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Monday, April 23, 2012

Social Media Stress - Anyone?
I'm trying to remember a time before social media usurped all of our "extra" time and energy...and then some.\
Too many "big" things to learn!
The choices! What's most important to learn: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, mobile apps - or Tumblr, Instagram, bit.ly, blogging and on and on. Are we caught up on all the latest items trending on YouTube? Is today the day to work on getting more Followers and Likes?


Holy cow! Do we really have enough "brain power" to learn all this stuff? Plus keep up home, family and jobs? I'm beginning to wonder.


As soon as we learn one thing...we're behind on a dozen more!
True. Just when you think you have the basics conquered, there's something new and great that's all the buzz. It can be an app (or a dozen!) or a gadget, it matters now. We add it to the mental list of "Gottas."


The time for all of this has to come from...?
Remember when kids looked up homework in libraries and encyclopedias? Or we found out new news in - yes! - a newspaper. Or we looked at pretty pictures and styles in magazines and enjoyed them?


Today, we and our kids just cruise around in cyberspace. A quick look-up of Topic A takes us into the black linkhole of Topics B, C, D and maybe all the way to Z. Maybe we didn't quite find the original topic, but we sure did "learn a lot." Right? Or not. And we must find the pretty pictures (fast!) because we have to get more Followers on Pinterest (really? more Followers?)


So we drag out the frozen dinners...or another round of mac 'n cheese. Instead of reading stories or walking, we catch up on twitter and facebook...and start another round of pinning. And so the time goes until we drag ourselves to bed at a later-than-wanted hour.


Turn up the speed on the virtual treadmill!
I never feel like I'm on top of anything these days. I'm weak on Pinterest...and hopeless on Instagram. I'm getting better on iPhone apps, but compared to what? There are a million apps (or something like that). I have a new Kindle Fire from Valentine's Day (TY dear hubby:-)...but no time to learn how to use it.


And I'm feeling guilty because I feel completely unproductive as in "Jack of all trades but master of none!"


What's the answer?
I don't know. Do you? I'd love to hear your thoughts!