He has decided to log out of all his accounts because of many things and I respect his decision. It can be tough with people being very negative and some try to constantly bring you down. I know he faced lots of backlash from certain groups because he was what I call a front line person in Ag Twitter. He responded to many of them and honestly that would be exhausting in itself.
He also chose to walk away because he felt it was addictive and this is very true. It's easy to get lost in it if you don't learn to self moderate. Limit how often you check it and shutting off notifications on all devices is the first step. Filter out what you don't want so you can focus on the useful or entertaining parts. The negativity is hard to take but the good stuff is mixed in with it, very similar to regular life. It doesn't have to be all consuming if you don't let it be. The bad and ugly side of Social Media are prevalent don't get me wrong but choosing to focus on that part is a decision.
How about all the good things about Social Media?
I've made friends who I have met in person and am very thankful for. These are people from all across the country that I know for a fact I never would have ran across otherwise. Many farming events I go to now I run into people that I follow on Twitter and I already have that connection with them. I think in agriculture we've embraced Twitter because it's just like the coffee shops of our parents or grandparents. Our lives are so fast paced that we don't always have time to sit and have a coffee and visit which is sad but it's a fact.
I've learned so much from so many other farmers on Twitter. I am doing things on my farm that I wouldn't have even known about otherwise. If I have a question on the farm it's not like I can google it most times so I ask Ag Twitter and get answers almost instantly. If I have a problem on the farm more than likely another farmer somewhere has had that same one and has solved it and this is almost always true.
Another positive is I get the opportunity to share my day with people from all across the world. People from all the continents of the world see my farm the way I see it. From the sunsets or sunrises to the days on the tractor or combine out working by myself and I have the chance to take them along for the journey. The long days in the field go quicker for me when I share them. The questions about what I'm doing can be very interesting or I may comment on someone's post and have a discussion that way. This is the social part of Social Media. It's where we interact and get to know people and have good discussions.
I've taken steps back in the past and evaluated what I want to get out of Social Media and I think that's important. If you're here to change peoples minds you're here for the wrong reasons. Share your story, have discussions and just like a good conversation listen to what others have to say and don't be afraid to like or comment. It can be disheartening some days but to walk away from it totally isn't for me.
It's just like anything else moderation is important but don't lose all the good because you can't see past some of the challenges.
No comments:
Post a Comment