What's your purpose with social media?

I joke that I am addicted to Twitter.  And I might be... I check it multiple times a day and spend at least 5 minutes scrolling, reading, bookmarking each time I open the app.  I check Facebook daily, even though most days I get upset over something posted.  I have Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest accounts, but they aren't so important that my notifications aren't even turned on.

Recently I read an article on scarymommy.com called "This Is What Social Media (And The Selfie Generation) Did To My Teenage Daughter".  And it got me thinking... what is the purpose of social media?

Or rather, what is my purpose with social media? Do I need it if I am not using it for my intended purpose?

With Twitter, I feel that I am definitely using it for my intended purpose - my purpose is to learn. There are so many educators who share their ideas, lessons, and observations on Twitter - and I want to soak up each one.  I have learned about Flipgrid and Desmos, found more ways to use G Suite apps, and discovered a few podcasts to educate me even more.  I guess that is why I joke I am addicted - because I use it to learn and I want to keep learning.

Facebook is where I go to check in my friends - new and old, close or an acquaintance.  I love seeing what everyone is up to, but sometimes I feel like it can limit me when I run into someone in real life.  Because of FB, I already know what is going on in their lives - so they have nothing new to share.  It has helped me start conversations ("I saw that you __ on FB"), but more often that not, I feel a little restricted...

I used to love Pinterest... and I still use it to bookmark things like travel ideas and stuff for my house, but I don't use it as part of my job anymore. Once I left the classroom, it didn't seem like the best place to get new ideas.  Instagram is fun, but most of my IG friends are my FB friends, so I see their stuff twice. And Snapchat... well, I don't really have any friends who use SC regularly.

But now the question becomes, what do I do moving forward?







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