Who are we, really? Have we become Social Media Slaves.

Guilty as charged.

I have a facebook account, and a twitter one and a google one and a facebook page as well! Why? Well, it started off by being a great way to connect with long lost friends, keep touch with business networking acquaintances and have a little fun posting funnies.

Now I have over 200 so-called friends and I make sure it stays around that number. I unfriend those who say and post things that don't resonate with me, and I sure unfriend those who only use facebook one way, that is, offer no interaction. Those are the ones that make me feel as though they only want to be a sort of voyeur. CLICK, they're gone.

I am less and less involved though myself in my personal account. Unless I find a really cool youtube video worth sharing. Otherwise it's all about my business page. Beyond using facebook as a marketing tool, which sometimes I truly doubt its effects, I don't bother that much anymore with social media. Sure I'll leave a quick message to a friend or co-worker, but I don't spend hours anymore to read none sense, play games, send e-flowers or cards, or show-off. 2012 will be my slow withdrawal of facebook.

I can always call my friends or email them after all, oh wait! I can also meet up with them and talk face to face.

I know a lady who shut it off cold turkey, I got to know her better afterwards. She comes by our business location and we chat more one on one, that's the personal non digital touch.

Have we lost that personal touch? Who are we, really? Have we become social media slaves? Can we really go cold turkey and shut off facebook or twitter? Speaking of twitter, the tweeting is non-stop, and in most cases automated. My account is well over 4000 followers who also have automated tweets, is anyone really seeing any one's tweets? My email constantly alerts me of another twitter follower, but I never see them, hear from them, talk to them, and most likely they don't see my scheduled tweets either. I feel we're all twits!

Unless you hang out with the celebrity and t.v personality twitters, then you'll get some live interactions.

What would the world be without facebook, twitter and all other social media? Less connected you say, well hell ya! I just don't believe the connections are deep, they're just this giant tangled web of unknown impersonal voices. Perhaps we get hooked as we so often hear our own voices and opinions somewhere in the web noise and feel - less alone.

The Internet has helped me a great deal during hard times, when I felt compelled to share and interacted with individuals who offered great advice, comfort and love. But these were from forums - not facebook.

When I recently heard news of

Kathleen Edward who lost her battle with huntington disease, and how she was taunted on facebook by neighbors while fighting for her life.

 I questionned the value of social media. Who are these people, who raised them, what joy do they receive by taunting a little 9 year old girl and her family that way, who does that?

Maybe they are bitter and unhappy people in this world who get off hurting others, these types have always been around, they just now are given a greater voice - by way of social media.

While I would not avoid social media all together, it is our world today and we can't completely escape it, I will be making great effort to spend more of my computer time writing for this blog then wasting time on senseless chatter on facebook.

If you liked this article, scroll down and post it on FB or tweet! :)