need to illustrate the delights of such gastronomical fare by taking a photo of the breakfast. We need our phones for that and can then extend the exercise onto Instagram.
Instagram allows us to use our phone cameras when out shopping so that we can also photograph a Chinese restaurant menu in order to compare prices with a competitor next time we eat out. Or take a photo of a suspected ingrown toenail so that we can examine it up close with the magnifier to see if it is damaged. (True, I’ve seen it on Facebook.!)
Twitter of course has taken a new twist since the last American President found that it can provide the electorate with important national strategies without the need to learn semantics, or take up too much time in the Senate or Congress, or indeed, away from the golf course. So now we feel vindicated when passing on gems of cryptic invaluable minutiae to fellow workers who are bored with their jobs.
This brings us to Pinterest, where, from what I can see, we collect other people’s interests, all of which may or may not have value in our day-to-day lives.
LinkedIn, seems to stand alone insofar as it makes good sense to me. Or it would if it was used as a platform to do some serious personal promotion. Yet once again I see hypes and gripes appearing, which don’t seem to have much relevance to what the individual is trying to say.
Of course, there are dozens more coming and going according to trends which I’m told are age-related. (Heaven forbid a teenager to use a platform being used by an older person, or someone with vastly different life experiences).
One problem that seems to be related to all – is that there is little personal control over them. Size and placement vary, and apparently, algorithms are only known to a mainframe computer that will, or won’t, see your entries. And once published, a post or photo is rarely retrievable, destined to circle cyberspace only to descend at the most inopportune time in order to create the most embarrassment.
YouTube is a wonderful deposit for “How To” videos. But maybe I expect too much of the demonstrator, who rarely seems to have much knowledge about the item concerned, lighting techniques, or even sound for that matter. But YouTube does allow for niche time-wasting. ‘Unboxing’ seems to be popular, and indeed is a money-spinner. In a world with the general complaint of lack of time, it seems that watching a complete stranger open a box is a day’s top priority every morning. It is even recognized as therapy for destressing.
This leaves me to Websites. For a modicum of money and expertise, one can write posts, circulate photos and impart information with at least some level of expectation that it will all look as envisaged. Having said that, I will bring this little insight to an end and investigate how and where some of my other entries eventuated.
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