We all feel guilty when we use Twitter or Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, WordPress or Blogger. Today I’m here to tell you to stop. And not because I want to tell you to stop feeling guilty because I’m a kind caring, type of blogger and I want to keep talking to you on all these social mediums. No. I have come up with 5 valid reasons why you should lose the guilt and incorporate the social networks into your daily working life – especially if you are a full-time writer from home.
1. Guilt is a negative emotion and will impact negatively on anything you are currently working on. It is insidious and will niggle away at your positivity and that includes the positivity you feel towards your current project.
2. If you were going out to work you would be engaging with real people and having conversations. Taking five minutes here and there to pass the time of day with your colleagues. Using social media is a home workers social downtime. That five minutes of human interaction. To know the world exists outside the four walls and whatever it is you’re working on.
3. Have you ever had a brainwave from something you’ve read on social media? I know I have. Because we are social animals, we tend to migrate towards the people who have similar interests to us, therefore, what is shared in that space tends to hold some interest and time to time there really is a nugget of gold that really drives me forward in what it is I’m working on. Don’t dismiss what is being shared on these platforms.
4. Talking of migrating to similar people on social media. If you come up against a problem in the work you are tackling right now, my bet is there is someone in your circle of social media of friends who can help you, either directly or through someone they know, and they are quite willing to do so. Right now, I have a friend who is putting me in touch with a pathologist and if it weren’t for social media, I would never have met her. Do not underestimate the power of your social circles.
5. It’s fun! Are you really going to berate yourself for having some fun? I’ve made some real genuine friends through social media and I wouldn’t give it up or allow anyone to make me feel guilty for using it, so why would you?
Prashant C. Trikannad says
Rebecca, I’m all for social media though I’m not sure how I can best leverage it. While I’m on Blogger and LinkedIn, for personal and professional reasons, respectively, I have resisted Facebook and Twitter so far. I wouldn’t know what to do with either, so at this point it seems like a waste of time and energy I can ill afford. Maybe, when I turn to serious writing or have something concrete to offer…
Rebecca Bradley says
I think that’s it, you need to do what you are happy with not what you feel you need to do. But also don’t feel guilty for what you do do. When you turn to serious writing, if you need any help navigating Twitter and creating some friendly groups, just give me a shout and I’ll give you a hand. I wouldn’t have the social media platform I have today and the real life friends I have from my online world, if it wasn’t for Twitter, because it all started there. It’s about finding your people. Those you connect with and share interests with. Don’t forget, the offer is there. It’s not a push, I know you’re not ready.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
All good points! And since I blog from work, I’m doubling my socializing. That’s good to know.
Rebecca Bradley says
There you go, absolutely no need to feel guilty! 🙂
Margot Kinberg says
Those are absolutely brilliant arguments, Rebecca! Thanks for sharing them. I think I ought to print this out and put it up in my work area.
Rebecca Bradley says
That’s a good idea Margot because I think all too often we see articles telling us how much time we spend on social media and how bad it is. We rarely see articles reminding us of the good it does.
Jacqui Murray says
Great reasons. All quite obvious, but I hadn’t seen them through the lens of ‘good’. Thanks.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly, that’s because we are always hearing the negatives. There are too many negatives in our lives, we need to remember the positives. I have met some wonderful people I am thrilled to call friends, on social media.
Carol Balawyder says
Loved this post. Social media opens so many doors. 🙂
Rebecca Bradley says
Thanks Carol. It has opened so many for me. I have met so many wonderful people and people I am happy to call friends. I also have great online friends and I would feel isolated and lost without social media. It gets a bad name a lot of the time. I thought I would redress the balance. 🙂