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| The HUGE Ferris Wheel @ Navy Pier |
Monday thru Friday from about 8:45 (most of the time) until 5:10 or so I am unplugged from all social media. Sure, I'm online as most of the medical billing functionality as well as my work station telephone is internet based, but my internet activity is pretty much limited.
To be fully in compliance with HIPAA we are not allowed to have our personal phones (or other mobile devices) at our workstations (let alone.have them on) and we are not to access our personal emails or other sites while any of the medical billing pages are up. Actually, we are only to do those things during a lunch or other break time. We are allowed to access streaming radio like iHeart, Spotify, or Pandora which most do (we are allowed to have one ear plugged) as the office music selection of the day is not to the taste of the room at-large.
So, Monday thru Friday from about 8:45 am (most of the time) until 5:10 pm I have absolutely no idea what has gone on with my FB, Instagram, or Twitter feeds. And for the most part, I don't really care, wouldn't do me much good since I can't access them. I suppose I could take my phone to BK (or some other nearby spot) to surf or take WWF turns but I don't.
That isn't to say that I don't spend a good portion of the very long commuting time (about 90 minutes including waiting) scrolling through FB and Instagram, taking WWF (Words With Friends) turns, and reading blog posts. I try not to comment (sometimes I can't help it) because the bus jostling adds a bit of intrigue to tapping out coherency. .
Given the limitations I don't have a lot of time focused on or to be dedicated to Internet / social media sites for pure leisure. When I first got on-line oh so many years ago, I emailed and surfed the WWW. Surfing various topics (most having to do with lesbianism--as I wasn't "out" yet) led to a community of bloggers and eventually to my own blogging.
While I do have Pinterest, Twitter, WordPress, and Tumblr accounts I do not actively participate in any of those platforms. Tumblr asks every year if I'd like to keep my Tumblr name and I always reply, "yes" even as I have no intention to Tumbl(r). My leisure time Internet usage is FB, Instagram, Blogging, and to a very small degree, YouTube. (I shop on line but that is not a leisure activity).
A blogging (and FB) buddy talked about YouTube channels and the number of subscriptions she has. I had to admit, yes, I YouTube but had no idea how many channels I had over the years clicked, "subscribe". After reading her post I discovered that number was 26. I spent a few minutes un-subscribing and so now the number is: 19.
I have to admit, YouTube has not been my "go to" internet place for some time now. Their pay-to-play platform and more recent acts played a role in my staying (mostly) away. My most recent upload was 3 years ago. My YouTubing usually happens as result of a video being posted on another platform, usually FB or embedded in a blog.
My fellow blogger's post got me thinking not only about my YouTube subscriptions but about my overall Internet activity and how I might re-dedicate my leisure time Internet usage or even if I may (or should) re-dedicate more leisure time off-line.
I didn't realize this was even on my mind until I read her post on my way home from work today.
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| MORE MM BLOG POSTS |
OK, I love the picture of the ferris wheel. Seattle has one of those behemoths, too. Amazing views!
ReplyDeleteI think I am in a similar position re the internet. I don't spend much time on FB, or Instagram, or Twitter but I do look at them some. I rarely watch YT unless I'm searching for something specific, or someone has sent me a link. Blogs, yes. I have a list, and you are on it, and the bloggers I have 'met' online are the best part of the internet for me.
A bit of a double-edged sword, isn't it? I propose moderation in all things, especially all things internet, with a caveat that you don't abandon us. :-)
They replaced a big wheel with an even bigger wheel, if you can imagine. I'll never know about the views because . . well, no. Not for me.
DeleteSomewhere, some time back, I read a question about podcasts--which I don't do at all.
I wouldn't dream of abandoning you all. Of all the things I do on-line, this writing, reading, responding to posts are my greatest joys.
Great photo!
ReplyDeleteI have never done FaceBook or any other social media sites but I have known people who spend HOURS every day on them. Most people I know who started out on Facebook don't use it much anymore, realizing what a time suck it can be. I just keep thinking of the final scenes in the movie Wall-E with all those people floating around in chairs, staring at screens while the planet is trashed. Ugh! I fear one of the reasons so many people don't care about the environment is because they never go outside and appreciate it.
Thank you.
DeleteI only went to FB because so many blogging buddies abandoned blogging for that. And now, most of them are abandoning FB or at least are not nearly as vocal or visible. Or, vocalizing a fair amount of rage. Me? I post pics of trees. :-)
You may very well be on to something there. Definitely food for thought.
Great photo of the ferris wheel! Great things to ponder. Bryce took FB off his phone after our social-media-unfriending-text debacle, and he said he misses it not at all. That he has so much more time to read more meaningful things, like news stories from actual news sources that he finds himself. I am limiting my time more because I feel like facebook is slowly becoming the devil, not just a time suck but a fake way to connect on a very shallow level and a very easy way to spread misinformation around, but I can't stay away. I did find that all the social media cut into my book reading time and changed my reading habits, and so I'm trying to be more conscious of that. I love that you have accounts with all those things but don't necessarily do them all, just keeping those options open. I love what 8thday said about Wall-E. I think about that all the time, too.
ReplyDeleteSuch a thought-provoking post!
Thank you.
DeleteYou're spot on about the shallowness and the fake news, misinformation aspect.
Thank you.
I love Chicago. I grew up about 80 miles east of there and have family there. So I love the picture of the ferris wheel. I'm trying hard to spend more time off social media. I've been sucked in to a lot of political activity online since the election and I don't want to give that up. I like the blogging, too. So I'm afraid the social part of social media is what needs to go for me.
ReplyDeleteFB above all the platforms beg engagement, promotes competition, "how many likes can I get?" Going "viral" is all the rage. The more shocking, outrageous, "EPIC" a post or a response to a post, the better.
DeleteThat said, I have a friend who is taking a photography class. She posts her homework assignments on FB. I am appreciating her photos very much.
Moderation. Balance. Divorcing from that which is not giving joy or accurate information.
Chewing on future steps.
It's funny -- until I read this, I never thought about how I have zero YouTube subscriptions. I watch videos, but it's usually because I looked up something or someone posted.
ReplyDelete