Social Media Concepts - Do you own social media or does social media own you?

Do you own social media or does social media own you?

I absolutely love social media and all tools that come with it. I'm a total IT geek and I relish the idea that I am able to keep in contact with friends and family all over the world using social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+. It has made life a lot easier for me in many ways. I have been able to watch my nieces get older, I have communicated with friends from Australia, America, the UK, South Africa and Many more places. I have been able to maintain some sort of relationship with them over the years.

So what prompted me to write this blog? There are loads of opinions and points of view out there, what should make this any different? Well, I have 1 key opinion that will make this blog very different from the rest.

I recently watched a video on Facebook that explained why social media may not be the best thing for society. Here is the link : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=449451141858904. I really encourage you to watch it.

After watching the video I was experiencing mixed emotions, obviously for a number of reasons (watch the video....) So I decided that I should share a few things on the internet about what I felt (Watch the video and you will understand the irony here).

Firstly, Please bare in mind that I am not your typical IT geek that sits in a small, dimly lit room behind my laptop, next to a mountain of soda cans, while eating old pizza, drinking Gatorade and coding some sort of ridiculously complicated application. I LOVE to socialise (believe it or not....), I am active in multiple circles of friends, I am in Pre-sales for a Microsoft partner and I do enjoy a good party.

Social media has become the backbone of my communication network. This is for a number of reasons. I am part of many groups of friends, I stay in the UK and most of my friends are in South Africa, I have family in both the UK and South Africa and I love updating people regarding what I am doing and experiences I have had.

Please note that again, I love updating people regarding experiences I have had. This is a key point and something that is very relevant in this day and age. I would rather pass a beer over a table with a group of friends than sit on social media sites. I would prefer to go to a theme park and experience the biggest, most thrilling ride and then send out a post telling everyone how awesome my day was.

In my opinion you should be posting about experiences with friends, not experiencing posts with "friends"!

This phrase is absolutely key when utilising social media from a personal point of view. Another key point I mentioned in my opening statement was that social media helps me maintain the relationships I already have. These relationships started off with a meeting. Most of these meetings were in person. Without these meetings, I could just be another face on Facebook and not the guy that went to the theme park and had a wonderful time with friends.

Just as the video depicts, if you are constantly on social media, there is a good chance you may be missing something that could totally change your life, however, I do feel that it is still an amazing invention that when used correctly, can open ones options and perspective completely. Social media will always play an active roll in my life and I will use to benefit me rather than define me.