I have to admit, I haven’t really gotten into too much online communication other than this blog. Okay, I’m on Facebook, but I rarely post. WhatsApp is something I’d like to explore since my uncle, who now lives in Portugal, uses that. But Instagram, Tik Tok, all the rest hold no interest for me.
I work with a woman who uses Tik Tok excessively. She gets all her news from that app, and it’s often wrong. I’ve told her she should find her news from reputable sources, but she just shrugs. While I’m sure some of what she reads is accurate, I know a lot of it is not.
What’s interesting to me is she wasn’t aware of the looming Tik Tok ban. It’s possible, although no one is quite certain about this, that the app could go dark after January 19. I’m not sure what my colleague would do after that, given her reliance on Tik Tok for news, entertainment, makeup tips, and a dozen other things I don’t remember right now.
I hate the thought of relying so much on social media, although I’ll be the first to admit it’s the only way I stay in contact with many of my friends from college. I’ve found it interesting to see how much some of us have changed our world views from one end of the spectrum to the other. We bond together and support each other through Facebook (as I’ve said before, I rarely post, but I keep up with other’s posts). I also get really good book suggestions from my friend Sue.
I still favor more personal communication, such as meeting in person with my friends or phone calls. Okay, I rarely use the phone, but I do text. The one-on-one conversations are much more satisfying to me than anything I can get on social media.
Still, I’ve made some friends through this blog, and I care about all of them. I want to know what’s next in their lives. Through our posts I’ve gotten to know about how they relate to the world around them and some details that delight me, for example, a love of cats. If something happened to one of them, I would grieve.
Will my relationship with social media change? Who knows. My life is bound to be different in the next couple of years, so perhaps my dependence on social media will be, too.
Image Credits: Wooden Figurines © Valerii Evlakhov–stock.adobe.com; New View © muhammad–stock.adobe.com; Cat © Yana–stock.adobe.com
My World With Words 
There is so much going on with all the different social media platforms, so I just stick with our little community here, which I love.
And I love texting with family and friends. Phone calls…not so much. I was on the phone so much for work, that I dreaded getting calls at home. Lucky for me, my family and friends are also texters. 😀
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I definitely prefer texting. Sometimes when my brother and I are texting about my mom, it becomes evident it’s too much info for a text, so then we call. I also talk on the phone with my mom and my dad, but that’s about it. I just wish I was faster at texting!
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Blogging remains the best type of social media. The others I use for different reasons, but the news? It’s best to get it from reputable sources. So for example, I do follow NPR on IG, and then if they post something, I’ll google to see what’s going on.
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NPR seems to me to be about as reliable as they come, worth following up on.
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A good round up of our social media options. I am grateful to have met you through WordPress, Belinda!
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So am I! I tried to remember how we first found each other and couldn’t. I think maybe from the Heart of the Matter–I may have met Brian first.
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I think you’re right!
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I am facebook retired myself. But I still manage my companies facebook pages…? Yeah I know so I’m still hooked in a little. My favorite way to connect with anyone is to write notes – snail mail style. I am grateful for WordPress I have meet some really awesome people on here.
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I’m considering leaving Facebook. I just need to find a way to connect with some of those I keep up with there.
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I am a little late responding to this post since the TikTok ban has come and gone. Hence the return of TikTok. I am hesitant about returning to TikTok. Still not sure if it will stay or go. Since the pandemic, online communication has been a blessing for me. We may not be within distance, but we can still see each other’s face and speak. Having at least one social media platform may be necessary to stay connected.
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I get it, and I agree. Unclear what will happen with Tik Tok, but I’m staying away regardless. Glad I’m in touch with you!
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I never dreamed I’d make so many genuine friends via blogging, Belinda. True, we’re (mostly) limited to the written word, but it puts me in mind of my pen pal Judy. I met her and talked to her for 15 minutes in a park in Texas fifty years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since.
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I agree. While we’re limited, we can get to know each other pretty well. It’s wonderful that you’ve had a friend for fifty years, especially a pen pal.
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