Fifteen

Day Fifteen:  Red Squirrel in the morning

On Social Networking…

I remember when piczo websites were a thing right when I was allowed to get a hotmail email and use msn.  I was twelve, which by the normal social standards at the time was apparently late on the whole msn thing, as everyone had already added eachother.  I remember having a notebook and writing everyone’s emails in it in a purple pen, and then adding them later.  I remember also putting possible MSN names in this notebook, with all kinds of emoticons and funny messages.  I thought this was really cool.  When I created my first piczo website it was sparkly and had things to click on and was “all about me,” very personal, those generic websites.

I recall using MSN right up until I was in my second semester of twelfth grade, when I forgot the password, and sort of left off from there.  When I was in eighth grade Myspace began, and that was a big thing.  I loved Myspace, I kind of still love Myspace.  It was like a less personal, less creepy Facebook, with more creative options and more emotional output, in my opinion.  (Myspace is forever red-underlined on my word operater, I feel like that is so delayed, like if ‘bootylicious is in the dictionary in this day and age shouldn’t Myspace?  I’m taking too much time on this) 

Then I remember in ninth grade Facebook emerged, and no one was on it.  Do you remember those days?  When actually only the hipsters were on Facebook, the ones who were sick of Myspace and would post things like “You losers are still on Myspace?  Get on facebook!” on their Myspace statuses, and I tried it out, and then that was it.  I abondonded my poor Myspace, and haven’t left Facebook since.  I debate everyday on deleting it.  I actually loathe Facebook.  I hate uploading photo’s, I don’t really like having the obligation to post on people’s walls for their birthdays.  I would rather just, you know, see them in person.  I like it because it keeps me in contact with my family when we’re all travelling and my close friends, but the rest is sort of stupid.  I suppose making events is convenient as well, but those are the only upsides in my life…  Honestly, I don’t see the big deal.

I started Twitter only at the end of highschool, and I am a fervent Tweeter, Twit?  Tweetee?  Something like that.  I tweet all of the time, and mainly for myself.  It is sort of like an online representation of these notebooks I used to have through elementary school where it was a cross between a journal and a place to write lyrics.  Twitter allows me to be concise and funny and I like to look through it, I don’t really care who reads my tweets, although that’s not really how social networking works.  (I just realised that Twitter isn’t underlined, how odd, Facebook and Myspace are red-underlined but Twitter is left untouched.  Microsoft Word is an unreal place.  Again, I digress..)  My Twitter, if you’re interested:  @fekkledfudge

My latest adventure into social networking that I personally interact with would be Tumblr.  If you don’t know Tumblr, it is simple:  You reblog pictures and posts from complete strangers that you like to create your own blog.  I would love to be Tumblr famous, but I have reverted to just reblogging nice things that make me happy, this is my Tumblr if you’re interested:  www.huntersguidetohappiness.tumblr.com.  I tweeted not too long ago that I love Tumblr because it gives the illusion that I can be completely anonymous which evokes a freedom and a sense of creativity that I haven’t felt before.  I suggest you check out Tumblr, it’s fabulous for killing time.

Youtube is beginning to be a huge part of social networking that I have been apart of since probably my first surgery seven years ago,but I just watch.  I follow channels, and I love people whom I have never met.  I had the luck to meet one of my favourites in October, which was incredible.  I don’t have the balls to post video’s quite yet as I hate my voice and can’t stand editing the things.  But Youtube is fabulous.

So that’s my relationship to social networking, but to be honest I think it really isn’t a huge thing (as I have just typed out almost two pages worth of testimonials that it is, in fact, a huge thing.) but I don’t think twice about it, and that’s a worrisome thing to me.  This blog actually posts onto my Twitter, and I’ve been trying to get it to post onto my Tumblr as well but I’m not tech savvy enough to figure that out.  I would love to say that I am not in this whole networking scene but I am, and I use it for work and for writing and class work, but also to look at people from highschool who dated that guy who also slept with whoever, and it’s all plastered everywhere.  Our lives are being digitalised literally before our eyes, but I wonder if this is the best way.

Tumblr draws me in because it gives me the opportunity to also create, and be a part of a community and have friends.  Facebook seems to be a place for people you know where Tumblr is to meet new people and share.  Would it be terrible to say that I enjoy them being separate?  So much stigma with both, I can just picture the hipsters that used to have Facebook when the rest of us were on Myspace thinking to themselves Oh that Facebook, we were on that before it was cool, no we talk on our home lines, because it’s not mainstream anymore.  I can’t remember a time when I seriously used my landline at home, I just have my cellphone and facebook to talk to the people I love.

That’s kind of depressing, but means that I have every ability in the palm of my hand.  It’s liberating and restricting at the same time.  I don’t necessarily believe there is a drawn line between traditional and up-and-coming, or that anyone needs to distinctly hate or love social networking, but for the love of God stop sending so many Farmville and SimCity requests, never use a #hashtag on Facebook, and if you can’t sum up your life in 140 characters or less you’re more or less lost on the internet.

Cheers,

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