The Social Media Superlatives

"I HATE SOCIAL MEDIA" is a battle cry, shouted by so many. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying, let's look at the big picture. No; I can't promise your life will be worse or better depending on whether you use social media, but I am saying if you can use it wisely, utilizing its strengths, it can be a game-changer for your business and your social life.

I just missed the ability to use social media in high school and really, thank God for that. So many things can go wrong there... But the issue of keeping young people safe online is its own story, so for the purpose of these rankings, we're only discussing using social media past the age of 18.

Without further adieu, here are the winners in the social media superlative contest nobody asked for...

TWITTER: "BEST GATEWAY TO OTHER SITES"

Twitter is my least favorite social media site, but there are many who swear by it and I know they have their reasons. It seems to have two valuable purposes:

1. business.

2. (usually angry) bursts of info

I've used it for both, but only to a minor extent. I was recently in a writing workshop with a special guest who shared her twitter handle. For writers, it seems to be a popular site - a good place to share a link or a short quote. Easy, peasy. What makes Twitter less annoying for those using it to network in this way is that the site is just the gateway to the info that the users are sharing. With the short bursts of info and the ability to see blue verification checks easily, Twitter can be a quick and efficient way to check in on certain people and what they're doing to help or destroy society.

Scroll score: 2/10 Networking score: 8/10

The info bursts are so short that unless you're following a bunch of comedians, it can become very white-noise-ish.

Recommended usage: Keep your follow list light or use the search bar. Because you're less likely to be flooding your Twitter with cat memes and pictures of your lunch, it may serve as a solid place for work-related correspondence and networking.

FACEBOOK: "BEST PLACE TO K.I.T."

Facebook is practically the OG of classic time-wasting social media. I realize some people have left, but honestly, most people I know are still there, whether they are spending less time scrolling or not. Even if you're not a fan, I recommend keeping your facebook activated.

So, why do I love FB? It was originally an homage to the classic yearbook- it was called "The Facebook" and you could connect directly with people in your class in college- you had to be a college student to have a facebook page. I'm glad we stopped that elitism, but the fact that facebook uses your real name and photo to connect you and offers the capability to sepd proper emails- with an option to send files, photos, videos, etc...

No one else has given us that capability. I see people "clean up their friends list" and I think facebook is the worst place to do that. Fine, delete me, but I'm not adding you back. If I've clicked add-friend, I'm giving you consent to contact me and not everyone has my personal email. I don't know why people don't use the messaging feature more or why anyone fails to respond to messages. Facebook kindly gives you a notificaton and lets you know you have messages, versus emails which easily get lost. Also, busted... I can see if you opened my message... Facebook is a constant reminder that people have shitty etiquette, but I love having the capability to communicate so seamlessly. Downside: it can get political- Covid taught us a lot about one another, it can take a long time to scroll,

Scroll Score: 7/10 Networking Score: 3/10

Facebook is a very personal site. Even if you do have a "business" page, unless you've told your Aunt Polly and Uncle Mike not to leave you awkwardly worded encouragement, it's a tricky site for networking. Because there's no limit on info shared, scrolling can take longer.

INSTAGRAM: "BEST PLACE TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR MEMORIES"

I'm a fan. A Finsta. A Fansta. Fine. I'm old, I admit it, but I am thrilled to turn 40 next year, and I can't wait to use a cute instagram hashtag. Speaking of hashtags, I love using them on IG whether for myself or for others. You can keep track of your own posts- I have a hundred and something tagged photos of #coneybeardog who passed away but lives on via my IG...

I have also previously used hashtags for business-ish reasons like producing a play- choose one hashtag and use it consistently and all of your posts can be accessed all together. On IG, you can tag friends and this site is great for quicker scrolling and sort of using the idea of emphasizing photos over words.

You can absolutely use words with your posts, but you have to accept that if your photo isn't engaging a lot of people might not read the words next to it... IG has a solid messaging system for short form messages, though no ability to send links and info.

Scrolling Score: 8/10 Networking Score: 8/10

Downside: less message capability for things like info or longer stuff...

TIK TOK- "BEST PLACE TO BUILD COMMUNITY, SHARE YOUR SKILLS, AND LEARN THINGS"

I waited SO long to join the clock app. I was nervous about privacy because I read some scary stuff, but honestly it's probably no worse than all the other sites we already give our info to.

When I joined TikTok, I expected just an obsecene amout of tweens doing terrible dances and an excessive amount of makeup bloggers, but there's an affective algorythm and a "for you" page manipulating your life like the little social-media marionette that you are, and let me tell you, they do a scary good job of sending you people you'd like!

Funny phenomenon I've seen in my first few points- a lot of people find such specified friends on TikTok that those start to overpower their existing friendships. That's a whole other story to unpack some other time.

But there is something unique happening on TikTok- people mneet significant others and real life friends and it's kinda wonderful. honestly.

TikTok works well with the instant gratification culture we keep sinking deeper into - you can watch as long as you like and move on when you need to. The algorithym has given me hilarious babies, life-changing fitness coaches... Trauma tiktok taught me more than therapy... I learned that i probably have aphantasia, where you dont picture things in your mind in a literal way, and y'know I might have ADHD which I never ever suspected, but it would make sense...so thanks i guess.

I like to make videos saying whatever i feel about life, sometimes singing, etc... 240 people follow me, but I have hope for the future- there are a lot of weirdos with a big folllwing..it feels attainable vs things ike youtube which you cant count on.

Scroll score: 9/10 Networking Score 8/10

If you choose to use TikTok professionally and exclusively use your page for that, there is a lot of potential.

These superlatives probably didn't change your mind. It's okay if you don't like social media. And it's okay if you do. Like any other thing in life, it's wise to use it in a healthy way.

A lot of people blame social media for a few big issues. Here are my favorites, debunked. You're welcome.

"I can't be on social media- I get addicted!" or "It's a time suck!!!"

Social media addiction is not actually what most people who claim the *disease* are dealing with. It's not alcohol, and it's not a drug, kids. What you're likely struggling with is a lack of boundaries, accountability, or self-discipline. Now, if you don't really enjoy social media, that's fine, but struggling with the "addiction" is a fixable problem- one that's worth working on, lest this become an issue with any other thing in your life.

If you have an addictive personality, set a timer for an agreed upon time whether 30 minutes, an hour, or more. Choose a healthy time of day to scroll, and stick to that. Maybe you're a teacher and you like to zone out during lunchtime watching teacher tiktok. Maybe you want to check the IG feeds during your daily 30 minutes on the stationary bike.

"People Be Crazy!"

This one I won't dispute. But again, just like overcoming your own boundaries, I think it's great to work on overcoming the inability to scroll past something that isn't worth your time. Don't get lost in the ignorance. Don't fight with strangers. Keep your perspective at all times. Don't type anything you don't want printed out later and scrutinized. Not that this happened to me, but this happened to me. Once someone typed out something I said-- something I was happy to stand by-- and brought it to my Resident Advisor supervisor.

Yes, people be crazy, but nobody is going to take away my freedom to keep in touch with my friends, especially during a pandemic. But outside of the isolation of the last 20 months, social media can be awesome- even in normal times. Life is so busy and stressful, and if I could only keep in touch via phone and email, I feel like it would be so much work.

I don't think social media is a time suck- I think it's a time saver. I can easily find pretty much anyone I've ever met. I can share whatever I want. I can goof off. I can be serious. I can access the news. I can network.

So I occasionally have to shut down some political vigilante with a snide remark. I'm up to it.